The Car Seat Safety Guide Every Parent Needs

Car seat safety is not something that we take lightly around here. We are pretty obsessed with kids, and keeping them safe in the car is obviously a big deal! Of all the baby gear out there, the only thing that you must have in order to even take your child home from the hospital is a properly installed car seat. Yes, there are hundreds of other things that you truly have to buy too, tiny humans have big needs! But a car seat is like your child's life insurance policy!

Just like a life insurance policy, you hope that the car seat is never put to the ultimate test! But if it is, don't you hope above all else that your child is in the correct seat, and that you have it installed and used correctly? Oh boy, do I hope so! Luckily, we all have resources that we can use to make sure that these seats are installed perfectly.

The first thing you should do when you purchase a car seat is to find the manual that comes with it! Yes, that small paper book that comes with everything that you never read because it has far too many words in it. You guys!! That manual was put together so that you know every piece of information about the seat you have chosen to protect your child. Read it, and then keep it somewhere that you will be able to find quickly and easily. I keep mine in my actual car so it is always in the same place as the car seat! 

After you have read your manual, then technically you have the information you need to use the seat. But, don't stop referring to resources there! On our YouTube Channel you can find multiple videos, just like the one below, but are more brand specific. You can watch those videos to see CPS certified Cubby Moms tell you all about the product's installation and features!

Maybe it doesn't seem to be a big deal when you first purchase an infant seat, but it is the second- and third-seat purchases that seem to feel more daunting. Believe me, I completely understand! My daughter hated being in her infant seat, so we went looking for a convertible seat when she was ten months old. Although I knew without a doubt that we wanted a quality seat that would fit her needs for years to come, it was still hard to hand over the card at the cash register.

Last week, I dropped my younger brother off at school. About a block away from the school, a teenager on their phone blew through a stop sign driving wayyyy too fast, and didn't even notice me until he was about two feet from my car. I have never been that close to being in a bad accident before, and I, of course, had my toddler in the back seat with me. If he had hit us, it would have been right in line with the back seat. I drove away being most grateful we didn't get hit, but even just as grateful that I knew my daughter was properly secured in her seat. 

Knowing when to transition your child to the next level car seat can be confusing. There are multiple factors that answer that question, and every child is so different! This video below will provide you with a good basis of when to change, what seat to change to, and why.

There is a lot of information here, but it is very important information! The safety of your child is well worth the time though, don't you think? To put it simply, read your manual, take the time to use features correctly, seek professional advice, and always have your child using and sitting in the proper seat for them. Do you have a seat that you want checked? Call our store, or stop by and have a CPS Tech check any car seat for free! Keep those little passengers as safe as they can be within your power!