The next time you go to the grocery store or supermarket, look around you. Chances are you will find someone with their baby car seat on a shopping cart.

This is, in fact, very dangerous. It’s something that not a lot of parents know about.

Just the other day, I came across three different instances in a supermarket.

The thing is, supermarket carts have clear warning signs about not doing this. Unfortunately, this is simply ignored.

Surely, it’s convenient. However, is it safe? It definitely is NOT.

I’m sure someone is bound to say:

“I have always done that and nothing bad has ever happened. Besides, other people do it too so I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Is putting a baby’s in harm’s way a risk worth taking?

Take a pause. Think about it.

A study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has this to say:

“Although a voluntary shopping cart safety standard was implemented in the United States in 2004, the overall number and rate of injuries to children associated with shopping carts have not decreased. In fact, the number and rate of concussions/closed head injuries have continued to climb …”

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends not to place baby car seats on shopping carts due to the potential dangers associated with the practice.

With that, here are the 6 top reasons why placing a car seat on a shopping cart is a bad idea.

6. Too many innocent children are getting injured.

The unfortunate reality is that accidents involving car seats on shopping carts really do happen.

In fact, shopping carts are the leading cause of head injuries among young kids:

“According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), shopping carts are the leading cause of head injuries in young children – surpassing injuries from high chairs, strollers, changing tables, baby gates and other equipment. The CPSC estimates that about 16,000 children under the age of five fall out of shopping carts each year and nearly 1,000 of those injuries involve falling infant carriers.” (1)

In addition, the Huffington Post cited the following stats:

“Between 1990 and 2011, 530,494 children had to go to the hospital because of a shopping cart-related injury — which averages out to more than 24,000 children injured a year, or 66 children injured each day.” (2)

This means that 1 child every 22 minutes is treated in an emergency department for injuries related to a shopping cart accident (3).

Furthermore, these injuries can be severe or even deadly. Most injuries, about 70.4%, are caused by falls from the cart or by the cart tipping over (4).

The number of concussion-related injuries was significantly high. Most of these shopping cart injuries are unfortunately serious …

5. Head injuries accounted for 78.1% of the most commonly injured body region.

Most of these head injuries were associated with children ages 0 to 4 years, in other words … infants and toddlers.

In fact, the number of head injuries has been increasing:

“While soft tissue injuries were the most common diagnosis for these head injuries, the annual rate of concussions and closed head injuries (which are concussions and internal head injuries) increased significantly by more than 200% during the study period, with the number of these injuries going from 3,483 injuries in 1990 to 12,333 in 2011. Most of this increase was associated with children ages 0 to 4 years.” (5)

In a report by Action News 4, the children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh revealed that 80% of the children coming to the hospital with shopping cart-related problems primarily had head injuries. (6)

A lot of people think that car seats are designed also for the purpose of locking onto shopping carts. However …

Here is something most people do not know about car seats:

4. Baby car seats are NOT designed to be secured on top of shopping carts.

In fact, most shopping carts that you find in grocery stores and supermarkets have warnings saying that baby car seats should not be placed on top of shopping carts.

Unfortunately, no one appears to be reading or paying attention to them …

… even when the sign is right down in front of them as they put the carrier on the cart.

The big “Warning” sign is right there. If folks will just take time to read them.

And for those who read them, they seem not to take the warning seriously … until something tragic happens.

“Most car seat manufacturers specifically prohibit using their seats this way but that warning is usually buried along with 30 other generic warnings in the instruction manual so it doesn’t get much attention.” (7)

Safety experts have time and again explained this but this message seems to be ignored.

According to safety expert Debra Holtzman:

3. Shopping carts can tip over easily — and they’re more likely to if there’s a car seat mounted on them.

Holtzman, who is also the author of The Safe Baby, adds:

“The cart has a narrow wheel base in relation to its height, so the center of gravity is affected when you put a child in it. When your child’s car seat is on top of it, the center of gravity is affected even more, increasing the chances of tipping.” (8)

Did you know that it does not take much weight to tip over a cart?

“Safety experts say when kids are strapped inside a shopping cart it raises the center of gravity of the cart. As little as ten pounds can tip it over.” (9)

Accidents happen and they do often within seconds … most especially when shopping carts tip over. Within seconds, your life can change completely.

Here is one mom’s account of a shopping cart that tipped over with her 10 month-old baby:

“She flipped the whole cart over while still buckled just because I’d taken the groceries out. It was empty, and that makes it light enough that she can flip it. That’s not good … It happened so fast and the fact that she was able to flip it with her own body weight because it was empty … I’m really concerned those carts aren’t as sturdy as they need to be.”

Tragic stories from car seat on shopping cart accidents are real. Here is the heartbreaking fact …

2. Babies have died from head injuries as a result of their car seats falling off a shopping cart.

The sad truth is that …

“Any injury or even DEATH (Yes. Babies have died from head injuries due to their carriers falling off the shopping cart) that has come from a carrier falling off the top of a cart is 100% preventable.” (10)

It has happened before and it can happen again.

“A three-month-old boy has died after he fell from a shopping cart as it was pushed over a speed bump. James Anderson Berg died after the car seat he was sat in toppled from the top of the cart in a Kroger parking lot in Macon, Atlanta.” (11)

You can read the comments section on our Facebook page and you will see a lot of people saying that they have witnessed horrible incidents of carriers just falling off shopping carts with the babies getting seriously injured.

Having experienced seeing these firsthand is just something that they simply cannot get our of their minds.

It’s just really sad.

Finally …

Tragedies are preventable.

1. One child death is too much, too many.

Let’s put a stop to this. Fatalities and serious injuries from car seat-shopping cart accidents are REAL.

So parents, please take this seriously and protect your baby. Save yourself, your family, and your friends from grief with having to deal with a heartbreaking and tragic accident.

There are many options available.

Just DON’T place the baby car seat on top of the shopping cart.

Instead of placing the car seat on the shopping cart, a lot of moms opt to use baby carriers or wraps such as the ones shown below:

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends NOT to place car seats on shopping carts and suggests the following options for parents (12):

– Get another adult to come with you to watch your child while you shop.

– Put your child in a stroller or wagon instead of in a shopping cart.

– Wear a baby carrier or sling.

– Ask your older child to walk and praise him or her for behaving and staying near you.

– Leave your child at home with another adult while you shop.

– Shop online if your store offers shopping on the Internet.

– Never leave your child alone in a shopping cart.

– Do not let your child stand up in a shopping cart.

– Do not allow an older child to climb on the cart or push the cart with another child in it, because it is very easy for a child to tip the cart over.

Please share this article with family and friends who have babies and toddlers.

Let’s do our part in preventing another child from getting seriously hurt, or at worst, getting killed.

Would you still be willing to take a risk of your child falling from a shopping cart?

The post 6 Top Reasons “Car Seat On The Shopping Cart” Is A BAD Idea. #2 Is Heartbreaking appeared first on Oh My Parenting.

Parents, please pay attention. In the interest of your child’s safety, there are certain common practices that you should be aware of that could potentially be harmful to your little one.

Just because a lot of parents are still doing it around you does not make it safe or right.

There is a good chance that you may be guilty of doing one of these things. I know I am. I’m just glad that nothing unfortunate happened to my child.

