The month of September is Baby Safety Month and is sponsored annually by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). The JMPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing manufacturers of products for prenatal development all the way to preschoolers and is committed to ensuring product safety, certification, and advocacy for children. JMPA even goes so far to provide a certification seal for products that undergo testing and adhere to specific standards and laws. In honor of baby safety month, we’re sharing our favorite car safety tips for children:
Baby-Proofing
One tip parenting blogs recommend, is crawl around on your hands and knees to see what your baby sees. While this may be difficult to do in your car, be cautious and keep an eye out for lower level items and areas where you may need to clean up. Make sure you never leave your keys in your car, turn on the child-lock for your windows and doors, and always be sure to secure unused seat belts.
Child-Proofing
Even after you initially baby-proof your car, your garage, and your home, remember that over time you should continually update and look for areas to child-proof. As your children grow, they’ll suddenly be able to run, reach, and see more than they could during infancy. Ensuring your driveway is a safe place to play but also to drive and move vehicles is super important. It’s important to teach your children to be aware of moving vehicles and also letting them know if mommy or daddy gets in their car that they need to move off and away from the driveway. Educate them about blind spots - that sometimes the driver of a vehicle might just not see them even though they can see the driver themselves. Also, playing jokes and tricks around cars can also be very dangerous. Having fun in the back seat is always OK, as long as your children understand when and where it is permittable.
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