Guest Blogger: Julia Kirk
With people becoming more health conscious and active, a baby can slow them down. There are options to maintaining that busy lifestyle after birth. You can still go for a daily walk or job and take baby with you. Consider a travel system rather than a stroller and separate car seat option. The only time that baby will have to stay at home with the other parent is during inclement weather. It is also an ideal option as you can transfer baby right into the car from the stroller. Travel systems double as a car seat. The car seat portion easily unlatches from the stroller. Parents can quickly secure baby safely into the backseat of the car.
Pick a Car Seat Travel System that Matches your Lifestyle
Take Baby Everywhere
With a travel system, baby can go everywhere. It’s not a hassle to transfer baby from car seat to stroller since it’s the same unit. All you’ll need to do is secure the car seat portion either to the stroller or into the back seat.
This is a convenience and keeps baby happier. On cranky days, less transferring from seating option to seating option is better. Once baby gets comfortable, it is best to leave him or her be.
An Option that Grows with Baby
Some car seats are made for just one stage of baby’s life. There are three stages that start with newborn and go up to toddler. A car seat, such as the Britax First Class Plus as an example, is one that grows with baby. The ability to adjust the sitting position is plus of a system like this.
Through the three stages of car seating, the overall position that baby should be placed in also changes.
Stage Positions:
- Stage 1 – up to 20 pounds, the position is nearly completely laying on the back
- Stage 2 – from 20 pounds to 40 pounds where the child is sitting up a bit
- Stage 3 – from 40 pounds to 80 pounds is a booster seat option used until age 8
After age 8, children are able to be without any type of seating assistance. They can sit safely in the car with just a seat belt.
A More Convenient Option
The convenience of an all-in-one option that grows with baby is ideal. Busy families don’t have time to fuss with car seats and transferring to strollers for afternoons out.
Unlock the car seat from the stroller, fold up the stroller and store it while you drive. It’s as simple as that. The car seat quickly snaps back into place when it is needed.
This is a big time saver. There are no struggles with a wiggly baby to put the harnessing systems of a stroller and a car seat back in place.
More Budget Friendly
Rather than purchasing a stroller and a car seat, a combination like this is more ideal. Purchasing a specific car seat for each growing stage gets costly too. Consider those that adjust as baby grows into a toddler and beyond.
Budgets are often an issue and require parents to purchase to buy items separately. The ideal option here is to get a travel system that is adjustable. You will be able to see the benefits of spending the extra for quality and longevity very quickly.
Keeping baby safe is the ultimate goal when selecting a car seat or travel system. Comfort and features are also important. It is best to compare several options to see what option has the support you need for baby.
A fun feature to consider is a place to hang a mobile for baby to focus on while traveling. Occupying his or her mind with toys may make for a more peaceful trip.
