This post is sponsored by Allstate. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I will forever put myself into the cool mom category, but one thing I take very seriously is our car safety! Our boys are in the car daily and it takes an extra 4 minuets for me to make sure that they are safe! Luckily I haven’t been in an accident with the kids, but knowing what to do following an accident is so important and Allstate has me prepared with the information from this post.
So being the cool mom, I want to make my boys happy in the car too, because we need to have some fun. I do want to warn you I’m also the mom that says no TV or iPad unless it’s a road trip! #coolmomstatusrevoked
I’ll take you from newborn to booster going over installation, laws, and ways to keep the kids happy!
I’m having a flashback to being pregnant, unpacking my “pumpkin” seat and thinking wait, now what do we do?! Luckily, there are certified car seat technicians in every city that can help. Our fire department was a great resource. I made an appointment and they helped me (showed me) how to install our base. You can search for a tech in your area here.
Safety & Tips: These will apply to all ages!
- Keep your child rear facing for as long as possible – it is the safest way for them to ride in your car!
- Do not add extra blankets or pads to their seat.
- Pinch test – confirm the straps are tight enough that you cannot pinch the straps.
- Shoulder straps should be at or below baby shoulders.
- Be sure to not dress your baby in thick coats.
- Chest clip at armpit level.
- Always register your car seat for recalls and notifications.
Allstate and I use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a resource for all things car seat related.
Newborn-Infant Car Seat:
Favorite Seats: Make sure you get a lightweight seat that’s also is compatible with your stroller.
Entertainment for Newborns in Infant Car Seat: I loved having a sound machine and an activity bar on our seat. This was my favorite activity bar since it wasn’t directly over the handle. The portable sound machine can be taken from the car set to the stroller too!
Rear facing toddler seat:
Once your little’s head nears to the top of their seat they will need to be moved to a convertible seat. We moved our boys young because carrying them around in the pumpkin seat became so heavy. Most toddler seats can now fit from 5 lbs. up and are built to grow with you kiddos!
Favorite Seats: We both loved seats that were able to move from forward to rear facing and had the latches to attach directly to the seat. C and I have all of these between us and our parents!
Entertainment for Rear Facing Toddlers: My boys absolutely loved having a mirror on their headrest. It gave me the ability to look at them and chat or sing songs while we are in the car.
Forward facing toddler
All the seats listed above for rear facing can easily be turned around once your child reaches the maximum height or weight for rear facing.
Entertainment for Forward Facing toddlers: At this point your little one is bigger and will need more activities to keep them engaged. Most of the ones above will still work but here are fun options for older kids!
Booster Seat
This is the final seat to help keep your kids safe in the car!
Entertainment : At this age you kids will likely love listening to music and chatting with you. Getting an amazon kids kindle and loading it with different games and activities would be a great option too.
As parents our goal is to always keep our kids safe and happy. Choosing a car seat, installing it, and using it correctly can feel overwhelming. Check out this post from Allstate that helps breaks things down like the safest place to install a car seat, how long you can keep a car seat, etc., We hope this was able to help and would love to hear your ideas in the comments!
This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day.
Another important thing to note! Always replace car seats in the event of an accident, even if the child is not in the car seat! I was rear ended without my children. The police still insisted on me replacing my car seats. I called my insurance company to see if they would cover it even if the car seats weren’t in use at the time of the accident. Sure enough, they did! The integrity of the seat can still be compromised whether or not it was in use at the time of the accident, even if it appears to be totally fine.
provide plenty of safe distractions for your child such as music, little toys or books to keep him entertained so you can concentrate and drive safely