A car seat is an integral piece of baby gear for every new parent. In fact, babies can’t leave the hospital without one. There are a variety of car seats on the market in many different price ranges. It is important for moms and dads to do the research to find the right car seat for their particular child and needs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be kept in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. States vary with regard to car seat laws, but the AAP recommends that infants don’t move to front facing seats until they are at least 1 year old and weight at least 20 pounds.

There are two types of car seats available for rear-facing seats. Infant seats are small seats that usually have a carrying handle and sometimes come with a base so that when the baby is removed from the car, he doesn’t need to be taken out of the seat. This means parents can buy more than one base for additional cars. This type of seat usually has a 20-30 weight limit depending on the model and cannot be used for forward-facing.

The second type of car seat is the convertible seat which can be used rear-facing and then changed at the appropriate time to forward-facing for the older child. They have higher weight and height limits and can be used for longer periods of time, but don’t come with carrying handles or bases. These seats come with either a 5-point harness system or the overhead tray shield system.

Parents have many choices when it comes to infant car seats. Prices can range from under $100 to well over $400 for a seat with lots of bells and whistles. Parents can do a lot of comparison shopping and become easily overwhelmed with the number of choices. A great resource is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website. It includes helpful comparison charts on safety and ease of use ratings.

It’s also important for caregivers to ensure that the safety seat is properly installed. Even the most expensive seat is useless if it’s not installed properly. Many fire departments have certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians who can help and if not, the NHTSA website has information on how to locate one.

Buying the right infant car seat is one of the most important choices a new parent has to make. Caregivers who are well-informed on the safety standards and the types of seats available are bound to make a good choice.

By: Michael Dinapolis

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When you decide to put a middle name on your child’s birth certificate it is important to choose a name that bodes well together with the first and last name. You may even choose two, three or four middle names if you’re feeling really inspired! The number of middle names usually depends on the parents will, it depends on their culture and last but not least, it depends on the society and country they live in. It is well known that Brazilians (well, South Americans in general) tend to have the longest full names, composed out of a first, last and at least two or three middle ones. Parents can use the same guidelines that they used in choosing the baby’s first name; but in this case they can be more creative. The middle name is hardly ever used; it’s more of an element of uniqueness and often serves as a middle point between the will of the parents and a slightly weird, uncommon name that couldn’t be used as a first.

It’s often the case that parents give their babies middle names similar to famous locations, or even countries. As parents sometimes choose a middle name that represents something meaningful in their life, or something beautiful that they want to always remember, they might choose the location they spent their honeymoon in, or the location where they conceived their baby as his or her middle name. A lot of babies’ middle names got to be Paris, London or York that way.

Country names are also popular in this sense. Some parents went in a spiritual journey in Israel for example and were left with a memorable experience. Therefore, they choose Israel as a middle name for their baby boy. Other popular countries for baby middle names include Holland, France or Italy. They all resonate nicely and also represent beautiful countries.

Another situation is naming your baby after a special person that you love or have a certain feeling of gratitude or respect for, such as a family member, a celebrity, or a friend. Parents can use that person’s name as their baby’s middle name, thus showing them gratitude.

Statistics show that middle names are becoming more popular these days than they were before in the United States, which is why so many people look for a unique and beautiful middle name for their babies. Another interesting thing about choosing baby middle names besides those written above, is the fact that parents can choose more than one middle name. If you and your spouse can’t decide on a single name, you can each choose a middle name for your baby! There’s really no problem in having two middle names and this way both you and your spouse will be happy.

Choosing a first name for your baby is definitely not an easy task. That’s a hard choice and you’ll have to be extremely picky about that first name. Middle names on the other hand tend to be more “fun” to choose, because they offer a bigger freedom of choice. Just make sure everything falls in well together and you don’t get first and middle names that spring cacophonies or are otherwise too hard to pronounce.

By: Fraser Wheaton

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