Getting a Child Car Seat

I talked about child safety a little bit in an entry a couple of days ago.  Part of what a parent needs to consider when thinking about the safety of their child is which car seat to purchase. 

Before making the trip to the hospital to deliver is the appropriate time to determine which is the best child car seat for your little one.  And there are quite a few things to consider, such as:

• Do you want an infant seat that's part of a travel system? 
• Do you want a convertible car seat that allows you to stay with the same car seat as your child grows?
• Do you want to use one that a friend no longer needs, or buy a new one?
• Do you have all of the appropriate accompaniments for it to fit your little infant on the day he/she comes home from the hospital?

And there are more.

If you decide to buy a new infant car seat, make sure to follow the instructions closely when putting it together.  There are proper angles for the seat depending upon how it's positioned in the car, straps to adjust, etc.

If you are going to acquire a used car seat, there are some other things to think about. Not only do you want to follow the manufacturer's guidelines when putting it in place, but you'll also want to:

• Be sure that the seat fits your child.
• Make sure that it fits, and will work as it should, in your car.
• Check the straps to ensure that they do not move, unless you are adjusting them. Make sure there aren't any tears in the straps.
• Check to see if it's been in an accident before; it is recommended that car seats which have been in an accident not be used.
• Check for any cracks or breaks in the seat itself.  You are checking the integrity of the seat.
• Make sure that there are no essential pieces missing.
• Ensure that you have the proper base.  If it can be used without a base, can it be positioned properly in your car without it?
• Check the baby product recalls to ensure that your seat hasn't been recalled.  If it has, check to see if the manufacturer has provided a remedy for the concern.
• Ensure that the straps will lie flat, as intended, across the shoulders and around the hip area.  

This isn't an all-inclusive list, but these are some of the things to think about when getting a car seat.  For more things to consider, check out my page on the infant car seat.

As the child grows, if you've been using an infant car seat, you'll need to consider a convertible or booster seat once your child reaches the size limit for the infant seat.  

There are many different options when determining the best child car seat for your little one.  It's an important decision.  Think about how much you drive!  Do your research so that you'll be happy with the one you get.  You'll be using it a lot!