When Loving Parents Forget Life Saving Products such as Baby Car Seats

The other day, as I stepped out of my building complex, a car passed me by. A man was driving, at moderate speed, WITH A TODDLER IN HIS LAP. I bellowed furiously at the retreating car and then noticed the mother of the toddler was sitting right next to them.

I gasped and sputtered and ran out of expletives I wanted to spew and then realized there was no way they could hear me, given the windows were up and the air conditioning on.

Everywhere I look around, I see perfectly loving parents, doing things that could only be idiocy. Putting toddlers in the front seat without a seat belt. Making children walk on the outside in the face of oncoming traffic. Letting kids run wild near escalators and stairways. Buying toys which have small detachable parts.

Setting up disasters waiting to happen.

Car Safety wonder if it really doesn’t strike them that these could be dangerous, or that there is a certain insouciance about not bothering with safety rules for these parents. Internationally, the rules about baby car seats being mandatory for infants and toddlers up to two years, might seem a little extreme to us here, but they are extremely necessary given the high speeds most vehicular traffic on their road have. Internationally, they have car seat guidelines about how toddlers should ride in a rear face car seat, until they reach two or the weight and height limits of their car seat. From the age of two, there are forward facing car seat for baby abroad. All children below 13 are expected to be seated in the back seat, with a seat belt, and in the middle of the car where the possibility of injury is the least.

They are pretty strict about the using of car seats for infants and toddlers, not to mention their insistence on the use of seat belts for all passengers in the car. I would think that even if car seats aren’t mandatory in India, parents who can afford one should definitely invest in one in order to ensure the safety of their kids in the car. I didn’t have a car seat though, when the child was small. There wasn’t much awareness about them back then and the child was always firmly in an adult lap.

Car seat for baby, booster seats for toddlers and seat belts for bigger children. And yes, those parents who let the kids stand on the seat and put half their torsos out of the sun roof, I have no epithets too strong for you.

Baby on Board- Travelling with a Baby

Travelling with a baby is one of those moments of parenthood that comes with mixed feelings. In spite of all the pre-planning and the foresighted packing, travel plans with a baby can go totally berserk with a just single bout of discomfort.

While the formula of “Keeping It Simple” isn’t really simple with a baby in tow, here’s how you can tackle the travelling blues, one stage at a time.

Before Travel

Extra time: Account for double the time on road, add in extra pit-stops along the way, allow for a fair amount of indoor time at your destination and avoid an over-ambitious itinerary.
Packing: Pack for just a three-day trip, since baby supplies like diapers, creams, toiletries, formula are easily available at almost all destinations world-wide. Do consider carrying a few baby safety accessories like a light-weight stroller frame with car seat and a baby-sling, as also a travel cot, and some entertainment help such as a compact portable music player and some favorite toys and music.
Health essentials: Carry all medications with the dosage instructions and remember to duly vaccinate your baby to fend off any allergies or unknown viral strains. Schedule your baby’s health-check close to your travel date for that all important ‘green signal’ from your paediatrician.
Food factor: If your baby is on solids other than formula, do carry some packs of his or her favorite foods to bring in an element of comfort for the baby.

During the travel

Feed on flight: If you are flying to your destination, feeding your baby in the aircraft during take-off and landing is a precursor to a hassle-free journey. Ear pressure pain can be very distressing to a baby and leads to tantrums and crankiness throughout the flight.
Disposables: Carry a solid supply of baby-cloths, wipes, diaper lotions, sanitizer, disposable bags and diapers at the rate ofone per couple of hours. The most stressful part of travelling with a baby is the cleansing routine, and hence it makes sense to be well-equipped in the matter.
Medication: Medication, if any, should be ideally administered before you embark rather than during the journey, for it to settle in and avoid any throw-ups. Consider keeping medicines for motion sickness, coughs and allergies handy.
White noise: Create an environment of “white noise” to induce a sense of calmness and help the baby feel less intimidated during travel. White noise audio can be downloaded from the internet, or purchased at stores.
Car seats: Cars seat are the biggest asset on any road trip as it is your baby’s bed to nap on, a chair to eat from and a safe and secure perch to watch the world pass by. When using car seats for babies, ensure that the safety harness is in place and the seat recline is comfortable to hold a sleeping baby on a bumpy ride.
Other baby travel accessories:  A multi-purpose bag that holds the baby’s travel food, medicines and other essentials are excellent baby travel accessories to have. If the baby is nursing, a comfortable nursing pillow and a nursing wrap is a great aid to feed the baby on the go.

At the destination:

Pre-order supplies: Check if you can pre-order a stock of supplies at your destination to avoid over-stocking your bags and scouting around to buy new stocks.
Set up the room: Set up the baby’s space as alike to home once you reach your place of stay. Set up the travel cot, bring out the favourite toys, play some favourite music and adjust the room temperature and lighting to create a familiar ambience for the baby.
Stick to the baby’s routine: While holidays and routine sound like an ‘oxymoron’, a well-settled baby is an utter boon to the parents. Stick to meal times and nap times, so that the baby is well rested and less fussy.
Get out the travel gear: Assemble the stroller, latch up the sling or buckle up the car seat and set about exploring the destination with your baby in tow. A comfortable baby stroller in the fresh outdoors will do a world of good to everyone’s composure.
Pack in a bit of your good temper along, and you are quite ready to take on the world with your baby in tow. Happy Journey!