Do you think infant car seats are overused?

Are infant car seats overused?

  • Yes

    Votes: 81 79.4%
  • No

    Votes: 21 20.6%

  • Total voters
    102

LP Mom

New member
I most definitely think so. In fact, if had another baby :ROTFLMAO:, I would skip it entirely. I hate how I see them at the grocery store, at Target, Walgreens, the park, etc, etc.
 
ADS

steph_s

New member
I know around here they are over-used! I hate seeing kids sitting in their car seat while mom is chatting with friends over coffee, shopping at the store, sitting in the house because "baby was asleep", sitting at their older child's sporting event while they feed them in the car seat and toss toys at them every now and then. I have also had about enough of my foster kids coming with their heads flat because "he/she likes to sit in their car seat".

I have figured this out before. If I used my infant carrier instead of my sling while "out and about" running errands, at my older kids sporting stuff, while out with my friends, ect. my children would be in an infant carrier (not counting car trips) for about 2.5 hours per day. Add that to the time I spend driving and that is almost 4 hours of being in a car seat daily and yet parents seem to think this is ok??
 

lil.miss32

New member
I'm not sure how to answer. I think yes, in some situations. I would SO much rather wear my baby instead of carrying the infant seat in and out of the store. But that isn't feasible with our winters, here.
I do think that people overuse them coming into the house, etc. I know lots of people that leave the baby in the carseat because "she's happy".
 

christineka

New member
I know infant seats are overused, but that doesn't mean that everyone who has an infant seat is an offender. My dd is in the seat when traveling and she used to stay in it grocery shopping. Every now and then I'll bring her in the house asleep in it. She usually sleeps only 10 minutes longer in the house.
 

aeormsby

New member
I never understand when I see people out for walks (around the neighborhood) with the carseat in the stroller instead of just laying the baby in the stroller :confused: And seeing older (than 1-2 month) old LO's in the carseat clipped in the stroller and they're awake and looking around. I did like the convenience of being able to click the carseat in the stroller for quick trips with both kids (22 months apart). With DD I didn't use the stroller until she was 4-5 months old (not carseat compatible & didn't lay flat).

So yes, I think they are way overused. (but I wouldn't skip it personally)
 

cookie123

New member
I always feel sorry for the baby when I see one being carried in a car seat. They are bounced around so relentlessly.

I would say many people do overuse them. But you often have to put the kid somewhere safe from dogs/kids- it's otherwise the bouncy seat, the swing, etc., so really, what's the difference?
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Yes, of course. We did things backwards; DS started out in a convertible and then went into his SS1 when it got cold. I do take his seat inside with us, but I always take him out and put him in the Beco once we are inside. We had friends who literally only took their kids out of the bucket to change them, then they would go back in with a propped bottle :(
 

BW1426

Well-known member
I definitely think they are way overused. But, I was carrying A the other day and slipped (because apparently the town is too poor to salt or sand sidewalks anymore :rolleyes:) and had it been a little baby I was carrying, I think they would have been quite hurt from the fall. So I do see some point to them, but overall they are way, way overused.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Yes, for sure. My mom says that infant in the car seat/swing/bouncy seat ALL THE TIME and on back to sleep are the 2 leading causes of positional plagiocephaly she sees-- and most of the time it's both. They're flat on the back or in the swing or car seat to sleep, and when awake they're always in the swing, car seat, bouncer, never on the tummy or held or carried. :( I see this a lot myself.
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
I totally think they're overused. And though an OP actually added up the time, I don't think many parents have, and that's why they figure its no biggie. It seems like its no big deal. They have to be in it in the car (b/c newborns HAVE to have one, right? :p wish we could spread the news bout that misconception...) And then if you're only going to be in somewhere 10 mins seems stupid to spend 5 of them taking baby in and out. But then, if you run more than one errand, all of a sudden the baby is in there a lot.

I was never guilty of it - but not b/c I was some uber good parent. lol My son would not stand for such foolishness. If he was not being held, he was not happy. If we went into a restaraunt he wanted to be held so he could see faces, not just lights. If we were at the store by golly he wanted to be held so he could help shop. (I once accidentally stole a pair of slippers he put in the diaper bag:rolleyes:). And as soon as the car stopped, he was awake. But now that I know more (thank you car-seat.org ladies) I'm likely to completely skip the carrier to make sure I don't abuse the thing. and that nobody else does with him either.

I agree its not just the car seat, though. Its all the many contraptions we've come up with to set our kids in. Yeah, everyone needs a free hand sometimes, but when you have 5-6 places to sit the child, its like running the house on stations: 20 minutes in this one, 1 hour in this one, etc. It saddens me. Minimal exploring and bonding time.

