There's no doubt that parents want to keep their little ones safe, which is why many agonize over which car seat to get and ensuring that it's properly installed. But as many focus on checking straps to see if they're tightly secured and knowing when to make the switch from rear-facing to forward-facing, there's one major piece of the puzzle that moms and dads often overlook: What would happen immediately after a car accident? If the little one is in a crash and the adults are unconscious, paramedics won't have the basic — and essential — information they could need to save that child's life. That's why one mom is sharing her simple and brilliant car seat hack that all parents need to consider.
As a mom and EMT, Katilyn Lawson knows the importance of having emergency info on her toddler's car seat.
Lawson is an emergency medical technician (EMT) at the Frankton Ambulance Service in Indiana and shared the simple trick that she used for her own daughter's car seat to help keep her safe. "Way too often do firefighters come upon a car wreck with child(ren) in the car who are too young to have any info and parents are unconscious," she wrote. "It takes 2 minutes of your time to write out child's name, DOB, parents' names, DOB, emergency contacts and any medical conditions, any meds your child is on and even child's doctor, then stick it to the child's car seat. This helps EMS a ton and can also help save your child's life."
Whether you tape a sticky note or order a custom option online, there are plenty of ways to do this trick.
Lawson added essential information about her toddler as well as both parents on the car seat and covered it with clear tape to ensure that it's visible and easily accessible. However, some moms online shared that they weren't comfortable with having these sensitive details always in plain view, so they shared other options similar to Kaitlyn's hack that they ordered online.
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This custom ID card can be attached to the car seat to conceal the important details.
Some parents commented that they ordered similar products on Etsy or elsewhere online. Others suggested that they consider including everyone's blood type and emergency phone numbers.
The viral hack is inspiring other parents to make emergency car seat cards for their kids ASAP.
This simple, cheap, DIY car seat trick could save your or your child's life, since it gives health-care providers essential details including allergies, medication, and identifying information in the event that you aren't able to. Many parents see the value in this and are sharing it with their friends across social media in the hopes that they'll make one too instead of taking any chances.
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"They also sell something like this on Etsy. We have it on every one of our car seats (on both sides of the car seat just to be safe)!!!!!! Best $10," one parent commented.
Another added that this isn't just helpful for car accidents, but also for whenever your child isn't with you. "I always made sure anyone I left my son with always had a note to get him medical attention if needed. But never once did I think about putting one in his car seat. Great info!" she added.
