Today's column is written by one of our favorite guest contributors, Jennifer Baker, who is a Counselor with the Houston, Texas Police Department. In this article, Jennifer discusses the frustrations and reality of the often scary but necessary world of child car seats.
Do car seats come with a manual? Yes they do....but have you really looked at one lately? It is more confusing than deciphering teen talk in a text message! And if you ever need an aerobic workout, try and fasten one correctly in the back seat of your car. I dare you to get it installed correctly and not break a sweat. But after all the huffing and puffing, you will rest easy knowing that you are keeping your little ones safe. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, children between the ages of one and twelve are killed more often in vehicle crashes than any other method. That is why, with the right car seat, you can reduce the chances of your child being injured or killed.
Options, options, options. Whew! There are so many choices when it comes to selecting a car seat. I have been to big box retail stores and felt like I was doing the electric slide while checking out the vast number of seats on display. How do you pick the best seat for your little darling? (There should be a manual to help you through this part of the process!) Yes, it is fine that the color matches the interior of your vehicle. And it is great that Little Johnnie has a place to put his sippy cup. But please keep in mind, that those features should be secondary in importance compared to the safety features.
One of the basic guidelines in helping to determine which car seat is best for your child, is to focus on the child's age and size. All newborns should be placed in a rear facing car seat in the back seat of the vehicle and should remain this way until they outgrow their initial carrier. Toddlers up to forty pounds should be secured in a front facing seat with a five point harness in the back seat of the car. When the child has outgrown the harness, a booster seat should be used. For instance, in Texas, the law states that all children, age seven or younger and under 4'9", must be in a child safety restraint system. Only when children can ride in the vehicle (preferably in the back seat) with their feet flat on the floor with their knees clearing the front of the seat, can they safely use only the seat belt. The seat belt must secure them at the strongest places of the child's body; which would be across the child's chest (not near the neck) and lie flat across the thighs (not the abdomen).
There has been some debate over whether children over the age of two need to be placed in a car seat, namely a TED Talks presentation by Steven Levitt, http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/steven_levitt_on_child_carseats.html. Using raw data from all vehicle crashes involving children fatalities over the last 30 years, he asserts that there is "no proven benefit" to securing children in expensive child car seats versus using the less expensive adult seat belt. Car crashes are violent, daily occurrences in the United States and can be deadly. I would rather err on the side of caution when it comes to maintaining the safety of your youngest passengers and restrain them.
Latches, tethers and anchors - Oh My! Hold on to your instruction manuals because this is where it really get interesting. After you have purchased the appropriate safety seat for your child, it is time to pull out not only the instruction manual that came with the car seat , but your vehicle's owner's manual. You have to familiarize yourself with the mechanisms in your car in order to safely install the car seat. The car seat manual will give you instructions on how to properly install the seat based on your vehicle's options.
You can install the car seat using a seat belt or your car may be equipped with the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system. It is supposed to be less complicated and more user friendly than the seat belt installation. LATCH utilizes anchors, or metal bars, found between the seat cushions of the vehicle's back seat and top tether anchor, or rings, located behind the back seat of the car. The car seat has straps with hooks that attach to the anchors and tethers to keep the seat in place. Be mindful that the LATCH system also has weight limitations and restrictions on using it on front and rear facing car seats.
Still not sure if your car seat is installed correctly? No worries, most cities have car seat inspection stations within the police or fire departments or at some auto dealerships, that will happily offer free guidance. You can find Inspection locators on www.safekids.org and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website www.NHTSA.gov.
Okay, now that you have decided that it's just too complicated and your child really doesn't need to ride in a car until they are twelve - Relax! Take a deep breath, go sip a mojito and realize that this is a rite of passage that all parents go through and you too will survive and conquer this task. So, happy tethering and anchor away parents!
Remember - "If you fail to plan, Plan to fail!"
Until the next time...
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
What do you know about Child Abuse?
Ask thirty parents what they know about child abuse and you'll probably get thirty different answers. Sadly, stories about child abuse and neglect rarely make the front page or leading story of the nightly news. The stories that do make it to the front are usually so horrific, the news can't help but cover the story.
Unfortunately, while the mainstream news is featuring the latest celebrity break-up, fiscal crisis or story about the war, the United States has quietly taken the top spot among industrialized nations when it comes to child abuse related deaths. Approximately 80% of the children that die from abuse are under the age of 4. This is unacceptable! Have we become so desensitized to violence that we are subconsciously as a society, devaluing the lives of our most precious gifts?
Here are a few cold hard facts about child abuse that not many people are aware of:
Remember - "If you fail to plan, Plan to fail!"
Until the next time...
Follow us on facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/childsafetytipsandprograms or https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryVeteransAgainstChildAbuse
Check out our website - https://www.childsafetytipsandprograms.com
Unfortunately, while the mainstream news is featuring the latest celebrity break-up, fiscal crisis or story about the war, the United States has quietly taken the top spot among industrialized nations when it comes to child abuse related deaths. Approximately 80% of the children that die from abuse are under the age of 4. This is unacceptable! Have we become so desensitized to violence that we are subconsciously as a society, devaluing the lives of our most precious gifts?
Here are a few cold hard facts about child abuse that not many people are aware of:
- For every crime a child predator is convicted of, there are on average, eight others that they get away with. And over ninety percent of predators will re-offend at some point, but only three percent will be caught again because they've gotten smarter!
