Archives for 2019

Mid-Island is neither down nor out today after their first loss of the season broke an impressive 17-win streak.

In a heart-wrenching defeat, the team lost 10-0 to Hawaii last night. The west team managed the first grand slam of the series in the first inning, setting a grim tone for the rest of the game.

Tonight’s elimination game against Georgia will determine whether they face Hawaii again Saturday for the U.S. championship title. You can watch it live on ESPN at 7pm.

Andrea Bruno, mom of the team’s star pitcher Gregory Bruno, chalked up the loss to just a bad day.

“They were definitely off. My only assumption is that they were intimidated by the team they were playing. My son wasn’t himself at all. The fact that he wasn’t able to pitch must have gotten in his head and it took away his spirits.”

Little League rules restrict a player from pitching in three consecutive games. According to Mrs. Bruno, Gregory can’t wait to be back on the mound for Saturday’s game against Hawaii if they win tonight.

Despite last night’s curveball, morale is up for Staten Island’s youngest celebrity baseball players.

Mrs. Bruno says the boys are totally ready to play tonight. “They had an off day, but it’s a new day today. We’re hitting the reset button, and coming back out to play. If we play the game the way we play, then we definitely have a shot.”

Coach Joe Calabrese likely feels the same. “Our coach never has doubts. They’re talented boys, they’re a good team, and he knows they can win,” Mrs. Bruno said.

They’ve got all of Staten Island behind them and an angel in the outfield too—the coach’s late brother, John Calabrese, to whom the team chose to dedicate the entire season.

A little optimism goes a long way, so be sure to show Mid-Island we believe in them by signing our Congratulations Card here. Our goal is to get at least 1,000 signatures to show these amazing boys that ALL of Staten Island is pulling for them. They are making us proud— let’s return the favor. Sign the card here.

If you’d like to donate to the team to help the families with expenses, you can link to their Go Fund Me page here. Be sure to share the page with other Mid-Island supporters.

LET’S GO MID-ISLAND!!!!!!!

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It may be a bittersweet arrival, but the Mid-Island team will be back in Staten Island today. A 2018 Little League World Series win slipped through their fingers last night after a heartbreaking loss to Georgia. The team was just one game away from the U.S. Championship Saturday.

But the glass remains half full. They represented the entire Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and put up an unbelievable fight. Everyone is proud of their accomplishments. We hope they are just as proud of themselves.

The boys will be back at Mid-Island today and all supporters are encouraged to come greet the team at 4pm on the field. Congratulate this amazing team in person, along with their coach and families. Give them the welcome they truly deserve!

You can also sign our Congratulations Card to Mid-Island showing the names and well-wishes of their many supporters in Staten Island. Amongst the many wishes of luck and congratulations, here’s what just a few of our readers had to say to the team:

“So proud of you boys. The Memories you will have from this Amazing Accomplishment will last you a lifetime . Take a bow you all deserve it!” — Melissa Sebastiano

“So proud of all of you boys! Remember to have fun! This is a memory you will have forever !! Cherish every moment!” — Kristina McAnuff

“Congrats Mid-Island. You are the pride of Staten Island. Greg Bruno, St. Rita School is ecstatic & is loudly cheering.” — Leslie Andes

“Way to go mid island LL!!! Amazing job! You guys play together as a TEAM, worked together as TEAM, and won as a TEAM. Awesome sportsmanship showed.” — Richmondtown Diamonds Soccer Team

“Way to go guys. You make Staten Island proud. You’ll have a lot to be proud of when you go back to school in September.” — Florine Klein

“We were at the game on Sunday morning & you did well & showed a lot of class! Thank you for all your hard work! We are very proud of all of you!!!” — Maureen Beahan

Sign our card with your own message for Mid-Island and be sure to welcome them home on the field today at 4pm to say congratulations on an amazing season!

By Jeannine Cintron
Friday, August 24, 2018

They say it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. Well, Mid-Island Little League played their hearts out this season and they are all winners to us! As the Mid-Atlantic Regional Champions, and coming just one game short of competing for the U.S. Championship title, this team of 12- & 13-year-old baseball players should be beyond proud of their impressive accomplishments. We know we’re proud!

