Car Seat Safety

Have you seen the new car seat recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics? If not, check it out!

I'm not going to rewrite the article here (because you just read it right?) Car seat safety is a big deal to Ruben and I, so I just want to make sure that everyone with kids is aware of the facts and is able to make educated choices when it comes to their kids' car seat. At 6 and 4 years old both Buzz and Boo ride in forward-facing seats and they both still use the five point harness. We have the Graco Nautilus for both.

Bean rides rear-facing and will for as long as possible (well past the old guideline of 1 year and 20 pounds, even though she's over 20 pounds already). She rides in a Britax Marathon 70.

The Nautilus is great because it is forward-facing with a five-point harness and can convert to a high back booster and eventually a backless booster. The five-point harness accommodates kids up to 65 lbs (which is a long way off for my kiddos) and the booster can accommodate up to 100 lbs.

The Marathon is rear-facing up to 40 lbs and forward-facing up to 70 lbs. We have been very happy with both car seat models. The Marathon is especially easy to install, though I'm not the car seat installer in our house, that credit goes to Ruben.

A few other things to keep in mind:

Car seats have expiration dates, for most manufacturers it is six years

If the seat is in an accident, it should be replaced, even if it doesn't appear damaged

All children under 13 years old should sit in the back seat

The right car seat for your child is the one that fits your child and is used correctly EVERY time