Question about CPST Training

BrendansMommy

New member
My class is at the end of this month. Do I need to do any prep work beforehand? I quite well-versed in CP safety, I think, for a non-tech (been reading here for 5 years, though I don't post a whole lot).

They sent a flyer with the different types of carseats (no biggie), and a link to the manual. I really would rather not print that whole thing out (hate reading stuff like that the computer), since they are going to give me a copy anyway. But I don't want to screw myself over by being underprepared, KWIM?

Also, as long I'm posting, anything else I should know for the training?
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Clean your car out (vacuum it, too), wear comfortable clothes, and you'll do fine. Five years here and you could teach 90% of the lecture.

Have fun!

Wendy
 

monstah

New member
Clean your car out (vacuum it, too), wear comfortable clothes, and you'll do fine. Five years here and you could teach 90% of the lecture.

Have fun!

Wendy

I wont have a car, will that be a problem? I have my mother visiting for the week to babysit & take my kids to class, etc. So she is keeping my car and will probably drop me off at the class every day.

I was even considering buying a bike (mine was stolen last summer) because the class is only a mile from my house. :p
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
:yeahthat:

Make certain your shirts aren't going to show too much cleavage when you're upside down in a car, and that your pants aren't too low cut either. You'll want to trim your nails, pull your hair back, and leave the jewelry at home. Too many techs have lost stones out of their rings because they got caught on a car seat.

You might want a notepad & pen, but you may nor may not need them.

Sunscreen, chapstick and a water bottle are absolutely a must. Sunburns and dehydration aren't exactly a fun time, and can happen before you know it. ;)


Have fun! :cool:
 

msg221

Well-known member
:yeahthat:

Sunscreen, chapstick and a water bottle are absolutely a must. Sunburns and dehydration aren't exactly a fun time, and can happen before you know it. ;)


Well, that just answered my question about when I want to take the class; I'm in Phoenix, so I guess I will be waiting for a fall/winter class! No way that I'm installing seats when it's 115 degrees out! Even if they did it in a covered parking garage, it will still be miserably hot!
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I know you didn't mean it this way, but reading this gave me a funny picture of the class trooping out to the parking lot and opening up random cars. :)

*snicker* Generally the only cars there are students' cars, so yeah, they do. They'll pause class for a second and ask for the keys to whoever's Jimmy is out there, then walk back out. You go out and your car has a booster and an infant seat in there and a sticker on the side saying a 4 year old 41 pounder and a six month old. Ready, install!

Wendy
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
Christina, Will you be packing a lunch, going home for lunch, or what? I'm trying to figure everything out before we have our class. LOL. I'm not a happy person when I'm hungry.;)
 

monstah

New member
Christina, Will you be packing a lunch, going home for lunch, or what? I'm trying to figure everything out before we have our class. LOL. I'm not a happy person when I'm hungry.;)

I'm not sure yet. I wont have a car so I probably wont be going home. There is a Subway, pizza place, KFC/Long John Silvers & a Starbucks right up the street. There is also a small "cafe" in the YMCA where our class is.
If lunch is only 30 minutes, I will either bring something or eat at the cafe. If lunch is an hour and it is nice out, I will probably want a slice of pizza or Subway.

I am a miserable witch when I don't eat. Just ask my DH. :p
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
I'm not sure yet. I wont have a car so I probably wont be going home. There is a Subway, pizza place, KFC/Long John Silvers & a Starbucks right up the street. There is also a small "cafe" in the YMCA where our class is.
If lunch is only 30 minutes, I will either bring something or eat at the cafe. If lunch is an hour and it is nice out, I will probably want a slice of pizza or Subway.

I am a miserable witch when I don't eat. Just ask my DH. :p

Wow! Good to know we have so many choices.:p

I'm going to do a dry run next week to see how long it takes me to get there and to make sure I know how to get there. It would totally suck to get lost and be late for my first day at class.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
We should have a thread asking who is planning on taking up an upcoming course with a where/when.

I have a question about the key to the car thing, Wendy -- what if you already have seats in there? I plan on taking my full load of seats (so seven, one in each seat) along since I have a good variety and some unusual ones. Should I not do that? My installs are, um, not typical, so I figured I'd bring everything installed as I typically use it -- do they just pull your seats out in order to use the vehicle, or... ???
 

Angela

New member
We should have a thread asking who is planning on taking up an upcoming course with a where/when.

I have a question about the key to the car thing, Wendy -- what if you already have seats in there? I plan on taking my full load of seats (so seven, one in each seat) along since I have a good variety and some unusual ones. Should I not do that? My installs are, um, not typical, so I figured I'd bring everything installed as I typically use it -- do they just pull your seats out in order to use the vehicle, or... ???

I think that would be a great idea!!

Also, if you have your instructor's email... ask them about your seat situation. I have 2 seats that you rarely see in this area. I'll only have one installed, but emailed my instructor to see if he wanted any others. He said they'll have a van full, but it's always nice to have some rare ones.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Emailing my instructor is a good idea. I'm definitely planning on taking everything, just wasn't sure if I would need to plan to uninstall before class that day, if they would do it, etc. (There is no way I'm driving around with 78,000 pounds of carseat metal and plastic unrestrained in my backseat, so they'll all come with me installed, lol.)

Vaccuuming the car is a great tip, btw... :whistle:
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I would NOT want my classmates touching my seats. My instructor asked if she could demo my Radians, and I let her-- but asked that only the instructors touch my seats. :)
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
People will play with your seats. Depending on how you feel about that will dictate what you should do. I left my rear facing seat for my nearly four year old installed in the middle of my Xterra, and I found two instructors turning it forward and putting it outboard, because I couldn't use two fixes at once (twisting the stalk and the built in lockoffs. On a lapbelt only). And goodness, any kid who is talking should be turned forward (this was four years ago, so the curriculum has changed to best practice, thank goodness). I think I left the seat home after that day.

So it's up to you. I brought up best practice a LOT in the lectures and so having seats in the car didn't come into play. They won't know how old the kids are using them, but they may appreciate the seats you have. OTOH, we had a trailer full of seats, so there were few that weren't there (a Radian wasn't there, but they had a Laptop).

2291862640_47600dfc4f_o.jpg


Very few duplicate seats in there.

Wendy
 

BrendansMommy

New member
Thanks all! I won't worry about printing out the manual.

FWIW, my instructor said they really want in the cars to show us the different seat belt systems, and recommended that my seats go in the trunk. I also told her that I have a buttload of seats, some of them not seen much around here, but they didn't seem terribly interested since they have a bunch.

Also they asked us not to leave the premises for lunch--it will be provided.
 

monstah

New member
I'm too overprotective with my seats to let anyone else touch them. :eek: I'm happy my mother will have my car. I hope they don't have a "Plays well with others" or "Shares well" section of the final test. :p
 

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