By Steven W., busy dad and our family blogger

Bringing your first newborn home from the hospital can be a daunting task for new parents. In particular, dealing with car seat installation can be frustrating, at best. Here are some tips to help get you and your car seat prepared.

Before the Big Day

1) Get the car seat, now

You will need a rear-facing infant car seat to take your newborn home from the hospital.
Don’t wait until the last minute to buy it and install it. Get one somewhere around week 30, or sooner.

Steven’s Tip: I recommend getting the type that detaches from the base. That way you can get a sleeping baby out of the car easily, without waking him or her up.

2) Do a dry run of the car seat installation

• First, read through the installation guide to give you an idea on how to install the car seat, but don’t expect everything to be crystal clear. You may want to visit the car seat manufacturer’s website, in hopes that they have a helpful installation video. If your car has LATCH anchor points (and most newer cars do), plan on using them. Otherwise, use the seatbelt method.
• Next, give yourself an unrushed hour to try to install the car seat the first time. After connecting all of the connectors, buckles, and tethers, pull the belts until snug, but do not tighten them. Take a step back and make sure the installation is right, none of the belts or straps are twisted, and give them all a good wiggle and tug.
• After you are convinced everything is right, then start tightening each of the straps. Put a knee on the car seat and lean your weight into it as you tighten the straps. You want it to be snug-fitting installation.

3) Do the final car seat installation

Now evaluate the installation. Does it look right? Do you have any questions? Take a break, and consult the installation guide and website over the next week.

The next weekend you may need to take it completely out, make some adjustments, and install it again. Don’t worry about it, this is why you are starting early! Again, give yourself an hour. (After installing car seats dozens of times, it still takes me 15-20 minutes to put one in!)

TOP TIP: Get an expert opinion.
If you want an expert’s opinion, many states offer car seat evaluation appointments with the highway patrol or at local seat inspection stations.

Eventually your car seat will be all set for the big day, and even if that day arrives a little sooner than planned, you will be ready.

4) Make an Emergency Information card

Make and put an emergency information card on the side of the car seat. A simple 3×5 card with the child’s name and some emergency contact phone numbers will give you peace of mind.

5) Fill out the warranty card

This is the one and only warranty card that I fill out. You want to be the first to be notified if there is a safety recall on the car seat. This happens more often than you would expect.

On the Big Day

6) Bring the car seat into your room, early

Early in the morning on the big day that you will be taking your newborn home from the hospital, take the car seat out of your car and bring it into the hospital room. This shows the nurses that you have the required car seat, but more importantly, the car seat will adjust to room temperature and also give you an opportunity to test fit your newborn.

7) Test fit your newborn

A few hours before you will be checking out of the hospital, put your newborn in the car seat for a test fit. Adjust the straps as necessary for a snug fit, then take your newborn back out.

Now when the big moment arrives to leave the hospital, you will easily be able to put your newborn into the car seat with a minimum of hassle or delay. Congratulations!

The information provided here is not meant to be a substitute for professional advice. These tips are from people who have shared their real life advice; always check with appropriate professionals you trust in making your purchasing or life-related decisions. 

By Steven W., our newest guest blogger and busy father of two

DTAp, MMR, Heb, Hib…

An endless alphabetical parade of immunizations awaits your new baby, for many years to come. Here are some tips for making the first 18 months of shots easier, a time when many new parents may not know what to expect.

1) Make the appointment for a Tuesday, if possible.

Often times a baby will have a normal reaction to immunizations. Rashes, slight fevers, and mild swelling 2 or 3 days after the immunization are all common reactions. However, the new parent may become overly worried by these reactions and want to talk to or see the pediatrician. If the baby gets the shot late in the week, the reactions may not appear until the weekend, and then seeing a doctor can be difficult. It’s best to get the immunizations early in the week, avoiding Mondays which are usually the busiest day at the doctor’s office.

2) Do your homework

Read up on common reactions to the specific immunizations beforehand, and discuss them with your pediatrician at the time of the shots. You will be better prepared to know which reactions are normal, and which are cause for concern.

3) Discuss OTC medications with your pediatrician

Children’s Tylenol or other medication can be useful for controlling mild fever and mild aches/pains after immunizations. Discuss what type of over-the-counter medication you can give your baby, and what dosage, with your pediatrician at the time of the shots.

4) Take it easy before and after the shots

Don’t plan a busy playdate the day before immunizations or a trip out of town the weekend after. Your baby may be extra tired and fussy after getting the shots.

5) Keep track of the immunizations

Don’t give all of the responsibility to the busy doctor’s office. Know what immunizations your child should be getting and when. Your doctor may follow a slightly different schedule, tailored for your child. Recommended immunizations evolve over the years too. Make sure you discuss all immunizations with your pediatrician, and that your child doesn’t miss any.

