Home > Family and Kids > Introduction to Child Car Seats

An Introduction to Child Car Seats

Child car seats are very important and necessary for your child's safely while riding in a car. You should always have you child riding in one. There are different types of car seats for children depending upon their age and size.

Infant car seats are for infants and babies. Convertible child car seats are ones that can be used for both infants and children a bit older. Booster and youth seats are for children that are a bit older also. There are also special needs seats for kids with special medical needs.

Some general safely tips for using child car seats are :

- It is safest for your child to ride in the back seat

- Always wear your seat belt to help set a good example for your child

- Read the instructions that come with your car seat to make sure you use it right

- If your car has a airbag don't put a rear facing seat in the front seat

- Some cars also come with instructions on how to install child car seats into them

Make sure you install the child car seat properly

- Be certain that the child car seat is facing the proper way based on the type of seat and your childs size and age.

- Check to see if it is tightly and securely installed in the car.

- Verify that the seat in inclined enough so that your babies head won't flop forward.

- Make sure that the seat belt of your car is threaded through the child car seat properly.

Make sure your child is buckled correctly into the child car seat.

- Make sure that all the harness straps are fitting right and are in the right place

Use blankets or padding around your baby if needed after you have adjusted the harnesses.

Infant car seats and shopping carts

Some infant car seats are made to be placed into shopping carts - be careful with using these - accidents can happen and carts can fall over.

Seat belts and kids

Seat belts were made for adults, not children. Kids should not use them until they are ready to. They are ready when the shoulder part goes across their chest and shoulder and does not press against their throat. If your child is not yet ready for a regular seat belt then they should use a booster seat.

If you need more help

If you have more questions about installing your child seat correctly you can go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) web site to see a list of Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians and they may be able to help. Or call 888-327-4236. Also you can go to an inspection station which can be found at: http://www.seatcheck.org.

See also: Child Car Seat Buying Guide