And so is Staten Island. Last week we called on the community and fellow Mid-Island fans to sign our card to the team wishing them luck and congratulations on their run in the 2018 Little League World Series. We received an outpouring of support for these talented boys, with almost 300 supporters stepping up to show their love for Mid-Island. Check out their messages below, which they sent throughout the series.

Proud of you. All of you did an outstanding job
Lourdes & Amani Golden

Congratulations!!! Such a tremendous accomplishment at a young age!! Wish you all the best of luck in your future and baseball careers!!!
Angela Fasanella

So proud of you boys. The memories you will have from this amazing accomplishment will last you a lifetime. Take a bow you all deserve it!
Melissa, Sarah, & Annie Sebastiano and Brian Wecker

Way to go MILL you guys rock!! Congratulations and good luck. SI is very proud of you and we’re all rooting for you.
Carol Musante

You can do it!
Sharon, Rob & Evan Healy

Best Wishes!!
Sandy, Rob, Bobby, Nick & Olivia at Snug Harbor Little League

Way to go guys. You make Staten Island proud. Hope you go all the way. You’ll have a lot to be proud of when you go back to school in sept. Good luck!
Florine Klein

Good luck boys!! You’re already Champions to SI!!
Cipriano Family

Good Luck!
Sharon Deen

Best of luck Mid Island. You got this. We wish you luck and congratulations to all. You are awesome Staten Island boys.
Mirabella Martial Arts Taekwondo Bella; Master Robert Mirabella, Jennifer and Vincent

Good Luck! We on Staten Island are rooting for you guys … Bring it home baby!
Shannon & Darren Mcdonnell & Selena Washington

So proud of all of you boys-best of luck to you! Remember to have fun! This is a memory you will have forever!! Cherish every moment!
Kristina McAnuff

So proud of all of you!!!!! Congratulations to all of you and your families!!!!!! We love you Gregory Bruno!!!!!
Lisa Capotosto

Congratulations to the Mid-Island Little League!!!! We are all so proud of your accomplishments!!! Go Staten Island!!
Jimmy, Lori, Lisa, John & Kayla Bosco

Keep making us proud boys. Good luck!
Vanessa, Daniel, Jack, & Kane Sherlock

Go team go!
Cathy Bannon & Family

Way to go boys!!! You continue to make Staten Island Proud!
Lisa, Dave, Anthony, Sophia, & Nicholas Cormier

Good luck. You are already champions in our hearts.
Nancyann, Steve & Kara Toth

Way to go boys! Great job coaches!
Maria Garcia, Omar, Aaron & Mia Artsen

Good luck boys! No matter win or lose you guys did amazing!
Tamiann Serafino, Joseph & Salvatore Vivona

Good luck Boys!!
Athena Wigren

Congrats boys!! What an accomplishment!! Keep up the great work!!! Let’s go Mid-Island!
Jennifer, Kj and Eva Morales

Way to go mid island LL !!! Amazing job !! You guys play together as a TEAM, worked together as TEAM, and won as a TEAM! Awesome sportsmanship showed.
Melanie Loock & Richmondtown Diamonds Soccer Team

Best of luck boys you got this I’ll be watching!
Annette Esposito

Let’s go Mendez win dis
Ricardo Diaz

Boys keep doing what you’re doing and win, win, win! Let’s go Mid Island!!!
Marissa, Arch, Alex, Ashlee, Axton & Ayvaree DePietro

Go get ‘em boys! We’re all rooting for you!
Denise Moley, John, Alexa, Jenna, Keira, Johnny Boy, Laila & Gizmo

We were at the game on Sunday morning & you did well & showed a lot of class!
Thank you for all your hard work! We are very proud of all of you!!!
Maureen & Bob Beahan

Great job boys! You’ve been such a positive representation of Staten Island!
Congratulations! We are rooting for you!!!
Nicole, Michael & Jaxson Thornton

