For new parents, installing a child’s car seat can be an intimidating prospect. Your child’s safety is on the line, and a small maze of parts and belt loops stands in the way. Even when you finish installing it, a little speck of doubt might sit in the back of your head.
To eliminate that doubt and help parents ensure their child car seats are safely installed, Associated Pediatricians is offering hands-on installation lessons led by nationally certified child passenger safety (CPS) technicians. There are just 38,546 of these experts in the U.S., and Associated Pediatricians employs three on its staff. They walk parents through the installation and confirm that every seat is completely secure.
“Installing car seats is very complex; I always joke with parents that, if you’re not working up a sweat, you’re not doing it right,” said Emily Sibbrell, medical assistant and CPS technician at Associated Pediatricians. “We just want to make sure babies are protected. They’re so innocent and can’t protect themselves. These seats are the safest way to prevent harm.”
One part of the challenge in correctly installing a car seat is the sheer variety of car seats on the market. Every seat works differently, and when you add different cars into the equation, the number of possible combinations skyrockets. Finding comprehensive guides and tutorials can feel intimidating for parents, and CPS technicians like those at Associated Pediatricians can help navigate the challenge.
“One mom might have a standard newborn car seat, while another mom has an entirely different seat, and still another mom has a third completely unique seat – all just a little bit different from each other,” said Melissa Fredenrich, medical receptionist and CPS technician at Associated Pediatricians. “They might share the same concept to keep the baby strapped in nice and tight, but some of the bases are different. Some of the carriers are unique, and that’s just with newborn car seats. There are also toddler car seats, bigger kid car seats, rear facing, forward facing, and booster seats. It can be a lot.”
Training sessions are very straightforward and open to anyone, even families who are not current Associated Pediatricians patients. Parents just need to bring their car, their child seat, and to budget out about an hour of their time for the lesson. Fredenrich did make one request of any parent who makes an appointment, however – read your seat’s manual.
“We know that there are parents out there who have never laid eyes on a car seat – they’ll hand us the box and haven’t even opened it,” she said. “Open that box up, and even if you don’t do anything else, read its manual. A lot of times, it’ll answer your questions. That’s the best thing you can do to get to know your car seat.”
At the appointment, if a child’s seat is already installed, a CPS technician will check that it is properly secured. If a parent is new to the process and wants a full walkthrough, the process will be a bit lengthier. The technician will install the seat in the car and explain the process step-by-step before uninstalling it and allowing each parent to perform the final installation themselves.
“We don’t actually do the final installation,” said Taylor Rish, registered nurse and CPS technician at Associated Pediatricians. “Overall, the parents are the last ones touching the car seats, not us. We’re there to teach and guide them.”
Associated Pediatricians understands the importance of both children’s safety and parents’ peace of mind. Its technicians earned their credentials for exactly those reasons – to help keep children safe and allow parents to drive worry free.
