What was your first check like?

For techs.. what was your first car seat check event like? Did you have to question everything or were you comfortable right away? Mine is on Wednesday LOL tell me what to expect!

It was FUN

It was in November, so not particularly well attended , but I got to do 2-3 seats. I learned so much in that first check.

Take it slow, don't be embarrassed to ask even if you feel like you should know it, and bring in for your personal use a pair of scissors, gloves, and two screwdrivers, phillips and flat.

Not counting the certification check, my first check was busy and hurried. I think due to the amount of hands on I'd already had, I didn't have troubles in the skills department, but definitely learned a lot about how to best communicate with parents in a way that they understood and retained what I was telling them.

From the viewpoint of an instructor and having observed new techs at their certification check, and a few at checks following being certified, I think the biggest thing you can expect is to have less confidence than what you'd expect. Even people who are very competent and have good solid skills seem to question themselves about things and take a little bit to "find their footing" and get in to a rhythm of talking to parents.

So I guess mostly I'd say be prepared to be nervous, and to question things. Know that you don't need to know it all and won't be expected to know it all, and to make use of your support and resources. They're there to help you along the way and I can guarantee you 100% that they would much prefer you ask questions than guess.

I have a universal saying "never pull something out of your butt - if you don't know the answer, it's ok to tell the parent that you need to check on that. Whatever you do, don't make something up - making things up causes you to lose credibility with the parent in addition to creating potential for mistakes."

Enjoy your check - oh, and make sure to drink lots of water. Bring a water bottle with you if you don't know if drinks will be provided. I always get very dry from talking so much.

It was nerve wracking but THANKFULLY we had AMAZING Senior Techs there (snowbird25ca, QuassEE, hipmaman) and they made us all feel like it was OK to ask questions, and be "new".

We had do 8 (or was it 10) hours of observation at seat checks before we were allowed to take the course. That helped a ton. I observed a really excellent tech/instructor. She really helped me develop the way I talk to parents. I felt 100% comfortable that I knew what I needed to know but teaching it to a parent was more difficult so being able to observe an experienced tech is very helpful. I was nervous the first few times but once you have done it a few times you will get the hang of it!

My first checks were great. I dont get nervous easily, and the only time I got nervous was when I saw a decrepit station wagon with a decrepit seat in it. But another tech got that car!

Most of the seats I dealt with at my first check were MA's, and I feel like I know those really well as I've owned a few over the past 2.5 years.

Oh wait I just realized there was a nerve wracking part, a mom broke her seat!!! I had installed it, and then un-installed it so she could do it while I walked her through it again. Somehow she ended up pulling the latch adjuster strap oddly and it bunched up in the big honkin part that I dont know what its called. Essentially we had to get 2 males to get that seat out of her car so that we could fix the strap. At least it was her doing and not mine but it still sucked! Seat was brand new with the tags still on it even.

Oh I'm getting excited!! Thanks for the answers, keep them coming I'm not worried about lacking any skills, but I do worry about talking to the parents. I'm great about talking to my friends about car seats but not strangers lol.

The hardest part was learning to talk to the parents. But I'm not a people person naturally so maybe that's just me.

Even if you see horrible misuse....keep a straight face. We were instructed to comment on the good stuff. If there's *nothing* good to comment on..."Oh what beautiful kids you have!" LOL

The actual technical stuff was pretty easy.

It was very confidence building, since I was working with CHP techs who, um, didn't know as much as me, and the senior tech there still made a mistake that I caught. I was fixing their mistakes all day and they loved me for it-- I had been certified less than a week. Talking to parents has never been the problem for me. As long as I remember to hit the checklist points (easy to do when it's in front of you!) I know I won't miss anything huge, so that's that worry gone. Just talk to parents as if they were asking for advice here, respectfully and informatively, and things will go great!

Maedze said:

It was FUN

It was in November, so not particularly well attended , but I got to do 2-3 seats. I learned so much in that first check.

Take it slow, don't be embarrassed to ask even if you feel like you should know it, and bring in for your personal use a pair of scissors, gloves, and two screwdrivers, phillips and flat.

Click to expand...

ok I keep thinking about the possible uses for all of those and I'm not coming up with anything LOL. I was thinking scissors for cutting noodles, maybe opening boxes if the seat is still in the box...? A screwdriver for turbo booster arm rests.. that's all I got LOL.

Madeline410 said:

ok I keep thinking about the possible uses for all of those and I'm not coming up with anything LOL. I was thinking scissors for cutting noodles, maybe opening boxes if the seat is still in the box...? A screwdriver for turbo booster arm rests.. that's all I got LOL.

Click to expand...

The first time you plunge your hand into a puddle of dried vomit under an old CRS, you'll understand why gloves are so very important.

Old style Comfortsports and some other restraints have this ANTIQUATED IDIOTIC SYSTEM OF SCREWS that you have to do and undo to move the crotch buckle. The flathead also comes in handy when you're moving the bar that holds the base onto the older AOE models. Saves your finger nails.

Also, a knife to open boxes, from seats the coalition distributes and because new parents often come to the check with the infant seat still in the box. Knives and scissors are also handy for pool noodles. OH! Bring your own 3" tape for making noodle pyramids.

Maedze said:

The first time you plunge your hand into a puddle of dried vomit under an old CRS, you'll understand why gloves are so very important.

Old style Comfortsports and some other restraints have this ANTIQUATED IDIOTIC SYSTEM OF SCREWS that you have to do and undo to move the crotch buckle. The flathead also comes in handy when you're moving the bar that holds the base onto the older AOE models. Saves your finger nails.

Also, a knife to open boxes, from seats the coalition distributes and because new parents often come to the check with the infant seat still in the box. Knives and scissors are also handy for pool noodles. OH! Bring your own 3" tape for making noodle pyramids.

Click to expand...

oh JOY lol. Like rubber gloves? I can do that. It all makes sense now, thanks!