Congratulations!!!
Peter, Melissa, Anthony, Ella, Evan & Charlotte Furtaw

Good Luck Boys!
Patti Ann, Thomas, & Sammi Mazzella

The Boys of summer good luck!!! You are making Staten Island proud. We are behind you all the way.
Keri O’Brien Marrocco & Ralph, Ashley, Amanda and Addison

Good luck boys! You have made Staten Island so proud. Keep doing your thing. Summer of a lifetime!
Kristy, Dave, Justin, Jake, Joseph Levine

#LGMILL!!
Diane, Matthew, Luisa, Sofia & Elsa Heinz, Steve, Jen, & Henry Desteoglu, Brendan & Jaclyn Heinz

We wish you all the best of luck!!! Regardless the outcome, you’ve made us all so proud!!!!
Joan, James, Jocelyn & Margaret Porto

Go get em’ boys! We are so proud of you. Go get em’ boys! We are so proud of you.
Dana, Phil, Philip & Andrew, Parisi

So proud of all the boys!
Deborah, Thomas and Tom Sherman

Congratulations to an outstanding & talented team! You all represented Staten Island proudly! Great job Coach Calabrese!”
Angela Edwards

Good luck to our Mid Island Little League! You make Staten Island proud.
McGrade Family

Go Boys!!
Michelle Granucci

You have made us all proud! Have a great time at the Little League World Series!
Barbara Dee-Lago & Leinard, Tara, and Joaquin

Congratulations on your success thus far and good luck with your upcoming games!! Staten Island is cheering you on!!
Maureen Minielli

Good luck boys!!
Marisa, Dylan & Andrew Spinosa

You boys played your hearts out and made us EXTREMELY PROUD!!!!!!!!!!
Harold, Jen, Emma and Hope Vargas

Way to Go Mid-Island!!! What an awesome experience. Good Luck…
Lisa Maurentt, Anthony J. & Amber M. Ortiz

Bring it home Mid Island!!! You Got This!! Win or Lose we are ALL so proud of you!
Walter Family

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!
Josephine Viglione

Congratulations to Mid-Island on an AMAZING season!
Jeannine, Mike, Delilah, & Mikey Cintron

Congrats to Mid-Island! Great job!
Michelle, Steve, Mila & Massimo Yannaco

Fantastic work, boys! Go Mid-Island!
Roselle Farina-Hecht & Fred Hecht

Congratulations!! What a great team!!
Michael & Nicole Benedicks

Go Mid Island! So Proud of how far you you came this far! Go all the way!!
Deani, Gary, Elexa and Louis Tames

Congratulations!!! You got this!! Stay focused!
Kathleen Laperuta

Congrats Mid-Island. You are the pride of Staten Island. We wish you the best of luck! Greg Bruno, St. Rita School is ecstatic & is loudly cheering.
Leslie Andes

Good luck boys go get get them bring home the trophy.
Kim, Stevie, Michael, and Kaitlyn Santoriello

Good Luck to Coach Joe and all the boys…you’re already winners to us!!
Lynn Jakubauskas

Good luck Joe Cal, coaches and team…M.I.L.L.
Nick Velluzzi

So proud of you. What teamwork. Go Mid Island.
Grace Ross

Good luck boys!!
Kari & Genevieve Venosa Gervais

Congratulations to Mid Island LL! Way to represent Staten Island!
John, Krystal, Rose, Lilianna, Jazmine Cronin

We are all so proud of you already!! Way to go!! Best of luck tonight! Special shout out to Puglisi!! We will be watching and cheering you all on!!
Jennifer Cohen & Family

Great job boys!!! Good luck going forward. Staten Island is proud of you!
Ryan, Talia, Alexis & Aubrey Vautrinot

Congratulations! We are so proud of you!
Anastasia Papasmiris

Way to go team!!! We are so very proud of you!!! Keep reaching for the stars because you all are winners!!!
Danna Curcio