So to keep your child from having some unfortunate serious injuries or health problems, we thought that it was important to share this list of things that parents should not be doing to their child.

This list was put together just to inform parents who may not be aware that what they are doing may not be safe for their children. As one appreciative parent said:

I’m glad I came across your article. Now that I’m aware, I certainly would not be doing some of these and risking my child’s life. Thank you.

Sometimes, parents may also make bad decisions to save time or because making the extra effort appears to be inconvenient. However, doing so may come at the expense of a child’s safety.

Below is the list of 10 common yet unsafe things that parents should stop doing:

10. Putting car seats on top of shopping carts.

Shopping carts are not made to hold an infant car seat safely. Car seat manufacturers warn against putting them on top of shopping carts. Source: mom.me

Surely, it’s convenient. However, is it safe? It definitely is NOT. The unfortunate reality is that accidents involving car seats on shopping carts really do happen.

“According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), shopping carts are the leading cause of head injuries in young children – surpassing injuries from high chairs, strollers, changing tables, baby gates and other equipment. The CPSC estimates that about 16,000 children under the age of five fall out of shopping carts each year and nearly 1,000 of those injuries involve falling infant carriers.” Source: GreenChildMagazine.com

Baby car seats are NOT designed to be secured on top of shopping carts.

Furthermore, shopping carts can tip over easily — and they’re more likely to if there’s a car seat mounted on them. See 6 Top Reasons “Car Seat On The Shopping Cart” Is A BAD Idea for details.

You would think that parents would take extra care to never leave their kids all alone, especially babies in the car. Unfortunately, in spite of numerous tragic stories that we hear in the news, parents still do this:

9. Leaving kids in the car.

We’ve all heard the tragic news stories of babies dying from heat because they were left in a hot car. But heat is not the only danger. No matter their age, children should not be left unattended in a vehicle. Source: mom.me

How could someone forget a child in a car? To forget a child in a hot car is preventable. Yet, every year, we always read or hear about heartbreaking and tragic stories of babies and toddlers who died as a result of their parents forgetting them in their cars.

In fact, heat stroke deaths of children forgotten in the car number to around 30 to 50 a year, or 38 a year on average, according to KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit safety organization.

Certain over-the-counter drugs are not supposed to be given to babies.

However, some parents still drug their babies to sleep. If you want to make your baby fall asleep, try this instead.

8. Giving babies Benadryl in hopes of a better night’s sleep.

Benadryl isn’t meant to be given as a sedative. It can be dangerous. And sometimes, your child can have an adverse reaction to it. Source: mom.me

According to Pediatrics expert Dr. Vincent Iannelli:

“While it might seem like a quick and easy solution to potential problems you might have when flying with young kids, most pediatricians try to discourage parents from giving kids anything to sedate them on an airplane.”

Dr. Iannelli also added that:

“The benefits usually don’t outweigh the risks … The sedative effects of Benadryl may last a good 4 to 6 hours, which may be longer than your flight, and even after your child wakes up, he may be drowsy or groggy for several hours afterward. So even if he sleeps on the flight, you might end up with a fussy and irritable child afterward.”

You might love StarBucks, but starting kids on this is something you should not do. Believe it or not, getting kids “caffeinated” is an increasing trend these days, according to a study by the Boston Medical Center.

7. Giving young children coffee.

Children who consume caffeine can suffer from several negative side effects such as slowed heart rate, high blood pressure, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, and more. Source: mom.me

The study by the Boston Medical Center looked at 315 moms and toddlers in the Boston area. Researchers were surprised to find that many moms were giving their babies coffee.

Caffeine is a stimulant. Caffeine consumption in kids has been found to cause children to sleep less. As we know, sleep is important for a child’s development and growth, especially at such a very young age. Some other adverse effects of caffeine on kids are jitteriness, nervousness, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure, among others.

Eventually, you will need to sleep-train your kid. However, some parents think locking their kid’s door is the answer. However, this could potentially have some serious safety repercussions.

6. Locking kids in their room while sleep training.

DON’T. I can’t think of anything more dangerous than a kid not being able to get out of their bedroom. If there was a fire or some other emergency, children need to be able to open their bedroom doors. Source: mom.me

Instead of locking your child in, this mom suggests this instead:

“Locks don’t belong on a child’s door. They belong to the things children shouldn’t have access to. Medication should always be kept in a locked box and then stored out of reach (like above the refrigerator). Lock the outside doors. Lock the basement door. Lock the bathroom door. I once knew a family that had double baby gates (one stacked above the other) on their kitchen entrance … I’d consider a door alarm, but not locking a child in.”

Of course, you would like to keep your kids warm especially when the weather is cold. However, keep in mind that you should not do this next practice. Time and again, parents are guilty of this, especially when they are in a hurry getting in and out of their vehicles.

5. Letting kids wear puffy winter coats in the car.

When the harness isn’t snug and tight, next to the child, it puts them at risk for being ejected from the car seat during an accident. Source: mom.me

When your child has a puffy winter coat on, the car seat harness won’t be snug and tight. This therefore puts them at risk of being ejected from the car seat if an accident occurs. Some people might find this hard to believe. The truth of the matter is that it really can happen.

Still not convinced? Check out this video to see how dangerous this can be.

Going to the mall with your baby is a great way to unwind. However, make sure that you don’t do this next thing.

A lot of parents still ignore signs warning about the dangers of using strollers on escalators.

4. Putting the stroller on the escalator.

It’s just dangerous. Instead, fold your stroller up and carry it while you ride, or better yet, take an elevator. Source: mom.me

There are very real dangers to boarding strollers on escalators such as this story, where a small child fell from a stroller while on the escalator.

“A 2006 study on Pediatrics regarding escalator injuries found that there were “disproportionate amount of escalator related injuries in children who were younger than 5 years of age.” … The study found that 6% of injuries in this age group were from a stroller, usually from falling out of the stroller.” Source: PediatricsNow.com

Simply take the extra time to use the elevator with your stroller as opposed to the escalator.

Bouncers and car seats are not meant to be placed in these areas. Parents should not ignore the dangers of the common practice of …

3. Putting Bumbos, bouncers, and car seats on high surfaces.

These items do not belong on high surfaces. There have been too many accidents related to falls. Instead, keep them on the floor where they belong. Source: mom.me

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported at least 28 incidents of babies falling out of Bumbo seats with three of the cases resulting in skull fractures. CPSC Senior spokesperson Julie Vallese said:

“The reports of serious head injuries prompted the CPSC to announce a nationwide warning to consumers that have these — not to put these on elevated surfaces and be aware that children can climb out of them or they can tip over in these chairs.”

One of the more serious incidents involving a Bumbo seat was baby Dylan Lamm.

“Dylan had arched his back and tilted the Bumbo Seat, causing him to fall backward and onto the kitchen floor. His skull cracked in two places. An emergency surgery saved Dylan’s life, leaving a long scar on his head.”

Buckling up a child in a car is important. Unfortunately, some parents do not strictly adhere to such practices at home. A study found that about 24 children a day are treated in U.S. emergency rooms for high chair-related injuries.