Thanks Steven for such great tips! Have questions or topic ideas for Steven? Post them in the Comments section below!

Bloggers Marc and Angel have a list of the top ten phone numbers you should have in your cell phone just in case. You just never know when you might need them!

• 10 Handy Numbers to Save in Your Mobile Phone [Marc and Angel via Lifehacker]

Also, this brings to mind another blog post from a while back:

• Four Professionals Everyone Should Keep on Speed Dial

Still in need of additional contact lists to have just in case? Print out these handy emergency contact lists to keep a hard copy of your contact numbers - store them near your landlines at home or at work.

One of my favorite bloggers, Trent of The Simple Dollar, has a great list of 100 little steps you can take to save money. I listed my favorite six tips here - visit his site for the rest!

Car Maintenance

24. Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Plus, cleaning your air filter is easy to do in just a few minutes - just follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go.

61. Air up your tires. For every two PSI that all of your tires are below the recommended level, you lose 1% on your gas mileage. Most car tires are five to ten PSI below the normal level, so that means by just airing up your tires, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 5%. It’s easy, too. Just read your car’s manual to see what the recommended tire pressure is, then head to the gas station. Ask the attendant inside if they have a tire air gauge you can borrow (most of them do, both in urban and rural settings), then stop over by the air pump. Check your tires, then use the pump to fill them up to where they should be. It’s basically free gas!

Identity Theft

35. Remove your credit card numbers from your online accounts. It’s easy to spend online when you have your card information stored in an account - just click and buy. The best way to break this habit is to simply delete your card from the account. That way, when you’re tempted to spend, you’ll be forced to spend the time to dig out your card - and really think about why you’re spending this money. (And it could prevent identity theft!)

Child Care

36. Give a gift of a service instead of an item. For new parents, give an evening of babysitting as a gift. If you know pet owners, offer to take care of their pets when they travel. Offer up some lawn care as a gift to a new homeowner. These are always spectacular gifts for anyone - I know that, as a parent of a toddler and an infant, I love receiving a babysitting gift, probably more than any “stuff” I might receive.

50. Swap babysitting with neighbors.…Try to find another set of parents or two that you trust, and swap nights of babysitting with them. That way, you’ll get occasional evenings free without the cost of a babysitter, saving you some scratch.

Home Inventory

39. Reevaluate the stuff in the rooms in your house. Go into a room and go through every single item in it. Do you really need that item? Are you happy that it’s there, or would you be just fine if it were not? If you can find stuff to get rid of, get rid of it - it just creates clutter and it might have some value to others. You also improve the perceived value of your house - and you’re likely to get a lot of cleaning done in the process. It’s a frugal win-win-win. (While you’re at it, do a home inventory of the stuff you’re keeping!!)

Source: The Simple Dollar

Productivity and frugality blog, WiseBread, has a great post about the top 6 professionals that you should have in your phone’s contact list…just in case. I’ve narrowed their list down to three and added in one extra professional I think you really should have in case of emergencies:

Attorney: Whether it’s a car accident, medical lawsuit or helping you draw up a will or other important document, everyone will probably need or meet with a lawyer at least once in their lifetime. Before something major happens, do the scouting now:

• Nolo.com (this is a commercial site but they have good, basic information on how to find a lawyer and understanding fees)

Doctor: Even if it’s just a cold, having a doctor that you can trust can make the world of difference. Build that relationship now before you feel under the weather:

• Choosing a Primary Care Doctor
• Choosing a Pharmacy and Pharmacist
• Finding the Right Hospital

Insurance Agent: Auto, car, life, medical, home owner’s and rental insurance…doesn’t matter what coverage you’ve got, you’ll need a great agent to get the coverage you need and help you get the most out of your claims.

• Auto Insurance Coverage: What to Ask Your Agent
• Home Owner’s Insurance: What to Ask About Your Coverage
• Purchasing Flood Insurance
• Working With a Claims Adjuster

Mechanic: Let’s face it. Someday (could be tomorrow, could be next year), something in your car will break. You’ll need a great mechanic you can trust to get your car back on the road - and fast. Otherwise, you’ll be back in the shop before you know it.

• Choosing a Mechanic

What professional couldn’t you live without? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below! (Thanks, WiseBread!)

When we think of Halloween, costumes and candy usually pop into mind. However, with all the fun, it’s easy to forget about safety.

