Infant carriers. Carseats. Boosters. By the time you've traveled through your child's young years, you've cursed more than your fair share while struggling with the hooks, belt clips, and non-pushable buttons on child safety seats.
Well let me tell you something. It's worth it.
No, I don't have any terrifying car accident stories to share, but I've heard enough to make me know that despite the inconvenience, hooking your child into the right seat, the right way, is worth a few pinched fingers.
"So many injuries are preventable," said Edmond Fire Department Major Gary Dill, when I asked him some question about the subject. He added that it's important to remember the statistics prove there were more injuries and deaths before child safety seat guidelines and laws were put in place. And in the interest of helping parents, Dill had several things to recommend, with an emphasis on not making your life more complicated but keeping your kids safe.
Recommendations are there for a reason. I remember heading into my daughter's one year appointment thinking, "Finally!" At one year, we would be able to turn her seat around! No more talking to the back of a carseat. No more trying to make eye contact in the mirror that never stayed in place. No more trying to toss binkies over the top of the seat while sitting at stoplights!
However, I quickly discovered that the guidelines had changed, and I couldn't turn that carseat around for another year! But according to Dill, the rate of injury and death did prove that turning the seat around too early had a negative impact when a child between the ages of one and two was in an car accident. That's a good point to remember, if you're impatient, like me.
With a little effort, you can ensure that seat is installed correctly. I remember the sheer terror of putting my daughter in that infant seat the first time and sitting in the back on the way home, thinking she was too little to ride in the car. The hospital staff didn't check out our infant seat, but thankfully, you can get help with installation from most fire departments before you ever make that fateful trip to the maternity ward!
If you live in the Edmond area, you are definitely in luck. The fire department has 27 personnel trained to properly install a car seat and teach you how to install it as well. They will also make sure you are aware of what your car seat and vehicle guides say about the process. Dill said getting an installation check is critical because they see at least one to three mistakes on each car seat they check.
"It's easy to get things wrong," he told me. "There are so many different varieties of seats and vehicle restraints, but we can help you."
If you do take advantage of this service, just be sure to call ahead to schedule an appointment. And Dill said don't worry if you're outside the city; they are happy to help parents whenever they can. For other car seat safety check locations, check out http://www.seatcheck.org/.
And finally, resources abound, so if you have questions, just ask. There's a lot I didn't know before I talked to Dill, such as, pediatricians and fire departments recommend that kids don't ride in the front seat until they're at least 13 years of age. That's much older than what the law requires, but it can make a big difference in a car accident. And everyone should wear seatbelts. Always. That might seem like, "Duh," but because it's easy to make an exception here or there, it's worth repeating.
With more complicated stuff, don't let yourself get overwhelmed. Either call the Edmond Fire Department or check out the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines here. Or just talk to your child's doctor. No one is going to snap at you for wanting to protect your child in the car.
Because at the end of the day, you are your child's best advocate. "No one cares more about your kid than you do," Dill said, urging parents to get the proper information and installation. And then he added, "Don't push your kids to grow up too fast!"
Because sometime in the near future, you'll miss those car seat days. Just wait.
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