Close to My Heart

I have written about a couple parenting issues I feel very strongly about. There are car seats, of course, and I wrote about the nurse-in in Arizona. Another issue I strongly believe in but don't think I've written about yet is baby-wearing.

Baby-wearing is gaining in popularity, but a lot of people still don't understand it, let alone practice it. Most of the comments I get are positive, although some people look at me like I have two heads. (To be fair, most of those looks came when I was wearing Anna in a sling facing out, with her legs tucked under her, so it sort of looked like I did have two heads. Push, the talking trash can at Disney World, told me that I looked like Signorney Weaver from Alien.)



Baby-wearing got a much-unneeded setback a couple months ago when some carriers were recalled due to baby deaths. These particular "bag" carriers are very padded and do not properly position the baby, who is worn low on the parent's body. The padding can cause suffocation, and it was possible for baby's head to tilt too far forward, cutting off his airway. Most baby-wearing advocates were happy to see that particular type of carrier recalled.

Babies worn in slings should be worn up high, at chest level or above. They should be worn close to the parent's body, and a good, properly fitted sling will allow that. The baby's head should never be tilted toward his or her chest, and fabric should not flop over the baby's face. The recalled carriers do not allow any of that to happen, and were, therefore, inherently dangerous.

However, many people don't understand that there is a difference in types of carriers. They are quick to assume that all carriers are dangerous, even though the reality is that most carriers are perfectly safe if used and fitted properly. Unfortunately, among the people who don't quite "get it" is the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the government agency in charge of urging/forcing recalls.

According to the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance, the entire industry is in jeopardy. Supposedly, a popular manufacturer of (safe) slings was recently approached by the CPSC and told to cease operations immediately. The CPSC, supposedly, claimed that although they had no proof that this company's products were dangerous, it insisted upon a recall anyway. The CPSC has, allegedly, threatened legal action against the entire industry.

I put a lot of "supposedly"s and "allegedly"s in there because apparently the company in question doesn't want to go public right now, so there's no way to verify all that. The story sounds both implausible and completely believable at the same time.

Without being able to confirm details, I have no way to know what--if anything--has been embellished or misunderstood. What I believe, without a doubt, is that it's very likely that CPSC plans on targeting the baby-wearing industry because the agency can't or won't understand the differences.

There is a campaign to get people to write to/call elected officials in position to stop any unnecessary action CPSC might be taking. (see list below) I'm in a bit of a quandary in that Barbara Boxer isn't technically my senator anymore, and I'm ashamed to admit I don't know who my congressperson in Texas is. So I'm figuring out how to proceed.

What I am sure of is that the government should not be taking away our ability to keep our babies close to our hearts, where they belong.



If you live in one of these states/districts, and you are concerned that safe baby carriers might be targeted for unnecessary recall, please contact your representatives. If you don't live in one of these areas, contact your reps anyway.

SENATE: Mark Pryor – Chairman, AR (202) 224-2353
Byron L. Dorgan, ND (202) 224-2551
Barbara Boxer, CA (202) 224-3553
Bill Nelson, FL (202) 224-5274
Claire McCaskill, MO (202) 224-6154
Amy Klobuchar, MN (202) 224-3244
Tom Udall, NM (202) 224-5941
Roger Wicker – Ranking Member, MS (202) 224-6253
Olympia J. Snowe, ME (202) 224-5344
Jim DeMint, SC (202) 224-6121
John Thune, SD (202) 224-2321
Johnny Isakson, GA (202) 224-3643
David Vitter, LA (202) 224-4623


HOUSE: Bobby L. Rush, IL, Chairman 202-225-4372; 773-224-6500
Jan Schakowsky, IL, Vice Chair 202-225-2111; 773-506-7100
Ed Whitfield, KY, Ranking Member 202-225-3115; 270-885-8079
John P. Sarbanes, MD 202-225-4016; 410-832-8890
George Radanovich, CA 202-225-4540; 559-449-2490
Betty Sutton, OH 202-225-2266; 330-865-8450
Cliff Stearns, FL 202-225-5744; 352-351-8777
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ 202-225-4671; 732-571-1140
Joseph R. Pitts, PA 202-225-2411; 717-303-0667
Bart Gordon, TN 202-225-4231; 615-896-1986
Mary Bono Mack, CA 202-225-5330; 760-320-1076
Bart Stupak, MI 202-225-4735; 231-348-0657
Lee Terry, NE 202-225-4155; 402-397-9944
Gene Green, TX 202-225-1688; 281-999-5879
Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC 202-225-1976; 704-362-1060
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX 202-225-3236; 210-472-6195
Tim Murphy, PA 202-225-2301; 412-344-5583
Anthony D. Weiner, NY 202-225-6616; 718-520-9001
Phil Gingrey, GA 202-225-2931; 770-429-1776
Jim Matheson, UT 202-225-3011; 801-486-1236
Steve Scalise, LA 202-225-3015; 504-837-1259
G. K. Butterfield, NC 202-225-3101; 252-237-9816
Robert E. Latta, OH 202-225-6405; 419-668-0206
John Barrow, GA 202-225-2823; 912-354-7282
Joe Barton, TX 202-225-2002; 817-543-1000

Happy Child Passenger Safety Week!

