Stroller Facts And Tips

Home
>
Babies & Toddler
>
Stroller Facts And Tips

Did you know the first strollers appeared during the early 1700s? During this time having a stroller meant you enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. Most citizens then used their stroller or 'buggy' to carry around and show off the newest member of their family. While many parents still use a stroller to show off their babies today, you don't have to be a member of the aristocracy to own a stroller. Even better, most of today's strollers are lightweight and convenient to transport from one place to another.

Important Stroller Terms If you plan to buy a stroller in the near future, there are some important stroller terms you should familiarize yourself with. These will help you during the selection process. Some important terms include:

Five-point harness ? this is a harness that secures not only at the lap, but also over your child's shoulders. A three-point harness fastens at your child's lap, much like a traditional seat belt would. While both are an important safety feature for any stroller, a five-point harness is considered a safer choice.
All terrain wheels ? these wheels, unlike their plastic counterparts, resemble ordinary bike tires. They are normally much lager than traditional stroller tires. Most jogger or exercise strollers have all terrain wheels. Some carriages also have them. They are an excellent choice if you plan to walk or jog your baby over gravel or other less than smooth terrain.
Adjustable canopy ? this is the part of a stroller that folds out to protect your baby from the sun and wind. Some are also large enough to protect your baby from the rain. Most umbrella strollers do not come with a canopy. If you plan to buy a jogger stroller, look for one with a large adjustable canopy to shield your child from the wind while running.
Hand brake ? this is a brake at the bar of the stroller rather than by one of the wheels. A hand brake is a common feature in most exercise strollers, and comes in handy if you need to suddenly break while running.

Stroller Safety Tips The most important consideration when buying a stroller is safety. You don't want to buy a stroller just because it looks good? you want one that is safe. Fortunately most top of the line models not only looks good but also provides important safety features. Here are just a few considerations when looking for a safe stroller for your baby:

Always select a stroller with a durable frame. The base should be wide enough so your baby can't tip the stroller over.
Make sure the stroller provides a three or five point harness, and always secure your child in place when riding.
Look for a stroller that has a Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association or JPMA for short seal of approval. This means the stroller is pre-inspected and meets the basic safety requirements.

You should never leave a child in a stroller unattended for even a second. You never know when something may go awry. That said, you'll find most stroller provide ample safety and security for your newborn.

Extending The Life Of Your Stroller No one wants to buy a new stroller year after year. Thus when you do get your stroller you want to take some standard precautions to avoid unnecessary wear and tear. First and foremost, make sure you avoid unnecessary rough handling of your stroller. You should fold and unfold your stroller with little jostling. You don't want to leave your stroller outside during inclement weather, as this can contribute to rust and wear and tear.

If you buy a stroller with removable fabric, be sure to wash it occasionally to keep it fresh and new. Be sure if you have a jogger stroller you keep the tires inflated properly. This will help prevent unnecessary leaks or pops in the middle of a run. At some point or another, keep in mind all strollers experience some wear. Like a decent car, over time a stroller may get a bit worn down. The better care you take of your stroller however, the longer it will last you and the more joy you will experience from it year after year.

Ant Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as Baby Carriers, Baby Slings and Baby Car Seats

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Democrats criticize Obama's proposed tax cuts (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. Senators from both parties agreed that Congress should do something to stimulate the economy. But Democratic senators emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee criticized business and individual tax cuts in Obama's stimulus plan.

UN Security Council calls for immediate Gaza truce (AP)

AP - The U.N. Security Council called for an "immediate" and "durable" cease-fire in Gaza in a resolution Thursday night even as fighting between Israel and Hamas raged with early morning airstrikes killing seven Palestinians and pushing the death toll to about 760 in the near two-week conflict.

Sloppy, choppy game leaves Florida as BCS champion (AP)

AP - The game defied expectations. Tim Tebow fulfilled them.

Key panel recommends impeaching Ill. governor (AP)

AP - A key panel unanimously recommended impeachment for Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday, setting up a vote that could make him the first governor to face such fate in Illinois' sordid political history. Blagojevich should lose his job for abusing power, mismanaging government and committing possible criminal acts, including federal allegations he tried to sell off a U.S. Senate seat, the special committee concluded.

Job losses stack up as recession deepens (AP)

AP - Trying to survive a deepening recession, employers are cutting their work forces to the bone, leaving more Americans unemployed and with dim prospects of finding a new job any time soon.

Oversight panel wants better answers from Treasury (AP)

AP - Less than a month after its first report, a congressional panel overseeing the Treasury Department's $700 billion financial bailout is demanding more answers.

Critics' final answer: `Slumdog' wins 5 awards (AP)

AP - The critics have spoken, and "Slumdog Millionaire" is their final answer.

Cheney: CIA did nothing illegal in interrogations (AP)

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday that he sees no reason for President George W. Bush to pre-emptively pardon anyone at the CIA involved in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists. "I don't have any reason to believe that anybody in the agency did anything illegal," he said.

Petraeus: Afghan, Pakistan problems are really one (AP)

AP - U.S. policy to win in Afghanistan must recognize the poor nation's limitations and its neighborhood, especially its intertwined relationship with U.S. terrorism-fighting ally Pakistan, the top U.S. military commander in the region said Thursday.

Prosecutors: Madoff was ready to send out $173M (AP)

AP - Prosecutors said Thursday that investigators found 100 signed checks worth $173 million in Bernard Madoff's office desk that he was ready to send out to his closest family and friends at the time of his arrest last month in what is alleged to be largest financial fraud in history.

U.N. calls for immediate Gaza truce (Reuters)

Reuters - Israel pushed ahead with its offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday, ignoring a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire to the 14-day-old conflict.

World waits on jobs data as recession weighs (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. employers probably cut the most jobs in at least 34 years last month as the global economic crisis gathered pace and moves by policy makers took time to filter through to struggling companies.

Citi backs measure to help avoid foreclosures (Reuters)

Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.

Panel steps up criticism of Treasury over TARP: report (Reuters)

Reuters - A report being released on Friday alleges that the U.S. Treasury has failed to reveal its strategy for stabilizing the financial system, not answered questions asked by a government watchdog, and has done nothing to help struggling homeowners, the Wall Street Journal said.

Illinois panel recommends governor's impeachment (Reuters)

Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Obama team amending financial rescue package: report (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is urgently overhauling the $700 billion financial rescue package to broaden its scope beyond Wall Street, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

Qaeda Pakistan leader believed dead: U.S. official (Reuters)

Reuters - Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership.

Accused swindler Madoff "warm and charming": report (Reuters)

Reuters - Some friends of accused swindler Bernard Madoff considered him a "warm and charming" man, and one of his alleged victims praised him just before his death in 2005, Fox Business Network reported on Thursday.

Gaza toll mounts as UN Security Council urges immediate truce (AFP)

AFP - Israel carried out new deadly air raids on the Gaza Strip on Friday as the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire to end the two-week-old conflict in the Palestinian territory.

Progress in resolving gas row as Russia agrees to monitors (AFP)

AFP - Hopes for a quick resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe were rising Friday after Russia agreed on the terms for the deployment of monitors in Ukraine.

Stroller Facts And Tips

Babies & Toddler Babies & Toddler