This is a sponsored post, developed for Cars.com.
Hello, baby… goodbye sports car. That’s pretty much how it went when I was pregnant and my husband and I went to the local police station for a child safety seat inspection. We knew it was important to get this done BEFORE the baby arrived. You don’t want to leave the hospital with a precious new life only to find out you’ve installed the car seat wrong!
Thankfully we could take advantage of the regular car safety seat inspections that the police department offered. And while we got good “points” for having installed the car seat correctly in both of our cars (though of course the officer did perfect the installation a bit more!), my husband did get some gentle ribbing on his car itself.
“You know what the first thing I say to guys like you is?” the officer joked. “Get a new car. And then I say congratulations.” We took it in stride, of course. Since we’d installed the car seat ourselves in the cramped rear seat, we agreed. While we recognized many people keep their sports cars post-baby, we knew that it would become increasingly tough to transport a baby in a sports coupe with tiny back seats. So, yes, we agreed with the officer, and within a short time, we bought a new car.
We hadn’t given it much thought prior to the inspection, though. When people are expecting a child, the parents often will plan ahead, buying all sorts of equipment, including car seats. But how many think about the car itself? Last week, September 17-23, 2017, was Child Passenger Safety Week, a good time to remember that your children are your most precious “cargo.”
Whether you’re keeping your current car or getting a new one, this means buying the right safety seat for your baby and making sure it’s installed correctly, something you will have to do several times as your child grows. And sometimes, you may realize, as we did with one of our cars, that maybe it’s time to make a new purchase.
Cars.com photo by Evan Sears, used with permission
When you’re looking for a new car, head over to Cars.com. This is a great resource that gives you the tools you need to make an informed purchase. The site features a wealth of information on all kinds of makes and models, and provides extensive information through its Videos & Reviews feature to help you decide what car is right for you. This section provides the latest automotive news, reviews, information on trends and awards, multi-car comparisons, and important recall notices.
The site also provides helpful information on do-it-yourself repairs and service and repair advice. Among the helpful articles is this piece on car seat checks: the Cars.com team shows how it conducts car seat checks to test the devices’ user-friendliness to helping to shed a little light on the often complicated and confusing process.
If you decide that with your new bundle of joy it’s time also for a new car, do some research on Cars.com. Its section on buying helps you research car models, find vehicles for sale (new or used, by owner or dealer), estimate your payments, and more. And if this purchase means selling your old car – Hello, baby, goodbye sports car! – Cars.com can help you with that, too, by showing you how to find your car’s volume and listing your car for sale online.
— Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun
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