Baby On Board! 9 Tips for Carrying Precious Cargo

Whether you are traveling across the country or across town, making sure your baby is safe during your journey is paramount.  Peace of mind for parents comes when they feel confident all the necessary precautions have been taken.  To help, we’ve put together the top nine tips for carrying your precious cargo.

Cool the car – Temperatures inside a vehicle can soar. Roll down windows and turn on the air conditioning immediately upon entering the vehicle to avoid baby from overheating. When possible, cool the car before placing her into the car seat.

Tether items – An evasive maneuver or hard stomp on the brakes can make everything from pacifiers to toys to become airborne. Use tethers to keep items close to baby and avoid having the need to turn around hunting for things.

Install a mirror – A baby mirror hung on the rear seat headrest makes it easy for parents to keep an eye on things and keep you from looking away from the road ahead.

Never leave alone – Parents are busy, we get it. But never, ever leave a child unattended in a vehicle for a multitude of reasons parents never want to imagine.

Car seat inspection – Over half of all car seats are installed incorrectly. Stop by your local fire station or hospital as they have been trained on how to properly install car seats.

Engage child locks – Modern vehicles have electric child locks while older models have a manual switch to keep children from accidentally opening the car door while the vehicle is in motion.

Adjust car seat straps – As much as we may not want them to, babies grow up fast. Make sure to adjust your car seat straps to grow with baby to keep them safe and feel comfortable.

Mind automatic windows – Newer vehicles can have automatic roll up windows operable from the driver’s seat. Before rolling up those windows, check to make sure baby’s hands and fingers are clear.

Position car seat in center – The seat in the absolute middle of the vehicle is the safest place for baby providing ample distance from impacts regardless of the direction they may come from.

Getting there is half the fun, but only if you travel safe!