Inkandescent Kids Story of the Day

February 2026: “We show our kids and each other a powerful act of love when we keep them safe in the car,” says auto expert Judy Curry, who shares “12 Ways to Keep Kids Safe in the Car”

By Judy Curry, CMO and Co-Founder
Curry’s Auto Service

Few parents forget the first time they put their infant into the car. Many hospitals won’t release a new mother unless she has an infant car seat for her baby. Installing car seats correctly is an essential part of being a good parent. But almost anyone who has installed a car seat knows it’s a challenge to get the seat set up correctly. The good news is that help is available.

At Curry’s Auto Service, we want to be part of the solution for parents with young children.

Although we aren’t car-seat specialists, we are your partner in car safety. So we turn to the experts at the VA Dept. of Health for advice on installing a car seat, as well as other great tips on keeping your kids safe in the car.

Remember: Virginia law requires that all children under 18 be adequately restrained in the car. The VA Highway Safety Office wants to ensure that all children in Virginia are riding safely in the car. Read on for tips and assistance on safely transporting your children.

Studies have shown that children are more likely to become lifelong seat belt users when their parents are lifelong seat belt users. So, your child’s safety begins with you. Set a good example by making sure that you buckle up on every ride.

Car-Seat Safety Tips

1. Until they are two years old, children should ride facing the rear—or as long as the safety seat manufacturer allows, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

2. Everyone needs to be adequately restrained in the car, whether in a child safety seat, a booster seat, or a seat belt. This means one seat belt for each safety seat or person. Do not share seat belts!

3. Did you know that an individual is four times more likely to die outside the vehicle than inside? The primary function of the safety seat and seat belt is to prevent ejection from the car.

4. Keep in mind that individuals not buckled up can be thrown from the car or tossed around inside the vehicle, which can seriously injure them or others.

5. Never hold a child on your lap while in the car. And do not allow anyone to ride in the cargo area of a station wagon, van, or pickup.

6. One of the most frequently asked questions about safety seats is: “What’s the best child safety seat I can buy?” Federal regulations state that all safety seats made in the United States must conform to a specific set of guidelines. Hence, the best seat is the safety seat that fits the child, the vehicle, any child’s special needs and is used correctly every time.

7. Child safety seats need to be tightly installed with either a safety belt or LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) to hold them in place.

8. How “tight” is tight? After installation, you’ll know you have installed the seat securely when it can move no more than one inch side-to-side or forward.

9. Use the correct slots on the safety seat for your child: at or slightly below the rear-facing infant’s shoulders, at or slightly above the forward-facing toddler’s shoulders.

  • Note: Harness straps should be positioned on the child’s shoulders and chest, not on the arms. The goal is to keep the straps flat on the child’s body and snug enough that you cannot pinch any slack in the straps at the child’s shoulders. Place the harness retainer clip at the armpit level on the child.

10. “When is my child ready for a booster seat?” When the child reaches the upper weight and height limits set by the manufacturer of the convertible seat, a belt-positioning booster can be considered for use. This forward-facing seat requires a lap/shoulder belt and “boosts” the child to fit the vehicle seat belt system better.

11. To be able to fit in an adult seat belt, the child must be tall enough to: sit without slouching, keep his or her back against the vehicle seat back, keep his or her knees completely bent over the edge of the seat, keep his or her feet flat on the floor, and be able to stay comfortably seated this way.

12. The lap belt must fit low and tight across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should rest over the center of the shoulder through the center of the chest. Never put the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind the back. This can cause serious internal injuries in a crash. If the seat belt does not fit properly, use a belt-positioning booster.

Learn more about VA Child Passenger Safety Laws by clicking here.

About Curry’s Auto Service

With ten locations in Northern Virginia and Maryland, Curry’s Auto Service is legendary for providing the best full-service car repair and vehicle maintenance in the Washington, DC, area serving the communities of Alexandria, Arlington, Chantilly, Dulles Town Center, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Gainesville, Gaithersburg, Reston/Great Falls, and its newest and 10th location, in Leesburg, which opened in December 2012.

An Inc. 5000 Honoree, Curry’s Auto Service specializes in the repair and maintenance of European import and domestic cars—including Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Using state-of-the-art equipment, its factory-trained, ASE-certified technicians take pride in customer satisfaction.

Curry’s is also the exclusive TIRE PROS dealer in the area. In the fall of 2012, it became a Certified Maryland State Auto Safety and Emission Inspection Station.

Click here for your December auto coupon from Curry’s Auto Service.

For more information, visit www.currysauto.com.

Become a fan on Curry’s Facebook page.