We’re rooting for you every step of the way! Bring home the W boys!
Alluring Eyez Optical: Gina & Nicole Curcio

Good Luck MILL! You Got This!!
Pete, Cindie, Pam, George, Anna & Vas Tsetsakos

Good luck boys! We are rooting for you to go all the way! You boys deserve it!
Nicole, Ron, Alyssa and Vincent Watson

Wishing you the best of luck from Florida!
Marian Croke

Good Job!
Donna Jefferson

Good luck to Mid Island Little League!! You got this and you make us proud!!!”
Rick, Janet, Ricky, Danielle, Matthew Keeler

Congrats on your Championship run!
Richie & Helene DeNitto

Good Luck tonight boys! You got this!! it is so great watching you boys play!!! Bring it all home!
Caren, Jason, Nicole, Jordan Cooper

Best of luck to all of you!!
Lisa, Joe, Angelo & Francesca Bono

Good luck!
Dayna Weisman

We all love watching you boys play … making Staten Island proud!
Randi, Mike, Alyssa, Ashley, Justin and Sean Nelson

Good luck boys!!!! Special shout out to Logan Castellano!!!!
Nikki, Jamari & Leilani Cortez

Wish you guys the best of luck! I hope to see you guys go all the way!! We will be rooting!
Courtney, John, Johnny, and Justin Tanzi

Good luck everyone!
Blerona Sela

Great job. Staten islanders are so proud of you all.
Joan Weistreich

Good Luck!
Nicole Fiumara

Ali, John, Jordyn and Jason Gallo
Great job boys! You are making this whole Island so proud!! Good luck and have fun!!
Ali, John, Jordyn and Jason Gallo

Go get ‘em boys! We are all rooting for you!!! You got this!
Audrey, Mike, Lily and Amelia Giambrone

Congratulations on making it as far as you have! Now bring it home. GO MID-ISLAND!!
Michael Antonio

Best of luck from the Arnold family and congratulations on all your hard work to get here!
Kirsten Arnold

Good luck boys we’re sooo proud!
Michele, Mike, Jess, Michael and Gabrielle Petrizzi

Best of luck
Anonymous

CONGRATULATIONS Mid-Island Little League, Coaches and Parents! You have made Staten Island PROUD!
Anonymous

Go Boys go!!
Anonymous

Good luck! watched you guys practice early June and told anyone who would listen this team is serious !! Best of luck.
Anonymous

Shout-out to Mid-Island Little League. GOOD LUCK. WE GOT THIS!!
Anonymous

We are so proud of your accomplishments and hard work!! Go get um boys!! We are rooting you on and can’t wait to see you play!!!
Anonymous

We are so proud that you are representing the best of Staten Island! You are all winners!
Anonymous

Congratulations from:
Evelyn Cardona
Michele Cirminiello and Anthony & Matthew Mucciariello
Rob Scott
David Miller
Ella Gomberg
Barbara Pollio
Diane Greaves
Kelley Wright
Leigh Ann, Emma-Leigh, Allison & Nicholas Cario
Tracy Piscopo
Jodi & Vincent Fatto
Janine & Steve Mule
Ilene Cohen

With the kids about to return to school, it’s your last unofficial week of summer. What will your family do to end off your summer in style? Here’s our list of ideas for this week!

Thursday, August 30
Back-to-School Shopping
With less than a week left until the big day, it’s time to make sure you are prepared. School supplies, backpacks, lunch boxes, first day outfits — all of it. It’s probably a good idea to start enforcing an earlier bedtime to prepare for the mornings ahead. Read more tips on starting the school year stress-free here.

Friday, August 31
Go Fly a Kite
Now that you’ve gotten back-to-school shopping out of the way, go have a little outdoor fun. Head to the beach or local park with your kite and enjoy! You can even make your own kite first. Not into kites? Bring a drone or remote controlled car to the park instead and let loose!

Saturday, September 1
Special Trip Saturday: Apple Picking
It’s officially September! Take your family apple picking to celebrate fall early. Here’s a list of apple-picking farms nearby.  Then turn them into a delicious dessert or refreshing drink with these apple recipes.

