Prepare for your Childs Illness BEFORE they get Sick {Safety}

If you're a parent than you've had to deal with a sick child. At least once.

For us, that time was last week. Max was vomiting, lethargic and had a temperature of 38.9 degrees*. He'd come down with a serious case of the 12-hour flu.

Translated into English that means food poisoning.

Ed and I knew exactly what to do... go to the hospital. However, there were several things that we hadn't considered and weren't prepared for.

Would you know what to do?

Here's what we wish we'd known beforehand.

Oh, you’re squishy and other tidbits: Part 3 of 3 on Child Seat {Safety}

The following is part three of a three part guest post on Car Seat Safety. Rene is a certified Car Seat Technician in the Province of Ontario. She is posting on her own merits, not as a representative of any one specific organization.

Securing the Child to the Seat

One of the most common errors I see is when people do not have their children secured properly to the seat. Carseat straps do not tighten upon impact as do seatbelts, so they need to be tight enough to restrain the child all the time. Children are squishy, especially new ones, so we need to take extra care to do this.

A few tips to ensure your child is secured tightly enough:

• Ensure that when you are tightening the straps, that the child's bum is all the way at the back of the seat. No slouching allowed!
• Do not dress your child in bulky clothing (this includes snowsuits and bulky winter jackets) in any seat, or use "cuddle-type" bags in your infant seat. Anything that gets between the child, strap and seat impedes your ability to get the straps tight and secure enough to restrain the child in a collision. This goes for you too, no bulky coats in the car! In winter, use a fleece outfit or other thin layers, and place a blanket over the child after the straps are done up. This also allows you to remove the blanket once the vehicle warms up, so that he/she is not sweating buckets in the back seat.
• It is important that the straps (where they are positioned at the child's shoulders) are in the correct slot. For rear-facing children, the straps must come from the seat at or below the child's shoulders. For forward-facing children, the straps must come out at or above the child’s shoulders.
• There are two tests to see if you have the straps tight enough: the pinch test and the finger test. The pinch test: attempt, at the collarbone, to pinch a horizontal section of strap between your thumb and forefinger. If you can pinch any strapping, it is too loose. The finger test: You should not be able to fit more than one finger under the strap at the child’s collarbone. When in doubt, tighten a little more.

After Market Products and Projectiles

Put your Back/Knee/Arm Into It: Part 2 of 3 Child Seat {Safety}

The following is part two of a three part guest post on Car Seat Safety. Rene is a certified Car Seat Technician in the Province of Ontario. She is posting on her own merits, not as a representative of any one specific organization.

Securing the Seat to the Vehicle

This is something that a lot of people struggle with. In the end, when properly installed, the seat should not move more than 1" side to side, when tested at the belt path (closest to the vehicle seat back). When the seat moves, ideally the whole car should move with it.

• Proper installation often requires 2 people and lots of leverage. Pushing down and back (towards vehicle seat) while reefing on the tightening straps, wiggling from side to side, using your whole being, get that sucker as tight as possible.
• Ensure to use the level indicator on the seat or even an iphone app to check the angle. The seat back (the portion the child's back rests against) for a child less than 6 months old should be at 45 degrees, and for an older child could be between 30 and 45 degrees. Correct angle is imperative for a child under 6 months as they do not have the neck support to keep their airways open.
• The UAS (or LATCH) anchors have been installed in all vehicles after 2001, with the intent of making it easier for parents to install child seats. Most vehicles have a weight limit for UAS use (many at 40lbs) so ensure to check with your vehicle manufacturer to find out when you will need to switch to a seatbelt installation if currently using UAS.
• Either the UAS or seatbelt method of install will work, as long as you are able to get it tight enough. One install method is not "safer" than another – but don’t use both at the same time. Each install method is meant to work independently and they could interfere with each other if used in conjunction.
• Forward-facing seats must be tethered using the top tether and a designated anchor point in the vehicle. Check your manuals for details pertaining to your seat/vehicle.

Securing the Seat to the Base (for infant seats)

Have Kids, Will Travel...Safely: Part 1 of 3 on Child Seat {Safety}

The following is part one of a three part guest post on Car Seat Safety. Rene is a certified Car Seat Technician in the Province of Ontario. She is posting on her own merits, not as a representative of any one specific organization.

We all love our kids and we want them to be safe. With this in mind, I figure the only reason that people are not securing their kids correctly is that they think they are doing it properly, even when they are not.

When I see a parent with a child who is not travelling safely, I don't know what to say. We may think that we want what's best for our kids, but, you don't want some stranger telling you that you're doing something wrong. Especially when it could insinuate that you don't care about your child(ren).

What to do?

One answer is to guest post here, outlining some basics of car seat safety.

Some of The Basics