Posts Tagged ‘parents’

Safety Tips When Buying Baby Car Seats

14th June 2011 by Babies No Comments


It is a parent’s responsibility to keep their child safely buckled in when traveling down the road. The problem is that most parents don’t understand a lot about car seats, and usually by the one that is the least expensive, and the easiest to deal with. The thing to ask yourself is if this is a product you really want to protect you child in the event of a vehicle accident.

When you first start doing your research we recommend addressing the basic safety issues. You need a baby car seat that can connect the seat belt securely. The right choice will come with a LATCH system or Lower Anchor and Tether for Children. This is the system that fastens the car seat to your car. Without it your child won’t be as stable as you might think, even if the regular seat belt is being used.

The best baby car seats out there also come with a Versa Tether Energy Absorbing system. It’s what holds your baby in place in case there is a sudden stop. In fact, it’s built to keep the baby seat from moving anymore than six inches. A good example would be the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat. If you have a LATCH system this is usually an integrated part.

Sometimes the force of an accident can be enough to jolt your child, which is where EPS foam comes into play. It’s something also used in bicycle helmets, so if something unexpected does occur, the force of the crash will divert away from your child. While this was created to provide a forgiving barrier between your baby and any hard surface, the HUGS harness also prevents any type of movement. So if you get hit from behind or from the side, both of these will be extremely helpful.

However, all this is great, but one of the most important safety aspects of a car seat is the safety harness. A child seat safety harness should be a five point system, completely securing you child in the seat, and form fitting so they have a range of motion, but are not able to get out of it on their own. Graco Nautilus has a good review on this. It should also securely latch down to the seat itself, with the latch out of their reach.

There are other things you need to also consider when it comes to baby car seats as well. You want a car seat that has plenty of cushioning so your child is comfortable, one that is easy to keep clean such as the Graco Nautilus Car Seat. The cushioning should be able to be removed and tossed in the washer when it gets dirty, and the body of the seat should be easy to wipe down. With how long a child is required to be in a safety seat, some of the best products are three in one seats. These change from a rear facing baby seat, to front facing, and grow as your child does. The full seat transforms into a booster seat, and will support and secure your child until they are completely able to fit a regular seat belt.

Each one of these benefits will be extremely important, but we understand you might be on a budget. If this is the case; don’t ever sacrifice quality for price. It’s well worth the extra money upfront because the baby car seat will last longer. We would also recommend NOT purchasing a cheap car seat or even a used one. The structural integrity just isn’t the same, and you could end up going through several baby car seats in the process. So if you’re in need of a car seat for your baby, expect to pay $100 to $200. It will be worth every penny.

Taking Paternity Leave Can Be Beneficial To Both Dad And Baby

10th August 2010 by Babies No Comments


Paternity leave is when a father-to-be takes a break from work upon the birth of their youngster. Although, there it is allowed for fathers to make the most of this, the said leave is seldom paid. The state of California was the first state to offer a paid paternity leave in 2004.

The British government has approved a paid leave, giving fathers about $200 a week while on a paternity leave. Other countries like Sweden, Japan, Finland, Greece, Australia, France Spain, Blegium, Germany, Ireland and Norway are offering parental leave advantages. Although, in the United States, paternity leave is not paid, a lot of fathers are still taking break day and vacation when their baby is born.

Actually, not all fathers are conscious that their establishment or company is offering paternity leave. As reported by Monster Intelligence Father’s Day Survey, about 31% of fathers know about such work benefit. From that small percentage, only more than half of them or 58% actually used it.

In a survey by the Families and Work Institute in 2005, only 13% of employers provide paid paternity leave in the United States. This maybe considered backward in comparison to other developed countries who are offering paid paternity leave. Take Italy as an example, fathers might have a leave for three months which still allows them to take about 80% of their salary.

Paternity leave is in reality mandated by the law. As reported by the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), a father of a new child, whether adopted or foster, could take an unpaid leave of not more than twelve weeks. After the twelve weeks, there ought to be no problems returning with your livelihood. The employer must allow you to retain your role, salary, advantages, and work seniority.

Even so, not everybody could capitalize of this job-protected paternity leave. You could usually advantage of this is you have worked with the company you work for for at least 12 months or 1,250 hours. The paternity leave also applies if you work for a local or state federal government or any company that has more than 50 employees.

Companies can likewise have their own regulations about paternity leave. For example, there are a few businesses that refuse such benefit for staff members who have crucial role in the firm and people who are an area of the 10% highest earning employees in the firm. Except for that, having your partner or wife working in the same company may also impact your parental privileges. The best thing to do is to coordinate with the workers department about the benefit.

What do you get with spending time with your new baby?

Fathers who have taken advantaged of the paternity leave would say that the experience was outstanding. Taking a few days off from work to bond with the newborn child and the household, helps a father reconnect with a man’s commitment to his family.

A lot of reasons give to a father’s refusal or inability to be with their child early in their lives, like losing their income. There are parents who cannot extend their leaves due to the family’s economic situation. That is aside from that fact that some fathers on a paternity leave would often find themselves scrutinized by some of their fellow workers.

But it is beyond that, paternity leaves will both help the father and the child. It is just a matter of creating the government and likewise the public to understand that.

 

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