Is your baby’s carseat fitted correctly?

The start or end of daylight savings is the perfect time to carry out some saftey checks which I will talk about in my tip corner. But first my boys will share their favourite products for April!

PRODUCTS OF THE MONTH

Cillian – BazzleBaby Clip

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Hi everyone,

Mummy has found a great new product that means no more tears over lost comforters or Sophie the Giraffe!

Mummy attaches the ‘BazzleBaby clip’ to my buggy and the other end to either my Sophie the Giraffe, if it is my awake time, or to the foot of my puppy comforter if it is my sleep time while we are out about. (Mummy never uses the clip in my cot as this which would not be safe). So if I drop one out of the buggy and Mummy doesn’t notice they won’t get lost!

Another great use is in the car. I often drop my comforter in the car and Mummy used to have to pull over to the side of the road so she could give it back to me. But with the BazzleBaby Clip Mummy can attach it to the carseat harness and I can reach my comforter or Sophie if I drop them.

Darragh – Big Boy Bedding

Hi everyone!

Some of you may not know that I now sleep in a big boy bed. I love sleeping in my big boy bed and snuggling under my BAMBI bedding, which keeps me nice and warm. To protect my mattress from accidents Mummy uses the BAMBI 100% cotton mattress protector, which comes in cot, single and king single bed sizes.

On my big boy bed I also have the BAMBI Cottina 100% cotton Quilt/Duvet and now that it is getting a little chilly at night I also have the BAMBI 100% cotton Cottina single bed blanket.

Have you…?

When it’s time to turn the clock forward or back for daylight savings it’s a timely reminder to perform some important saftey checks.

1. Smoke Detector Batteries
Change all batteries in your smoke detectors. Even if you have the recommended hard wired detectors remember they have a battery back up so you need to replace the battery to ensure the smoke alarm will work if the electricity is off.

2. Child Restraints
Have you checked the restraints on your child’s car seat? Children are growing all the time and it is important to check they still fit into their car seat correctly. Please see these important tips from RACV (Royal Automovile Club Victoria):
Approximately 70% of child restraints are not installed correctly. A child restraint that is not fitted properly could result in serious injury or even death in a crash. It is strongly recommended that new restraints are professionally fitted by a trained child restraint fitter, so that parents can be shown how to fit the restraint correctly.
Child car seats with side wings offer more protection in the event of a crash.
Check the seat belt (and tether strap if in Australia) are taut and firm every time the restraint is used. A good guide is to make sure you cannot pinch a fold in the chest straps. Ensure there is no slack and no twists in either the tether strap or the harness straps.
Adjust the car seat harness straps as a child grows, which includes moving the shoulder straps so they are above or level with the child’s shoulders.
If a child car seat is to be used in a position where there is an airbag, check the car owner’s manual for advice.
If in Australia do not place a child restraint in the front seat of a vehicle.

Source: RACV Road Safety and Child Restraints Website.

3. Car Seats
It is also the time to check your child’s weight and ensure your child is in the correct type of car seat for his or her weight. It is dangerous for a child to be in a car seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight or height recommendation for their particular car seat. To check your child is not too tall for your current car seat always ensure that the child’s eye level is not above the back of the child restraint or they will be at increased risk of a whiplash injury in an accident.

4. Car Seat Position
Is your child’s car seat still positioned and anchored correctly in car? If you drive a van with multiple rows of seats, including a rearward facing row, it is easy to inadvertently fit your infant seat incorrectly. The rearward facing infant seat must go on a forward facing row of seats. If you put it on a rearward seat your baby is actually going to be forward facing which is unsafe. However, an advantage to a car like this means your older children can sit on the rearward facing seats and travel rear facing for longer which some countries have as law for children less than six years old.

Correct seat position – infant capsule is rear facing on a forward facing seat row and the forward facing car seat is positioned on a rear facing seat row, the safest way for children to travel!

Some information sourced from: RACV Website and Child Restraints Website.

Le gach dea-ghui, Tizzie