April 2026: This month at Inkandescent Kids magazine — we celebrate Autism Awareness + Acceptance Month by creating Social Stories. Learn all about it, and send us your submissions!

A Note from Ellen Smith, editor, Inkandescent Kids magazine — Dear Readers, I am thrilled to join you as the editor of Inkandescent Kids magazine! Here at Inkandescent Kids, we are all about empowering young people. In our magazine, kids will learn to “think like a journalist” and have opportunities to share their ideas with the world. I am grateful to begin this position in April, also known as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. I began my career as a special education teacher and often worked with kids on the autism spectrum. That was where I learned about writing social stories. And you will, too!

March 2026: In her books to help families thrive, child psychiatrist Dr. Gayani DeSilva offers insights for tweens and teens — and their parents — to stop addiction and depression before it starts

A Note from Dr. Gayani DeSilva, a child and adolescent psychiatrist — “I obtained my medical training at Albany Medical College before interning at Brown University and doing a residency at Harvard, and have been honored to win numerous awards for my insights and work, including helping children in juvenile justice centers and foster care. Based on my experience and research, I have written several books with the goal of providing insight for parents hoping to help depressed tweens and keep their children from suffering from addiction.” If you are struggling with these issues, please take a look at these books.

 

January 2026: Start the new year off right with rock star and social justice activist Michael Franti whose songs teach us the art of embracing “Peace, Love, and Social Justice”

A Note from rock star Michael Franti — “When I’m asked if I’d ever think when I was a little kid that you would be traveling the world playing music, I admit it really was not an ambition of mine. Throughout my childhood, all I wanted to do was to be a basketball player, and I eventually played at the University of San Francisco. My dorm room was right above the campus radio station, so I’d hear these bass lines coming up through the floor all of the time, and at first, it was kind of annoying. And then I started to get into music, hearing all these different styles coming out of the campus radio station. By the end of the semester, I was hooked, and the rest is history.”

December 2025: Children’s book author Karen Leggett Abouraya teaches us that we are all connected in her newest tale, Zamzam

A Note from Karen Leggett Abouraya, author of the children’s book, “Zamzam” — Zamzam is a young boy who enjoys life with his Egyptian grandparents in Alexandria, Egypt, and his American grandparents in New York City. He shares big and little differences in his daily experiences in each country – including phrases in Arabic and English — but ultimately realizes that the most important experiences are exactly the same​ across cultures. We know you’ll embrace this story of peace, family, and love.

November 2025 — We give thanks this month with “Nonviolence,” an award-winning essay by high school student Shay Jackson entitled, “Living the Dream”

A Note from Shay Jackson, from her essay, “Nonviolence” — There have been many successful nonviolent movements throughout history. One of the most well-known was the Indian Independence Movement, led by the notable Mahatma Gandhi, another famous civil rights activist. The movement used nonviolent resistance to end British colonial rule in India. Another important movement was in the United States, with leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., who advocated for racial equality. They used peaceful protests and civil disobedience. Another nonviolent act was the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, where the Czechs used nonviolent protests to end Communist rule. These movements show the power of nonviolence. Nonviolence is a significant movement to change.

October 2025: Learn to be MoneySmarts with LouAnn Lofton, author of “Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl,” started investing as a student. You can, too!

A Note from LouAnn Lofton, the author of Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl — When it comes to knowing the value of investing wisely, we learn from the woman who started to grow her portfolio at age 15, shortly after the death of her father, a pharmacist, who set aside funds for LouAnn and her two siblings. “Because my father died, it meant that I would inherit some money upon my 21st birthday. I decided, about a year out of high school, to learn about investing, so I didn’t squander the opportunity presented to me by that money.”

September 2025: In his new book, “The Secret Sauce,” Superintendent Peter Noonan and his team of Educators Share 45 Ideas on What Makes FCCPS Special

A Note from Dr. Peter Noonan, Superintendent of Schools — “When I arrived in 2017 to serve Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) as the 9th Superintendent in the division’s history, I knew something about this place was different than anywhere else I had ever worked,” insists Dr. Noonan. Read all about it in the 45 essays by teachers, administrators, and Fall Church officials that sum up the story in his 2025 book, “The Secret Sauce.”

August 2025: Welcome to Inkandescent Kids magazine — the online publication for kids, by kids, about kids! Learn to think like a reporter

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, Inkandescent Kids — Hello and welcome to the newest magazine from the Inkandescent PR + Publishing Co. I cooked up this project in my mind back in 2017, but I wasn’t quite ready to bring it to fruition in the summer of 2025. Sometimes things need to simmer for a while before the meal is ready to serve. Today, it is with great pride and love that I share with you the publication for kids, by kids, about kids. We are on a mission to help children around the world think like reporters. Please join us.