family blog

  Your main car seat probably weighs 25 lbs and is a nightmare to uninstall. So what do you do when Grandma picks the baby up? Or when you fly on a plane? You do not want to lug your $400 Nuna through the airport. The Secret Weapon: Cosco Scenera NEXT This is the "cult favorite" among travel parents. The Price: It is often under $60. The Weight: It weighs only 7 lbs . You can hang it off your pinky finger. The Safety: It is simple, stripped-down plastic, but it passes the exact same federal crash tests as the $500 seats. The Strategy: Buy one. Keep it in the garage. Use it for Taxis, Ubers, Airplanes, and Grandma's car. It is the best "backup" insurance you can buy.

  There is a myth that once your child turns 1 (or their legs touch the seat), you should turn them forward. Please don't. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible (often until age 4). Why? In a crash, a rear-facing seat cradles the head and spine. Forward-facing, the neck snaps forward (Internal Decapitation is a real risk). The Problem: "Where do their legs go?" Parents turn kids around because they think their legs look cramped. Kids are flexible. They cross their legs. They don't mind. The Seat: Graco Extend2Fit This is the #1 seat for this. The Panel: It has a pull-out footrest that gives 5 inches of extra legroom. The Limit: It allows rear-facing up to 50 lbs (most seats stop at 40 lbs). It costs half the price of luxury seats but offers superior safety features.

  There is nothing more stressful than being stuck in traffic while your baby screams in the back seat. You can’t see them. You don’t know if they dropped their pacifier, if the sun is in their eyes, or if they are just bored. You find yourself dangerously turning your head to check on them. The Safety Upgrade : The Mirror. You need a Shatterproof Back Seat Mirror . It straps to the headrest of the back seat. For You: You can see your baby’s face in your rearview mirror. You know instantly if they are asleep or just fussy. For Them: Babies love looking at faces. Seeing themselves (and you) in the mirror is entertaining and calms them down. The Comfort Upgrade: The Shade Car windows are not designed for babies. The sun hits them directly in the face, which wakes them up. Get a Static Cling Sun Shade . Avoid the ones with hard suction cups (which can become projectiles in a crash). The "static cling" ones just stick to the glass like magic and block 98% of UV rays.