CPST's (or car seat knowledgable) w/out children

starbuck8088

New member
I'm not sure if this would go here or not, sorry.

I'm just wondering, how many of you are CPST's (or just "car seat enthusiasts", as my DH calls it) without children? I currently have no kids of my own (we're TTC), but I've spend a lot of time lurking around here and researching car seat safety.

Earlier I got trashed by a few mama's on another website, because apparently since I don't have kids, I "know nothing about car seats". I guess I just want to know, am I in the minority here? Or is it not that unusual?

I'm not a CPST currently, but I do plan on taking the course just as soon as there's one nearby :)
 
ADS

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
I have a sone, DH has a daughter, but they are 17. We started doing this when they were 11.
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
Oh, and my roomy is single, no kids and is a CPST. Yeah, we have 3 techs in the house.
 

Joyofbirth

New member
I have always been "into" carseats. Even when I was a teenager. I would play with the seats the people I babysat for had. I'd go into stores when I could and check them out. I even remember being skeptical about the first infant seats with a base. I couldn't wait until my nephew(who is 12 today) outgrew his infant seat so I could buy a car seat. I don't think it means you don't know anything because you don't have kids, but I know a lot of people think that way. I say good for you, being informed before instead of after you have kiddos.
 
I am 24, have no kids but have 6 siblings younger than me (3 are one year old!) and have worked as a nanny of course for years... here's how it unfolded and how I because the "car seat nut" that I am today...

My interest in seats started when I watched a little girl I took care of who was maybe 15-18 months old at the time get strapped into her parents car... I actually still take care of her today, she's 9. Her dad put her in the car seat, buckled her in and then put the vehicle belt over the seat... looking back at pictures I now know it was a cosco FF only HBB. I remember thinking at the time that I knew that wasn't right and so the next summer when I had a license and the family bought me a NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle...basically a nice golf cart- top speed of 25mph) I had to install that same seat in the NEV to take the girls t school and back/around our small town. That's my first memory of reading a label...there was no manual but from watching my dad install seats I remembered that they had to be super tight and that straps had to be tight. I don't remember reading anywhere that the chest clip belonged up high but I had to common sense to put it in the right position. I also found the harness was KNOTTED- yes, two harness straps just tied at the back and the metal plate was just hanging on the back! :eek: and fiured out (by looking at display modls in a store) how is was supposed to go and fixed it! I was unaware of seat checks or that techs existed!

I then got my first car and purchased my first car seat as I was watching several kids which was a similar Cosco seat (I was maybe 18 and it was inexpensive plus I was familiar with it) I kind of just bought what I knew... I didn't like it much and replaced it a few months later with a Comfortsport... nicest looking seat in my price range available at Target at the time. When I got the ComforSport I realized it went both ways and it clicked that the little one I watched was only 20 something lbs so I put her rear facing- I didn't actually know how much safer it was, just thought she'd be more comfortable and sort of knew it was a little safer at least!

After a few more months I started watching my friend's little infant and had my first experience with a SnugRide and learned how to install a base etc. I think that's when it really began! I became very aware of seats and realized that Bella was outgrowing the SR22 and because I had her 3-5 days a week I really needed a seat for my car for my own convenience (I just had the extra base at the time and they had the one seat) Right around that time I got m first Beetle and did lots of research. I then bought my first RA (it expired this year) and I think because it was a smaller car (I had an Xterra before) I was more nervous about kids being in the car and because the obsessed nut that I am today!

I have been to several seat checks and not trying to be big headed in any way but I have not met a single person including local techs who knew even close to what I know about seats. All of the parents I sit for are clueless and I pray they are never in any accidents- they will lose their kids almost without a doubt :( I've talked to all of them or dropped hints in a polite way but they all jut think it won't happen to them :(

So on that note- you DO NOT have to be a mom to be knowledgable and skilled at seat installation and use! I never intended to learn what I know but I felt it was part of my job in caring for other peoples kids.
 

classicseats

Active member
I wouldn't say I'm car seat knowledgable, but I'm a "car seat enthusiast" with no kids. Unless it's a 30 year old car seat!
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
We have quite a few nanies, aunts, daycare providers, nurses, firefighters, etc who don't necesarily have kikds who are all here and into carseat safety.
 

skiersnowboarder3

Senior Community Member
:happy-wavehello: At first, no one wants to believe that I know anything about car seats because I don't have any kids. Then I start talking about them and they quickly realize that I know more than most parents. I have a couple parents of multiple children who come to me for advice.
 

munchkin

Active member
We have quite a few nanies, aunts, daycare providers, nurses, firefighters, etc who don't necesarily have kikds who are all here and into carseat safety.

Yep. I am an aunt and babysitter. I used to nanny and that is where my interest in car seats began. You will also find that many of us without kids of our own have quite a collection of car seats *Judi* :p.

Just because you are interested in something kid related, doesn't necessarily mean you have to have kids. I can believe they others bashed you for this. Good for you for wanting to become more knowledgable and helping others out.

And aren't you glad you know this stuff before you have your own kids? I know I sure am!
 
L

LuciaBella

Guest
My story is similar to DisneyWorldNanny, (which by the way, we should talk sometime!) I started nannying for Levi when he was 1 and I was freshly in high school. When Milo was born, (and I had my license by then) I got to drive them places in my car. It seemed to me that the way their seats were installed were very loose, so I read the manual and was introduced to the lovely LOCKING CLIP which I now refuse to buy seats without a locking mechanism... (besides my radians which I might love as much as russ:rolleyes:).

Ever since then I have been super anal and paranoid about the way my car seats are installed. I've lead several friends to ERF and gave them advice on car seats.My kids now are Lucia who is almost 4 and still RF, and my baby Bella who just turned 2, obviously RF. I've been their nanny since Luc was an infant.

