Carseat Safety Awareness

You are likely thinking that this post is a bit off topic considering my usual theme of crafting and such. Just as much as I am passionate about creating I am also passionate about child safety. This is a "sponsored post" but close to my heart none the less.

We are just coming to the end of Car Seat Safety Awareness Week and I wanted to join in by helping to spread the message.

You may be in a season of your life where car seats are not much of a concern to you. You may not need a car seat in your vehicle, but I bet you have friends and family that do. Many of these people have not had their seat checked to ensure it is correctly installed using the car's latch system. There are clinics held by police departments and private organizations that will show you exactly how to use the safety restraint system in your car. Every car model is a bit different and it is sometimes difficult to get the seat properly installed. I remember as a foster parent we were required to attend a day long training which included a hands on lesson installing various car seats in our vehicles. They actually had us put our full weight on the seat while our partners fastened the restraint. Most people don't realize how tight those restraints need to be.

When looking for a new vehicle encourage new parents to do as much research as possible about different models of cars as well as car seats. A great resource to start with is Cars.com You will find a plethora of reviews and articles to help you make an informed choice. After they have made their purchase it is important for them to attend one of the free car seat clinics. It will offer them some peace of mind knowing their precious cargo is securely restrained.

If you are occasionally transporting wee ones in your vehicle be sure to aquaint yourself with the latching mechanism in your vehicle. It is not a fun experience trying to scramble to find the latch while dashing off to take baby somewhere. Be prepared that some latches are extremely hard to find and even harder to access. My fingers were mangled for the full 10 years I fostered from having to squeeze my fingers between the vehicle cushion to install whatever seat the child was using.

Attending a car seat clinic would be a great family activity for parents-to-be and grandparents to learn about car seat installation so they are all ready to go when the little bundle is ready to come home from the hospital.

If you are interested in attending a car seat clinic check with your local police services as they usually have a listing of local clinics.