Sunday, September 2
Richmond County Fair
The Annual Richmond County Fair features family fun and entertainment for all ages. Check out circus performers, crafts and rides for the kids, live music, plenty of eats, and contests demonstrating all the fairground favorites! The fair takes place Saturday, September 1 through Monday, September 3. through. Click here for more info.

Monday, September 3
Day Trip Bucket List
It’s your last weekend of the summer, unofficially. Make it a memorable one! Peruse our list of 62 Day Trip Ideas near Staten Island and check off the ones you didn’t get to do this summer. Then pick one and have fun!

Tuesday, September 4
S.I. Parent Signup Day
We know, we know. We’re a little biased on this one. And we might have mentioned it last week. But can you blame us? We just don’t want you to miss out!
• Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get the scoop on the weekend’s best events, enter the coolest giveaways, get the hottest deals from local businesses, and much more.
• Join our Birthday Club and get ten FREE tokens at Fun Station for your birthday! Plus we’ll give you birthday shout-out in the magazine during your special month.
• New addition to the family? Announce it in the magazine!
• Enter this month’s contest

Wednesday, September 5
First Day of School
Good luck to all of the kids going back to school! Be sure to share those awesome pics with us by posting to our Facebook page or tagging us on Instagram!

Clutter is a fact of life for most parents. One mom offers tips for taming the mess and getting your home in order.

Let’s be honest: When you have kids, you accumulate an abundance of stuff. From products to soothe and comfort them as babies to itty bitty figures and the countless toy houses that go with them when they’re a little older, it can get really tough to tackle clutter. While I can be the queen of messes, sometimes I go on epic decluttering sprees that leave me feeling much more sane and in charge of my surroundings-even if neither of those things is actually true.

In the spirit of helping a mother out and making you feel more sane and in charge, I’m sharing eight super-simple organization tricks that my sister and I swear by.

Hack #1: Baskets

In my house, there are baskets everywhere. We have shelves filled with them. They’re in our cabinets and under side tables. They’re next to my girls’ desks and all over our basement. The
reason? They offer an incredibly easy way to contain similar items and hide things that look messy.

Toys are sorted into different categories and the baskets are put onto our shelves. Things my daughters need to put away are in baskets next to their desks. Smaller baskets hold like food items to make it easier to grab and go. And I love the look of nice, cozy blankets stored in a basket instead of haphazardly strewn over chairs. Baskets can also be a great way to store puzzles and card games, which brings me to our next hack…

Hack #2: Storing Board Games

I won’t lie to you–our board game situation was the bane of my existence for a while. I cringed any time one of the girls asked to play a game because I knew that getting a board game out was going to require some serious Tetris skills and would more likely than not end with me getting hit in the head with flying game pieces.

That is until I made the (brilliant) decision to store all of our board games sideways instead of lying them flat and on top of one another. This way, when someone wants to play a game, all you have to do is slide it out of its slot. There’s no delicate balancing act or cursing or crawling on the floor looking for tiny pieces. Pro tip: You might want to secure boxes with a rubber band if you store them this way to make sure the tops don’t slide off.

Hack #3 Kids Dress Up Outfits

I don’t know about you, but I’m a saver. If I think my kids will get use out of it, it stays. That means we have a ragtag collection of old Halloween costumes, party props, and dress up clothes exploding all over the place. While I’ve yet to tackle our mess, I absolutely love how
my sister organized my niece’s dress up.

With nothing more than a hanging rod and a shelf, not only does her dress up look nice, but it’s organized in a way that’s manageable for my niece and makes choosing things much less overwhelming than digging through an enormous mound (which is our current situation). The baskets up top keep all of the loose accessories together and out of view.

Hack #4: Food Containers for Craft Supplies

Like dress up, craft supplies are another area that gets unruly really quickly. For one, I’m kind of a craft supply hoarder. Aside from typical things such as crayons, markers, and glue, I keep an assortment of things that may otherwise have found their way into the garbage. I love seeing
what creative ways my daughters find to use things such as bottle caps or a pair of jeans that got too tattered to wear anymore. (The jeans were turned into a pretty cool throw pillow by my tween.)

