It’s so vital to leave your child in a back facing car seat during his first year for their own protection.
A baby facing the back of the car will absorb the impact of a crash more evenly down his back. The head and neck will be protected which is of course vital for an infant, but is also beneficial to a baby of any age.
Make certain baby is still within the weight and height limits of the car seat, it will be advantageous for him to stay rear facing. There is no real reason why your baby should need to be turned around to face the front unless he is too big to stay rear facing. There are a lot of car seats available now that are designed to hold a rear facing baby as heavy as 30- 35 pounds and as tall as 32- 34 inches. Numerous children are close to two years old before they reach that size.
For more useful articles about children’s car seats visit our Britax Duo Plus Isofix website.
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At some moment in time you are going to need to buy new child car seats as children usually grow, some faster than others!
Where at all possible, it is best to buy new but this is not always feasible. So what should you look for?
The first thing you should know is that it is best to buy from someone you know, simply because you are more likely to know the history of the seat you are considering. As a rule of thumb, if the seat is older than 5 years, leave it. More specifically though, if you suspect that the car seat has ever been involved in a collision be aware that the structure of the seat is likely to be compromised and therefore unsafe for use.
Another thing you should check is that the belts, harnesses and all the connections are all safe. Do the straps show any sign of fraying? Are there any cracks in the seat or signs of tearing? Give it a good ‘wobble’ does it seem stable? Is it clean? A clean seat means the covers are removable for cleaning and that the seat has been looked after.
Are you sure it will fit in your car? If you want a child car seat with an ISOFIX fitting (basically, this is a universally standard for a push and click car seat), then make sure it is! With around 90% of seats being badly fitted, ISOFIX fitting seats take away the likelihood of the seat being incorrectly fitted. If the seat doesn’t fit securely in your car, don’t buy it.
Ensure the seat is appropriate for your child’s weight and height and check that it meets the standard regulations for the country you live. Lastly, get yourself a copy of the manual from the seat manufacturer if it isn’t available.
For more useful info on baby car seats, visit http://britaxduoplusisofix.com
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OK, so you’ve been out
buying baby strollers, but have you consider whether it is just a
fashion accessory or does it just deserve some special treatment for your child?! If you just want a top branded stroller that everybody knows is expensive, go out and get all the accessories and cover it with a bit of bling then yes, it is a
fashion statement. However, even if you do that, but take baby out every day for a good walk then I would suggest you are just personalising your baby stroller and know darn well what you should be doing with it!
Customising your stroller is actually quite a fun and unique thing you can do and there are several ways you can do this. Buy a new parasol or recover an old one in some funky fabric and decorate it how you please. However, be careful that there are no loose bits that baby can reach. You can also put some bright LCD lights in the wheels so you can be seen more easily, particularly useful if you are often out in the dark. If you are really artistic, jazz up the covers with some waterproof paints (you may be out in the rain!).
A great way to make your stroller individual is to have a customised name plate for it! Not well known, but for around $12 you can choose from several designs or send your own image in. Just add the name and this little 3 x 9 reflective badge will make your stroller stand out from the rest! There are others on the market for a lot more ($40 plus), but you can get the cheaper versions on Ebay here.
Schwinn jogging stroller
I’m sure there are lots more things you can think of to individualise your stroller, but do keep in mind how the stroller functions and safety as this must always be your primary concern. I look forward to seeing a few strollers out there with personalities of their own rather than them just being a fashion accessory! So whether you have a funky Schwinn Jogging Stroller or one of the ever popular Phil and Teds strollers they can all benefit from personalisation! And, an added benefit is that you’ll always be able to see it when parked among a lot of other strollers!
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