Getting car smart...what you need to know about child safety seats

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.

Happy Safe Year - Easy, breezy tips for the let's-do-this-right parent

Nobody likes that phrase, "Better safe than sorry." If we followed its advice to the letter, not only would we never step foot in an airplane, take a road trip, or go to the zoo, but really, we wouldn't even leave the house (not that it's completely harmless either). Nope, in life, we have to step out, take risks, and hope for the best.

But as a parent, the stakes get higher. It's one thing to risk one's own safety, but when it comes to your kids, no precaution is unnecessary. Well, there is that commercial about the six-year-old in the Baby Bjorn. I guess when it comes down to it, we have to do what we're comfortable with as parents, while balancing our kids independence with their safety.

That being said, there are some precautions that are pretty universal. Accidents are the leading cause of death for children of all ages. So, over the next month, I'd like to take a look at some of the top areas where parents can take measures to protect their children.

Fall prevention - Kids like to run, climb, and hop around like crazy people. We know this. But all that craziness can be harmful, even fatal, if certain precautions aren't taken in the home to keep kiddos from unnecessary dangers. Strapping kids into high chairs, not letting them sit on top of counters, putting ladders and stools away, and picking up the floor are all ways to prevent the accidental fall. Check out more tips for preventing falls on next week's blog!

Kitchen & bathroom safety. Water, cutlery, drugs, stovetops, ovens, and throat-blocking objects are all hazards of these two frequented rooms. Thankfully, child safety products can help a parents protect kids from many of these dangers, but as always, one can't just rely on a piece of plastic to keep your child safe. If you can figure out a child safety device, your kiddo might just figure it out too. Check out basic tips for childproofing these areas right here on the Mom Around Town blog on January 16.

Toy safety. There's a reason manufacturers list age-appropriateness on those boxes in the toy aisle. But, as always, you've got to consider your own kids' maturity and habits no matter what any colorful box says. For example, three is the age when most small toys (choking size, to be exact) are considered to be safe. However, if your kid's like mine and still puts everything in his or her mouth, then the Barbie doll with five million accessories may be a better thought for next year. Check here on January 23 for more tips.

Car safety. Carseats. Boosters. Carseat boosters. Oh yeah. It's a whole new world in safety seats for parents. Gone are the days when my mom would tie my little brother to his carseat (he was such the escape artist), while my older, six-year-old sister giggled from the front seat. Yep, we have a whole new set of rules these days, but as I'll tell you on January 30, there's good reason for all the new laws.

So check back this month for in-depth tips on keeping the kids safe. We shouldn't live in fear, but as parents, we can be smart. And finally, having just messed with a round of the flu, I would like to mention this statistic from the National Center for Health Statistics: "During 2007–2010, emergency department visits by children resulting in hospital admission were more likely to be related to illness (78%) than injury (22%)."

So wash those kiddies' hands. And yours too.

Happy Safe Year!