Total Recalls

Parents need to be constantly aware of lots of things that pertain to their kids. Feeding times, nap times, coupons for diapers, and government recall lists. Most people I know stay away from those recall lists, as they tend to make the average person fear everything from clothing to crossing the street. Now that I'm actually reading these things, I find many of them rather nonsensical, and it makes you wonder what they were thinking when they invented the recently recalled highly flammable candle holder. Kids products constitute half of these recall lists, like the boy's hooded sweatshirt where the drawstring can cause a choking hazard, or various obscure toys made of bite-size lead pieces.

I was recently informed (thanks, LF!) of a recall that actually did affect me, and will affect anyone who had purchased the best-selling and highly rated Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat. If you own, or know of someone who owns this, no need to panic - the recall only affects users of the LATCH system (a term you would only be familiar with if you've attempted to install a car seat beyond 2003). The simplest fix is to just use the traditional seat belt instead of LATCH, until you can get a replacement base. Details on how to find out if you're affected, and how to send back your recalled product can be found here.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with my car seat."

You too can become suspicious of the world around you by reading the following links:

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration Recalls
• Recalls.gov

Check these sites every few hours for increased paranoia.