The problem? With so many random things on hand, it can be difficult to corral them and then store everything neatly–until my repurposed craft supplies inspired me to repurpose containers to hold them in.

Now I clean and save takeout containers or any other plastic containers our food comes in (hummus containers, for instance, are a great size for holding tiny beads) and store craft supplies in those. Not only is it cheap and eco-friendly, but it keeps things contained and makes it easier to stack them inside our craft closet.

Hack #5: Pill Organizer for Hair Ties

Another kids organization problem always making me crazy is hair ties–especially the teensy, tiny hair ties required for babies’ fine hair and for securing small braids and ponytails. They’re so small they’re hard to keep track of to begin with. Add in varying sizes and kids who get very specific about what color is allowed to grace their head each day and you have yourself a situation that can easily suck up more of your precious morning time than you’d like.

Pill organizers have completely changed that for me. The small compartments are the perfect size for sorting hair ties of different colors, sizes, and materials. It makes it easier to find what you’re looking for and helps limit choices if your daughter has to pick them out herself.

It’s essential to note that, obviously, this is not a great idea if you regularly use pill organizers for actual medicine. I wouldn’t want my daughter feeling comfortable sorting through one for hair ties if there were organizers elsewhere in the house containing medicine that she might find and feel free to explore.

Hack #6: Shoeboxes for Storage

This one is similar to baskets, but it’s a free, eco-friendly version for spots that don’t need to look pretty. You can, however, make them pretty if you need to with a coat of paint or some scrapbook paper.

My kids’ dressers always drive me crazy. They’re constantly digging and pulling things out of there so that it becomes impossible to find anything really quickly. To combat that, I’ve started using shoeboxes to keep smaller items together. I fill open shoeboxes with underwear, socks, tights, and bathing suits to make them easier to find. I can’t even tell you how much time this one little tip saves me.

I also use shoeboxes for crayons, markers, colored pencils, and stickers. It’s so much easier than trying to keep them in the boxes they typically come in. My girls generally destroy those pretty quickly.

Hack #7: Toilet Paper Tubes for Cords

I realize this one sounds a little insane at first, but hear me out. We had tangled messes of power cords and wires for all of our technological devices spread all over the house. My husband solved the tangling problem with Velcro strips, which at least helped tame them into little circles. But there was still the problem of having cords all over the house and constantly being unsure of where to find the particular one we needed.

Enter toilet paper tube organization! Once the cords are wrapped into tight circles and secured with Velcro, they fit perfectly into toilet paper tubes-which fit nicely into shoeboxes. Now, we line up toilet paper tubes inside of a shoebox (which is so easy to tuck into cabinets and out of sight) and store a cord in each tube.

Pro tip: Use washi tape to make labels for each of your cords to make finding them even easier.

Hack #8: Wine Crates for Storage

Sometimes it’s nice to switch things up a bit. My sister scored a bunch of wine crates for free at a local liquor store. Like baskets and shoeboxes, they are a great way to contain things, but they add a kind of visual feel. While baskets can almost melt into the background and go unnoticed, wine crates are a little unexpected and add a cool touch. They’re also nice and sturdy, which comes in handy if little people are going to be sorting through them.

By Jennifer Garry, a freelance writer and Westchester mom. She writes the blog CuddlesandChaos.com.

The proper car seat and installation can save your child’s life.

Car seat regulations are hard to keep up with and manage, especially because they are constantly changing and are different state to state. Keep this checklist, compiled with the help of Shane Bland, certified car seat safety technician through Safe Kids Worldwide Westchester, and Greg Durocher, CEO and child passenger safety technician instructor at Safe Ride 4 Kids, on your fridge, in your glove compartment, in your purse, or wherever you will remember to reference it for properly purchasing, installing, and putting your child in a car seat.

Don’t neglect the owner’s manual!

