I got to help today!

disbugsmomma

New member
I was at TRU this afternoon, seeing which slot Bug was on in the Nautilus and trying her in the CA. This couple comes into the aisle with a tiny baby and they're asking about carseats and strollers. The baby is in an old, borrowed seat from UofM with loose straps and a belly clip. She must have been a premie, because they said she was 4 months old, but looked to be only about a month old. :eek:

Anyway, the sales lady was trying to push them into a bucket seat, but the couple seemed more interested in the convertibles. I mentioned that the MR and EFTA were both really good seats. They wanted to know some more about them, so we talked for quite a while about the different seats and about harness tightness, ERF, installation and all sorts of stuff. They seemed very receptive to everything I talked about. :thumbsup:

I suggested before they bought that they should test fit the baby in the seats, just to be sure she would fit properly. They put her in the EFTA and I showed them how to tighten the straps and how to test for harness tightness. The straps were just at her shoulders on the lowest position with the infant padding in, that's how tiny she was. The seat fit her perfectly though, and the dad was really sold on the knobs to tighten, so they ended up buying it. :love: I'm just so glad I could help, it makes me feel really good.
 
ADS

trippsmom

CPST Instructor
Way to go! You may have just sealed the deal for that family erfing. I feel like buckets just lead the less knowledgeable down a short path to destruction. :eek:

I swear, the efta would be my dream seat w/ a higher rf limit and/or taller shell. Dh was so good about proper harness fit w/ that seat.
 

mommy-medic

New member
Yayyyyy!!!!!!!

Doesn't it feel really REALLY good to know that you helped someone maybe give more thought to vehicle safety? Or to help keep a kiddo from getting hurt or killed? Hopefully they pass it on!

I had something similar happen today- was in walmart (on duty, buying groceries for dinner) and of course i have to go to the car seat section. There was a lady there with a hefty girl who couldn't have been more than 24-26 months old. She was comparing boosters. I wandered over and started playing peekaboo with the girl from a distance. mom caught on and I made small talk, then bit the bullet with "are you looking for a seat for her?". Mom was really receptive, and i steered her over to the nautilus (but added that target had them for $20 cheaper). The girl was just over 2, and right at 40 lbs. Mom said that the boosters all said she would fit by weight, and my response is "but what if the worst happens, and you flip upside down six times. Will the seatbelt and booster keep her in where she needs to be?" to which mom immediately said "well, no!". She took my phone number and said she would call when she needs help learning how to install her new seat. She even got excited and told her husband that they had to go to target next, so I do have hope they will keep the girl harnessed for a few more years.

On the down side to that though, another woman and her mother were listening. The woman grabbed two backless boosters and put them in her cart. The grandma spoke up and asked why she needed two, and she said "one for A and one for B" . Grandma protested and said "but A isn't big enough for that yet" and mom rolled her eyes and said "well the weight on here says she is". (no kiddos with her, so I can only assume that a backless is obviously a poor choice if grandma is objecting). Maybe assumptions are wrong.....

Anywy- glad you got to help someone and that they actually listened. I know how wonderful that feels.
 

Jonah Baby

New member
I wish I had the same smooth-talking approaches to helping that you guys come up with.
I still get too many personal feelings in and get disgusted before I can be of use!

Great job!
 

babychild taxi

New member
It is great when we can help another person with carseats! I recently did so at Walmart. After talking with the person (very receptive) I determined the GN would be the best for the child. She ended up buying it! :)
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
On the down side to that though, another woman and her mother were listening. The woman grabbed two backless boosters and put them in her cart. The grandma spoke up and asked why she needed two, and she said "one for A and one for B" . Grandma protested and said "but A isn't big enough for that yet" and mom rolled her eyes and said "well the weight on here says she is". (no kiddos with her, so I can only assume that a backless is obviously a poor choice if grandma is objecting). Maybe assumptions are wrong.....

I've seen that happen before - almost like they will do the exact opposite just to be spiteful. At least that's the impression given. and it leaves me wondering exactly who they think they 'stuck it to' by putting their child in an unsafe restraint?

disbugsmomma - YEAH! Good job. Its always nice when someone is receptive. And I agree with a PP that infant carrier seats are a trap for most parents. Including myself. You assume that this $60-$100 is the only rear facing seat you'll need, and that it'll last at least 1 year and then you can get one of those cheap combo boosters. Man but why aren't car seats included with all the other general child care/safety info given at birth classes?
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I can see how the first couple would be more interested in convertible seats... that first bucket probably made them think all buckets were bad... lol.. plus, they probably just wanted something that would last them a long time (and with such a tiny baby, the efta will do just that)

I think it's sad when the OLDER generation get it and the younger one doesn't... I mean, come on... and she had to have heard you were a tech, too.... at least that trip wasn't all bad, since you got to help someone first.
 

disbugsmomma

New member
That bucket they had was horrible! It was a rear adjust with the bar that slides through the straps. And that is the only reason that baby left with the straps still loose, although they really weren't as bad as most of the seats I see around here. :rolleyes:
 

canadiangie

New member
That bucket they had was horrible! It was a rear adjust with the bar that slides through the straps. And that is the only reason that baby left with the straps still loose, although they really weren't as bad as most of the seats I see around here. :rolleyes:



Century SmartFit maybe?
 

disbugsmomma

New member
Could be. It had a Graco chest clip on it though. It looked really funny too, like it should have been a 3pt, but had been converted somehow into a 5pt. It was really bad. They were trying to figure out how to fit everything in the car and I suggested installing the new seat and throwing the old one in the trunk, but I don't think they wanted to install in the parking lot. I almost offered to help them install it, but I'm not a tech and dh was almost done with work by then.
 

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