Oh, and after having carried one - I can't see why anyone would do that twice! Those suckers are a horror to carry around. Awkward and painful.
 

kittykate

New member
I never understand when I see people out for walks (around the neighborhood) with the carseat in the stroller instead of just laying the baby in the stroller :confused: And seeing older (than 1-2 month) old LO's in the carseat clipped in the stroller and they're awake and looking around. I did like the convenience of being able to click the carseat in the stroller for quick trips with both kids (22 months apart). With DD I didn't use the stroller until she was 4-5 months old (not carseat compatible & didn't lay flat).

So yes, I think they are way overused. (but I wouldn't skip it personally)

Well, we used the carseat clipped in the stroller for walks because it let me see and interact with my babies. If I just laid them in the stroller they faced away from me and I we lost out on any awake and alert bonding time. :twocents:

(I honestly hate threads like this because people sound so judgmental. We babywore 90% of the time, but its nice to know that people were rolling their eyes and making assumptions on those times I did chose to leave my child in the bucket, just because its not what they would have chosen in their situation.)
 

LP Mom

New member
At least the thread will make lurkers think about putting babies in their infant buckets so much. Not all users are conscientious like you. ;)
 

tiggercat

New member
For sure, I think they can be overused. I know people who keep their kids in seats all the time and then wonder why their heads are flat. I don't think they are horrible with normal use.
We skipped the infant seat with our middle kiddo because of vehicle issues, and didn't miss it at all. I would sling her and she was fine. With our youngest we did get a SR32, and I find it quite useful for keeping Sam warm (winter can be bitterly cold here, so sometimes you can't keep kids out uncovered and the showercap style cover does a great job at keeping them warm!) and for short trips into a store in the stroller frame.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I always say how long Leah fit in her safeseat (19 months), but I mean, like we only drove in the car a couple times a week, and she only stayed in it if I was lazy and doing my shopping at naptime. She spent loads of time in her sling or stroller.
I like the "no longer than 20 minutes on either end of the car trip" advice that I've heard people try to give...maybe we need a PSA...
 

cookie123

New member
Again, what's the difference if they're laying in the stroller or the car seat on a walk?

I agree with whoever said it - can't recall - no kid of mine would have stood for it either. And, that's another good reason to promote breastfeeding. It's hard to breastfeed in a car seat. At the very least it would be inconvenient!
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
Yep. While not everyone who uses one is neglectful, I honestly believe they make it very easy to neglect your child. Children who are constantly in them also don't develop properly, they have motor skills delays, flattened heads, and slower speech development. Even just laying the child flat on the floor or a mattress allows them to move more freely and exercise/develop their muscles more than in a curved bucket-shaped carseat. Now, of course, some people only use them appropriately, with moderation, and provide their infant with lots of other contact, stimulation and exercise. But sadly, MANY do not.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I don't think there is anything wrong with OCCASIONAL use in the stroller, in the bottom of the cart when the baby is napping while you shop, as a rocker in church to keep her quiet and away from germy hands, etc. But I see overuse, where the child spends literally the whole 3 hours we're in church in the seat except for one diaper change, then goes home, then I'm over at the house later and baby is sitting in it for a feeding seat, or a rocker again, or napping in it... I see it a lot. I see kids who go to work with a parent and that's where they sit all day. I see babies who are plunked in the car seat in front of the tv to keep them busy while mom does chores or makes dinner. And among the more financially fortunate, they may get out of the infant seat but then they spend all their time in a swing, bouncer, etc. Is this the minority of moms I know? Absolutely. But do they get overused by a significant minority? From my experience, yes they do.

I don't judge parents who have baby out in the seat at the mall. What I do, is try to talk to those parents if I get a chance and make sure they know that baby needs tummy time, and that babywearing is an option. :)
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Strollers usually recline flatter (might reduce the risk of torticollis), give the baby some room to wiggle around... and now the old flip-handle strollers are back you can see your baby again, yay, graco for giving us an affordable stroller to do this... http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3914650&CAWELAID=453281778
I'm just not sure infant seats are optimally designed for promoting healthy round head development, too. Maybe that's the next big challenge for them to conquer :)
 

jess71903

Ambassador
Yes, for sure. My mom says that infant in the car seat/swing/bouncy seat ALL THE TIME and on back to sleep are the 2 leading causes of positional plagiocephaly she sees-- and most of the time it's both. They're flat on the back or in the swing or car seat to sleep, and when awake they're always in the swing, car seat, bouncer, never on the tummy or held or carried. :( I see this a lot myself.

I think this is a big cause for OT and PT referrals as well. I went to a continuing ed once and the speaker commented that we have too many "containers" for our babies. That's always stuck with me.
 

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