Important Safety 1st Back to School Car Seat Tips

Having twins naturally means having two car seats, but now that the boys are about to start pre-school we now need four car seats!! Two for my husband's car when he drops them off in the morning and two for my car when I go to pick them up at the end of the day.

So, when we set out to get two more seats this summer, it was important to have ones that would grow with our growing boys, so that we wouldn't have to buy two more car seats in another year either. Luckily, Safety 1st just launched their Grow and Go 3-in-1 convertible car seat. Its rear and forward facing from 5-100 pounds!

The Grow and Go claims to be the first and last car seat parents and caregivers will need, making it simple to keep your little one safe in the backseat. In addition, the seat features side impact protection, a no rethread harness, buckle holders, two cup holders and an easily removable and machine washable seat cover (so important now that we're potty training too). The Grow and Go is exclusively available for $169.99 at Babies ‘R’ Us, but it's on sale for $149 online right now.

With children going back-to-school or starting school for the first time like ours, here are important back-to-school car seat safety tips from Safety 1st. It definitely got us thinking about toys/projectiles in our car!

Installation
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 75% of car seats on the road are installed incorrectly.
• The safest place to install a car seat is typically in the center of the rear seat.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
• Check in with a local Child Passenger Safety Technician to ensure your child’s seat is installed correctly. You can visit a local police station, fire station, AAA office or Safe Kids Chapter for guidance.

Where is Baby?
• It may seem like common sense but never, leave a child alone in the car. Hyperthermia is a severe form of heat stroke and last year 30 children died after being left or trapped in a hot vehicle. Being in Florida, it has me especially concerned.  You can learn more about this issue and easy tips to prevent it here.

Safeguard the Car 
• Just as important as safe guarding your home, don’t forget about the car. Especially on long road trips. It’s important to eliminate projectiles, anything in the car that is not secured is a possible projectile. That could be a child’s toy, wet nap container, or a water bottle. In a crash, objects take on greater weight due to crash forces.
• Make sure unused shoulder belts are not in reach of children as they can pose strangulation risk.

Car Seats Expire 
• Car seats expire. Especially if you get a hand-me-down car seat you should always check the expiration date to confirm the seat is safe for your child. You can find the expiration date on the back or the side of the car seat. Also, another very important tip - once a car seat has been in a crash you should not use it, plastic can warp and materials can fray. To properly dispose of a car seat check with your local waste management facility to see if they recycle number 5 plastic.

Disclaimer: Tips were provided by Safety 1st along with one car seat to facilitate this review. No further compensation was provided and all opinions are of course my own.

2 comments

  1. Thanks for these tips! I didn't realize that car seats actually expire!

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  2. Thanks for the reminders. I need to take the time to double-check that ours are installed correctly and clean out the back seat of all the projectiles.

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