2. Not buckling kiddos into strollers, high chairs, etc.

Even if it seems unnecessary, always buckle your child into these things. Every year, there are countless accidents because children are not properly buckled in. Source: mom.me

A study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital examined U.S. Emergency Department data pertaining to the treatment of children ages 3 years and younger and found that:

“On average, more than 9,400 children were treated each year for an injury associated with a high chair or booster seat, equaling one child every hour nationally. In addition, the annual number of injured children increased during the study period.” Source: NationwideChildrens.org

Lastly, here’s something that is quite surprising …

You will be surprised that some parents remain complacent or naive about their homes when it comes to safety. It is really important that you baby-proof your home to keep your child safe as unintentional injury is one of the top killers of children in the U.S.

1. Not babyproofing.

Cover your outlets. Lock cabinets. Gate your stairs. Remove anything that could cause strangulation. Put medicines cleaning supplies and other harmful substances far out of the baby’s reach. Source: mom.me

Believe it or not, your home can be one of the biggest threats to your child’s safety. Child safety experts agree that baby-proofing your home gives your baby a safe environment to play and explore while preventing potentially serious injuries.

“Experts say that children between the ages of 1 and 4 are more likely to be killed by fire, burns, drowning, choking, poisoning, or falls than by a stranger’s violence … About 2.3 million children are accidentally injured every year and more than 2,500 are killed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Source: BabyCenter.com

Just don’t take baby-proofing for granted. It should only take you several hours in total. By doing so, you’ll have peace of mind and a home that is safe for your baby.

To learn more details about this great list of safety reminders that Lacy Stroessner of mom.me put together, you can read the full article here.

Please share this article with family and friends to keep your precious babies and toddlers safe from harm.

So which of these things are you guilty of doing?

The post 10 Common Yet UNSAFE Things That Parents Should Stop Doing. I Was Guilty Of Some Of These Too 😔 appeared first on Oh My Parenting.

Warning signs and labels are there for a reason: To keep your child safe. Unfortunately, it might come as a surprise to you that a lot of people tend to still ignore these at the expense of their child’s safety.

As parents, the SAFETY of our children should be our top priority. However, why is it that some parents appear to not pay much attention to safety warnings?

Could it be the lack of awareness regarding safety standards? Could it be a sense of complacency that nothing bad could possibly happen?

Some people even reason out that making the extra effort for safety is just so inconvenient. Really?

Whatever the reasons are, the fact is … children are getting hurt. Some seriously. And unfortunately, some end up losing their lives.

Please DO NOT ignore these everyday warning signs and labels. Your child’s life is way too important to take chances with.

Here is the list of warning signs and labels every parent with a young child should not ignore. From shopping malls to the grocery stores, you will still find parents blatantly ignoring this warning sign right underneath their noses …

1. No Baby Car Seat on Shopping Cart Warning Sign. Although a voluntary shopping cart safety standard was implemented in the United States in 2004, the overall number and rate of injuries to children associated with shopping carts have not decreased. In fact, the number and rate of concussions/closed head injuries have continued to climb. Source: EurekaAlert.org

Baby car seats are NOT designed to be secured on top of shopping carts. The next time you use a shopping cart while doing groceries, check and see if there is a warning sign saying that baby car seats should not be placed on top of shopping carts. If you see a warning sign, just don’t do it.

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends not to place baby car seats on shopping carts due to the potential dangers associated with the practice. Their recommendations are warranted given the risks and dangers of this common practice.

Shopping carts can tip over easily — and they’re more likely to if there’s a car seat mounted on them.

Debra Holtzman, who is also the author of The Safe Baby, adds:

The cart has a narrow wheel base in relation to its height, so the center of gravity is affected when you put a child in it,” she says. “When your child’s car seat is on top of it, the center of gravity is affected even more, increasing the chances of tipping. Source: TheBump.com

Also make sure to check the manual of your baby car seat and check the warning label to confirm that the car seat should not be used on shopping carts.

If your baby carrier manual warns you not to do it and the shopping cart you are using has the warning sign, then please DON’T place the baby carrier on top of the shopping cart.

The American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends NOT to place car seats on shopping carts and suggests the following options:

Get another adult to come with you to watch your child while you shop.

Put your child in a stroller, wagon, or frontpack instead of in a shopping cart.

Ask your older child to walk and praise him or her for behaving and staying near you.

Leave your child at home with another adult while you shop.

Shop online if your store offers shopping on the Internet.

Never leave your child alone in a shopping cart.

Do not let your child stand up in a shopping cart.

Do not allow an older child to climb on the cart or push the cart with another child in it, because it is very easy for a child to tip the cart over.

Next time you go to the mall, you might like to observe if some parents pay attention to this warning sign.

There are still some parents who seem to not pay attention to these warning signs in shopping malls.

2. No Stroller on Elevator Warning Signs. Escalator manufacturers and building owners frequently place prominent signs near escalators warning riders not to board with strollers, walkers, or carts. Other accidents involving strollers include strollers being dropped down the escalator and strollers becoming entrapped with the escalator. Source: ElevatorAccident.net

There are very real dangers to boarding strollers on escalators such as this story, where a small child fell from a stroller while on the escalator.

A 2006 study on Pediatrics regarding escalator injuries found that there were “disproportionate amount of escalator related injuries in children who were younger than 5 years of age.” … The study found that 6% of injuries in this age group were from a stroller, usually from falling out of the stroller. Source: PediatricsNow.com

Solution: Simply take the extra time to use the elevator with your stroller as opposed to the escalator.

Are you sure you have your child buckled up properly?

You might like to check if you buckle up your kid properly next time you get in the car.

3. Car Seat Buckle Warning Labels. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. In 2010, 655 children (under the age of 13 riding in cars and trucks) were killed in crashes. Of those killed, more than 1 in 3 were unrestrained … Research analyzed by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – a national leader in pediatric and adolescent medicine – shows that in the U.S., only 1 in 4 child car seats are properly installed. Source: BuckleUpForLife.org

Holly Wagner lost her 11-month old son Cameron after a car accident. Here is what she had to say:

If I could go back and change anything it would the lack of research I did on car seats. I would go to cert.safekids.org and find a tech local to me that could help install my seats and teach me how to use them the correct them. Before the accident I always made sure to strap the car seat down to the seat and always would buckle them all the way but I didn’t know all the little things … like how you’re not supposed to use after market products and how much safer rear facing is than forward facing.

Make sure to buckle up your child correctly. Spend a few minutes to watch the video below to learn more about how to properly buckle up your baby:

Safety labels with regards to having the appropriate car seat for your child is also very important. Did you know that most parents do not know when is the right time to move a child from a car booster seat to seat belt?

4. Booster Seat Warning Labels. Nine out of 10 parents of children ages 4 to 10 surveyed recently were found to have moved their children out of the booster seat before they were big enough, according to the Safe Kids Worldwide advocacy group. Seven out of 10 didn’t realize that children need to be at least 4-feet-9-inches and 80 to 100 pounds, the group said. Source: WashingtonPost.com

Most booster seat labels clearly show the minimum height and weight ranges for when kids should be able to move from a booster seat to seat belt.

According to CBSNews.com, car crashes are the leading cause of death for children older than 3 in the U.S. and cause another 179,000 child injuries each year. Using age and weight appropriate car seats is therefore really important to help reduce fatalities or serious injuries.

Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide, says booster seats can reduce injuries by 45% over seat belt use alone.

If there were a crash and they weren’t in a booster seat, but just in a regular seat belt. They could suffer internal abdominal injuries or face or neck injuries caused by the belt tightening during the impact of the crash.

You would think it’s common sense that parents would know not to let kids do this. However, some parents allow their child to ride in the front seat in spite of the clear warning saying that this is extremely dangerous.

5. No Child In Car Front Seat Warning Label. Active seats belts and airbags are calibration sensitive and may be ineffective in protecting children. In fact, airbags (which explode out of a dash at up to 200 miles per hour) can be outright dangerous for infants and children. Source: Safety-Security-Crazy.com

The site Safety-Security-Crazy.com says that:

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied 3.3 million airbag deployments that occurred between 1990 and 2008. They concluded that airbags had saved over 6,400 lives. Unfortunately, airbags are thought to have caused 175 fatalities (104 were children) and many severe injuries.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, most states do not have a specific age wherein children can ride in the front seat. However, most states recommend that children ride in the back seat as long as possible. Keep in mind that airbags in the front seat are designed to protect average-sized adults and NOT children. These cannot provide adequate protection and in fact, can be extremely dangerous for small children.

Solution: Just have your child ride in the back seat as much as possible. If ever you are left no choice but to have your kid sit in the front seat, make sure that the airbag is set to “off”.

The next warning label is very much related to the above topic that we have just discussed. If your car has an active airbag, do not place a rear-facing car seat in the front seat.

6. No Baby Car Seat In Front Seat Warning Label. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highly recommends to never place a rear-facing car seat in the front passenger seat. A baby riding in the front seat, even though the seat is rear-facing, is simply dangerous as the baby can be fatally injured in the event that the passenger air bag is deployed in a collision.

As already mentioned in the previous section, airbags (which explode out of a dash at up to 200 miles per hour) can be outright dangerous for infants and children. Source: Safety-Security-Crazy.com

Solution: Always put your baby in a rear-facing child safety seat in the back seat of your car.

The next warning label has something to do with a simple everyday item that you have in your home.

Be aware that the simple plastic bag or other fine plastic films scattered around your house can be deadly to babies and young children.

7. Plastic Bag Suffocation Warning Labels. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received an average of about 25 reports a year describing deaths to children who suffocated due to plastic bags. Almost 90% of them were under one year of age. Source: HelpKeepKidsSafe.org

According to CPSC, some of the deaths were attributed to situations wherein the baby crawled into a plastic garbage bag or when a child pulls a plastic dry-cleaning bag over their face. In some instances, a plastic garbage bag fell over the baby’s face and mouth while he/she was lying on a bed. Garbage bags also have also resulted to deaths when a baby climbed into them or rolled onto them while sleeping.

What you can do according to KidsHealth.org:

1. Never put an infant down on a mattress covered with plastic or on or near a plastic bag.

2. Promptly dispose of plastic shopping bags and plastic dry-cleaning bags. Tie several knots in each bag before throwing it out.

3. Keep all plastic bags, including garbage bags and sandwich-style plastic bags out of the reach of young kids.

4. When cleaning up after a birthday or holiday party, pay special attention to all plastic bags from packaging. Collect them and throw them out immediately.

The next warning label has something to do with things children love playing with.

Every child loves to play with toys. Just make sure to check the warning labels.

8. Toy Parts Choking Hazard Warning Labels. In 2011, 188,400 children under the age of 15 years were seen in emergency departments for toy-related injuries.That’s 516 kids every day. More than a third of those injured were children 5 and under. Source: SafeKids.org

Here’s what you can do: Be a toy label reader and make sure to buy toys which are age appropriate. Make sure to make your family aware that toys with small parts should not be left out where babies and toddlers could get their hands on them.

Here are other safety tips courtesy of SafeKids.org:

1. Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.

2. Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

3. Keep a special eye on small game pieces that may be a choking hazard for young children. While these kinds of games are great for older kids, they can pose a potential danger for younger, curious siblings.

If you have babies, toddlers, and really young children in your house, you might like to be aware of this type of window blind …

Parents, please beware of corded window blinds …

9. Window Blinds Cord Warning Labels. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an average of 10 children die every year from window-blinds-cord related accidents.

While not a product targeted toward children, window blinds are an example of a household product that needs to be carefully designed in order to prevent harm to children. Unfortunately, the failure of window blind manufacturers to take children into account has led to the serious injury or wrongful death of many infants and toddlers. Window blind cords hang too low, get wrapped around a child’s neck and cause the child to choke. Source: ChildSafetyIllinois.com

Not convinced yet? You can check out this story about a child who was strangled by a window-blind cord. Fortunately, the child survived.

Here’s what you can do to prevent accidents from window-blind cords according to Home Depot:

1. Raise all window cords out of a child’s reach

2. Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from window cords

3. Inspect cord-stops for proper install and function

4. Permanently anchor continuous-loop cords to the wall

5. Update with a retrofit, safety kit, or replace older blinds with a cordless option

“If I Only Knew” …

Some people might say that these are all common sense. The reality is that what may be common sense to one parent might not be common sense to another. That is why we wrote this article just to spread awareness.

A child’s safety is more important than anything else. Just do not compromise safety for convenience. Always pay attention to safety labels and signs. They are there for a reason.

Let’s avoid hearing the words “If I only knew” from an anguished parent whose child was a victim of an unfortunate and preventable accident.

Please help create safety awareness by sharing this article with family and friends. Save a life by sharing this article. The life you save may be your child’s or someone close to you.

Again, let us all keep our children safe.

Are there any warning labels or signs that you are aware of that we should have included in this list?

The post 9 Safety Warning Signs & Labels Every Parent Should NOT Ignore. #1 Is Much Ignored appeared first on Oh My Parenting.

How could someone forget a child in a car? To forget a child in a hot car is preventable. Yet, every year, we always read or hear about heartbreaking and tragic stories of babies and toddlers who died as a result of their parents forgetting them in their cars.

In fact, heat stroke deaths of children forgotten in the car number to around 30 to 50 a year, or 38 a year on average, according to KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit safety organization.

Although in certain cases, some of the parents have some history of neglect or knowingly leaving a child in the car, most of the other cases involve loving and attentive parents who simply forgot they have a child in the backseat of their car. This phenomenon, known as Forgotten Baby Syndrome (FBS), can happen to the best of us.

According to Amber Rollins, director of KidsAndCars.org, even loving parents can have moments of forgetfulness or FBS.

“People think that it is monsters or terrible parents, but this is happening to the most educated, responsible people … The No. 1 thing that we tell people is: ‘Don’t ever think that this can’t happen to you’.“

Be aware that every time a child is strapped in a rear-facing car seat in the backseat of your car, there is always a potential that you might forget your child. This also happens typically with younger children as they are usually asleep and not making any noise.

To prevent accidentally forgetting your child and avoid a tragic incident from happening, check out the must-know helpful tips to prevent forgetting a child in the car on the next page.