We live in a world where we constantly check the Internet for everything. Resist that urge when it comes to car seats. The first thing you should do when purchasing a car seat is thoroughly read the owner’s manual, according to Bland, who is also the manager of Gymboree Play Music Center in Scarsdale. If you have questions, check the owner’s manual. If they still aren’t answered, check the FAQ section on the manufacturer’s website.

Safe Kids Westchester is led by Ardlsey Police Department and provides staff and resources to assist in keeping children safe through programs including car-seat checkups, safety workshops, and sports clinics.

Location is everything

The safest spot in the car for a child in a car seat is the middle rear spot, according to Durocher, who, before coming a child passenger safety technician, was a paramedic. This location protects the child the most from an impact on any point of the vehicle because it is the farthest from the left, right, front, and back of the car.

“Safety is about putting the odds in your favor and looking at the real risk exposure,” Durocher says. “How do we mitigate as many risks as we can?”

Safe Ride 4 Kids is a team of child passenger safety technicians who empower parents to keep children safe while driving.

If you have two car seats, the rule of thumb is to put the youngest child closest to the driver so the driver does not have any trouble getting the child out of the car, and an older child can exit the car on his own on the curbside away from traffic, according to Bland.

Face the trunk for as long as possible

At Safe Kids Worldwide, the recommendation is to keep your child rear facing for as long as she can fit that way comfortably. The purpose of a rear-facing car seat is to allow the car seat to act as a shell in the case of a forward-facing crash, according to Bland. When a car is hit from behind, which is the most frequent kind of crash, the child will be propelled toward the front of the car regardless of which way he is facing. If the child is facing the trunk, he will be propelled into the car seat, which will protect him, rather than into the seatbelt, which will give him whiplash. The seat will protect the head and spine of the child.

Like milk, car seats expire

Each manufacturer will place an expiration date on a child safety seat, which is normally around six years. While passing down a car seat can save money, make sure it is still safe to use.

Be cognizant of recalls

When purchasing a car seat, check for recalls on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, nhsta.gov. While NHSTA issues recalls, it does not certify car seats, the federal government issues crash test performance criteria and each manufacturer crash tests its own products in accordance to this criterion. The manufacturer will then certify the product on its own website.

Seat security

After you install a car seat, it should move no more than 1 inch in each direction. This is measured at the seatbelt buckle, in other words at the child’s feet when rear facing and at the child’s bottom when forward facing. This test can be performed by shaking the seat ‘with the strength of a firm handshake,’ according to Durocher.

Proper buckling

In a rear-facing, five-point harness car seat, the hole where the strap goes through on the back of the car seat should be at or below the child’s shoulders, according to Durocher. In a forward-facing, five-point harness car seat, the loop should be at or above the child’s shoulders. The difference is, in a forward car crash, a forward-facing child will lean into the seatbelt when it is higher up rather than having it compress their spine. If the child is rear facing, a lower seatbelt prevents the child from sliding up the back of the car seat.

When determining how tight a harness should be, perform the pinch test. If you can pinch the webbing, but not enough that the straps completely touch each other, the straps are secured properly.

“The straps should be ‘snug as a hug,’” Durocher says.

Five-step test

When determining whether or not your child still needs a booster seat, you should perform the five-step test as referred to by the National Highway Safety and Traffic Administration.

• Make sure your child’s back is touching the back of the seat.
• Do her feet touch the floor?
• Do her knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat?
• Does the seat belt cross the shoulder and the lap belt sit low on the hips?
• Can the child stay seated, comfortably, this way for the entire duration of the trip?

While many parents think the defining moment to take a child out of a booster seat is only his height, you still must determine that the child passes each of the steps above, despite his height. The ultimate goal is not a certain height, but rather proper seatbelt positioning, according to Durocher.

“Seatbelts are not designed for children under four-foot-nine and do not protect your young child on their own,” Bland says. “The booster seat ensures that the seatbelt is placed appropriately on the shoulder and the lap belt sits comfortably on the hipbones.”

From MommyBites.com