#momlifechats Moms,

@smilingwithmyawesome4kids What a cutie!! There's nothing you can add to the seat to make him stop opening it. Make sure straps are tight, sometimes the straps being loose will make it easier for them to open the clips. If they pass the pinch test and he's still opening the clip you have a couple options.

The first is to put a button up shirt over him (assuming he doesn't know how to undo buttons). If he does, then you just have to discipline like you would any other unwanted behavior. If he responds to a rewards system, give him a reward every time you drive and he doesnt unbuckle (like a sticker or something small). You could also distract him and buy some toys that are only for the car (soft things that wont hurt if thrown at him). We keep some stuffed animals in the car that stay there, so the kids get excited to get in the car to play with them and don't even think about unbuckling.

You can also make it a game that he's allowed to unbuckle when the car is turned off. My almost 3 year old now knows he can only unbuckle when mommy turns the car off.

@shylamarie, you can move any time as long as she fits the new seat! A lot of people start with a convertible seat from birth, some wait until the infant seat is outgrown. Totally up to you!

@shylamarie, you can move any time as long as she fits the new seat! A lot of people start with a convertible seat from birth, some wait until the infant seat is outgrown. Totally up to you!

@krystamariebee, I'm sorry if this questions has already been asked, but there's just too many to read through!

My daughter is getting too tall for her infant car seat. I know to keep her rear facing until 2, but when can I switch her to a convertible car seat?

I actually have 2 questions. Is it safe to put pool noodles at the front part of a rear facing car seat to level it out? My back seat is really slanted so the car seat isn't even. Also for rear facing, does it matter where at in the back seat the car seat is placed like middle or sides?

It's a Safety 1st Alpha Omega with an Eddie Bauer cover. Did you have questions about it?

@krystamariebee alpha 3 n 1

@krystamariebee yes its thr same exact one eddie bauer

Similar to this

@zahyan615, Eddie Bauer isn't the brand, it's just the trim. If it's a 3 in 1 then it's the alpha Omega

@krystamariebee no eddie bauer a good one

@krystamariebee Thank you momma

@krystamariebee, ok thank you! I'll def contact you and if it's ok I'll send pics of it installed when I get the chance. You can tell me what I'm doing wrong. Lol

@annabellasmom, it's allowed to move up to one inch when you test it at the belt path!

@krystamariebee

With my daughter's carseat in the middle front facing is it okay if the carseat moves side to side a tad bit? Or is that not a good thing? It doesn't move forward at all only side to side

I'll still take questions if you tag me :) I'm running errands the rest of the day and will get to questions as soon as I can!

@zahyan615, I didn't see your first question. Is it the Alpha Omega by chance?

@krystamariebee i have a eddie bauer carseat 3 in 1

Thank you very much for the advice I deleted my questions because I thought you was done taking questions . Thank you very much his safety is our main concern. We definitely pass the pitch test thank you for idea 💡 of putting a button shirt over our son.

@smilingwithmyawesome4kids What a cutie!! There's nothing you can add to the seat to make him stop opening it. Make sure straps are tight, sometimes the straps being loose will make it easier for them to open the clips. If they pass the pinch test and he's still opening the clip you have a couple options.

The first is to put a button up shirt over him (assuming he doesn't know how to undo buttons). If he does, then you just have to discipline like you would any other unwanted behavior. If he responds to a rewards system, give him a reward every time you drive and he doesnt unbuckle (like a sticker or something small). You could also distract him and buy some toys that are only for the car (soft things that wont hurt if thrown at him). We keep some stuffed animals in the car that stay there, so the kids get excited to get in the car to play with them and don't even think about unbuckling.

You can also make it a game that he's allowed to unbuckle when the car is turned off. My almost 3 year old now knows he can only unbuckle when mommy turns the car off.

@krystamariebee, alright. Thank you.

@red. You want to follow the 5 step test. It usually happens between 10-12 and 4'9".

1. Back against vehicle seat

2. Knees bend at edge of seat

3. Lap belt on top of thighs and not belly

4. Shoulder belt between neck and shoulder

5. Feet flat on floor

@krystamariebee, yes. My 9 year old is nearing the end of her car seat journey. Do you know the height and weight limit before they can just use a plain seat belt? She weighs roughly 90 pounds and is around 4'3"

Any last minute questions? I'm having fun answering them :)

If you think of any after this chat, you can always message me here on mom.life, or join CarSeat Safety on Facebook! It's a group dedicated to car seat safety questions and all of the admins (and many of our members!) are Certified Technicians or Instructors!

