When you travel with your baby you may be tempted to use a rental car’s car seat.  Let me tell you why  this is a very bad idea:

1) They are not guaranteed to be there when you get there.

Ever read your rental car reservation details?  They never guarantee that a baby car seat will be available for you.  If you don’t have a car seat – You’re Stuck!

2) You don’t know what you’ll get.

You select a car seat for a reason.  My wife and I bought the Graco SafeSeat (see above) because it has a great reputation and it’s safe.  The first time we rented a car we didn’t get a Graco, we got a cheap piece of plastic that I will never put my son ever again.

3) You already know how to install the one you have.

Car rental agencies don’t install the car seat for you.  If you brought your own you could probably install it in any car in about 5 minutes or less.  But how long did it take for you to install the first time?  Every car seat is different, and the last thing you want to do is waste time installing a strange car seat.

4) It’s very easy to travel with.

Car seats are very easy to travel with.  Just take it right to the airport gate and check it at the gate.  You’ll never have to wait for it at baggage claim and it’ll be there when you get off the plane (this works with the stroller too).

So – why leave things to chance?  Always bring your own car seat!

By the time your baby starts crawling you’ve probably covered all electrical sockets and protected all cabinets.  Perhaps you’ve even bought a couple baby gates and installed them.  Well here’s something no one tells you – the Door Stop.

The white tip on the door stop (see picture above) comes off rather easily.  My 9 month old son pulled one off and stuck it in his mouth.  They are the right size for a baby to choke on.

It’s better to be safe – secure those door stops!

Let’s talk a little about crib bumpers….

Mom’s find them “cute” and want to buy them.  So what’s the problem?  You’ll find out when your child is about 8 months old and climbs out of the crib and lands on the floor.  Yep!  The crib bumper is easy to grab onto and makes climbing out of the crib much easier.  My son can’t stand on his own yet, but he was able to climb out of the crib.  He would not have been able to climb out of the crib using the bars alone.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also has reservations about some crib bumpers as well (read).

So, save the money – avoid being “cute” – and you’ll reduce your gray hair count.