Tell your child that this is their seat, and belongs to them only. Add that you have brought it for them not only to keep them safe, but as it is higher than their seats, they will be able to see out of the window more easily. The last thing you want to do is to tell them of the horrors that could happen to them if they didn’t allow you to strap them in! You are likely to instil a fear of riding in a car at all!
If they are older, let them choose the colour and become involved in the buying decision. Personalise the seat so it’s easily recognisable and make sure they have play things to keep them occupied.
Some people also attach portable DVD players to the back of the front seat headrest and play one of the child’s favourite films. This will give you over an hour of peace after which, it’s probably time you stopped for a rest anyway and/or the child is likely to be asleep.
Get more tips HERE.
Britax Duo Car Seat
Some of the tips below may seem very obvious. However, there are many parents who do not abide by some of the most basic safety rules, so this is why they are included here and for which we make no apologies for their inclusion. Whatever car seats you own, even if it isn’t a Britax Duo the same general principles apply.
• Doctors recommend that you should avoid any long trips if you have a child under 6 months old.
• Make sure you schedule breaks at least every 2 hours. Just as adults, a child needs to get some fresh air and stretch their legs.
• Dress the child depending on the internal car temperature. If you don’t wear a coat, they won’t want one either!
• Ensure that all safety catches are active in the car when travelling.
• Make sure when getting your child out of the car that you do this on the pavement side.
• NEVER leave your child unattended in the car. If this is truly unavoidable, take the keys out with you, ensure the windows are locked, tighten the hand brake as far as possible and put in gear etc. Hopefully, even if for only a moment, you can keep the car in sight.
• Make sure the rear parcel shelf is free of loose objects like road maps and hard toys. In any collision these could cause injury.
• Don’t travel immediately after a heavy meal or provide a heavy meal in the middle of a trip. Light, small snacks are better and always take snacks and drinks in the car.
• Keep the children happy, tell stories, play games, get them watch out for certain animals or give them soft toys to play with. If at all possible, an adult in the rear will keep them better occupied. You can also secure a portable DVD player to the back of the seat in front and play their favourite film but do make sure the player is secure.
• Drive more carefully and avoid braking hard or accelerated quickly and especially taking bends too quickly.
• Should your child feel sick, drive slowly with the window open until you can stop. Take the child for a short walk and continue the rest of your journey more slowly.
• You shouldn’t smoke when driving and particularly when you have a child in such a confined space.
Nowadays, you will normally find mostly five-point harnesses which are deemed to give the most protection to your child. This is because this arrangement secures the child more tightly and in the event of a collision, this would prevent excessive movement that would harm the child. The t shield and the over-head fittings do not secure the child as securely and could allow the child to be thrown from the seat in a collision.
A tether is normally a strap that is made of the same material as the seat but also has a clip that secures a forward facing baby seat again to prevent excessive movement of the child in the event of a collision.