** Do you love learning about child safety? Do you want to become a technician and be able to participate in seat check events or private checks?

go to cert.safekids.org and click "Become A Tech". Classes are 3-5 days long with an $80 fee (sometimes local fees apply as well). It's all hands on with tests, quizzes, a final and a seat check event at the end! Certifications are good for 2 years and then you can recertify.

@lovingmykids The middle is statiscally the safest spot as long as you can get a good install. However if you can't get a good install then the outboard seats are the safest

@lp1988727 That would be awesome if they let you hand out flyers on car seat safety!

Ok I have 1 month old and the straps on her shoulder are they suppose to be tight or just a tad loose

@lp1988727 First make sure your work is okay with you saying something. I'd hate for you to say something, then the parent complain to your management and you get in trouble!

Otherwise approach it as gently as possible. I like the compliment-advice-compliment sandwhich. "Your kid is soo cute! Don't forget make sure straps are tightened before driving off. Have fun with the kids today!"

Some parents get really offended when given advice regarding car seats. They take it as a stab at their parenting, when really all you're trying to do is keep all kids safe. I wish more parents were open!

@krystamariebee, ok thanks

@motherofthree87 All seats are safe! Test results aren't released, and seats that don't pass all the federal standards for testing aren't sold. As long as you use the seat correctly, it'll be very safe!

@krystamariebee, do u think Graco is a safe brand to use?

@motherofthree87 I would get the Urbini Sonti at Walmart. It's about $80 right now and comes in several cool color options. It also has an easy install and nice fabric! I had the Urbini Petal with my youngest, and the Sonti is an upgrade.

@krystamariebee, no more than 70-80 dollars and features as long as they are good

@morganmommy79 Contact me anytime! I'd be glad to help :)

I know with the Safety 1st OnBoard they want shoulder belt out of the guides

@krystamariebee, without looking (my memory 😖) I believe it's a safety first. I have another seat too. When I get the chance I'll get the exact make to you.

@motherofthree87 Do you have a budget in mind or features you'd like? There's lots of good ones out there!

What are some good infant car seats to purchase ?

If anyone would like seat recommendations I'd love to help out :)

@maximussunshine anytime! if you ever have questions don't be afraid to reach out.

@krystamariebee

Thank you. Thank you so much.

@maximussunshine He will likely outgrow it by height first (my almost 3 year old still isnt 30lbs) so just keep an eye on his height :)

@krystamariebee

Okay. Thank you so much. I appreciate your advice and all the help. He still good to use it. He is only 16lbs.

@krystamariebee

No it doesn't. I'm sorry. It just give me information how to put the car seat in the car and that's it.

@maximussunshine It looks like a Baby Trend Flex Loc seat, which has a 30 inch or 30lb limit

@maximussunshine Is there a sticker on the car seat? :)

**Did you know?**

The most common mistake I see as a tech is moving a kid to the next stage seat too soon. Forward facing too soon, moving to a booster too soon, and moving out of a booster too soon!

Best practice recommendations are to rear face until at least 2, or the limits of your rear facing convertible seat. Forward face in a harness until a minimum of 5 and mature enough to sit correctly 100% of the time (no slouching, bending to reach something, or sleeping falling over), and then to get out of a booster be able to pass the 5 step test (back against vehicle seat, knees bend at the edge of the seat, lap belt on top of thighs and not belly, shoulder belt between neck and shoulder, and feet flat on the floor) which doesn't normally happen until between 10-12

@krystamariebee

This is the only name I find. This stroller really don't give me much information. I'm sorry.😔

@maximussunshine If you can get the name of the seat I can let you know! It'll be on (usually) white sticker on the seat with the manufacture date

@krystamariebee

Thank you. Thank you so much. I appreciate your advice. I look for the weight and height limit and I didn't see anything. The baby stroller we buy it was one of the jogging strollers.

@alyssa5792 You can look into the "Road Coat". Lots of techs have said they are okay with that in a car seat! I'm not sure how small they make it though

@maximussunshine Your seat has a height and weight limit. Once he reaches one of those limits (usually they reach the height limit first), you'll need a new seat. You can still use seat with the stroller for walks and such if you want to, it just can't be used in the vehicle. If you let me know which seat you got, I can let you know the limits. The limits will also be on the side of the seat on the stickers, and in the manual :)

**Did you know**

Seats can either be installed with a seat belt OR the lower anchors, not with both (unless your seat and vehicle allow it, which is very rare). Lower anchors also have a weight limit, so eventually all seats need to be installed with a seat belt!

My son is 3month old since yesterday and how do I know if he growing out of his baby car seat? The baby car seat come with the baby stroller we buy for him. How can I get one that will fit with his stroller?

