Choosing a Toddler Car Seat — How to Ensure Your Child’s Comfort and Safety
Most children are ready to start using a ‘toddler’ car seat at about six months of age, until they transition into a ‘booster’ car seat at approximately 2 years of age. Toddler car seats are forward facing, and typically use a combination of the car’s seat belts or a special anchoring system, and a separate harness, to secure the car seat and the child. Many toddler car seats allow the child to ride in either an upright or a reclined position, and some models raise the child up sufficiently to be able to easily see out of the vehicle’s windows while in the upright position. Child car seat manufacturers are bound by very strict guidelines, and you may be surprised to find that some of the more expensive car seats don’t provide any better level of protection than those which are more moderately priced. Child car seat manufacturers are bound by very strict guidelines, and you may be surprised to find that some of the more expensive car seats don’t provide any better level of protection than those which are more moderately priced.
Toddler car seats come in three basic varieties: (1) those that can be used only as a toddler car seat, (2) those that can be used both as an infant car seat and a toddler car seat, and (3) those that can be used both as a toddler car seat and a booster car seat. Seats that are designed to be used in two different modes are called ‘convertible’ car seats.
Convertible infant/toddler car seats can be used for children from infancy (with the car seat in the rear facing position), into their toddler years (with the car seat turned around and used in the forward facing position), until they are ready for a booster car seat. In the rear facing mode, these types of car seats can typically be used with a child up to about 25 lbs, and then used in the forward facing position until the child reaches about 40 lbs. These types of car seats have a larger seat than an infant only car seat, and many come with padded inserts for use when the child is still small.
Convertible toddler/booster car seats are forward facing, and typically use both the car’s seat belts and a separate harness during the ‘toddler’ stage, and just the car’s seat belts during the ‘booster’ stage.
Where to Shop:
GalaxyOfStores is an Online Shopping Center for THOUSANDS of different products for the whole family.
Please visit CHILD CAR SEATS for more information about car seats, as well as a great selection of car seats, strollers, and travel systems, and visit the GalaxyOfStores.com HOME PAGE for all of its great products.
Choosing a Toddler Car Seat — How to Ensure Your Child’s Comfort and Safety / Author: Tom Littlepage
Washing Methods for Cloth Nappies
Some new mothers are intimidated by the thought of washing cloth nappies, but with these days of great detergents and washing machines it is a cinch. Our grans used to boil the nappies up in an outside copper; our mums used to soak them overnight in Napisan. Both methods got the nappies clean and sanitised, but were hard on the person doing it. Soaking in Napisan or similar means you have to lug heavy buckets of water around.
These days it is much simpler. Use a dry pail to store dirty nappies – after removing the poo – then simply wash them in the machine. Pooey nappies are the hardest to deal with, but if you use a nappy liner this is taken care of. A disposable nappy liner can simply be flushed – along with all its contents. Washable liners need to have the poo rinsed off. This should be done in the toilet, using the flush. If this doesn’t work for you, then you can purchase a spray gun that attaches to the toilet cistern and produces a strong jet of water. Make sure you wear rubber gloves.
The hot or warm cycle in the washing machine will clean nappies quite well. In some cases you might want to do a pre-wash or allow them to soak in the machine overnight. Use half the amount of detergent so it will be sure to rinse out properly. Adding half a cup of white vinegar to the last rinse will help the nappies to remain soft.
Jennifer writes about a range of parenting topics. For more information about baby nappies and nappies log onto www.kidspot.com.au
Washing Methods for Cloth Nappies / Author: Melanie Click