If you are planning long car rides with your baby, investing in a good rear-facing, snug-fitting car seat might be a wise decision. However, keep in mind that not all kids love being strapped to a car seat for long hours. And even those who start out enjoying long rides in their cozy car seats might rebel against it as they get older. To prevent car seat crying, tantrums, and wailing, we have created a list of 6 expert car seat safety tips that might help you ease your child.

How to Select the Correct Car Seat for Your Child?

Car safety should be a top priority when traveling with tots and infants. During a crash, your baby’s car seat will evenly spread out the force of the crash through an infant’s fragile body, hence protecting weak spots like the head and the spinal cord.

Now a question that parents frequently ask is, how do I select a car seat for my baby?

You should select a car seat based on your child’s age, size, and your vehicle. Here is a list of appropriate car seats based on your baby’s age:

• Ages 0-2: The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a rear-facing car seat for kids of this age. These car seats can be infant-only (Pumpkin seats), convertibles, or 3-in-1 car seats. The convertible car seats usually have a higher weight and height limit, which means that they can be used both rear-facing and front-facing when appropriate.
• Ages 2-4: Once your child has turned two, you can switch to a front-facing car seat with a five-point harness.
• Ages 4-8: When your kid starts to outgrow the front-facing car seat and its height limits, it’s the right time to transition to a booster seat. However, the child should still remain in the back seat. It is important for your child to travel in the back seat because it is safer there. You can keep your child in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit in a seat belt, typically until they turn 4’9’’.

Car Safety Tips for Parents

Sometimes, just having the right car seat is not enough. To make your car rides stress-free, you need to keep your baby happy and safe at the same time.

For instance, your baby might want a spoonful of that dessert that you are enjoying in the front seat. However, as a parent, you should know that feeding your kids while your ride is on the road is never wise as it can increase the risk of aspiration and choking.

Here are some car seat safety tips that every parent should know:

1.     Follow the Two-Hour Rule

Regardless of how long your drive, make sure that you don’t leave your baby in the car seat for more than two hours. While traveling with an infant or a toddler, it is essential to make frequent stops and give your little one some time to stretch his legs. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, sitting in a car seat in an upright position for long durations is harmful to developing bones and muscles. So make sure that you follow the two-hour rule to keep your baby comfortable.

2.     Make it Fun for Your Baby

If you don’t want a crying and thrashing baby in the back seat, make sure you create a positive association with car rides. Bring along his favorite toy, sing silly poems, or play a tune he loves. Give your baby a long cozy cuddle before strapping him or her to the car seat. Once you convince your child that car rides = Special times, it will all be a breeze after that.

3.     Try to Stay Calm

It is very important for you, as a parent, to stay calm and focus on the road when faced with a car seat meltdown. If you respond with stress or anger, it can aggravate your child’s anxiety and make the entire situation much worse. Praise your child when he settles down in the car seat, and once the tantrum is over, make a stop and take your kid to a store for some special treats.

4.     Check to See if Anything Causing Them Discomfort

Mostly, babies cry in the car seat because something is causing them discomfort. Maybe the sun is shining on their face or they hate not being able to see you in a rear-facing car seat. Use a stick-on sun shade for the back mirror or use a plastic mirror to make sure that your kid can still you.

It is also possible that your kid is outgrowing the car seat. Check if the car seat actually fits the weight recommendations and size limits to see if it’s time to upgrade.

5.     Dress Appropriately

Young babies have a hard time regulating their body temperatures. So make sure that your baby is never too hot or too cold in the back seat. Wearing bulky jackets and clothes can prevent you from properly strapping the car seat. Therefore, dress your little one in thin layers.

If you fear that your baby will be cold, you can always put an extra blanket on your baby but do it after you have strapped him to the car seat.

6.     Put up with it

The best advice for parents is that sometimes, you might just have to grin and bear it. If everything else fails, you will have to just go through some noisy unhappy car rides. Of course, car seat safety comes before everything. So, it doesn’t matter how much your baby hates the rear-facing car seats, it is simply a necessity to keep your little ones safe and secure.

We hope that these tips will help you on your long journeys! Remember, paying attention to car seat safety is very important while you are on a family trip. If you are traveling abroad, try to take a properly fitting car seat with you so that you won’t have to look for a new car seat at the destination.