Child Safety Passenger Week

This post is brought to you by Britax and Fairfield County Moms Blog. All opinions are my own, including the opinion that this post contains pictures of the coolest little dude in the world. 

Question: Who here knew there was a Child Safety Passenger week? I mean, I'm sure we all knew that September is National Honey Month and National Consideration Month, but who can honestly say you were aware there is an entire week in September dedicated to children riding safely in cars? Well, now you know and hopefully I can provide you with a bit more information. 

To recognize Child Safety Passenger week, which is September 18-24 this year, Britax partnered with Fairfield County Moms Blog and hosted a Blogger Party in my area. I am lucky enough to have developed a friendship with the host, through the Body Back class I blogged for in the spring, and snagged an invite to this event. 

{no I don't always look so awkward and nervous, just in front of people}

So I got to go to a party, but that's not what this post is about, I swear I get invited to parties, like, all the time. At the party, Britax educated us on car seat safety tips and introduced us to their new car seat, the Advocate ClickTight ARB.

While LBJ already has a car seat that we are perfectly happy with, after the presentation and installing the Advocate myself I'm actually really excited to start using this new car seat! It's so easy to install, and almost foolproof. 

Installing the car seat: 

First off, did you know that 75% of car seats are NOT installed correctly!? So you look at the parking lot at a playground, and 3 in every 4 cars has a car seat installed incorrectly. {NOTE: most local fire departments offer free car seat inspection! Check here to find one in your area}

There are two ways to install a car seat, either using the seatbelt or the LATCH system. In my opinion, the LATCH system can be really confusing as far as when it's safe and unsafe to use it. The Advocate makes car seat installation super, duper simple by encouraging the use of the seatbelt rather than LATCH system, and making sure that the seat belt method is incredibly safe.

Not my baby, still a cute baby, but not my baby. 

Since LBJ is still in a rear-facing seat, that's the type of installation I am going to share.  

Step 1: Recline the seat
Recline the car seat to the recommended position for the height/weight of your child. 

This is simply done by lifting up on a handle in the front of the car seat. 

Step 2: Open ClickTight Plate {the seat}
To do this, you simply press down on the ClickTight knob, then turn. There is even an arrow to indicate which way to turn the knob. 

It does take a little bit of strength to turn, which is a good thing considering it was the very first thing LBJ wanted to play with then I set him in the seat. 

Here's a better photo of what I mean by opening the seat.

Step 3: Thread the belt
Once the seat is raised, you will be able to see two openings where the belt can be laced through. 

He was such a great helper. When he wasn't crawling all over me, he was crawling all over the car seat I was trying to take pictures of. 

Some sites say not to pull the seat belt to a locked position before threading and buckling it in. However, I choose to pull the belt until it locks. With the belt in a locked position, it has been reported that it makes it more difficult for the seat to be lowered and locked back into place. This may be the case, but I'd rather have the seatbelt locked and use a little more muscle now, than deal with James yanking on the belt while I'm driving {I doubt he could reach it, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time}.

Step 4: Lower and lock the seat
By placing two hands on either side of the car seat, press down {hard} to position the seat back in place. I actually needed to stand somewhat inside the car in order to get the seat to lock into place. 

You will hear the seat "click" into place and that's it! You will know the seat is firmly in place if you are able to move it less than one inch side to side. 

Buckling:
Something else that many parents struggle with is correctly buckling their child into the seat. Here are four tips to remember when buckling you child. 

1. The chest clip should be at armpit level. 
2. You should not be able to pinch a horizontal fold at the child's collarbone. 
3. You should not be able to see any slack in the straps. 
4. The straps should be snug at the hips. 

With the Advocate, when tightening the harness {by pulling on that tether LBJ is holding} it will click when the harness is within the appropriate range of "snugness". Therefore, parents you will not have to worry if your child is strapped in too tightly or not tightly enough. For those without this car seat, you should be able to slide one finger under the strap after the harness is tightened to ensure it is not too tight. 

Child Reminders
For some parents, this may seem silly, but for others this is a reality. My mantra, never say never, and therefore, never judge. Obviously, I hope to never leave my child in the car, but I have heard all about the difficult circumstances that have led to other parents doing this, either intentionally or not. Therefore, I simply try to play it safe. Here are some tips for ensuring you don't forget your little one in the back

• Stow your purse or bag in the back seat with them
• Take off your left shoe and place it in the back seat
• Place a large stuffed animal in the car seat, move it to the front when the child is buckled in. Seeing it in the front should remind you to grab your child when exiting.
• If you use Waze for directions, Waze will send you a reminder to get your child when you arrive at your destination.

I find that installing this mirror is super helpful. Not only in making sure I remember my child, but I can also keep an eye on him during travel. 

If you're in the market for a new car seat, I encourage you to check out the Advocate. Not only does Britax prioritize safety, they are also amazing at designing incredibly simple products for parents to use. Here are just a few more safety features of this car seat that I didn't specifically mention. 

Britax is currently having an All About Safety Event where they are offering sales until the end of September. So if you know anyone in the market for child gear, send them this link! 

Thanks for visiting!