Posts filed under 'parenting'
Here is an important notice from Transport Canada:
Cross border shopping may be cheap and convenient, but when it comes to buying a child’s car seat or booster seat for use in Canada, Transport Canada warns consumers that it is illegal.
Transport Canada is receiving a significantly increased number of inquiries from parents and caregivers who have either purchased a seat, or are considering purchasing a seat from outside of Canada. The Department is also seeing an increase in the number of reports from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers and from certified child passenger safety technicians that seats purchased in other countries are being privately imported into Canada and are showing up at car seat clinics across Canada.
Transport Canada is concerned that parents and caregivers may not know that it is illegal to import and use in Canada a seat that does not comply with Canadian standards. Many consumers are looking south of the border and in other countries for the best buy without knowing all of the facts. Child seats and booster seats sold in the U.S. and other countries do not meet Canadian federal regulations and, under provincial and territorial legislations, are illegal to use in Canada.
Child or booster seats purchased outside Canada, including those purchased online from non-Canadian vendors, do not comply with Canada’s Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations (RSSR) and the applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), and thus do not carry the National Safety Mark. Every country has its respective child seat standards. Canadian regulations are rigorous and differ from those in other countries. For example, U.S. certified booster seats allow for a lower weight limit than Canadian standards.
The use of non-compliant child seats may not only jeopardize children’s safety and pose a serious danger to the public, but it may also result in repercussions such as:
- Confiscation of the seat at the border or after it has entered Canada
- Fines and/or demerit point penalties
- Reduced or voided insurance coverage for injury or death; and
- Possible criminal charges and/or civil litigation.
Additionally, if the seat is purchased outside of Canada and a recall notice is issued, the parent or caregiver may not be informed of the recall or have recourse against the manufacturer.
In summary, when purchasing a child seat for use in Canada, parents and caregivers should look for the National Safety Mark label attached to the seat, indicating that the seat complies with Canadian regulations and standards, and is therefore legal for use in Canada. When shopping online for a child seat, please ensure that the vendor is offering a seat that is certified to Canadian standards and carries the National Safety Mark.
Transport Canada takes this opportunity to remind parents and caregivers to always use a child seat appropriate for your child’s development, weight and height, and to ensure that the child seat is used and installed correctly in the vehicle in accordance with the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
For more information about child seats and child passenger safety, visit Transport Canada’s Child Safety Web page at www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/menu.htm, or call Transport Canada’s Road Safety Information Centre at 1-800-333-0371 (toll-free in Canada).
This consumer information notice was developed in collaboration with the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation (TSF). To learn more about BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation’s comprehensive Child Passenger Safety Program, please visit their Web site at: www.ChildSeatInfo.ca.
November 18th, 2007
Wee Travel Car Seat and Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) loves this innovative solution to the highchair challenge. If you have yet to experience this challenge, there will come a time when your little darling rejects the highchair and insists on sitting at the table with the rest of the family. The only problem is they aren’t quite tall enough to actually reach the table.
KABOOST is a compact and portable chair booster that raises the height of kitchen and dining room chairs so your child can sit at the table just like a grown up. It has four spring-loaded arms that fit snugly under the legs of kitchen and dining chairs, lifting the entire chair 4.5″ or 3.75″. KABOOST snaps onto the chair in just seconds, as its spring-loaded arms firmly grip chair legs into place, staying attached even when the chair is moved or repositioned. KABOOST’s non-slip, rubberized feet will not scratch floors. It folds compact and weights just 3.5 lbs, so you can use it at home or take it with you when you are out and about. It retails for about $40.
November 3rd, 2007
Wee Travel Car Seat and Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) loves pretty much everything Boon…especially the new Squirt baby food dispensing spoon. The easy-to-fill bulb holds up to 3 ounces of baby food. Just give it a squeeze, and out comes just the right amount of food. Squirt comes with a protective cover to seal food in and keep the spoon clean between feedings. By combining the spoon and food container into one product, Squirt makes one-handed feeding a snap so you can nurse your latte with the other. $8 wherever Boon products are sold.
