I had a great talk with a good friend of mine this morning and we were talking about my blog and what I wrote about car seats. I learned some things from her that I didn't know. The first was about add-ons. If the add on comes with the car seat then it has already been approved for use with that car seat by the manufacturer. So, the other day when I saw the updated version of our Graco convertible car seat--it had a head rest that came with it. So, that head rest would be approved for use with it. My friend also felt that it is important to be aware of the highest standards, but realize that then we have to be realistic and practical. For example, the government recommends that nothing--NOTHING--be loose in your car that could hit your child in the case of an accident. She and I both agreed that we don't know anyone that doesn't have something in their cars that is loose. That would include the board book that you give your child to keep them occupied while you're driving on a long trip =) So, it's something to be aware of and wise about, but not exactly feasible all the time. I have 3 kids and there's always stuff in my car--I don't think I could avoid it.
Second, we are a highly, HIGHLY regulated country when it comes to safety--almost hyper conscious about it. In China, they don't even have car seats. My friend has a friend who lives in Asia who she visited when the friend's daughter was 2 years old. She sat in a bike seat on the back of her mother's bike--that had no belt! Wow. Imagine that one. Tricky. Her daughter fell asleep and she rode using one hand until she got home so the daughter wouldn't fall out. So, obviously, yes, there's good reason for our seats and regulations, but sometimes we do as a country go a little overboard.
Well, that's all for now, but I learned a lot from my friend and it was fun talking about it =)
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