@mommy.to.sterling I don't have any personal experience with them, but from a tech standpoint I would skip them. They aren't making them any longer so replacement parts soon won't be available. They're also not very long lasting for the price you pay for it.

@morganmommy79 Which infant seat is it? Most want the shoulder belt out of the guides but some do allow it to be in the guides.

When testing for movement, check at the belt path (s where her cute feet are). Use your non dominant hand and only the force of a handshake. It's allowed to move up to one inch!

** Did you know? **

You can find a local certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) near you? We can help teach you to install your seat (not install for you!), show you features of your seat you might not have known you had, and answer any questions you or family members might have?

Search for one near you at cert.safekids.org and click "Find a Tech". The less information you put into the search, the better! I like using county and state for best results!

Me and my husband both drive a Jeep Liberty and there is little to no room in the back seat with a car seat installed. I have two teens, too. When I use the base my teens can't buckle in so I removed it.

So... I put the baby in the middle and it has the shoulder belt coming form the upper seat of the Jeep. When I buckle her in I follow the arrow guidelines for positioning of the seat but do I need to pull the shoulder belt through the hooks once she's buckled with the lap belt? And how far can a car seat move sideways (back and forth) once it's buckled in and still be safe? I have sooooo much trouble tightening her seat in almost cars. Thanks!

@alyssa5792 You could also always leave the infant carrier in the vehicle installed with the base and use it like it's a convertible to save some time before having to buy another seat (as long as she still meets the infant seat limits of course!). I did that for a while with my youngest in my MILs car :) Columbia sells some great thin, but warm fleece that I get every year that works great!

In reality, being cold doesn't make you sick. So the few minutes it takes to get kids from house to the car won't make them sick! You also don't want to worry about them overheating in a bunch of layers in a vehicle where you also likely have the heater on full blast!

@summyrhandjace Any time you're in a vehicle! This includes limos and taxis. They're not exempt from a child needing to be restrained properly.

If you're asking about when to install, I'd say as close to delivery as possible!

@mdajones81 If you don't plan on rear facing very long (at least until 2, please!) I'd skip the popular Extend2Fit. It's a great, compact seat but has a weird required recline if you forward face under 40lbs.

In your budget you can look at the Graco Sequel (pretty compact!)or the Safety 1st Guide if he's over 22lbs.

Ok this is my first and I'm only 16 when do I need the car seat?

@santistevanmommie Ya the 4Ever and the Extend2Fit are wide seats. If you like the Graco brand seats and need a convertible, the Slimfit is a good choice! If you have a Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby near you, many will let you try seats in your vehicle before you buy. Make sure you install it and dont just set it in your backseat. The fit will be very different when you actually install it!

Well, I meant do know of any that may work better for a sedan, that you can easily get the child in and out without a problem because the convertible ones look so big and seem like they take up so much room. Not sure, I didn't have a set time that I wanted to keep him rear facing, he will be 18 months in a couple weeks so at the moment I would like him rear faced. My budget I guess would be $130-$175

@alyssa5792 Living in central Oregon I understand what you mean about cold winters! It usually starts snowing here mid October. I warm up the car beforehand if possible, and dress in layers. The thickets I do is a fleece. Car seat ponchos are awesome (find them on pinterest or Etsy) and safe since they don't go between the child and the car seat. Using a blanket also helps!

@xaviers.mama18 I have a few! In my car (the main one) we use the Graco Extend2Fit for it's ability to rear face longer. In my MIL's car we use the Evenflo SureRide and the Graco MySize. They're easy for her to install and use which were important features for me to have in her car

@krystamariebee, I feel the same! We have the 4ever extend2fit so we have plenty of rear facing time left!

Do you have any recommendations for a second more compact convertible seat? I have a 2008 Saturn vue. Our back seat is very small and our 4ever takes up so much space, I know we won't be able to fit another in the back

@mdajones81 all seats are safe! it's a common misconception that some seats are safer than the other, when in reality we just don't know. Test results aren't released, so if it's on the shelf it's safe :) The safest seat is the one you are able to install correctly every time, fits your child and your vehicle.

How long do you want to rear face and what's your budget? I can give you some suggestions to look into @mdajones81 !

@alyssa5792, actually wondering the same here Colorado gets COLD

What are some safe recommended convertible car seats that fit best in a sedan?

2 is definitely the minimum. I personally will rear face as long as I can because I know that's what's safest (even adults are safer rear facing). both of mine are rear facing right now and their seat will let them rear face for quite a bit longer! @santistevanmommie

Side note: I've been waiting for this chat! 🙌🏼

@krystamariebee, how long do you plan to rear face? I know you should make it to AT LEAST 2.

So excited to be here :)