Today marks the start of a week dedicated to Child Passenger Safety. As most of you know, that's a topic I'm very passionate about. A fellow mommy-blogger interviewed me for an article on her blog, and it occurred to me that I should probably write a post of my own.

There is a lot to know about choosing and using a car seat, but here I present my Top Five Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe in the Car.

1. Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible.
One year and 20 pounds is so 1990s. The new recommendation is to keep children rear-facing to the limits of their seat. With seats that now have tall shells and can support children to 35, 40, or even 45 pounds, most kids can rear-face for years. Anna will remain rear-facing until she's at least 3 years old, and possibly to 4 or beyond.

We would all be better off riding rear-facing, but that's not an option for adults. Little kids are lucky enough to be able to, so let them.

2. Keep your child in a harness until he's mature enough for a booster.
Just because you can put a toddler or preschooler in a booster doesn't mean you should. Until a child is mature enough to sit in a booster without lunging around and playing with the seatbelt, he should stay in a harnessed seat. We don't recommend boosters until kids are at least 4 years old, but it really depends on the kid. Elias, who has always taken car safety very seriously, didn't ride in a booster until he was 5, and even then it was only-part time. Now that he's 6, he's finally in one full-time. (And even now we have to remind him now and then to stay in position--though in his defense, when he leans over he's usually trying to help retrieve a toy that Anna has thrown down.)

3. Keep your child in a restraint (harness or booster) until the seatbelt fits PROPERLY on its own.
Under California law, my son is old enough to ditch the booster and ride in the seatbelt alone. As CPSTs like to say, though, the laws of physics trump the laws of man. An ill-fitting lap belt can cause terrible internal damage, like ruptured organs and severed spinal columns. When a shoulder belt rubs against a kid's neck, she's likely to put it behind her back, setting up the perfect scenario for head trauma in a crash since nothing is there to restrain the torso.

That's why my children won't ride without a booster until the lap belt fits low on the hips (not on the tummy), the shoulder belt sits across the middle of the shoulder, they can sit all the way back against the seat, their knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat (to prevent inevitable slouching, which would make the lap belt ride up), and they can stay that way for the entire trip.

4. Know your seat, know your vehicle.
Read the manuals. Really. They're boring and tedious, but they're also full of extremely important information. You might find that not all the information you need to know is included (for example, if you own a Honda, you won't learn that you have to stop using LATCH when your child weighs 40 pounds), but you'll know more than you did when you started. Maybe you'll learn that you can't use LATCH in the center of your car. Maybe you'll learn that your child restraint can't touch the seat in front of it (check the airbag section). Maybe you'll learn that your car seat has an expiration date, or that you can't have your infant seat's handle up in the car. The manuals are a wealth of information. So read them. For real.

5. Get your seat inspected.
Find a Child Passenger Safety Technician and have them check your installation. Many people think they can just go down to the fire or police station, but the reality is that most public servants are not CPSTs. (That doesn't stop many well meaning firefighters from trying to help, but that can put you in a worse position than when you started.) So make sure whoever is helping you is a certified technician. You can find one near you at the SafeKids website or from this thread at car-seat.org. If you're in Orange County, CA, you can get in touch with Safety in Motion for an appointment or to learn about free events.

Sadly, not all technicians are up-to-date on their information or training. A good technician will make sure you install your seat and are comfortable doing so. They won't pressure you to turn your child forward-facing or move to a booster or seatbelt before he/she is ready. They won't tell you to install your seat in a way that contradicts the instructions. (How will you know that? Read your manuals, remember?)

If you want more information on Child Passenger Safety, these are some great resources:

car-seat.org

carseatblog.com

carseat.org

Have a safe and happy week!

For the world to see

Believe it or not, I'm a very private person. I know, I know: I have a blog. A blog on which I have posted about my belly flab twice in one week.

But truly, I'm selective about what I share with people.

That's why things like this story from my local newspaper horrify me.

A semi hit a trailer/pick-up on the shoulder of a freeway today. That's awful enough, of course (thankfully it sounds like only minor injuries), and things like this are why I'm so passionate about vehicle/passenger safety.

But what makes it more terrible is that the entire contents of that trailer wound up spread all over a freeway. That sucks if you're vacationing, but it sucks if that's your home.

I have wondered about that. What if our fifth wheel is destroyed on the road? Everything would just be hanging out there for everyone to see. Not that I really have anything to hide. But it breaks my heart to think of my kids' stuffed animals lying in a ditch or family photos fluttering down the highway without us.

I suppose it's not much different than the risk anyone takes in having their home uprooted by a tornado...although we'll be subject to that, too, now that I think about it.

Great.

Anyway.