October 29th, 2007
If your little one has just started solids, Wee Travel Car Seat and Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) knows you’re going to love to take this clever Little Diner Set along with you wherever you go.
The set includes a microwave-proof bowl with lid, a heat sensing spoon which turns colour when the food is too hot, and the piece de la resistance, a mini masher which allows you to make mush, mash or chunks out of pretty much anything. The only catch is that you’re going to have to order it from the UK, but that’s just a few clicks away! It retails for £9.00.
October 22nd, 2007
If you’re tired of carrying around dirty bibs, or if your child is too big to wear a bib but too young to keep the spaghetti off his shirt, Wee Travel Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) suggests you check out these adorable bib clips from One Step Ahead. Toss them into your diaper bag, and never tote another sticky bib! These nifty clips turn almost anything into an instant bib: restaurant napkins, paper towels, even cloth diapers or towels. Adjustable back. Top-rack dishwasher safe. Buy online for $11.95.
October 15th, 2007
Wee Travel Car Seat and Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) loves these Compression Packing Bags.
When you travel with kids (or even without) there’s always too much stuff and never enough room. However, these space saving compression bags let you “vacuum pack” your clothing flat, so you can pack more in less space. No vacuum required - simply roll the air out. Your clothing remains wrinkle-free! The bags are transparent plastic so they’re airport friendly. They come 2 to a pack, and include one medium and one large bag. They’ll only set you back $12.95 US/CAD, which is much less than airlines charge for bringing an extra piece of luggage!
October 7th, 2007
If you’re planning a trip, add this Carry On Sleeping Bag by Koeka to your essentials list. This gorgeous multi-functional sleeping bag folds up inside the attached cover to form a nice soft pillow for the car, or, if you’re lucky enough to get an empty seat or two beside you on the airplane, you can pop the baby right inside the sleeping bag and use it as both a blanket and a seat cover (because we know you don’t want to have your baby sleep directly on that dirty airplane seat). Going on a picnic or to the beach? you can use it as a towel, too. It comes in a beautiful array of colours, and folds up very small. It retails for $132 CDN, and with our strong loonie, that means a few cents more for you Americans! Check it out at totsminded.com
September 29th, 2007
Let’s face it. When you’re traveling, you’re shopping and when you’re shopping it’s really nice to have your hands free (and look good too). Enter the PortaMEe, a super cool hip carrier that all you yummy mummies out there are sure to love…and an alternative to shopping with a stroller that’s sure to please both you and your little one.
From a style standpoint, it’s hot. And from what we’ve read, it’s just as great in terms of comfort and function. Aside from the great colours (blue/brown, pink/brown) and leather trim, this little number has ergonomic lumbar support that helps reduce back fatigue, and also give you the ability to maintain eye contact with your child. Plus it has pouches for keeping things like money and diapers and you can even purchase a snap-on insulated bottle holder, and a waterproof hooded cape.
The portaMEe is suitable for ages 5 months to 3 years. It’s available online from the company for $198 USD.
September 17th, 2007
If you’re traveling with a baby and you don’t like the idea of renting a baby bathtub, check out this Inflatable Baby Bath Spa. It’s totally compact and easy to travel with, and it inflates in minutes.
There are 4 suction caps on the base for added stability and the bath floor has ribbed sections to stop baby from slipping. It also features a hanging loop for quick drying, and an internal bath plug for quick drainage.
Sounds great, right? Yes, but for now it seems to be available only in Australia!
September 9th, 2007
It’s a long flight. You’re traveling solo with the baby, and she’s not liking the airplane. In a desperate attempt to get her to sleep, you plop the pacifier into her mouth. She spits it out. You catch it and put it in. She spits it out. This time it lands on the floor. As desperate as you are, there’s no way you’re using the 10 second rule with the airplane floor. Then again, washing the paci means crawling across the two people beside you while holding a wailing, kicking baby.
We’re sure something like this must have happened to the mom who invented the RazBaby Keep-it-Kleen pacifier. This smart silicone savior has shields which close instantly when the pacifier drops, which means it always stays clean. Plus they are totally cute to look at, and retail for about $6 CDN.
September 5th, 2007
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