- 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be a victim of child abuse or neglect before their 18th birthday.
- A child abuse report is made every ten seconds in this country.
- 90% of child sexual abuse victims know their attacker through a prior association (family, friends, service repair people, coaches, teachers, etc.)
- Unexplained burns, cuts, bruises, bite marks or welts
- Inappropriate interest or knowledge of sexual acts
- Sudden nightmares or bed wetting
- Depression, loss of appetite, fear or particular people or places
- Inability to concentrate, trouble in school, hostility
- Dirty, extreme hunger, unsuitable clothing and lack of supervision
Remember - "If you fail to plan, Plan to fail!"
Until the next time...
Follow us on facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/childsafetytipsandprograms or https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryVeteransAgainstChildAbuse
Check out our website - https://www.childsafetytipsandprograms.com
Monday, March 11, 2013
Teach Your Child Their Entire Name - Not a Nickname!
The other day while walking through a store, I noticed a little girl crying and a small crowd of adults gathering around her. As I went closer to see if I could help, I heard more than one adult (including a store employee) asking her name and where was her Mommy. If you've ever had to decipher a crying child's answer, you know it is ten times worse when they are scared! What came out of her mouth next was enough to make my heart skip a beat. You see this child had been called by a nickname her entire life and that was all she knew! She told everyone her name was "Tiny" and she was three years old.
As a Child Safety Advocate, it hurts my heart to see situations like this. Parents need to teach a child their entire name as soon as possible. If they can understand and respond to a nickname, they can remember their name, Mom and Dad's real name (not just Mommy and Daddy) and at least a street address name. This simple lesson could save you and your child heartache if you are ever faced with this situation.
Eventually, store management went on the intercom to ask for 'Tiny's' mother to come to the front of the store. I suggested they put Tiny in an office and have the parent describe her first before bringing her out as they couldn't verify the child's 'real' name. Also, the manager asked Mom when she came to the front of the store, if she had a picture of the child on her phone. In this age of smart phones, there is no reason not to have a RECENT picture of your child. Fortunately she did, so Mom and daughter were reunited.
Parents, please take the time to teach your children the safety basics when they are small! And when you are out in public places, parents have to be extra vigilant as it only takes a minute for a child to dart off and disappear in a crowd.
Remember - "If you fail to plan, Plan to fail!"
Until the next time...
Follow us on facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/childsafetytipsandprograms or https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryVeteransAgainstChildAbuse
Check out our website - https://www.childsafetytipsandprograms.com
As a Child Safety Advocate, it hurts my heart to see situations like this. Parents need to teach a child their entire name as soon as possible. If they can understand and respond to a nickname, they can remember their name, Mom and Dad's real name (not just Mommy and Daddy) and at least a street address name. This simple lesson could save you and your child heartache if you are ever faced with this situation.
Eventually, store management went on the intercom to ask for 'Tiny's' mother to come to the front of the store. I suggested they put Tiny in an office and have the parent describe her first before bringing her out as they couldn't verify the child's 'real' name. Also, the manager asked Mom when she came to the front of the store, if she had a picture of the child on her phone. In this age of smart phones, there is no reason not to have a RECENT picture of your child. Fortunately she did, so Mom and daughter were reunited.
Parents, please take the time to teach your children the safety basics when they are small! And when you are out in public places, parents have to be extra vigilant as it only takes a minute for a child to dart off and disappear in a crowd.
Remember - "If you fail to plan, Plan to fail!"
Until the next time...
Follow us on facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/childsafetytipsandprograms or https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryVeteransAgainstChildAbuse
Check out our website - https://www.childsafetytipsandprograms.com
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Do kids come with a manual?
How many parents have asked themselves that question in the middle of the night when a child is crying for an unknown reason, or when you're rushing your child to the doctor or perhaps they've gotten something stuck in their nose. For these scenarios or a half a dozen others, I know plenty of parents worldwide who would stand in line for hours to get a copy of a manual. Any manual would do or even an instruction booklet written in several languages. Just provide something to explain the creature standing before you called - your child. The line would be so long, people would pass by and think the latest smartphone is being released.
Well, I'm sorry to say, there isn't a one size fits all manual, but here on these pages, we will pass along the latest safety tips and topics to help you on your journey. Some information will be delivered with humor (laughter truly is the best medicine sometimes) and other days it will be more serious. But in either case, let's lock arms and travel this road together!
A little background about me. My name is Sharon Blacknall and I'm the founder of Child Safety Tips and Programs. I have been a Child Safety Advocate for many years and am the author of the book, The ABC's and 123's of Child Safety. I'm also a proud USAF military veteran, wife of a veteran and mother of two. I absolutely adore children and am always looking for ways to help parents keep their kids safe.
We will cover a variety of subjects and have guest columnists from time to time. We will also have a "What's on your mind?" segment where you will have an opportunity to ask questions and hopefully we will have the answers (smile).
So we will sign off for today with our signature.
Remember - "If you fail to plan, Plan to fail!"
Until the next time...
Follow us on facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/childsafetytipsandprograms or https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryVeteransAgainstChildAbuse
Check out our website - https://www.childsafetytipsandprograms.com
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