In case of a collision...

does your spouse/SO know what to do about your kids' seats? It's crossed my mind a couple times in the past week that if something were to happen to me, say I was either badly injured or killed in a collision, dh wouldn't have a clue what to do about the girls and their seats.

Have you thought about it or discussed it with your SO? Do they know the seats would need to be replaced immediately? Do they have even the slightest clue what replacements they would get?

Maybe it's a bit morbid, but this has been on my mind.

Well, no kids here, and we want to keep it that way, but DH is a tech, so I am set.

Oh, yeah, my husband has bought enough replacement seats to know they need replacement.

But now that I'm thinking of it, he might not install them quite right (though he'd read the manual, and try hard.)

Jennie and Judi: if I die in a car crash, you are responsible for making sure my husband (or whoever does it) puts the replacement seats in right, okay? Okay.

My DH knows that crashed seats need replacing. We've been through that process together, so I'm good there.

He knows how to install seats. He knows how to test a seat for proper tightness. He knows not to use parachut cord, 2x4s, or duct tape when installing seats.

He's fully on board with ERF. (Though if I weren't around, he would likely RF our kids to 3 years of age, then turn the FFing, whereas I kept Jordan RFing until 4 1/2.)

He's currently learning about proper booster fit and usage now (as we are currently booster training). Therefore, he knows about the 5 step test and knows it needs to be passed before any kiddo could ride without a booster.

He also knows his limitations, as well as my login and password here.

He wouldn't be afraid to ask questions here, or just give a shout out to Kimberly if he needs hands on help with an install.

He would know that the seat couldn't be used again. However, assuming I couldn't some how tell him myself, he would have no idea what to replace them with. He would probably ask my mom, who wouldn't know either but would probably tell him to just buy the exact same one.

Um. Well, we (and by we, I mean me) have been through the crash replacement once. Hopefully he would remember that and at least eventually figure out that he needed to replace the seat. I wouldn't count on it immediately, especially while dealing with me being in the hospital or dead.

He would probably get another Radian, because he remembers us deciding that it was the best. (Yes, we did, as in best for our vehicles, our child, our wants and needs. Not exactly how he remembers it, though.) If DD was still rear facing, that's okay. If she was already forward facing, I'd rather he get a combination seat unless we need the narrow for three-across, but whatever.

He can do an install, he just really, really doesn't trust himself. But he still probably wouldn't take it to someone for help, other than maybe some work buddies. Engineers installing car seats, eek! I'm almost positive he wouldn't read the manual. Come to think of it, I can't remember him ever reading a manual for anything.

Hmm, maybe I need to write something up and put it with my will. "In case a vehicular accident caused my death, . . . "

We've had to replace seats before. Fortunately the insurance company we were dealing with was really easy and just issued a check for the cost of the seats. (It was only a Snugride and a Scenera so the cost was pretty small - but the adjuster never even asked to see the seats or anything). Since dh saw that process, I'm sure he would go through it again.
He also knows how I feel about extended harnessing, and didn't say a word about when I told him I was going to pay $280 for a Frontier 85. (In my defense, the last car seat I bought was in Oct '07). We both agree that it's actaully easier for us with the kids in a harness as opposed to a seat belt (even though we haven't gone that route before).
There are two things I worry about: I've seen him loosen the harness straps too much when putting the kids in, and not raising the chest clip enough. Maybe he knows I always reach back and check them as I pull out the driveway, so he didn't worry about it. Second, I am pretty sure he would not rf until the seat's weight limit. We've never turned around at the 1yr/20lb mark, but I just can't see him ERF a 3y/o.
When it comes to car travel, my husband has trusted my decisions and basically let me call the shots. (He wasn't even there when I bought our van!) He actually jokes he wishes I would talk less to him about it ("....should we get this carseat or that one ....?") and just make the decisions already, lol.
Overall we both know on what parenting issues the other feels strongly, and if, God forbid, anything happened to either one of us, we would honor the other's wishes.

I know he would more than likely replace the seats they have with the same ones - it would be easier that was on him.

The only thing I would worry about is him ERF'ing Madeline too long because he likes her RF'ing even at almost 4 1/2 years old (ie: past the weight/height limits of her seat).

He knows how to install a few of the seats we have here, I now know I have to show him the TFP and the lock offs.....and explain why the RN can tether RF'ing and the other RF'ing seats we have cannot.....also tell him NOT to go to our local PD to get them checked....contact a CPST.

My log in is saved on here so hopefully if he ran into any problems, he'd come on here and ask - hopefully....

I figured that if I was in a crash I'd either come on here and beg for a local to come help or call the local cpst. The kids are nearly always with me, so I assumed they'd have to stay in the hospital a bit too. I also would hope that if I get in that bad of a crash that the police would take the van, seats and all. I'm sure I really have no clue, but I have at least given it some thought.

If we had a crash where I was hurt, my dh would know to not put my kids in those seats even for a minute. If I was seriously hurt though, I could see him making the call to use them to get to the hospital . I'd probably make the same call if the situation was reversed. It would depend on the injury. My mom would be called immediately andmeet us at the hospital with her seats. My husband would probably just buy the same seats we have for them now. Long-term, my kids would probably use the seatbelt at 8, because that's our booster law and he knows it. He might keep our baby RFing till she's 2, but I'm not even sure on that. He says he can't wait till they're done with carseats. And that our kids are not going to be sitting in seats when they're 12. right now, I figure that's a battle we'll fight when we get there. But if I wasn't here, he'd completely disregard it. He wouldn't come on here and ask advice, either. But i would just haunt my local ladies and make sure they popped in and made suggestions. And my BFF would look out for my girls. And she'd come here and ask advice for me.

My husband would know to replace after a crash b/c we have replaced a seat before. He does know how to install a seat, but he does not trust himself to do so b/c he thinks he would not do it right. However the one time he did it, he did do pretty good. He knows that it has to have very little to no movement & be top tethered. So I think he would do ok. However I can see him calling my SIL to help. She is about as nuts about car seats being right as I am. LOL!

However if something happened to me I think he would GO nuts!

Yeah, I think he'd be ok. He knows how to install all of our seats (well, maybe not the Radian RF, but all of the others) and I think he'd get help if he had a problem. He might not RF to the very max, and might well put Megan in a booster earlier than I would (she's 4.5, he thinks she is ok but I don't) but I trust that he would make pretty safe decisions for them and be pretty sure their seats were correctly installed and appropriate.