Car Seat Pics and car seat info... cause I love it!

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I've turned into a car seat safety person (some might say nut... but when involving the safety of my children I think it's alright to be a little nutty) :)
So here are some pictures of my kids in their car seats. These pictures are from our little trip in June.


Kyler, age 5, harnessed in Radian 65. He is about 42 lbs
and 45 inches tall, with a 16 inch torso height.



Ashton, 18 months (in pic), Rear Facing in Radian 65. He is
24 lbs with a 13 + inch torso height.



Kamaryn, age 3, Harnessed in Evenflo Bolero. She is 34 lbs,
37+ inches tall, with a 15.5 inch torso height.


I would love to answer any questions anyone might have about car seat safety and perhaps want to know why on earth my 5 year old is still harnessed and my 18 month + is still rear facing. So if you are asking yourself these questions feel free to ask me why. I love talking car seat!!! I've learned so much in the last 3 years and I'm happy to share my new found knowledge with anyone who will listen.


Here are some car seat basics:

General -

• You should never submerge your car seat straps in water or wash them in the washing machine. You should only spot clean them. Covers are washable however your manual says :)
• Car seats expire!! Most have a 6-year lifespan. Your car seat itself should have the date of manufacture and/or a 'do not use after....' date.
• You should not use aftermarket products with your seats.... like the cute little strap covers or homemade seat covers, or the little infant seat inserts because they were not tested with the seat.
• You should not dress your child in bulky winter coats or infant snowsuit buntings in their seats. It causes slack in the harness if there were to be an accident. Along the same lines you shouldn't use a car seat cover that threads through the harness (ex: Bundle Me). There are 'shower cap style' covers that do not interfere with the harness that are perfectly safe.
  

Rear facing -

• the harness must be at or BELOW the child's shoulders.
• the harness must be tight and the chest clip at armpit level.
  
• rear facing is the safest way to restrain a child. 4-5 times safer than forward facing.
• there are seats that will rear face your child up to 33-35 lbs.
  
• the absolute minimum for turning a child forward facing is 1 year old AND 20 lbs.
  
• a rear facing seat is outgrown when: a child reaches the rear facing weight limit OR they have less than one inch of hard shell above their head.

Forward facing -

• the harness must be at or ABOVE the child's shoulders.
• the harness must be tight and the chest clip at armpit level.
• there are seats on the market that will harness a child from 65-80 lbs.
• harnessed seats are safer than belt positioning boosters (and high back boosters are safer than backless boosters because they offer side impact protection).
• some 3-in-one type seats do not allow you to use the very top slots in harness mode so be sure to check your manual if you own one (ex: Cosco alpha omega elite, Eddie Bauer 3-in-ones, etc).
  
• Torso height is more important than overall height because the torso height determines whether or not a child is outgrowing the harness.
• Forward facing seats are outgrown when: the tips of the child's ears are above the top of the car seat OR the child's shoulders are above the top usable harness slots of the car seat OR the child reaches the maximum forward facing weight limit. (most on the market are 40 lb harness weight limits.

High back boosters -

• The bare minimum for using a booster is 4 years old AND 40 lbs.
  
• A child should use a high back booster until they are old enough to have the adult belt fit properly.
• Some combination seats (like 3-in-ones that rear face, forward face, and convert to a booster) do not allow you to use it in booster mode until the child reaches 40 lbs. And most children outgrow the low top harness slots before they are 4 years old, 40 lbs, and ready for a booster.

The five step test -
This is a test to determine if a child fits properly in an adult seat belt and able to move out of a booster seat.

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right for the best crash protection. Your child will be more comfortable, too!
(http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm)


I hope somehow this has helped someone and remember I love to talk car seats so feel free to leave me a comment or ask me any questions you might have. I'd love it!!!