How to convince others?

robbertbobbert

New member
After reviewing some info here a few families that I know have come to mind that really scare me with the level of danger they put their children in.

The first is a my best friends family, when we were in middle school her little sister was born (it was only the two of them in the family, 13 year age gap). After using the cheapest available infant seat (which I'm positive wasn't installed correctly) for a year they put her FF at 12 months in my friends car seat from when she was little. This thing was at least 14 years old at this point and was the 3-point kind that comes over the head and has a big plastic Y looking piece. That carseat was never installed correctly either, it leaned over on turns to the point of falling down a few times. I tried to bring up the safety issues to the family but wouldn't listen, insisting that if the seat was good enough the first time around (in 1990) it would be fine this time!

Now the child is 6.5 and in a backless booster. I know that it's extremely common for parents to put their child in the wrong seat and/or to use it wrong, but they've basically been endangering her her entire life. Is there anything you would recommend for me to bring up to try and convince them to reconsider their seats?

Also, the family I nanny for has a 16 month old and a 3 year old. They put the baby FF at 11 months and the 3 year old is also FF. When she puts them in she puts their chest clips almost all the way down. The mom is convinced that she's the most in-the-know about car seats as possible. She ranted to me for twenty minutes about how incompetent the car seat techs were at the place she went, and how she'd purposely install her seats wrong to see if they caught it. Is there anything that can be done in this situation?
 
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carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
6.5yo in a backless booster isn't ideal, but I would not fuss about it (unless it's not being used properly). Most of us here adhere to best practice, but IMnsHO, when offering unsolicited advice, it's best to stick to the real biggies -- and 6.5yo in a backless isn't that. Neither is a 3yo FFing. Concentrate on proper use, and try to get the 16mo back to RFing if you can do so gently.
 

robbertbobbert

New member
I forgot to mention with the backless, they use it in the middle with a lapbelt only, which is the part that really concerns me.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Yeah, THAT'S a big deal. Again, concentrate on proper use -- don't overload them with what they've done wrong for the past 6.5 years, just inform them that boosters can't be used with lapbelts and shoulder belts far outweigh center position for safety.
 

mylittlet

Senior Community Member
I totally hear you. Our neighbors dd outgrow her convertible, so they moved her to her older bros backless booster. She turned 3 in January. I had been given a ff5-point from a trusted friend. I gave it to them to use until they could afford a new hwh that would last longer. Just saw them yesterday in their new minivan with her using it as a bpb. I bet the straps are still in it too. Ugh!
 

Jonah Baby

New member
Perhaps feigning innocence and no knowledge yourself might get them to feel more open?

For instance - find some very basic but informative and to the point brochures or fliers addressing the safety concerns you see with them. At a good opportunity, pull them out and say "Oh! I found these/got these from X and was wondering if you had seen them before and isn't (insert child's name) using their seat (insert scary misuse) ?

Then they might not be defensive and may actually be open to listening to some proper use if YOU seem like you had no clue it was wrong, KWIM?

I'm actually impressed that the 6.5 year old is in any type of booster. But yes, the lap only belt is a VERY unsafe situation.
 

robbertbobbert

New member
For instance - find some very basic but informative and to the point brochures or fliers addressing the safety concerns you see with them. At a good opportunity, pull them out and say "Oh! I found these/got these from X and was wondering if you had seen them before and isn't (insert child's name) using their seat (insert scary misuse) ?

I'm actually impressed that the 6.5 year old is in any type of booster. But yes, the lap only belt is a VERY unsafe situation.

I might have to try that, it probably won't work with the family I nanny for but maybe for my friends family. At least then I could say I tried, right?

And I know a lot of kids her age who aren't in anything, so at least they're trying? They put her in the booster at 4.5 and still at 6.5 she falls asleep in the car, almost out of her seat. I might be able to convince them to switch to a HBB though.
 

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