Keep your trick-or-treating ghosts, superheroes, princesses and pirates safe with these top tips (read our costume and home safety tips for more info!!):

1. Make sure that a parent or responsible adult will accompany children under an appropriate age (i.e. 12 years or older).
2. Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow.
3. Get to know and learn the names of your children’s friends.
4. Teach children their phone number and address. Remind them about 9-1-1.
5. Review ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’, should their costume catch on fire.
6. Remind them to stay on the sidewalks and walk, don’t run.
7. Remind them to watch for cars, obey traffic signals and look left, right, then left again before crossing the street.
8. Tell children to stay away from animals, houses and people they don’t know. Remind them not to enter a stranger’s home or car for a treat.
9. Tell children to stay in a group.
10. Ask them not to eat any candy until an adult has checked it out. You should throw out any candy that is homemade, unwrapped, or that looks to have been tampered with. When in doubt, throw it out.
11. Agree on a set time that children need to return home.
12. Give each child:
• A white, sturdy bag with reflective tape on it.
• A flashlight with charged batteries.
• A watch they can read.
• Map of planned route they will take.
• A cell phone or quarters/phone card in it (in case they need to call you).
13. Remind them to say ‘Thank You!’ and have fun!

Jenna, our hospital guest blogger, writes: As a child life specialist in the ER, I never quite know what’s going to happen on any given day…especially a holiday. When I worked in the ER last year on Halloween night, I saw several Halloween-related injuries. Among them:

• A boy in a Star Wars costume who had accidentally poked himself in the eye with a plastic light saber
• Another boy with a gash on his knee from tripping on his Superman cape
• A girl who needed stitches on her forehead after tripping and falling on the skirt of her Cinderella dress
• A boy who needed stitches on his chin from crashing into a wall while wearing a Spider-Man mask.

From these injuries that I observed last year, there seemed to be three common “Halloween hazards” for kids in costume:

1) Tripping and falling over some piece of a costume.

• Be careful if your child wears a costume that is overly baggy or contains a cape, cloak, or other long piece of fabric. That costume can be an accident waiting to happen.

2) Masks or other head coverings that obstruct vision.

• It gets dark early at this time of year, so wearing a mask in the dark can lead to a painful collision with an unseen object. Encourage kids to use face paint, glitter, or stickers rather than covering their face with masks.

3) Weapons such as swords, spears, or light sabers can be particularly hazardous if children aren’t looking where they’re swinging these items.

• If your child insists on carrying a prop with their costume, encourage them to carry one that is rubber, plastic, or non-pointy, so that it won’t hurt if they poke someone with it by mistake.

Last but not least, in case of emergency, be sure to write your child’s name, your phone number and address in the inside of their costume, or make a hip ID bracelet to match their costume.

Want more? Read our additional costume and Halloween home owner’s safety tips…

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Read more tips from Jenna in our Hospital category. Have a question or tip for Jenna? Email her!! 

Child care is becoming increasingly expensive and quality, affordable care can be hard to find. We talked with Child Care Aware and child care providers to pull together a list of top things you can do to lower your weekly child care costs:

1. Start by contacting the local child care resource and referral agency in your state and area. Ask about state child care subsidies, eligibility information and how to apply for assistance. Also ask about local scholarship or tuition assistance programs.
2. You can also contact the state agency directly to learn more about child care subsidies and eligibility information. Click here for a list of state child care assistance contacts.
3. Contact local community centers like the YMCA, YWCA or religious organizations.
4. Keep reading…

[Via Lifehacker] - If you were injured or ill and unable to speak, would anyone know how to find your:

• insurance papers
• medical information
• spare keys to your house and car

“If there’s ever a time when you don’t want to be caught unorganized, it’s in the middle of a health crisis. You need certain documents on hand and ready to go when you’re in situations like these.” - Lifehacker. (Click on the link to read more of their article…)

WHN also has handy emergency and personal information sheets that you can print out and fill in to help you keep track of all your important and vital personal details.

Thanks to Lifehacker! Have a handy organizing tip? Share it below in the Comments!

Ahhh, spring! The flowers are blooming, the skies are blue, the grass is green and the swings are squeaking…

It’s National Playground Safety Week and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) would like to remind all of us (little kids, big kids and adults) to be careful when we’re out on the playground.

The CPSC recommends the following safety tips:

• Adult presence is needed to watch for potential hazards, observe, intercede and facilitate play when necessary. Strings on clothing or ropes used for play can cause accidental strangulation if caught on equipment.
• Preschoolers, ages 2 - 5, and children ages 5 - 12, are developmentally different and need different equipment located in separate areas to keep the playground safe and fun for all.
• Nearly 70 percent of all playground injuries are related to falls to the surface. Acceptable surfaces include hardwood fiber/mulch, pea gravel, sand and synthetic materials such as poured-in-place, rubber mats or tiles. Playground surfaces should not be concrete, asphalt, grass, blacktop, packed dirt or rocks.
• Check to make sure the equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed, bolts are not protruding, there are no exposed footings, etc.

Read additional tips at the CSPC’s National Program for Playground Safety web site.