Celeste's Smorgasbord

I am all for safety.  Especially when riding in vehicles.  I have even written a paper on the importance of changing school buses to having seat belts. (Note to self: find paper and share at future date.)

That being said, the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) have many new guidelines regarding rear facing car seats and booster seats. I already was trying to wrap my head around the fact that car seats now have expiration dates. (I am still trying to get that one to compute.)  Now there are new new car seat guidelines.

I feel these are a lot bit on the extreme side.  As a friend said on Facebook when I shared the new guidelines, "In 10 years we'll probably have to put them in bubble wrap before we put them in the car seat!"  Sarcasm aside, I wonder the same thing!

One is to keep kids in a rear facing car seat until they are 2 years old. I don't know about many other parents, but I am the mother where some of my kids have LOOOONG legs.  Had this gone into effect when my kids were younger, the poor things would be all cramped and have to sit cross-legged.  Which some parents say isn't that big of a deal.  And maybe it isn't, for their short-legged kids.  What about long car drives? I know that I couldn't sit crossed-legged on a road trip (despite the fact that I would most likely be driving) for long periods of time.

While reading said article I thought I was safe from these new guidelines... Nope!  According to the new guidelines: "New Boostering Recommendation: Children should ride in a belt-positioning booster (that means a high-back!) until they are at least 4 foot, 9 inches, AND 8-12 years old.....Best practice is also waiting until children are 80-100 pounds as well." Goodness, thankfully Lily is 12 years old and over 4'9"!!  Yes, she is a hair under 100 pounds, but I am not stressing it much.  Although, we have always joked that Lily is so skinny that she would have to bring a booster seat with her on her first date when she is 16 years old.  Now, it is almost a reality! If more guidelines come our way in the next few years, she very well may have to bring a booster on a date.  I can just see it now, "Hi, , can you help buckle me in?"

Yes, that sounds absurd, as do some of these new guidelines!