travel – Marisa Meidle's Baby Showers

Car Seats And Older Children

When your child’s weight exceeds 40 lbs you should check if the car seat that you are using is safe for the child. It is possible that your child’s weight exceeds the manufacturer’s maximum specification. It is also possible that your child’s height is higher than that of the seat. In either event you will have to consider changing the car seat.

Using a car seat for the safety of your children is mandatory in all states. A car seat is necessary for your child until the age that the child can use a booster seat. It is only after the age of 13 that your child is able to use regular seat belts without any support.

When selecting a car seat, make sure that the model is not recalled. In order to do so you can visit the manufacturer’s website and look up the list of recalled models. If at all you have to buy a second hand car seat make sure you do not buy one that is older than five years. Never buy a car seat that has been in an accident. It is pretty tough to ascertain if a second hand car seat has been in an accident. So, play safe and buy a new car seat.

Before attempting to install the seat, read the installation manual carefully. Reading the manual helps you to understand the installation procedure. There are a number of videos that can help you with the installation procedure.

Remember that once your child has outgrown the car seat and is between the ages of 8 to 12, you can consider the possibility of your child using the car’s lap and shoulder safety belts, with a booster seat. But try switching to a booster seat as late as possible. For that make sure that the seat to which you are upgrading has a sufficient upper limit in terms of height and weight of the child.

Take a look at the Britax range of car seats. With the model Britax Regent you cannot go wrong as it has a very high specification in terms of weight and height.

Even if you are spending a little extra for your child’s safety, it is a good feeling to know that your child will be secure and comfortable.

Carrying Babies Made Easy And Safe With Strollers

Babies in all traditional cultures were carried in a cloth tied to the back, front or hips. Other devices for carrying babies included baskets, cradleboards, portable cradles and travois. In the 1960s the use of slings once again became popular with the introduction of structured soft pack. Toddlers and older babies began to be carried on frame pack. In the 1980s the ring sling became popular. Pouch carriers were introduced in the 1990s. Prams or perambulator has been in use since the Victorian era in the United Kingdom but are not common today. At present there are different kinds of baby carriers in the market. This includes baby slings, hip carriers, frame backpack carriers, mei tais, slings, the hip and soft front carriers.

A stroller or a buggy is used as a means of transport to carry babies and young kids up to three years of age. This is convenient when traveling. It resembles a chair moving on four wheels. The baby is kept safe and secure in the stroller by means of a harness that holds the baby to the stroller by the waist, shoulders or the legs. There are strollers that offer three point harness and five point harness with the latter being more safe. The stroller is provided with either a foot break or a hand break. Besides the common single stroller for carrying one kid, strollers that can carry two kids side by side or one behind the other are available. Strollers that can carry three children too are now available.

There are many brands of strollers in different designs in the market such as Graco Strollers, Chicco Cortina Travel Stroller , Kolcraft Strollers, Inglesina Strollers, Rock Star Strollers, Maclaren Strollers, Stokke Strollers and Schwinn Strollers.

There are many kinds of strollers in the market. Umbrella strollers are meant for older kids and do not have a sun canopy or storage facility and have very little padding. For these reasons, they are also the lightest and cheaper. The standard strollers have sun canopy, well padded seats and large compartments for storage. For these reasons, they are heavier. The travel system stroller is also like the standard stroller, but has a car seat. This comes in handy to seat the child in a car seat while traveling by removing and attaching the seat as a car seat. This disturbs the child least while shifting the child from and to a car and stroller. The latest to arrive in the market is the jogging stroller which is also like a standard stroller but with three large wheels instead of four wheels. This keeps the stroller steady on rough terrain and while pushing the stroller at higher speed.

Baby Carriers Through Cultures

Baby slings have been in vogue for ages all over the world. This is a piece of cloth that is used to tie the baby to the body of the one who takes care of the baby. The ring sling is a modification with a cloth sewn to two rings, usually made of aluminum. The head and the arm of the wearer are put through the loop of the cloth. A pocket is formed between the rings where the child is seated. Ring slings can be used to carry an infants as well as toddlers. The pouch slings are similar but without the rings. It is simply a cloth forming a pouch which is sewn into shape. The size of the pouch is adjusted with the use of clips, rings, snaps, buckles, and zippers. The seat for the child is created when the pouch is slipped over the head and shoulder.