Here’s the list of 10 helpful tips to prevent forgetting a child in the car:

10. Place your handbag, briefcase, or cell phone in the backseat beside the baby.

Leaving something you routinely carry with you in and out of the car and placing these in the backseat is an excellent idea. You should not reach to grab it but make it a point to get out of the car to retrieve it. By doing so, you won’t help but notice your child in the backseat. This can help insure that you do not forget and leave your child in the car.

If you think you might still forget to grab your handbag, briefcase, or cell phone, then you might like to do this. Use something that you definitely cannot leave a car without. Note: This tip can only apply to people who drive automatic cars. Sorry, stick shift drivers.

9. Leave your left shoe in the backseat.

You might forget your purse, briefcase, or cell phone, but most likely, you won’t leave without your shoe. (1)

Aside from entertaining your child, stuffed animals can serve a life-saving purpose. A stuffed animal can be used as a reminder that you have your child with you in the backseat of the car.

8. The stuffed animal swap method.

Keep a stuffed animal in the car. When your baby is in the carseat, place the toy on the front passenger seat; when you remove the baby, put the animal in the carseat. This repetitive swap will indicate whether your baby is in the car. (2)

Treat your car like you treat your house.

Don’t you check the windows and doors of your house whenever you leave? Why not do the same with your car?

7. Always check the entire car before you leave (front and back).

The more you stick to a routine, the less likely it will be forgotten. (3)

If checking the front and back of your car is still not much of an active routine for you to do, then consider doing this instead … Take a more actionable routine whenever you leave your car after parking such as …

6. Always open the back door of your car every time you park.

By making this a habit, you can assure yourself that you are not forgetting your baby or toddler in case you have him or her with you.

If you carry a diaper bag with your baby when you leave the house, make sure that you do this with the diaper bag …

5. Leave the diaper bag in front.

This is a good suggestion to avoid forgetting the child in the back seat (child safety seat) of the car. So each time you put your child in the car, keep the diaper bag next to you on the front seat. You are likely to notice the diaper bag when you get off and will then not forget the child in the car. (4)

If your car can allow you to do this with the car seat, then place the car seat in the middle of the backseat …

4. Place your child’s car seat in the middle of the backseat rather than behind the driver.

When you set the car seat this way, it’s easier to see the kid. (5)

Changes in routine such as being assigned to drop-off your child in daycare when it’s not your normal route is one of the most common causes of FBS …

Avoid any distractions and make sure to keep yourself aware of such a change.

3. Be extra alert if your routine changes.

That’s when the risk of unintentionally leaving your child in your car increases. (6)

You might like to solicit the help of your child care provider …

Coordinate with your child care provider and have a system in place in case of a change in routine.

2. Set up a system with your child care provider.

Have them call you if your child has not been dropped off by her father, for example, on a day that mom would normally take the kid to child care. “It’s really important for you to put some things into place; even more so if you’re changing the routine,” says Joann Moss, injury prevention education coordinator with the Kohl’s Injury Prevention Program (KIPP) of Children’s Hospital of Michigan. (7)

Lastly, having a lot of distractions and stress have been major causes of FBS. Having your precious little cargo in the backseat should always be top priority in your mind. Minimize distractions and …

1. Be more “Present”.

Hold yourself accountable to be more aware so things like this do not happen. You can do this by making a conscious choice to interact with your children frequently when you are with them. Talk, sing, play, etc. Just do something other than nothing. (8)

Make it a point to discuss the topic of child hot-car fatalities with every person who drives your baby or toddler anywhere. This includes your family, relatives, grandparents, and babysitters.

Child safety expert and advocate Amber Rollins noted that saying to yourself ‘I would never forget my kids in the car’ is dangerous:

“This mindset creates a false sense of security. It can happen to any parent.”

Again accidentally forgetting your precious child can happen to anyone so please make sure to use any or a combination of the tips mentioned in this article to help prevent such a heartbreaking tragedy from ever happening to your family or friends.

Most importantly, if you ever see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911 immediately. If the child seems hot or seem sick, make sure to get them out as quickly as possible.

Let’s help prevent any more tragic deaths of children in hot cars. Please share this article with family and friends. The life you save may be your child’s, a family member’s child, or a friend’s child. Thanks.

Do you have other tips that you might like to share to prevent FBS from happening?

The post 10 Helpful Tips To Prevent Forgetting A Child In The Car. #5 Is My Routine appeared first on Oh My Parenting.

Your baby’s safety should always be your top priority when it comes to riding in a car. That said, having the right car seat can really make a major life-saving difference in the event that you and your baby are involved in a vehicular accident.

Rear-facing infant car seats are designed for newborns and small babies.

This is the best seat for a child of appropriate size and weight to use. According to SaferCar.gov:

It has a harness and, in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord.

Now as your baby grows, your child should then transition to a convertible car seat.

A convertible seat allows for children to stay in the rear-facing position longer. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends this:

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

This begs the question as to when and why should you transition your baby from a rear-facing car seat to a convertible car seat?

A recent study by Consumer Reports recommends that you transition your baby to a rear-facing convertible seat before age 1 for the following reasons:

5. Convertible seats provide better protection. Consumer Reports recommends transitioning your baby to a rear-facing convertible seat because of a “key potential safety benefit”. “We found that in more than half of the infant seats we tested, the 12-month-old child dummy had head contact against the simulated front seatback, which could result in injury. By contrast, in nearly all of the rear-facing convertible seats, the 12-month-old dummy avoided head contact.” Source: ConsumerReports.org

In short, a rear-facing convertible seat provides additional much-needed head protection for your little one in the event that an accident occurs.

When using convertible seats, keep this next reason in mind …

Aside from your child’s weight, height also matters …

4. Height matters. Many infant and rear-facing-only seats have weight limits between 30 and 35 pounds, so you may think those seats are adequate until your child reaches that weight — at about 2 years of age. However, your child will more likely grow out of those seats, height-wise, before reaching those weight limits. Source: Yahoo.com

It is important for you to always check your baby’s height to make sure that she or he still fits safely in the infant seat. Babies grow fast so make sure to monitor and be aware of how they fit in their seats.

If it helps, there is no need to second guess on whether you should delay getting a convertible car seat cause …

3. You’ll need one anyway. In order to keep your kid rear-facing until her second birthday, you’ll still have to buy a convertible model. Not only do Consumer Reports’ child-seat experts encourage this strategy, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents keep children rear-facing until the age of 2. New laws in California, New Jersey, and Oklahoma require that all children under the age of two be in a rear-facing child seat. Source: Yahoo.com

Given the proven safety of keeping children rear-facing, more states are expected to enact laws requiring children under the age of two to remain rear-facing.

If child safety is your priority, then it’s really a no brainer that you do what is …

2. Best for your kids. A convertible seat “may provide additional protection over an infant seat in protecting a child’s head“. The longer shells and shape of the convertible seats provided additional space between the dummy’s head and the simulated seatback preventing direct contact of the head. Source: Yahoo.com

The results from tests by safety specialists at Consumer Reports speak for itself:

In previous testing of a group of infant seats that include a detachable carrier, we found that the 22-pound dummy, representing an average 12-month-old child, suffered a head strike against the simulated front seatback with 16 of the 30 tested models (53 percent).

In our most recent tests of rear-facing convertible models with that same dummy, we found that the dummy’s head contacted the front seatback with only one of the 25 convertible models we tested (4 percent).

