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Think Your Child’s Car Seat Is Safe? These 7 Shocking Facts Say Otherwise

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car seat safety
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Every parent believes their child’s car seat is installed properly and is doing its job effectively. Yet studies show many parents unknowingly overlook critical safety details that could put their child at risk. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that nearly half of all car seats are incorrectly installed or misused. Before your next drive, consider these seven surprising facts that reveal hidden dangers lurking in your child’s car seat. Staying informed is trendy—and essential—for every responsible parent.

1. Improper Installation Is Extremely Common

You might think your car seat is perfectly installed, but the reality is shockingly different. NHTSA studies suggest approximately 46% of car seats are not installed correctly, dramatically reducing their effectiveness. Common errors include loose seat belts, incorrect harness adjustments, and wrong seat angles. Even minor mistakes compromise your child’s safety, increasing the risk of injury during a collision. Certified safety technicians can help verify proper installation, significantly improving car seat safety.

2. Secondhand Car Seats Are a Risky Choice

While thrifting is trendy for clothing or furniture, secondhand car seats pose significant hidden risks. Older seats could have unseen structural damage from previous accidents or recalls, drastically lowering their protective value. Additionally, car seats generally have expiration dates—usually between six and ten years from manufacture. Expired seats weaken over time due to plastic degradation and component wear, risking your child’s safety. It’s essential to know your seat’s exact history, including accidents and recalls, before trusting it. Purchasing new seats or thoroughly researching secondhand models is crucial for safety-conscious parents.

3. Winter Coats Compromise Harness Safety

Bundling up your child in a thick winter coat seems harmless but is actually dangerous when placed in a car seat. Heavy coats create slack in harness straps, making them appear snug when they’re actually too loose. In a collision, coats compress instantly, leaving dangerous slack and increasing injury risks. Experts recommend removing bulky outerwear before buckling your child into their seat. Instead, use blankets or coats placed over your child after the harness is securely tightened.

4. Harness Positioning Matters More Than You Think

Incorrect harness placement is surprisingly common yet critical for car seat effectiveness. Straps placed incorrectly, too loose, or twisted can significantly increase injury risk during accidents. Chest clips must always sit at armpit level, keeping the harness properly aligned over your child’s shoulders. For rear-facing seats, straps should be at or just below shoulder level; for forward-facing seats, they should be at or slightly above. Regularly double-checking harness positioning ensures optimal safety on every ride.

5. Accessories Might Be Dangerous

Cute car seat accessories—like strap covers, head supports, or hanging toys—may seem harmless but can seriously jeopardize safety. Many third-party products aren’t tested with your car seat, potentially interfering with harness effectiveness or seat stability. Accessories might shift during impact, loosen harnesses, or even injure your child directly. Experts advise sticking only to manufacturer-approved accessories specifically designed for your exact car seat model.

6. Booster Seats Are Often Misused

Transitioning your child to a booster seat too early or incorrectly is another common safety mistake. Booster seats rely on adult seat belts, meaning your child must be of the appropriate height and weight to safely use one. Incorrectly positioned seat belts cause severe injuries in collisions, especially if improperly placed across a child’s abdomen or neck. Ensure your child meets booster-seat age, weight, and height recommendations precisely before transitioning. Always verify seat belt positioning during every ride, maintaining correct belt placement across hips and shoulders. Familiarize yourself with the guidelines before making the switch.

7. Car Seat Recalls Are Surprisingly Frequent

Manufacturers issue recalls more often than many parents realize—frequently for severe safety defects or component failures. Unfortunately, many families unknowingly use recalled seats daily, putting their children at risk. To stay informed, register your car seat immediately upon purchase and regularly check recall databases. Online resources like NHTSA.gov offer recall search tools that provide timely safety alerts and updates.

Stay Informed, Stay Safe

Your child’s safety in the car depends entirely on your knowledge, vigilance, and regular checks. Staying informed about common car seat errors, expiration dates, harness safety, recalls, and risky accessories can dramatically improve your child’s safety every ride. Proper car seat use is about more than just strapping in—it requires continuous education, careful installation, and attention to detail. After all, the most important trend for parents today is always the safety and well-being of their precious little passengers.

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Is It Worth Buying Expensive Car Seats?

