You’ve babyproofed your house and your home office. And now, as part of Baby Safety Awareness Month, we want to review exactly what babyproofing your car entails.
Of course, you’ll get the right car seat for your child, but there is so much more to take care of than just getting your car ready for a little one. You’ll want to address things like door and window locks, unlocked seatbelts, and loose objects in the car. You’ll also want to set up a system to help protect your child from accidentally being left in the car where they can quickly succumb to the elements. Here’s what you need to know about babyproofing your car.
Keep kids safe in the seat: Engage window and door locks
Don’t leave baby unattended
Never leave your baby unattended in the car. An average of 38 children die each year from heatstroke from being left in a car.
While most of us wouldn’t think of doing this on purpose, being a parent can be exhausting, putting a lot of strain on your time and daily efficiency. This can mean forgetting your child in the car — for example, if you were on your way to work and forgot it was your day to drop off your baby at daycare, you could park your car at your office and leave for the day. It may sound inconceivable, but it happens.
A tip to remind yourself about baby in the back seat is to leave a stuffed animal in the front seat when you put your baby in the back. This serves as a notice to you that you have a passenger that you can’t forget about. There are also some popular safety apps on the market that are designed to prevent you from forgetting your child. Take a look at the Kars 4 Kids Safety app as an option.
Mom Veronica Thompson told Mom.com that babyproofing a car is easier than doing it in the house because it’s a smaller space. “There are fewer number of risks and hazards in the car, so it’s far easier to maintain,” Thompson said.