Transitioning from an infant car seat to a rear-facing convertible car seat may be bring about certain inconveniences. The transition may bring about inconvenience but the advantages of …

1. Safety outweighs inconveniences. Yes, moving to a fixed rear-facing seat means you lose the convenience and portability of the infant carrier. But your growing baby’s weight, combined with the portable seat, become heavy to lug around, negating the seat’s appeal. Plus, the Journal of Pediatrics found that it’s dangerous to let a baby sleep in an infant seat when outside of the car. So don’t worry about waking your baby when taking him out of a rear-facing seat. It’s the safer option.

Please do take advantage of the added head protection that a convertible seat offers your little one. Make sure to transition your child to a rear-facing convertible seat by his or her first birthday.

Rear-facing convertible seats can range between $50 to $300. Consumer Reports also says that:

Price doesn’t necessarily reflect quality or safety — you can buy a safe, top-performing seat without breaking your budget.

Hope that you found this information helpful. Let’s keep our children’s safety in mind at all times. You can watch the video below for more tips on car seat safety.

Is your baby still using a rear-facing infant car seat or have you already transitioned to a rear-facing convertible car seat?

The post 5 Key Reasons Your Child Needs A Convertible Car Seat By Age 1 appeared first on Oh My Parenting.

When you have your precious little one with you when you go to the supermarket, placing the baby car seat on top of the shopping cart seems like the most convenient thing to do.

Sure, it might be convenient but it is NOT SAFE. In fact, it is more DANGEROUS than you think.

Unfortunately, some parents STILL choose to keep doing it Even AFTER Learning about how very dangerous this can be.

Babies have died from head injuries as a result of their car seats falling off a shopping cart. It has happened before and it can happen again.

A three-month-old boy has died after he fell from a shopping cart as it was pushed over a speed bump. James Anderson Berg died after the car seat he was sat in toppled from the top of the cart in a Kroger parking lot in Macon, Atlanta. Source: DailyMail.co.uk

In fact, most shopping carts that you find in grocery stores and supermarkets have warning signs (like the one shown below) saying that baby car seats should not be placed on top of shopping carts.

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends not to place baby car seats on shopping carts due to the potential dangers associated with the practice.

Some parents still choose to ignore these warnings in spite of being made aware of the serious dangers their child is being exposed to. It’s just really unfortunate. I just can’t understand why some parents are willing to risk a baby’s life for the sake of convenience and just to prove to themselves that there really is no cause for concern.

Here are the 6 foolish reasons why some parents still choose to place their baby car seat on top of a shopping cart even after learning how very dangerous it can be:

Reason 6. “This is just ridiculous. I have never had this happen to me.”

Here are samples of actual quotes.

I have 3 kids all of them I did this with and had no issues … In 32 years I have never seen this happen! Again stupid people! – S.B.

OK, that is ridiculous! If I click my infant carseat on the shopping cart it becomes top heavy and can flip? … That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. – C.L.

This is stupid to me … I have always put my child on the cart and had no problems ever!!!! – R.P.

For years i have seen people putting their seats on carts and i will continue to do the same thing…for me its all about paying attention. – K.L.

I never had problems with that and both of my kids are fine I have a 3 yr old and I have a 1 yr old they turn out just fine. – C.L.

I put all three of my kinds, and all of my babysitting kids on carts like that. In twenty years, I’ve never had an issue. – D.S.

Just because it hasn’t happened to YOU or anyone you know, does not mean it won’t happen.

The unfortunate reality is that accidents involving car seats on shopping carts really do happen.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), shopping carts are the leading cause of head injuries in young children – surpassing injuries from high chairs, strollers, changing tables, baby gates and other equipment. The CPSC estimates that about 16,000 children under the age of five fall out of shopping carts each year and nearly 1,000 of those injuries involve falling infant carriers. Source: GreenChildMagazine.com

Here are moms who shared their experience regarding placing the car seat on a shopping cart:

My child [now 16 year old] DID flip over in a car seat on top of a cart while in a car seat. The cart was unable to hold the weight of the car seat. She had a gash over her eye and ended up in the ER. She was 3 months old. Back then everyone put their baby on top of a cart. I am not a moron either. It amazes me all the ignorant comments from rude mothers who were lucky enough not to have this tragedy happen to their baby. Back then no one knew this hazard. We learn and sometimes it is the hard way. The danger and risk is very real. Just look at the shopping carts at Walmart. There are warnings on them. I am glad to see that warnings about this on the Internet to educate mothers on the danger of this. Car seats belong in cars. – A.M.

So for the first time ever after 5 children … we were walking in the store when we hit a bump and there went the car seat thankfully falling in the right position in the cart! But I noticed this cheap car seat doesn’t fit on the top like all the others had. Anywhoo she’s ok. But we’re more careful now. So my point is anything can happen for any reason. Like I said I have five kids… all were put on top of the cart. – K.M.

I’ve witnessed first hand when a carseat toppled off a shopping cart. Not my own child, but terrifying nonetheless. Its not worth the risk. Ive never put either of my kids on top of a cart like that because, as the carts themselves explicitly show, its not safe. – N.K.

The next foolish reason has something to do with a car seat’s locking mechanism.

Just because your car seat “clicks into” the cart does not mean that it is safe …

Reason 5. “This is so stupid. My car seat latches on (or clicks onto) the cart.”

Here are samples of actual quotes.

This is so stupid carseats are made to click onto the back of the shopping car just like they to their base and a stroller. – S.H.

I don’t see any problem having a car seat on top as long as it latches on. – M.F.

My car seat latches to the cart. – B.P.

This is stupid. My car seats actually had 2 “slits” in them so they hooked onto the back of the shopping cart “seat” thingy. It would be impossible for it to fall off. – C.M.

This is dumb most name brand carseats are designed to fit properly in the cart and you can fed the lap belt thru the bottom the same you would in the car this is ridiculous. _ P.J.

Car seats today actully snap on to the shopping carts. Yes I know people will say that’s not what it’s ment for but if u actully look it up some car seats where made to snap onto the shopping cart. – J.P.S.

According to safety expert Debra Holtzman, even if a car seat is is latched or locked on the cart, it still isn’t safe. Shopping carts can tip over easily — and they’re more likely to if there’s a car seat mounted on them.

Holtzman, who is also the author of The Safe Baby, adds:

The cart has a narrow wheel base in relation to its height, so the center of gravity is affected when you put a child in it. When your child’s car seat is on top of it, the center of gravity is affected even more, increasing the chances of tipping. Source: TheBump.com

Accidents happen and they do often within seconds … most especially when shopping carts tip over. Within seconds, your life can change completely.

Furthermore, you can damage the car seat’s locking mechanism. One mom sums this up perfectly:

Ladies, no your car seat is NOT made to latch onto the cart. What you are doing is potentially damaging the locking mechanisms that latch/attach/lock into your car seat’s base. This means that if the locking mechanisms are damaged that in the event of an accident, the locks may fail & your child will be thrown about in the car or even out of it. It is not safe for your child while shopping or later while in the car… Please get over yourselves & your pride & do what you can to protect your children from preventable injury. – B.C.B.

Even if your manual is saying you can lock the car seat onto the shopping cart, this does not necessarily mean that it is a good idea to do so. It’s just not safe.

