First time parents often spend a great deal of time contemplating the ins and outs of baby gear. They question which crib to purchase, which highchair will best accommodate their kitchen and which car seat will work best in their family vehicle.
As of today both new and experienced parents are having to step back and consider the type of child safety restraint used in their car. The Texas Child Restraint Law has recently been changed, with such changes going into effect on September 1, 2009...(to continue reading, please go here).
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If you clicked over to finish reading the above article (Thank You! by the way), you likely noted that I am a HUGE advocate for outlawing the use of all mobile devices while driving. We never talk on the phone while driving in a car with our children and ask anyone else carting our children around to refrain as well (Yes, we are obnoxious.). I know this is a touchy subject and many people believe they can properly drive a vehicle and talk on the phone/update their Facebook status/text their spouse at the same time. Perhaps you can. However, if you happen to fall into this category, I strongly encourage you to research the implications of such behavior. Unfortunately we live in a society that makes us all feel like we are extremely important, thus needing to "tweet" or make a phone call whenever the urge strikes...even while driving (I openly admit I fall right into this "self-importance" category...I pen a blog about the ins and outs of my day under the assumption that hundreds of people care what I have recently purchased at Target.).
I am now jumping down from my soapbox. Thanks again for taking the time to not only read this blog but my Examiner articles as well. I am sure I will be back soon with a less-sensitive post, such as a recount of Isaac's telling of the story of Jonah last night at supper that involved Jonah, Jesus, and some big spiders....
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4 comments:
So glad to know about this. I'd hate to find out the hard way while visiting. TX state troopers have eagle eyes!
I almost commented on your article. I am kind of surprised by the negative feedback about this law. I have been wanting a law like this to pass for some time. In fact, I had previously considered writing a letter to my local Texas state legislators in support of this exact law. I remember when Jackson was a baby and we were transitioning from the infant carrier to the convertible carseat. We took our carseat to our local state trooper's office who properly installed the carseat and made sure we were in accordance with our current laws. He said that Texas was actually behind many other states as they did not have this new law. I don't think people realize that the seat belts in our cars are not designed to protect our children without the aid of a booster seat. This was a battle I was prepared to fight with both of my kids, and yes, I was all prepared to make them laughingstocks among their friends to adequately protect them in the car. Now I am glad that I don't have to fight the battle, I can just blame it on the law! : ) I say job well done to our Texas state legislators!
So, are you a fan or an opponent? Your writing is quite central! : )
I am a HUGE fan of this law. I think people often default to "When we were kids, we didn't have to ride in carseats" and complain about such laws. However, when we were kids people were commonly cruising the streets at fast speeds, talking on their phone, while driving a Hummer.
Until I wrote this article, I had been anxiously waiting for the day for Isaac to reach the weight limit in order to ride in just a booster seat. After watching the video that is linked in the article, we are going to keep him in a five point harness longer than anticipated. He doesn't mind and it is just not worth the risk.
Thanks for checking out my article. I find the comments on the actual article to be a hoot!
Jackson is staying in the five-point-harness, too. He doesn't know the difference at all.
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