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Buying Expensive Car Seats

As a new parent, you’ll likely feel pressured to buy many things.  After all, loving parents want the best for their children and should be willing to pay for that, right?  While there are areas where you won’t want to go the cheapest route, there are other areas where you can save money.  One area where you don’t need to spend the most money is when buying car seats.  Buying expensive car seats isn’t necessary for your child’s safety, but there are other standards you’ll want to consider.

What to Consider Instead of Buying Expensive Car Seats

Rather than just looking at the price of the car seat when deciding which one to buy, you should instead consider several other factors.

Installation

The most important factor in protecting your child in case of a crash is installing the car seat properly.  Yet, many, many parents unknowingly install the car seat improperly.

If you live in the United States, you can go to any local fire station, and the fire fighter will check to make sure the car seat is properly installed.  If it’s not, the fire fighter can help you install it properly.

Safety

Before making your purchase, consider the safety record of the car seat you want to buy.  An excellent place to look is Consumer Report’s Car Seat ratings.  You’ll find that buying an expensive car seat isn’t necessary.  There are many cheaper car seats that offer your child all the safety he needs.

Length of Use

Some of the cheapest car seats have lower weight and height restrictions, which means you’ll need to buy the next size up more quickly.  Sometimes, buying a mid-price range car seat is actually more affordable than the cheapest brand because you’ll be able to use it longer.

What to Avoid When Buying Car Seats

Buying Expensive Car Seats

Photo by Clark Van Der Beken on Unsplash

Even if money is tight, please avoid buying used car seats.  Some people don’t know this, but car seats actually have an expiration date.  That date is typically six to ten years after the seats are manufactured.  Why an expiration on car seats?  The general idea is that the plastic and seat belts can degrade after years of exposure to the sun and heat.  Also, safety standards are constantly changing, so new car seats may offer your child more protection than used seats you buy from someone else.

In addition, if you buy a used car seat, you have no way to know if that car seat survived a car crash.  If it did survive a crash, there may be small cracks in the plastic that you do not know about, which can make the seat less safe for your child should you be involved in an accident.

Final Thoughts

Car seats are necessary, but can be pricey.  However, don’t feel pressured into buying expensive car seats.  Instead, consider the car seat’s safety record and make sure to install the seat properly.  Finally, choosing seats that have higher weight and height limits may save you the most money over the time your child will need car seats.

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A crib is one of the things you need to buy when expecting a baby

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Funnily enough, 2010 seemed to be the year of the babies. I have so many friends who welcomed their bundles of joy last year and so many who got pregnant and are expecting this year. It really is beautiful to see the beginnings of a life, to see the joy in the parent’s faces, and to see all my new mommy-to-be girlfriends fret over all the baby things they think they need.  This is especially true (and fun to watch) with my friends who are going to be first time mom’s.

I remember very well what I thought I needed when I was pregnant with my first child.  I remember it was a few months in chaos listing all the things magazines and sites were telling me I needed.  And, being the anal person that I am, I got MOST of these items.  Only to find out later that I didn’t really need half of them.  Good thing was I was able to use them for my second child. Wonderful how some baby things just don’t go out of style.

Anyway, I thought about doing a list of things you really need after you find out you are expecting and a basic time chart for when to get them. It might be helpful for all the first time mom’s out there.

6 months before D-Day:

By this time, I think it is OK to start getting the big stuff. This is because you will have had enough time to save up for them and because you will still have enough time to pay them off should you decide to get these on installment.

1. Crib

OK, you can choose whatever crib you want here but I personally think that if you have no baby cabinets yet, then get the ones with the drawers and the ones with the bed that can take the baby into the growing years.  There are some cribs that are cute and may fit a little nook in your room, but for practicality and for budget’s sake, these are not the smartest choices.

2. Stroller/Car Seat/Bassinet

OK, there are sooo many choices in the market today and some ranging from the reasonably expensive to the outrageously expensive.  The things I would say to look out for are the material of the stroller and car seat, the quality of the belt and the fasteners, the padding around the bars, the size and quality of the wheels and the shocks of the stroller.  Any brand that presents above average standards for all these is a thumb’s up for me.