Wrap, wraparound slings or wraparound are long fabric that wraps the baby with the wearer securely when tied. The baby or the toddler is comfortably seated on the back, front or the hip according to the convenience of the wearer. Wraps are of two kinds. There is the stretchy and the woven. Jersey or interlock knits are used in the stretchy wrap. The baby can be easily carried in this making it more popular. The woven wrap makes use of woven natural fabric. A number of materials can be used such as wool, linen, silk and hemp though cotton is the most used. They are also attractive in their patterns and colors. A simpler form of wrap is the cloth used to tie the baby to the wearer with the cloth knotted at one end together making a slinging wrap. Almost all cultures have some form of wraps. The Chinese use a cloth almost square shaped with parallel unpadded straps from the corners and they call them mei tai. The Korean podaegi is almost the same except that the fabric is larger and rectangular in shape with a longer strap. Other variations are the parka or amauti of the Inuits, the Japanese onbuhimo, the Chinese bei beis and Hmong carriers.

Another popular baby carrier is the stroller which is like seat on wheels. They come in a variety of models and brands. There are Chicco Trevi Stroller Graco Strollers, Inglesina Strollers, Kolcraft Strollers, Maclaren Strollers, Rock Star baby strollers, Schwinn Strollers and Stokke Strollers.

Baby care also includes baby carriages such as the stroller or the simple baby slings. It keeps the baby at your reach, safe and secure whether one is traveling or at work.

Safety And Care, Baby Carrier With Baby Care

Baby carrier has been designed to carry small child or infants as an on-the-body carrier. They come in different forms as soft front or hip carrier, backpack carrier and slings. These are made from different materials. There is the hip carriers, frame backpack carriers, mei tais, slings and many other forms of soft carriers for carrying older children. 58

The idea of the cradleboard originated from the Native American baby carrier that mothers carried with them for their babies while traveling as well as working. Back straps are attached to the head or shoulder on which are mounted the cradle. Travois or a saddle is used to hang the cradle when traveling. Cushioning effect in the cradleboard is provided by moss, shredded bark or lichens. Flexible twigs such as willow and hazel is used to weave the cradle. Flat pieces of wood too can be used instead. The cradle has a flat surface. The child though is secured tightly to the cradleboard can freely move its head.

Prams or perambulator has been in use for a long time from the Victorian era in the United Kingdom. The modern version has a detachable body called the carrycot. But prams are rarely used these days. They are also costly and bigger than the modern day baby carriers that are available in the market. People prefer the cheaper and comfortable strollers.

Kids up to the age of three can be carried in strollers. It is also known as buggies. They look just like a chair or seat on wheels. There are strollers that can carry two kids. Either the kids are placed side by side or one behind the other. There are also strollers which can accommodate three kids. This is called triple stroller. A harness is used in the stroller to secure the child firmly in the stroller. The child is prevented from falling off. there are many models of strollers in the market. These include the Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem plus stroller, Stoke Xplory stroller, Inglesina Trip Stroller and Chicco C4 Trevi Stroller.

The most important thing to check whether the stroller is wobbling or tipping. Ensure that there are no sharp edges anywhere that can hurt the baby. Plastic covering of the screws prevents the baby from fingering the screws.

Never Better For Babies And Yourself

Traditionally in many cultures, it was common to carry the babies in a cloth in the form of sling. The cloth is knotted and carried in the back or front or slung over the shoulders with the child resting on the hips. The women carried the child for their work as well as during travel. There have been baskets, cradleboards, portable cradles and travois in the past to carry infants. The introduction of structured soft pack in the 1960s once again made slings popular. The frame backpack began to be used to carry toddlers or older babies on the back. Wrap was introduced to carry the babies in Germany. The ring sling became popular in the 1980s. Later in the 1990s the pouch carriers were introduced. The traditional Chinese mei tai was modernized with padding and other features making it popular in recent years.

A variety of baby carriers are available in the market. These include the hip and soft front carriers, baby slings and the backpack carriers. Different materials are used to manufacture them. They have different flexibility. Their decorations, and confinement and support to the baby too differ.

Strollers can be used to transport babies as well as young kids. They look like seat or chair on wheels. A harness holds the baby. This prevents the baby from falling off. The parents are relieved that the child is safe and secure. Strollers have three point harness which goes around the waist and between the legs. This keeps the baby secure to the stroller. There is also the five point harness which is the safest. The harness goes between the legs, over the shoulders and around the waist making it impossible for the child to wiggle out of it. The strollers are provided with hand break or foot break. There are four wheels to keep the stroller steady on the ground. Strollers with different features and models are available in the market. You can get the details, for instance, on Stokke Xplory strollers from Stokke Xplory reviews.

When checking out the stroller, make sure that you check whether the stroller does not wobble or tip or tilt. Sharp edges will injure the child. So make sure this is not there. Strollers should be used with care so that you do not have any accidents.