Should I add to my info sheet...?

VoodooChile

New member
Some of you have seen my car seat info sheet (put together for day care manual), and I'm considering a few additions.
1. Is there any way to put something to the extent of: the first priority should be the safety of the child, not the convenience of the parent. Or is this too off-putting?
2. Something about moving to the "next step" (rf to ff, harness to booster, etc.), is actually a demotion, not a promotion?
3. Something about how it's okay if a rf child's legs are bent and/or touch the back seat?
4. Without naming the brand(s), mentioning that many popular seats are not meant to be used ff before 34"?
5. In the 3-in-1/combo area, should I add something about looking for open shoulder belt guides as opposed to closed (and is that an issue w/ bpb too?)? Also, should I add that a 3-in-1 will not be "the last seat you'll ever need", no matter what the saleperson says, or is this implied in the sections on expiration dates and seatbelt readiness?
Let me know what you think, and any suggestions on how to word additions is, of course, appreciated. I'll put what I've got below:
**********************************************************
In General
· There is no such thing as the “best” car seat. The best seat is the one that fits your child, fits your budget, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. Choose the seat that has features that allow you to use it correctly.
· All current seats sold pass minimum government safety standards, but some manufacturers do additional safety testing.
· Don’t use a used car seat, as you can never be sure of a seat’s history.
· Seats that have been in an accident need to be replaced.
· NEVER place a rear-facing child seat of any sort in a front seat where there is an active frontal airbag.
· Keep the chest clip of any harness at armpit level, not neck or tummy level.
· When installing your seat, be sure to use the correct seat belt paths or LATCH hooks for either rear- or forward-facing. Don’t use both LATCH and the seat belt.
· It is best not to dress your child in bulky outerwear in his/her car seat. To check if a coat is too bulky, place your child in his/her seat with the coat on and adjust the harness to fit. Then remove your child’s coat and fasten the harness without adjusting. If the harness straps are too loose, the coat is too bulky. A blanket or poncho will keep your child warm AND safe.
· Car seats do expire! An expiration date should be stamped into the plastic of the seat itself. Most seats are only good for 6 years after the date of manufacture.
· When in doubt, check your manual, and/or call the manufacturer’s customer service line.
· Have your seat checked by a qualified police officer or a Child Passenger Safety Technician.

Infant Carriers
· An infant carrier is a rear-facing only seat that snaps in and out of a base that is installed in the car. It can be part of a travel system. Be sure to buy a model with a 5-point harness.
· Many infant carriers have a weight limit of 20-22 lbs (one new model goes to 30) and a height/length limit of 29”. The height limit is a guideline—the seat is outgrown when the top of the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Check your manual for limits specific to your seat; if your child is too large for his/her carrier, please replace it with a convertible seat.
· In a rear-facing infant carrier, the harness straps must be at or below your child’s shoulders for a proper fit.
· Many models require the carrying handle to be down while traveling; some models are reinforced, however. Check your manual before leaving the handle up.
· Carriers are not meant to be placed in the front of a shopping cart. This causes the cart to become top-heavy and more likely to tip.

Convertible Seats
· A convertible seat is one that can be used both rear-facing and forward-facing. Be sure to buy a model with a 5-point harness.
· It is safest to leave your child rear-facing for as long as the seat will allow. Many states require children to be rear-facing until they are at least 1 year of age and 20 pounds; however, most convertible seats have a rear-facing weight limit of 30-35 pounds. Car seats are also outgrown in rear-facing mode by height when the top of the head is an inch from the top of the seat shell.
· Car seats are outgrown in forward facing mode when one of the three happens: Child passes the weight limit, child's ears are even with the top of the shell, child's shoulders are above the top slot.
· Keep harness straps at or below shoulders for a child who is rear-facing, and at or above shoulders for a child that is forward-facing.
· Several models only reinforce the top harness slots for forward-facing; if your child is forward-facing, please check your manual to ensure your harness is in the correct slots.
· A 45 degree recline is recommended for newborns and young infants who are rear-facing. Older babies and toddlers can have less recline.
· When forward-facing, an upright position with no recline is safest.
· All models now feature tethers for forward-facing to reduce head excursion in a crash. They should be used whenever possible.
· A few models also feature rear-facing tethers designed to prevent rebound in a crash.

Combination / 3-in-1 Seats
· A 3-in-1 means it rear-faces, forward-faces, and then is used as a booster. A combination seat is a forward-facing harnessed seat that turns into a booster.
· Keep your child harnessed to the top weight limit (usually 40 pounds, but one model of combination seat goes to 65). Check your manual for the weight limit on your seat’s harness.
· When the child is 40 pounds (or the top weight limit for your seat’s internal harness; check your manual for the limit of your specific seat) or their shoulders are above the top harness slots, remove the internal harness and use the seat as a booster with the lap and shoulder belt.
· In some combo / 3-in-1 seats, the top harness slots are for adjusting the headrest, and are not designed to be used with the harness. Check your manual, and if the manual is unclear, call the manufacturer to ask if the top slots can be used with the harness.

Boosters
· A child is held in place much better with a 5-point harness than with a booster. If your child will try to move around, fiddle with the seat belt, or falls asleep in the car frequently, consider keeping him/her in a harnessed seat.
· It is not recommended to put a child in a booster who is not at least 4 years old and 40 pounds.
· The shoulder belt should be across the center of the chest, not the neck—use the shoulder belt guide if it doesn’t fit properly.
· The lap belt should be high on the thighs or low on the hips, not over the tummy.
· Use a high back model if your car has low seat backs with no headrests. Some high back models also provide additional side-impact protection.
· Younger children often don't fit with a backless booster. They're good for older children who are too tall or who literally just need a boost, but most young kids need the belt guide as well. Also, backless boosters provide no side impact protection, but do protect against other injuries.
· Many kids need to ride in a booster until the ages of 8-10 and the height of 4’9”. To tell if your child is ready to ride without a booster, ask these 5 questions:
1. Does the child sit back all the way against the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and the arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If you have answered “no” to even one of these questions, your child is safest in a booster seat.
· The back seat is the safest place for children under the age of 15, and the middle is considered the safest part of the back seat.


Some good sources for car seat safety information
www.thecarseatlady.com
www.cpsafety.com
www.safekids.org
www.carseat.org
www.seatcheck.org
www.car-seat.org
http://www.saferidenews.com/
 
ADS

CrabbyBunchX3

New member
Some of you have seen my car seat info sheet (put together for day care manual), and I'm considering a few additions.
1. Is there any way to put something to the extent of: the first priority should be the safety of the child, not the convenience of the parent. Or is this too off-putting?
2. Something about moving to the "next step" (rf to ff, harness to booster, etc.), is actually a demotion, not a promotion?
3. Something about how it's okay if a rf child's legs are bent and/or touch the back seat?
4. Without naming the brand(s), mentioning that many popular seats are not meant to be used ff before 34"?
5. In the 3-in-1/combo area, should I add something about looking for open shoulder belt guides as opposed to closed (and is that an issue w/ bpb too?)? Also, should I add that a 3-in-1 will not be "the last seat you'll ever need", no matter what the saleperson says, or is this implied in the sections on expiration dates and seatbelt readiness?
Let me know what you think, and any suggestions on how to word additions is, of course, appreciated. I'll put what I've got below:

While sometimes being blunt is neccessary to get a point across, I wouldn't put #1 into your daycare manual.

The rest of it sounds good.
 

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