I went to a car seat check in my area 2 years ago with my kids and the tech was impressed that they were still RF (despite Luci being 1.5) and she recommended I become a tech! I've been a tech for over a year now. Currently I'm in South Africa so there isn't much car seat work for me here, but there will be when I return to the states!

You don't need to have your own children to know a lot about car seats, but I recommend you familiarize yourself with the different car seats with kids in them. It's nice to have your own subjects because you can plop them in different seats at BRU and take pics, but I know tons about car safety before having kids.
 

classicseats

Active member
How about this, I know a whole lot more about car seats than most other guys with no kids thanks to being on here:) I sure spot a lot of bad installs, expired seats:whistle: I know I could do better than many seats I see.
 

bp2002

New member
I'm another kidless carseat junky!! I had tons of nanny jobs growing up, and I dont know why I became so concerned with carseats, but I did. I think it stemmed from wanting to make sure I was doing all I could to keep someone elses child safe.. *I* didnt want to be responsible for a child being injured because I drove them somewhere w/o a proper carseat/install.

Then I became a NICU nurse, and wanted to puke when I saw how kiddos went home in carseats.. my hospital paid for me to take the tech class :) I've also dated people with children, and again, I want someone elses child to be as safe as possible when Im transporting them.. (Often kids are in boosters or nothing in their parents cars and 5pt harnesses in mine!)

I also find it convenient to have seats that I know install well in my vehicle. When friends and family with kids come to visit, even when they bring their carseats, sometimes the fit isnt right in my suv.. but I know I have seats that will work.. (like an older radian in my suv you can not install FF w/a seatbelt. impossible. )..


I think its great that more people w/o kids are becoming part of the car-seat world. Education is everything! I might not know as much about the day after day after day quirks of a seat... but I can make sure a child is properly restrained in one!
 

Wiggles

New member
I've got no kids and probably won't for another three to five years. I had an interest in carseats prior to finding this site, but it didn't become fully fledged until I started researching baby gear as a way to combat my 'baby fever.' I want a kid, asap, but with fiancé and I in different countries right now and with me nowhere NEAR being a citizen of his country (I'd prefer not to have kids until I'm a citizen, but I'm not deadset on it as long as I'll be a citizen before they'd enter public school), it's not an option.

I think my initial care about carseats stemmed from working with disabled children. I was an enhanced respite care worker, in high school. In the context of the family I was assigned to, that meant I was, essentially, a nanny with extra duties (assisting with home exercises for physio, special diet, etc). The little boy I worked with, C, was almost rigid most of the time, with cerebral palsy. He was also spastic, so sometimes he was totally floppy. I wanted to learn how to keep him safe. It seemed to me the best way to do that (I didn't know about rear-facing) was to ensure his carseat was properly installed and make sure it supported him appropriately without making the harness too loose.

Now, my obsession has grown. My priorities after moving to the US? Getting fiancé and I our tech certs so we can do checks as a family (I've convinced him to help me in my campaign to make kids safer! YAY!). And talking to as many people as possible about ERF and EH. Why? Because I believe that the vast majority of parents don't want any new input on their parenting decisions, so it's important to get the info on ERF, especially, to people BEFORE they become pregnant.

If it was just common knowledge amongst people, even those who had no children, it would become a social norm. The way to change the world, in this case, may not be just preaching to those affected, but talking to those who may one day be affected and those who, in the past, may have been affected. Talking to a grandparent about 'oh, well, you know, there's been a MASSIVE advance made in safety, isn't that great?' can sometimes have more of an effect than talking to a parent, imo.
 

AtTheSouthDam

New member
I was interested in car seats when I was a babysitter, got into all the safety aspects as a nanny (1998-2003) but somehow didn't find this board until my own children were 4y and 2y :p So you can be into it before you ahve kids. It won;t make you any weirder than the rest of us :D
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
No male OB (that I know of) has ever given birth, but they advise pregnant women all the time. No one ever thinks it is strange that he hasn't given birth.
 

Mom2FiveGirls

Active member
No male OB (that I know of) has ever given birth, but they advise pregnant women all the time. No one ever thinks it is strange that he hasn't given birth.

This was my thought too! There are plenty of pediatricians without kids, but yet parents trust them (sometimes too much...) to give parenting advice (not just medical advice either...).
 

PHaley

New member
I have been into baby gear since I was a preteen, I've been working with kids and babies in many different capacities for well over 10 years! I'm 26, just came out of my most recent nanny job and am FINALLY expecting my 1st in July! I plan to get certified after she arrives :) Meanwhile I am godmom/sitter/aunty to so many that I've had my own stash of seats (currently 9 but 2 are expired so I get to shop!) for about 5 years and continue to inform everyone who will listen about "best practice" for their child and situation. I've recieved some opposition but less so b/c I don't have kids and moreso b/c the info isn't common knowledge yet & folks just think I'm extreme lol but whatever if 1 child is safer I'm happy
 

starbuck8088

New member
Thanks guys! I feel more normal now. My friends all think I'm crazy, but they trust me enough to come to me for car seat advice. I picked out my neice's EFTA when she needed a new seat, and I'm buying a KeyFit for her new baby brother/sister coming this fall.

My car seat obsession started when I was looking at baby gear when we were just starting to TTC last year. I wanted to know about the ARB on the Combi Shuttle (still my favorite infant seat!), and I found my way here in the process. It only grew from there. I'm pretty sure the tech class would be a breeze for me, it's just a matter of finding one close enough to me. I'm thinking of asking my husband to take the class with me. He's learned at lot from me, and he's made it known that he isn't afraid to talk to anyone about ERF or EH (or to Goodwill employees about the dangers of selling/using an infant seat made in 1992 :eek:)

I really need to start posting around here more.
 

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