LilSugar

Mommy Alert! Check Your Car Booster Seat For Safety

LilSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:00:00 PDT

If your child has outgrown their carseat and rides in a booster, take a look at this recent report. For the first time, the transitional seats that youngsters ride in were tested. And, the results for some mainstream brands aren't great. To see if your child's chair made the best bets, good or bad list,

read more. According to the report: Best Bets

Good Bets

Graco TurboBooster Safety Angel Ride Ryte Recaro Young Sport Combi Kobuk Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65 Not Recommended

Evenflo

Flying with Baby

babysugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:00:31 PDT

As Summer comes to a close, many families take their last warm weather hurrah over Labor Day weekend. Before boarding the next flight, check out airplane gear that ensures your tot will be safe on board. These goodies also make a parent's life a bit easier.

Mommy Dearest: Can't Get My Child in Her Carseat

LilSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:15:14 PDT

Mommy Dearest,

My two-year-old daughter refuses to sit in her carseat. We live in a small town where I have to drive to get groceries and run errands. How can I get her to buckle up without constantly going to battle? I wake up each morning dreading the day.

-Child Can't Stand Carseat

To see Mommy Dearest's response,

read more. Child Can't Stand Carseat, This situation is all too familiar. My son arches his back and turns into the Incredible Hulk four or five times a week when I try and strap him in his carseat. It's particularly fun when he screams like he's being murdered outside a busy shopping center. I feel your pain. Unfortunately, the only solution I've come up with is to distract him with a toy or gadget in the process. I let my son open our electric garage door once he's secured in his seat or hand him a lil car or sticker. Or, I try and get him interested in things going on outside of the vehicle like a motorcycle whizzing by or an airplane overhead. Let's turn this one over to the readers and see what they have to say. - Mommy Dearest Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on TeamSugar. Source

How Well Do You Know Your Carseat Safety?

babysugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:00:37 PDT

Most hospitals do not let you take your baby home until they can see that you have a properly installed carseat in your vehicle. Try your knowledge by taking this test!
Source

Take the Quiz

Junior Jetset: Carseats on the Go

LilSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:21:37 PDT

Traveling with tots doesn't have to be difficult. The SafeGuard Go Hybrid booster seat ($199) has created a carseat that makes traveling much easier and keeps your child safe.

Classified as a combination carseat, the SafeGuard Go has a five point harness that can be used on a child up to 60 pounds and then converts to a regular booster seat for a child up to 100 pounds. These weight standards far exceed any other combination carseats on the market.

The craftily designed carseat also has a soft back and padded headrest that fits into a convenient lightweight travel carrier case once it's been folded down. Installation is simple and easy, something that comes in handy when you find yourself at a rental car agency at midnight.

An important point: The Safeguard Go, when in five point harness mode, does require the LATCH top tether, which can be found on all 2003 or newer vehicles, so do make sure your rental car has the LATCH system before traveling.

Mommy Alert! Baby Is Safest in the Middle

babysugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:00:58 PDT

Babe belongs in the middle. Who said being a mother was convenient? When it comes to buckling up your lil one for a ride, new research shows that putting up the fight to muscle your tot into the center seat is actually worth the battle.

To see why,

read more. Researcher Michael J. Kallan and colleagues conducted a study confirming that children belong in the middle. The study said:

Children under age three seated in the center of the back seat had nearly half the risk of injury in motor vehicle crashes than children seated in either of the other positions. . . Children seated in the center rear have a 43% lower risk of injury compared with children in a rear outboard position.

Nobody puts baby in the corner. And apparently they shouldn't put baby on the side, either. Where do you secure your tots? Source

Junior Jetset: CARES For Trips

babysugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:15:42 PDT

Somehow our plane to Bermuda seemed more like a flight to Disneyland with the number of kids on board. Since I didn't have my own tot in tow, I fawned them.

One mom brought the Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES) along for the ride. Curious about the nifty contraption, I asked her for the lowdown. Instead of hauling the child's car seat through security and the terminals, she toted the one-pound sack in her carry-on. To find out how it works,

read more. She simply attached the strap to the seat back. After threading the airplane seat belt through the harness and buckling it, she snapped the breastbone clasp together. The $75 gadget surely made this mom's life a whole lot easier during her travels. Generally made for kids ages one to five, I invest in one of these, too.

Trendtotting: Nestt Carseat

babysugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:00:53 PDT

If you fancy yourself as someone who stays ahead of trends, get acquainted with the Nestt. Different from any other seat I've ever seen, the infant car seat is designed to be supremely safe while appearing ultra cool.

To see what is so special about the Nestt,

read more. The new wave car seat offers side impact protection and form–fitting seat pads, which can be color customized to your liking. The ergonomically designed seat allows parents to place the tot in the seat at one angle and then swiftly swivel them around with a simple lift of a handle. Apparently set for production, the Nestt will be available in stores this year. I am curious to see just how it measures up to the mongo black throne we have perched in our backseat right now. It certainly looks hipper, but is it just as safe? Check out the über sweet video and pictures of the new creation.

View 7 Photos ›

Does Mother Know Best, Even If She Breaks the Law?

LilSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:00:29 PDT

As moms we get an onslaught of advice from our peers, parents, pediatricians and just about everyone in between. But, when it comes to the law, there's not much room for flexibility.

And, in one case my mother's intuition (and plain ol' common sense) told me I knew best.

A few months shy of his first birthday, my son's legs were so long that they were squished up the back of the chair in his rear facing car seat.

He'd shriek in pain when he stretched because he was crammed in such an uncomfortable position. And, being that he was the size of a child six months older, I turned his seat forward. To see what happened,

read more. California's strict car seat law requires children to weigh 20 pounds and be one-year-old before they ride facing forward. I knew that The California Highway Patrol could issue me a ticket if I got pulled over, but felt it was worth the risk since my lil guy's legs would likely be broken if we got in an accident with him facing backwards. Have you ever broken a law believing it was in the best interest of your child?

Trendtotting: Traveling in Style

babysugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:00:14 PST

I went shopping for a bigger car seat recently and was depressed by the safe, but unattractive options.

My car interior is an eye sore with the trash that my child accumulates in the backseat. So the last thing I want is a boring black and gray seat to add to the ugliness.

So I went searching for a car seat cover and found some fabulous options at 2littlemonkeys.com that are reasonably priced at $58 and up. And, most of them are machine washable, which is a huge plus considering how many times milk or juice soaks them.

I think I'll opt for a cheery, but simple print. Happy days are here again!