This is an excellent example of why I prefer a fifth wheel/trailer and pickup combo to a motorhome. That trailer is DESTROYED. The truck? Yeah, that's totalled, too, but if you look through the photo gallery you'll see that it was the bed that took the brunt of the crash. The driver suffered minor injuries (it doesn't sound like anyone else was in the truck). I'd hate to think of what would have happened had that been a motorhome instead.

Moving Backwards

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a big stickler for vehicle safety. I'd say that passenger safety is even more important now that we'll be on the road a lot, but honestly, the frequency and duration of trips make little difference.

If parents did only one thing to increase their children's safety in the car, I would hope for them to keep their kids rear-facing as long as possible. This is a brief but excellent video demonstrating the enhanced safety of riding backwards.

Anna is almost 16 months old and will remain rear-facing for at least another two years. She's getting close to outgrowing her current seat (my much-beloved Combi Coccoro), so we'll get a new seat for her soon. Most likely it will be a Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL, which rear-faces to 45 pounds.

Pretty soon it will be rare to find convertible car seats that don't rear-face to at least 40 pounds. Might as well take advantage of that extra time and keep the kiddo facing backwards!

Types of RVs/Showing Some Restraint

Just a warning that this post will consist of two parts information, one part vent.

A long time ago Steve tried explaining the different types of RVs to me, but I never retained the information because I didn't need it. Then I suddenly did need to know the difference so we could decide what kind of RV we wanted.

Learning about them was actually pretty straightforward. There are several different types in two main categories: The kind you drive (Class A and C) or the kind you pull (trailers, fifth wheels).

We ruled out Class A and C right away (more on that in a minute). A slightly harder choice was deciding between a trailer and a fifth wheel. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. With a trailer, we could choose from a greater variety of tow vehicles. With a fifth wheel, we are limited to a pickup truck. On the other hand, because a fifth wheel sits on the bed of the truck, it is more closely coupled to the vehicle than one attached at the bumper, and therefore more stable. Because of the overlap, a fifth wheel offers a little extra space over a trailer of the same length. Despite the fact that we'd need to own a pickup, the overall benefits of a fifth wheel won out for me.

Now as to why we decided against a motorhome. First, they seem impractical to me. Unless you want to unhook your water and electric, slide in the slide-outs, and secure everything every time you need to run an errand, you're going to have to tow another vehicle. That means you have to maintain two engines, two drivetrains, etc.

The second reason is safety, which should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Steve or me. Motor homes typically have two seats that are suitable for traveling: the driver's seat and front passenger seat. There may or may not be seatbelts in other locations. Those seatbelts may or may not be bolted to the frame of the vehicle. Those seating locations may or may not be side-facing (a couch) or unobstructed (by a table).

Bottom line: There's unlikely to be anywhere to properly install child restraints or for more than one passenger of any age to ride safely. Also, the risk of being hit by a projectile in a crash increases significantly when you're riding down the highway IN your house.

Whether or not it's legal to ride unrestrained in an RV varies by state, but as we say in the Child Passenger Safety World, "The laws of physics know no boundaries." However, that doesn't stop people from doing it.

Maybe people feel they're protected because of the motorhome's size, but bigger doesn't mean safer. I have seen photos of a Class A crash, and it wasn't pretty. Cabinet latches don't hold well when the objects inside fly forward with hundreds of pounds of force.

I witnessed an RV crash once. Well, the aftermath of it. I was driving across the country with my mom. We were pulling off at an exit to get something to eat and I noticed a pickup with a fifth wheel driving by. When we got back on the highway traffic was stopped. We inched along, and about a mile later came to the culprit: The same fifth wheel and truck, lying on their sides at the bottom of a small embankment.

I don't know how many people were involved or what their outcomes were. What I do know is that although the truck and the trailer had both overturned, I would much rather be in the truck, properly secured, than free-floating in the trailer.

And this is where my vent comes in.

Just the other day Steve and I watched an RV Show on HGTV, and a dad they talked to really liked a fifth wheel, but settled on a Class A (or maybe C) because he didn't want his girls to be confined to the pickup while they were traveling. I have also been reading some message boards and blogs with posts from mothers who see it as an advantage to let their kids run around while the vehicle is moving.

The strange thing is that many of the parents who enjoy motor homes for their going-down-the-road freedom seem to also be the types who eat all organic (so little Bobby doesn't ingest any chemicals), clean with vinegar (so little Bobby doesn't inhale any fumes), eschew plastic toys (phthalates!), and ban TV (brain rot). Yet they see no problem with walking around a several-ton vehicle barreling down a highway at 60 mph.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not the World's Greatest Mom, nor do I play one on TV. I also don't blame parents for going natural/organic. It just seems that if you're going to protect your kids from artificial sweeteners, you might also want to protect them from the number-one cause of accidental death.

I have heard that lax attitudes about child passenger safety are common among RVers. (In fairness, they're common among the general population, too.) I'm sure we'll run into a lot of people who travel unrestrained and with unrestrained children. I don't like to give unsolicited advice because it is usually not well received, and frankly, it's none of my business. So I'll just bite my tongue and cross my fingers.