Car Seat Preparation -- Been There, Done That

Most people will tell you that bringing a car seat to Colombia is a waste of time -- most taxis do not even have seat belts in the back seat.

This means that your child will never have been belted in to anything. Therefore, the car seat can cause a great deal of distress upon the return home.

In our own case, my son freaked out! Even though I was sitting right next to him and our 5 1/2 year old was also in a car seat, he screamed for the entire 40 minute ride home from the airport. It took him months before there was not a melt down every time we went to the car.

Here is the advice that I have given other adoptive parents since my own fiasco.

I recommend that you take a video of a child getting into a car and then getting into the car seat, booster seat, or seat belt. It would be best if you used your own car and your child's new seat as props for the video. I would also recommend that you get a Spanish speaking friend, neighbor, or relative to narrate the action and explain, using your child's name, that he/she will be expected to do the same when you get home.

Show your child the video, everyday if they are toddler age, and carefully explain to them that this will be their seat and you expect them to ride there at all times once you are back home.

The families that have followed this advice have reported having little or no problems with car seat adjustments. So, just another thing to think about as you prepare to pick up your newest addition.