Tips for Finding the Best Car Seat for Your Baby

Car seats come in a variety of styles and safety features. Most hospitals require you to have a car seat for your baby when you leave the hospital. Double-check to make sure your baby's car seat meets current safety standards. Here are some tips for finding the best car seat for your baby.

- Government approved. Make sure your car seat meets current federal motor vehicle safety standards. Make sure it fits your baby's age, weight, and height. Never substitute an infant seat for a car seat.

- Installed properly. Read the instructions carefully, install the car seat properly, and make sure your baby is properly buckled in every time.

- Safe location. The middle of the back seat is the safest location for the car seat. Never place your baby in the front seat.

- Comfortable support. Make sure your baby's head is supported if he's too young to support it himself.

Getting Out

My baby loved getting out of the house. He seemed to feel as cooped up as I did if we stayed in too much. I made a habit of getting out once a day, not just for errands, but for us. We'd take a walk to the park, go to the mall and win­dow shop, go to a friend's house, visit animals at the zoo, do story time at the library, hang out at the baby gym, and so on. It was great for both of us.

Car Seat Comfort

Whenever I put my baby in the car seat, he fussed. I finally realized that the car seat was either too cold or too warm, depending on the temperature in the car. So I pulled out one of his receiving blankets and placed it over the car seat to make it more comfortable. When he fell asleep in the car, I just picked him up in his blanket and transferred him to his crib. Throwing a blanket over the car seat also prevents the buckles from getting hot in the sun.

Window Screen

Whenever I took my baby for a drive, I always worried that she would be bored and lonely in the back seat. So I put up pictures on the rear windows next to her car seat so she could have something interesting to look at. There are special pictures you can buy that don't impair the driver's visibility. I changed the pictures every few days to keep her entertained. They also shaded the sun quite nicely.

In the Air

I had to take my baby on a cross-country flight, and I was worried about how he'd handle being in a plane for five hours. I found that walking him up and down the aisle really helped keep him entertained. He got a change of scenery and position, and he enjoyed looking at all the friendly passengers.

Surprise Bag

I take a surprise bag with me whenever I go out with my baby. If she gets bored in the car or starts fussing at a restaurant, I get out a surprise to entertain her. I keep the surprise bag filled with special toys, stuffed animals, books, stickers, and so on. She gets to play with these special toys only when we're out on the town, so they never fail to keep her entertained.

Out and About

I suggest taking your baby wherever you go right from the beginning. As he grows, he'll be used to going out in public and will easily adjust to new surroundings. We did this with our baby, and he really enjoyed being out and about. We never had to worry about taking him anywhere.

Set to Go

It used to take me an hour—at least—to prepare for run­ning errands. I'd feed my baby, pack his stuff, change his diaper, then get myself ready. By the time I was finally ready to go, my baby would be hungry again! I eventually learned to restock the baby bag as soon as I got home, so it would be ready for the next trip. I also learned to get myself ready first before feeding and changing my baby. Organizing my time and keeping the baby bag filled helped me cut half an hour off the preparation time.

Grocery Store Fun

Most of the bigger grocery stores give out free slices of cheese, cookies, and other fun items. I always drop by those departments whenever I enter a store, to pick up a freebee to keep my daughter entertained while I shop.