Top Toddler Parenting Myths
Friday, December 01, 2006
Enoch Choi
1) You can adequately install a child car seat yourself
Don't, get someone certified to do so. A certified installer may be available at your local police station, but due to budgetary cutbacks many of these have been cancelled. Your local children's hospital often has a program (Stanford has one). The NHTSA keeps a installation website, that's not very complete, so check with your local parents club or mothers club.
2) Kids accept the tightness of the restraint belt
2 fingers under belt is as loose as it should be, can you believe it!?!? If you've ever tried to put squirelly toddlers into a car seat, you know that the first thing as you try to tighten the belt is their yell: "too tight!" My recommendation is to start 'em young. Try to get them used to a snug belt from the get go, and you won't have the fight I have with my daughter, a mistake I didn't repeat with my younger son.
3) Boosters are safe enough for kids over 40 pounds of weight
This is not as safe as a full 5 point harness, as rollover ejection deaths of kids secured in booster seats. LATCH is really important as well, to secure the car seat to anchors that should be connected to the frame of the car's. Also look for seats with it's belts secured to frame of car seat for greatest security. Car seats are available for kids up to 80 pounds, so you can bet I'll have mine in these with 5 point restraints for a bunch of years more.
4) Infants & toddlers can be taught to swim
The AAP recommends no swimming lessons under 4 because of the false security it gives you that your kid can be independent in the water. Yeah, I know, my daughter swam on her own at 2 years of age, but I was there in the pool next to her every second, since I more than once swooped her out sputtering from swallowing a mouthful.
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5 Comments:
At Mon Dec 04, 09:58:00 AM 2006, Angela said…
Thank you for the information on swimming and infants/toddlers. In the last 60's when I was an infant, my parents got me in the water with the thought of teaching me how to swim and I have been terrified of the water ever since!
At Wed Dec 27, 12:30:00 AM 2006, gayathri said…
my daughter who is 23 months old is passing a black stools for few days. but she is very active and normal. since she has cold she has poor appetite . other wise it is normal.
she is drinking pediasure complete with chocolate flavour and is taking 5 ml liprovite multivitamin syrup. i am worried about the cause that makes her stools black.
At Wed Dec 27, 05:05:00 PM 2006, Enoch Choi said…
Gayathri, you need to ask your daughter's pediatrician for advice. I can't provide medical care in this blog. This is a place for health information, not for specific medical advice.
At Thu Dec 28, 09:49:00 PM 2006, kevin said…
My dad put me into the water and I started swimming when I was 18-20 mths. Yes, I did swallowed a few mouthfull of water but it didn't kill me or cause any tummy problem.
I'm a water baby since and I'm going to let my baby girl swim once she start to walk.
At Sat Dec 30, 02:44:00 PM 2006, Enoch Choi said…
Kevin, to be honest, I put my kids in the water as infants as well. But i didn't put them in swimming lessons. I think the AAP's thinking is that some parents are lulled into thinking their kids are safe, but they're really not ready to be alone in the water for a lesson until 4 years old.
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