Thank you to Graco for sponsoring this conversation all parents have of is my car seat installed properly. We attended an event at the Houston Far West Target store to show us just how to install a seat thanks to Safe Kids Greater Houston. All thoughts are my own.
As a first time mom, and one who had kids before her other friends, I had no clue what I was doing with all the baby gear. Are my car seats installed properly? I think so… You always want to make sure that your kids are protected especially in the car. Graco in conjunction with SafeKidsGreaterHouston.com showed my sister the proper way that her car seats should be latched in her van. It was interesting to see just when you should and shouldn’t use the latch system and how the new Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 car seat works to keep your kids protected and safe until 100 lbs.!
Is my car seat installed properly?
She went to the event to get her new Graco Extend2Fit seat installed and they went the extra mile to reinstall the seats for her other kids. Her oldest, 4, was big enough that you actually aren’t supposed to use the latch system anymore because the seat and him combined was too much weight, over 65 lbs.
Basic Rules of Car Seat Installation
-Car seats are suggested to be rear faced from birth to at least 2 yrs of age and 35+lbs.
-Can turn to forward facing after 2yo and 40-80+lbs
-Booster seats can be used after age 4 and over 40lbs
-All seats must be used according to manufacturer requirements
-When using rear facing, there are 2 options. LATCH and seat belt. Cannot use LATCH if the child and the car seat are over a combined 65 lbs., at that time, use the seat belt
-Seat needs to be positioned level according to the indicator on the seat.
-Once the seat is forward facing, the tether anchor must be used, along with the LATCH or the seat belt, depending on the weight
-Rear facing car seats cannot be used in a seat with an air bag
-Seat(s) must be replaced in the event of a car accident
-Seat must not be used after expiration stamped on the underside of it
-The seat belt install and the LATCH install must be tight enough to where the base of the seat moves no more than one inch from its position
-Rear facing harness straps need to be at or just below shoulders
-Forward facing harness straps need to be at or just above shoulders
-Harness clip needs to be in line with the arm pits and snug enough where one finger will fit in between the child’s chest and the clip. You can also use the pinch test to check this. When using your index finger and thumb, you should not be able to pinch the strap up.
-Between the leg strap should be in the opening closest to the child but not under the child
-Headrest should be adjusted to where the bulk of the padding is centered with the head
There are still a couple more events in and around Houston if you would like to make sure your car seat is installed properly. These are free events that anyone can come to and get your car seat checked by a Certified Technician.
- September 24th- Seat Check Saturday, Houston Community College- 5601 West Loop South Houston, TX 77081. 9 am-12 pm. Contact: Diana Martinez dxsuarez@texaschildrens.org
- September 29th- Babies R Us- 17776 State Hwy 249 Suite 1 Houston, TX 77064. 4 pm-7pm. Contact: Ashton Remo ajremo@texashildrens.org
Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1
Car seats have come a long way since my kids were babies. We still use boosters for mine since they are just under the age and height limit for Texas. My son can technically go without one, but he likes being higher up with the booster and it has a cup holder. I am all about buying one seat and having it last for the whole time my kids need it. The Graco brand has always been in our cars and now with the Extend2Fit they are making it so that you can keep your child rear facing for longer with a 5″ extendable footrest. What this does is gives your toddler more legroom when you want to keep them rear facing for longer. This is genius!
Another feature that we love is that the harness and headrest adjust as one piece. No more rethreading the harness each time that your child grows. Seriously, they finally got it right. This helps to make sure that the harness are at the perfect height with just a button push versus waiting until they are in the seat wrongly. Who else has become frustrated with the buckles in the way when getting your child in the seat? The Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 has these little slots where the buckles can tuck in until you are ready to snap your child in. Love!!
Safe Kids holds events in many cities to help new and even veteran parents answer the question, “Is my car seat installed properly?”.
So great to see a parent triple checking to make sure their seat is safe. With the statistic as high as it is for improper installation, it’s such a good idea to get your car seat installation checked! Great post!