Carseat Chronicles

I am a perfect mother who has always used her car seats perfectly !

In order for you to understand car seat chronicles, i'm going to have to take you back, back into a time where i had no idea about car seat safety. Were i thought it was just as simple as 'put them in the seat and just go!', Where i used OUT DATED CAR SEATS, where i used INSERTS that didn't come with the car seat & where i forward faced way TOO EARLY! In fact you might catch some ghastly sights of my almost 2 yr old in a high back booster ! *(covers face in shame). All well in fact, before i knew about CAR SEAT SAFETY. Did you know that 7OUT OF10 children are improperly restrained? That parents spend more time researching what type of cell phone or car they are going to purchase, rather than car seat safety? I can admit to you here today i USED to be one of them. WHAT CHANGED? you ask, i stumbled across THIS!

EXAMPLE 1 : 

Here is my 18 mo old in an OUT DATED Gerry car seat. Forward facing and all. (I can't promise you she was strapped in by anything more than a seat belt, as im sure she was using this as a booster). This car seat was issued to me, by a state shelter, where apparently even they had no idea about car seat safety either.

FACT : Children are 5X's safer if  kept REAR FACING esp the 2yrs and under crowd. (recommended by the AAP) Also  It also ADVISES that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
NHSTA recommends staying harnessed still at ages 4 -7

EXAMPLE 2:

This is Evelyn in a Alpha Omega car seat. At the time, i don't believe that this
seat was out dated, but she is none the less forward facing and wearing a big bulky snowsuit.

FACT:  Have you ever read a car seat manual? and i m talking cover to cover? it talks about how heavy JACKETS and AFTER MARKET products, that go between baby and car seat are not safe. Clearly i did not know this.

This Kiddopotamus insert, is an after market product

and is also a  NO' NO !

WELL HOW DO YOU SAFELY SECURE CHILDREN IN THERE CAR SEATS?

When you know better you can do better! and i learn new things every day! Safe to say i have knots

in my tummy every time i look back at these car seat FAILS. Below are some photos of how to properly

restrain children safely.

Britax Frontier 85

Is the cow print car seat show above

Highest 5 point harness seat capacity allows your child to remain harnessed up to 85 pounds or in booster mode to 120 pounds.

Evelyn is 5 yrs old and about 37lbs, she comfortably fits in this car seat, and will continue to use it until she out grows the height & weight limit.

Sunshine Kids RadianXTSL Convertible car seat

is the floral print above

Rear-facing: 5 - 45 pounds; Forward-facing: 20 - 80 pounds (53") in a 5-point harness

Omri is 2 yrs old 27 lbs & is still rear faced in this car seat, and will continue to do so until she out grows the weight and height limit of this seat, before forward facing her.
(Rear facing & Legs) {for those of you who are concerned with broken legs with extended rear  facing}

Graco Infant SafeSeat
is the car seat shown above.
Graco Infant SafeSeat is designed to keep children rear-facing who are up to 30 lb. and 32 inches tall.
Luna is 4 months old and 13.4 lbs and almost 27'' long
she will remain in this car seat until she either outgrows the weight limit or height limit, which ever comes first.

 Here is an example of a safe way to support infant 'floppiness' if you will :P

if your seat did not come with an insert, do not buy aftermarket items possibly making

it unsafe. Just roll small burp cloths on each side :) 

This here is also a wonderful option to keeping your child warm

yet safe! it slips over most bucket seats and strollers too !

Nice cold November day. Omri shown here, wearing a turtleneck 

and sweater combo, no jacket. Blankets are also a nice safe way to keep

warm, as well as a single layered fleece pullover.

(please note: if rear facing harness should be at or below shoulders)

chest clip is on chest! (reason?) 

& straps are snug, how snug? do the pinch test

(please note: forward facing, the harness should be at or above shoulders)

:)
IS REAR FACING SAFE IF YOU'RE REAR ENDED?

Fun with food coloring

It's time to get creative in the kitchen, and i'm not talking about cooking :)
I'm talking about free fun, with Food coloring.

Food coloring is a cheap and easy way to encourage learning,

creativity, cause and effect & colors.

Milky Masterpiece 

 Begin by pouring milk into a bowl

 Then add in a few drops of food coloring. Below i had added red & blue right on top of each other. Next to the bowls are shot glasses filled with liquid dish soap, with straws.

OR, seen below, you can do drops around the bowl. 

 When you dip the soap covered straw into the milk, the food coloring separates into a colorful blended piece of art :)

Just a Mess

 whats a nursing mother of 3 to do on a rainy day? Let the children play in the kitchen. (this kept them happy & silent for 1 hr). Place an empty container on floor, fill with flour, water, &baking soda. Mix well, then add drops of food coloring & hand spoons to children :)

Vibrant Volcano
Start off by putting baking soda in glasses & adding your choice of food coloring in each glass.

Vinegar, i chose to put in a water bottle

 And allow kids to squirt into each cup :)

When all fizzled down, the chose to add food coloring to the water bottle and Omri pored baking soda in to that, for some added fun :)

FUN FROTH

 Here i had filled capsules with a little baking soda & food coloring

when placed in a bowl of vinegar, and microwaved for 4 sec. it immediately foamed right up!

Pretty Pasta

 Fill glass jars with 1/4 alcohol, your choice of dried pasta & 5-8 drops of food coloring

 Shake well & let sit for 3 +hrs ( shake periodically)

Set aside on towels to dry for next day play :)

Even works in snow :)