Here is one mother’s account of a horrendous accident that she witnessed.

I hope none of you ever have to witness what i did. A mother put her bucket in the seat part. As she went over the bump separating the carpet from tile it hit just right and off the seat went. I still cannot shake the sound of that baby’s head hitting the concrete between the bucket and floor. Followed by the screams of a mother who “heard the click”. I am pretty sure it had never happened to her in response to the “it never happened to me” ignorance being spewed. Know better, do better. The clips on the seat are meant to secure it to the base in the car. – B.S.

Some even reason out that car seats can protect their babies in case of a fall.

This reasoning is really bound to hurt babies …

Reason 4. “If a car seat can protect a baby in a car accident, then it should be able to protect a baby from a fall.”

Here are samples of actual quotes.

I don’t know of any shopping cart that is easily tipped … Also, i find it hard to believe that a car seat can save a baby from death in a car accident (which is far more devastating) than a fallen cart. I’m just saying. – M.G.

I always put my baby on the top and haven’t had an issue …..car seats are designed to protect little one from a car accident but can’t protect them from a cart tipping over , I highly doubt it…. This kind of bad me mad. – J.T.

So car seats we put our children in them to keep safe during a car crash but can’t put them on top of a cart? Seems stupid to me. – S.R.

Ok so car seats are approved safe in a moving car which could be wrecked at high speeds but not in a shopping cart…wtf as long as the child is strapped in appropriately then how are theu falling out. – A.H.

If the car seat can’t protect a baby from falling in a shopping cart them it has no business being in a vehicle. Js – A.S.

A car seat is designed MAINLY to protect a baby in a car crash. Car seats are NOT designed to protect a baby from a fall off a shopping cart.

Here’s what a mom has to say about this issue:

A fallen cart is likely to land with them face first to the ground. A car seat is not designed to protect them from this, so it can injure or kill them. – M.W.

This mom recounts her nightmarish experience involving her son:

9 years ago i had my 2 month old son Connor in a car seat on the top of the buggy and my 3 year old stepson was trying to help load groceries on to the belt and knocked my sons car seat on the floor. He was strapped in but the car seat hit face first. His body never touched the ground however his head slammed back into the seat and he had a brain bleed and spent the night in childrens hospital. Dont ever think it won’t happen to you or that the car seat will fully protect them even properly strapped in. I will never forget that sickening thud of the car seat hitting the ground. – A.S.

The next reason has to do with cart space.

Although cart space may be a concern, it still does not justify risking a child’s life …

Reason 3. “How am I supposed to grocery shop if I don’t have enough space for groceries?”

Here are samples of actual quotes.

Ok, so how am I supposed to grocery shop? I always put my babys car seat on the shopping cart. – B.H.

It’s a pain to go grocery shopping with the carrier in the cart, I can’t buy much and the bagger doesn’t seem comfortable packing my cart with her in there. – V.L.

When my son was a baby. I put on top of the cart where the seat is. I know it was a risk. But when you have to do a lot of shopping. Where are you going to put the food and other stuff at If your child is in the buggie. – D.S.

It would be hell grocery shopping with four kids and putting the car seat in the deep part of the cart. There would be no place for the groceries. – S.H.

I tried grocery shopping for the family with the car seat in the basket of the cart and I had no room for groceries. They were piling up next to him and I was then worried about groceries falling on top of him. – S.W.

These moms have a solution regarding space issues:

I put my baby’s car seat inside the grocery cart and put all my stuff on the space around the car seat and at the bottom of the cart I would not trust latching my baby’s car seat to the shopping cart. – M.M.

I personally don’t enjoy grocery shopping BUT I will make 2 or 3 small trips a week with my now 3month old son & just place his car seat in the carts basket. I just load up the little seat with things I need. – D.C.

Just because it hasn’t happened to you doesn’t make it safe. Our local grocery store manager has asked parents to remove their child from the top of the cart. I have made large grocery runs with my infant in the cart, have never had an issue. – C.L.

Just put the car seat in the basket. It’s common sense. If you have to buy a lot on a grocery trip, wear the baby. Just don’t put the baby on top. It’s not that hard to figure out. – M.T.

Still think it’s worth risking your baby’s life by placing the car seat on top of a shopping cart? Here’s another mother’s unfortunate experience:

An old man ran into my shopping Cart in his electric wheel chair and tipped it over in the parking lot when I was putting groceries in my car. My 3 month old child AND his car seat fell from the top of the buggy and landed head first on the concrete. Yes he was strapped into his seat but it landed with him head down. He had a concussion and and road burn and had to stay in the hospital for 2 days. I was uneducated. I didn’t see a problem with it. I didn’t think something like that would happen to me and if someone would have told me something about it I honestly would have had a “this is my baby and I’ll do what I want” reply. If you think your cart can’t tip over from a small child you’re probably right, but it can tip over due to a number of other things. My baby could have died that day. Every time I see a mother place her child at the top of the cart I cringe. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE think safety first. It can happen to anyone at anytime. – A.S.

Here’s what some “responsible” parents’ excuse for placing a car seat on a shopping cart.

Accidents STILL do happen even to the best of us.

Reason 2. “I am a responsible, attentive parent. I have my hand on the car seat at all times.”

Here are samples of actual quotes.

Omg this is so stupid learn how to push a cart lmao I don’t see any problem having a car seat on top as long as it latches on a responsible parent should be able to manage a cart without an injury to a child. – M.F.

I have done it with all my kids and never had a problem the carseat locks onto the cart and im holding the cart too. – S.H.

Like everyone has someone on stand by to keep their child when grocery shopping. I’ve done this with my kids and as long as I’m right there (as any parent should be) I can guarantee they are safe. – K.S.

This is ridiculous. Kids aren’t going to get hurt just by being in the shopping cart. I put my baby’s carseat on the top and my 3 year old behind it. There’s absolutely no way of them falling out unless someone comes and pushes my cart over, which is highly unlikely … Moral of the story is pay attention to your kids, be a parent. It’s pretty simple. – R.B.

I usually dont do this, but sometimes I have to and I have never had a problem, like everyone else says it latches in. I hold the seat while steering so my hand is on the car seat at all times. – K.M.

Parents, just a reminder … All it takes is 1 second of distraction for accidents to happen. It’s not easy being 100% attentive to your baby when you are reaching out for items on the shelf, comparing prices, or simply reaching into your purse.

The risks are real. Here are what other moms have to say:

I seen a cart flip with a baby on top of it. Guess what the baby was a week old. Busted it’s head wide open and had to go into emergency surgery… not a big deal still? You can still stand with the cart but she wasn’t able to catch the baby. Why even risk it if there is a possibility your child could get hurt. – K.G.

Brings back bad memories..I was at grocery store with my two babies (they are 15 days from being a year apart) my daughter was in the car seat postioned like above and my son was in the cart..I turned my back for a second to get something off the shelf..I heard a loud BAM to see my youngest upside down on the hard concrete floor..my heart dropped and suddenly had a knot in my throat..how could this have happened, I quickly grabbed her, she didn’t cry or anything I was scared to death. I took her to the emergency room and was told not to let her sleep just incase she had a concussion but they believe because the handle was in upright position on the car seat it helped protect her. I would advise anyone that has a little one to put the car seat in the cart not on the handle/seat area. I was very lucky my baby wasn’t injured!! – T.C.