4. Bottles and sterilizer

Now, if there were many crib and stroller choices, there are even more bottle choices.  And the manufacturers have made these bottles so complicated that  it almost feels like you need a degree to choose the right one!  The rules I followed were two things: that they were designed to produce a non-colicky baby, and that they were made from material that does not leach BPA or bisephenol, which is a harmful byproduct of plastic that can go onto the liquid in the bottle if it is heated above 175F.  The thing is a lot of the really cute and popular bottles use Polycarbonate plastic despite this fact because it is lightweight to bring around and for the baby to hold and offers flexibility in design of nipples and bottle.  But there are a lot of bottles made from safer and greener plastic that are just as pretty. It really is personal choice here.

3 months to go:

1. Bedsheets, clothes, blankets

I cannot stress how many of these you will think you need in the first two months after the baby is born.  You will want sheet replacements in case you need to change the sheets, and change you will need to do often.  You will want clothes that can come off and go on the baby as easily as possible and these usually are the ones that you tie up front. For tropical countries, it is important to have cotton clothes to keep the baby cool and it is essential to have changes of clothing to keep the baby clean and fresh. I has a set of 6 tops that you tie in front, 6 that you button on the shoulder, and 6 wide neck ones.  I used them all.  Blankets and towels are equally important as they cover the baby, keep the baby warm, and is what the baby will be wrapped in for chnks of hours over the day.  I had 6 of these although I know of others who had a dozen to be safe.

2. Washing/changing station

If you are old fashioned like me, you will do with a regular tub with a dipper in the bathroom.  If you are more mod, you may want to use a changing table that can convert into a washbasin. This is entirely a personal choice.

3. Breast pump

Now, if you do not intend to breastfeed, this is a moot point. But, if you do, finding a good pump will be a lifesaver.  Like most things, a pump has a price range.  I didn’t try all but I have tried a few to be able to make some kind of recommendation. I’ve also thrown in comments from friends for good measure.

  • Medela- This range of breast pumps is, as far as I’ve heard, the Ferrari of breast pumps. It is strong but not painful and really gets the milk out. Plus it has some sort of suction imitation thing that keeps breast milk in production even if the baby is not breastfeeding from the breast all the time.  This is pricey though.
  • Avent- very very well known for quality bottles and pumps, I had the opportunity to use the manual breast pump. It was very good. No need for an electric pump at all. It was virtually painless to use, had good suction, and was easy enough to use for a few hours straight. The only thing I found a bit off putting was that it was rather large to use and hold (for me at least) but this really depends on the woman’s grip and hand size.  I would recommend this breast pump if your budget allows as this is also a bit on the pricey side.
  • Pigeon- this is the more budget friendly brand and I was able to use the manual and electric varieties. The manual one was great. It was small enough so it was not cumbersome, the pump was soft enough to use for a few hours straight, it was virtually painless as well. I would definitely recommend this pump. I used the electric one as well because i thought i could get a lot of milk minus the manual pumping. It was very painful. I stopped using it after two tries. I do not recommend this at all.

4. Diapers

You will need to change the baby around eight times a day in the beginning and will only taper off when the baby is well withing the first year so stocking up early is not a bad idea. Diapers do not have an expiration date but they do have sizes so stock up on some newborn diapers and small ones first.  Research on how often you need to change the baby and how fat they grow on average to get a rough computation of how many pieces you might need. If you want to use cloth diapers, you will need about 2-3 dozen of the small to medium ones first.  You will need some baby friendly soap and a good washing machine and dryer as well.  Have a basin with some water mixed with detergent handy so you can soak soiled diapers immediately.  This makes them easier to wash and prevents staining.

5. Diaper bag

You can have two to three of these ion different sizes.  You will need a variety as the amount of things you will bring around will change depending on where you are headed. make sure to have bottle holders, a changing mat, other dividers and an insulated area.  It would be great to have an outside or other pocket for your personal things so you don’t have to carry a handbag but this is optional.

These are the most basic things you will need to have before you welcome your new baby. Of course, there is a whole novel full of other things you will want to have but those you can stress less about.  Having these basics will at least get you through the first couple of weeks.

What are your favorite tools for caring for your baby?

Double the Blessing — Double the Stuff; Tips on Buying for Twins

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TwinsAs I have mentioned before — I am the Mom of twin boys. Because of this, I get asked all kinds of questions. Here is one question that I get asked quite often by people who are either expecting twins or those who are just curious:

Does having twins mean you have to have two of everything?

