Let me begin with an important rhyme: Just because it’s tight, doesn’t make it right. A tight car seat installation isn’t the ONLY sign that an install is correct. In other words, “tightness” is not the only measure of a correct car seat installation, and, contrary to popular belief, a car seat does not have…
Winter coats in car seats: updated September 2023 Winter coats in car seats has become a hot topic in the parenting corner of social media. I still remember my feeling of complete and utter confusion when I first learned that children should not be strapped into their car seats in their winter jackets, snowsuits or…
[Updated January 2023] I am not one to die on many hills … but the hill I will die on is the importance of booster seats for big kids. This post was originally inspired by a new law in my former home province of Quebec, but I continue to update it as my own kids…
Child restraints are unlike any other piece of baby gear you will ever buy. Unfortunately, most stores and most salespeople assist parents in their car seat shopping just like they would when recommending a crib, high chair or stroller. What features do you want? What do you want to spend? Here you go! Alas, if…
In Collaboration with Sonja Kolstad, CPST When it comes to our children, we would do anything to protect them. Unfortunately, navigating the world of car seats and vehicle safety isn’t as easy as it might seem on the surface. Nine out of ten car seats on Canadian roads aren’t installed correctly, and even if they…
![7 Reasons You Should See a Car Seat Technician [And how to find one!]](https://mamanloupsden.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/fb-7-Reasons-You-Should-Meet-with-a-Car-Seat-Tech.jpg)
I’m a really big advocate of “listen to your gut” parenting. I don’t particularly endorse or subscribe to any specific parenting method, and I have no parenting books to recommend. I subscribe to the “you do you” method … like, sure, take advice from whomever you want (just maybe not Dr. Oz?), but ultimately, make…
I really failed at preparing for my first child’s first car seat. And by failed I mean I didn’t do anything at all. We didn’t own a car and had been given a hand-me-down bucket seat which I entrusted my husband to know how to use and how to install in the car-share vehicle we…
Did you know that your vehicle owner’s manual is a necessary tool for installing your child’s car seat correctly? If you did, you likely do not need this post. If, like me, you’ve basically never opened your owner’s manual … well, then keep reading. Most owner’s manuals will have information on child restraint installation somewhere…
Updated February 2018 My daughter is very fond of blankets and items that she can use as a blanket. These include but are not restricted to large dish rags, wet bath towels, cloth diaper inserts and now, her Mouse&Hatter Car Seat Poncho. Her biggest gripe about regular blankets and most blanket substitutes is that they…
Air travel with young children is not fun. It’s the worst. If Elon Musk would turn his attention away from the electric car and space travel and onto teleportation for families, I’d really appreciate it. Air travel might be the fastest way to your destination, but let’s not pretend it’s convenient. This is why I…
1- We didn’t even have car seats when I was a kid, and we’re still alive! https://www.facebook.com/WomenAfter50/photos/a.490297121003785.116537.490293054337525/1595908593775960/?type=3&permPage=1 All the kids whose lives might have been saved by car seats are not here to argue with you on this one. In 1975 in the US, 1,384 child passengers were killed in motor vehicle collisions. In…
Find a CPST near you: Canada / USA Before I took my Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) training through the Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada, I didn’t know a heck of a lot about booster seats. My oldest is four-and-a-half years old and meets the weight and height minimums for a booster seat, so…
There are basically two things that YouTube suggests I watch these days: videos of people playing Minecraft and videos of people talking about car seats. Sadly, I’m sure you can guess which of these types of people is rolling in the dough from millions of views and which of them is sharing vital information that…
I did not write the book on car seat safety. Heck, I’m still reading and re-reading the book and processing my guilt over the many, many mistakes I’ve made installing and using car seats since before I even had children of my own. If ever there was a case for the expression “know better, do…
A few weeks ago, IKEA’s Polarvide Throws were on sale for $1.99. This 51″ x 67″ fleece blanket is regularly $5.99, but the chartreuse ones were discounted. At once my favourite shade of green and a sweet deal, I snagged a couple and decided I’d figure out what to do with them later. It just…
My name is Lindsay and I am a 40-year-old mama of four trying to live an eco-friendly, budget-friendly life! I am a substitute teacher and Child Passenger Safety technician in Calgary, Alberta. Join me on my adventures!