When my daughter was small I put the car seat on top. I stopped after an accident. We left the store and I noticed a jungle gym outside and pulled the cart over to look at them for my son. I had one hand on the cart (loosely) while I was looking at prices. Big gust of wind came, blew the cart out of my hand. The cart rolled off the curb, and my daughter went flying through the air. Landed facedown in her car seat on the pavement. She was fine, thankfully. Not a scratch. But it CAN happen. I’m not a bad parent, I thought it was latched on. It wasn’t. Accidents can happen and happen very fast. From then on, I never set a car seat on top. I cringe when I see it now in the store. I know it’s NOT safe. We got lucky. To see her car seat flying through the air and land face down was so scary. – A.E.

I saw it in Walmart once. Another cart came around the corner and bumped the cart with the baby and the seat came off. Luckily the mom caught it right before it hit the ground but if she hadn’t the baby would’ve hit its head on the concrete floor. She put the seat in the actual basket and said that was too close. She was pushing the cart and still barely had time to grab the seat. – A.E.

Some people say they keep both hands on the cart and they dont do any “crazy stunts”. What about a kid who runs out in front of you? What if someone isnt paying attention and slams into your cart? When my daughter was a few months old I had her carseat in the big bottom part of the cart (never ever on top) and a lady slammed into us so hard that my child woke up and started crying. I was furious at this idiot (she saw the baby, but never apologized. So…idiot) but what would have happened if I had her carseat on top and she hit me that hard? When it comes to my children, its not worth the convenience. – R.W.

The last foolish reason is simply unbelievable.

This kind of thinking is certainly going to put some innocent baby at risk of getting hurt or killed.

Reason 1. “This is all just fear mongering. Never seen it or heard of it happen.”

Here are samples of actual quotes.

This really is fear mongering. I’ve had 3 kids and all I’ve put the car seat on the cart. None of this makes sense and there is no sign on any cart that I’ve seen that warned no infant seats. – S.H.

This article is ridiculous!!! It’s an unnecessary scare tactic for new parents. Granted, my children are 13 and 15 now. But back then our car seats were designed to mount into the toddler seat of grocery carts. They were strapped in safe and secure. – L.E.

its all just fear pushing. – S.M.

This article is annoying and stupid. I don’t even think it’s true. Maybe 3 to maybe 6 yr olds that try to hang on the side or front or back. But not an INFANT in a car seat. This article is so dumb. – T.D.

Fatalities and serious injuries to babies as a result of placing a car seat sitting on top of a shopping cart ARE REAL. We are just doing our best to raise awareness about this dangerous practice.

If you still decide to risk your baby’s life with this practice, that’s really up to you. However, we hope that you would reconsider for your child’s sake. Please keep your child safe.

This smart mom sums our point.

It isn’t safe period. If you understand the risks and choose to do it anyways, that is your business as a parent, but don’t act as though it isn’t a risk. It is. Many babies have flipped the cart this way. That is why there are warning on both the cart and in your car seat manual not to do it. If your car seat actually latches to the cart, it could actually damage the seat where it won’t be as effective in an actual car accident, the reason you have the car seat to begin with. You do have other options. We all make choices in life. – T.C.

Still not convinced about the dangers of placing a car seat on the shopping cart? You might like to read what some supermarket and retail employees have to say about this:

There was a baby in South Georgia who fell out of a shopping cart like this and died. As a grocery store employee, I will NOT help you to your car with your baby in that position. Your baby, your risk. You won’t ruin my life with your carelessness. – J.W.

I am a manager at a store and you would be surprised how often I see car seats flip baskets over , and I have only had one flip due to a child being in the bottom. I ask everyone I see with a car seat on top to move it down and explain to them how often it does happen. – M.P.

For all the ladies saying that car seats clips into the cart. That clip is meant for the base in your car. Using that to clip on the cart will actually damage the mechanism and make it not snap properly back into place. Most car seat manuals will state that in the book. I have worked as cashier I have seen infants get injured and carts turned over. Please baby wear, stroller, or place in the big part of the basket or 2 baskets. What’s more important convenience or your child’s safety. – N.D.

Please share this article with family and friends who have babies. Let’s do our part in preventing another child from getting seriously hurt, or at worst, getting killed.

Do you still plan to risk your baby’s life in spite of being made aware of the dangers of placing the car seat on top of a shopping cart? (We certainly hope not.)

The post Car Seat On Shopping Cart: 6 Foolish Reasons Parents Still Do This. #1 Is Unbelievable appeared first on Oh My Parenting.

It’s winter time and it’s freezing. As parents, we simply want to make sure that our child is warm, cozy, and most of all, safe. However, having your child wear a warm, puffy jacket while strapped into a car seat is the last thing you should be doing.

You think your child is safe and warm, right? Well, what you really are doing is setting them up for possible life-threatening danger.

Car seat safety should really be taken seriously. According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

In the United States during 2013, 638 children ages 12 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 127,250 were injured.

While reporting on this danger, Today Show national investigative reporter Jeff Rosen admitted:

I have small kids and it turns out I make this mistake every winter. I had no idea.

When your child has a puffy winter coat on, the car seat harness won’t be snug and tight. This therefore puts them at risk of being ejected from the car seat if an accident occurs. Some people might find this hard to believe. The truth of the matter is that it really can happen.

As reported by Rosen, a crash test lab in Michigan proves the dangers of this common practice.

Here’s the crash test video showing what can really happen if you have your child wear a puffy winter jacket while strapped to a car seat.

Watching a slow motion of the crash test was quite shocking. You can clearly see the potential fatal consequences of what such a mistake can do to a child in the event this happens in real life.

So what should you do? Take off your child’s puffy winter jacket before strapping them snugly to their car seat. To keep them warm, you can place the jacket or a blanket over them AFTER you strap them in.

Some parents might complain that it’s just so inconvenient to take off a child’s jacket prior to strapping them in. However, after watching the video, I’m sure you’ll agree that the extra effort is worth it, right?

The video clearly shows how dangerous this can be so if your child’s safety is your priority, you might like to follow what the safety experts recommend. It simply is not worth risking your child’s life.

You might like to learn these other tips to keep your child safe and warm for winter travel provided by Lisa Klindt Simpson, a coordinator at Safe Kids Southeast Wisconsin:

When getting ready to use a car seat in winter, put your child in thin, warm layers such as fleece or Thinsulate.

For rear-facing babies in an infant seat, once the child is snug in the harness, layering blankets over the top of the harness works well.

For older, rear-facing toddlers or for forward-facing children, once the child is snug in the harness you can put the coat on backward over arms and shoulders to keep them warm until the car’s heater kicks in.

You can even make a game out of putting on the coat backward! Also, keep a blanket in the car that can be used when the coat comes off.

Did you know that this same advise applies to adults too when it comes to wearing puffy winter jackets and getting buckled up?

Please spread the word about this safety tip and keep every child and person that you know safe.

Did you find the crash test video shocking?

The post Car Seat And Puffy Winter Jacket IS A Dangerous Combination appeared first on Oh My Parenting.