Since money and space are a common concern for people expecting twins – thankfully – the answer is no. Certainly, there are things that you should have two of but there are many things where having just one, will suffice.

At the end of the article, check out our recommendations for some of the best online shops for baby furniture and supplies

Bringing Home Babies

It’s always a great idea to be fully stocked on all supplies – and ready for action – as soon as the babies arrive home. Having all the essentials and first aid supplies is a must but you can hold off on some of the bigger items until later (swings, high chairs, exersaucers, etc.)

Parents of twins do need to keep plenty (and by plenty I mean, imagine what you think might need and triple that number) of the following items on hand; bottles, wipes, diapers, and formula. Other things that are really important to have a lot of are; onsies, sleepers, burp cloths,love and patience. Trust me when I tell you that running out of any of these items, with two unhappy babies yelling at you is not – I repeat – not a good thing!

Things you need to have two of:

Car Seats

These are an absolute must. They won’t even let you leave the hospital, without seeing them properly installed in your car first.

Double Stroller

There are some great infant seat/double stroller systems out there. Do a lot of research and that will help you decide which one might work best for you. To get started you’ll want to ask other parents of twins, read reviews, and take them for a test drive.

We had an in-line stroller and later bought a side by side light weight double stroller when the boys were about a year old. Both had their advantages – like keeping the kiddos contained; and their disadvantages – like not being able to squeeze through narrow spaces or the ablility to take out clothing racks in department stores.

Cribs

Most twinfants do enjoy sharing a crib (or at least they seem to) but opinions differ on whether that is actually safe or not. Once they start moving around and rolling over, parents are strongly advised to put them in their own crib because one could roll over on the other and cause them to stop breathing.

Our boys slept in a crib together for a very short time. They couldn’t roll over but somehow N would scoot himself on his back (maybe kicking his feet or something) and end up using A’s belly as his foot rest. Neither seemed bothered by this arrangement but we separated them soon after this started — they actually slept much better on their own.

Baby Carrier or Sling

I loved our baby carriers, though looking back I probably would have purchased a sling as well — for around the house. The carrier was just too bulky to use while trying to get things done.

The carriers were great when my husband and I would take the boys out and about. We could hold them close (so people didn’t lean in and breathe all over them). Plus, we didn’t get people constantly stopping us to ask if they were twins — not that I minded that so much, but when you are in a hurry it can be a little frustrating.

High Chairs

These of course aren’t needed right away, but they are necessary. A friend of mine – who also has twins – advised me to get high chairs which would fit on our dining room chairs.

This was a fantastic idea for us because our kitchen isn’t very big and having two high chairs would have taken up a lot of space. We found some nice ones and then my Mom bought some very simple, plastic ones that were great for travel. They were light weight and didn’t take up too much space; which was nice.

Two Sets of Bottles

We started with glass bottles and that made for a lot of extra work. They were nice though, easy to warm up and store in the fridge but lots of washing, especially in the beginning.

I later moved to the Playtex bottles and liners (*money saver* Target makes liners that fit these bottles for much less than the Playtex ones) not very “green” of me I know — but it sure was simple and saved me a lot of time.

Potty Seats

Potty training twins isn’t easy but having two potty chairs in the house will make it a tiny bit easier.

Things you may need two of:

Diaper Genie or Diaper Pail

You really only need one of these but if you have a split level house it might be more convenient to have one on each level.

Baby Swing

You might be fine with only one of these but if both babies really love them — you’ll probably want two.

Bouncy Seat

Our boys loved these. I would put the babies in them and it made it easy for me to transport them to any room in the house. Some babies don’t like them though, so if you get one and they both like it, you can get another one later.

Exersaucer

These were fantastic and the boys loved playing in them. They would also interact and play with each other when I would put them in them side-by-side.

Bumbos

My boys didn’t use these for very long before they figured out how to escape — but they were fun to have.

One will be just fine:

  • Changing Table
  • Wipe Warmer
  • Vaporizer (unless they are in two separate rooms)
  • Nursing Pillow
  • Activity Mat
  • Bathtub
  • Night Light

Recommended Baby Stores that Help Support this Site:

If you have any questions about twins, or would like to see a post on a specific topic relating to twin parenting let me know!

Do you have twins? What items to you get two of and what did you only need one of?