Parents Guide

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Parents Guide
The Beginning Years
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Parenting as Your Child Grows
Parenting and Your Family's Well Being

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Parents Guide > Your Family's Well Being

Most of us depend on cars or buses to get around. We spend a lot of time and energy going between home, work and school. We want to make sure our families are safe while on the road.
To keep your children safe, use child car seats and booster seats. Make sure you buy the correct seat for your child’s age, height and weight and install it properly. Make sure that all the other people in your car are buckled up, too.

Always Wear a Helmet
A new law in California says that children must always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, scooter or skates. Helmets protect adults, too, and set a good example for children.

Get Your Car Seat Checked
Most child car seats are not installed right. To find out where to get a free inspection, call Seat Check or visit www.seatcheck.org.

Child Car Seat Safety
• Infants and children up to age 12 should be in the back seat.
• Babies should be in rear-facing car seats until they are 1 year old and weigh 20 pounds.
• By California law, children must be in child car seats or booster seats until they are 6 years old or weigh 60 pounds. It is recommended that they stay in booster seats until they are 8 years old or weigh 80 pounds.
• Never hold your child in your lap in the car.
• Infants and small children should never be in seats with airbags.
• Don’t use a car seat that’s been in a crash. To be extra safe, don’t buy a used car seat or use one that’s more than 6 years old.
• For more information on child car seats, call Seat Check or visit www.seatcheck.org.

Independence is learned in small steps. Start with a simple skill—like holding Mom’s hand when crossing the street.

Stop, Look and Listen
Don’t allow your child to cross the street alone until you know he can do it safely. Many children are 9 or 10 years old before they can cross streets on their own or have the self-control not to dart after a ball.
Teach your child to stop, listen and look left, right and left again before crossing the street. Walk, don’t run, and keep looking both ways while crossing. Use traffic signals and crosswalks. Don’t jaywalk or enter the street between parked cars or bushes.
Teach your child never to run into a street without stopping and looking—even for a ball or a pet. This is how many children are hurt.