Vent Got a call from my friend today...

...She asked if I could help her with her ds' straps on his car seat (a 50lb Titan). She said she thought they were too low and that the straps were all twisted and she couldn't get them to untwist. So I met her at her MIL's house just down the street from me. I showed her once again how to move the straps and untwisted the harness (it was twisted in the buckle tonges (sp?). She then said, I know you're going to be mad a me but I've been letting him ride with just the chest clip because it's too hard to get thoughs darn buckles done. I about had a coronary! I tried my best to remain calm and explained to her that the chest clip was just a precrash positioner and that it was designed to break in an accident. I said you do realize that had you been in a wreck he would have flown out of the seat even at a crash as low as 20-30mph. I explained that it's the crotch buckle that is designed to take the force of the crash and keep kiddo in his seat as long as the shoulder straps were up close to his neck and nice and tight. She then said well he complains when the harness is tight. I told her he's only 10 months old and it's too bad if he complains. If you strap him in nice and tight every single time he'll get used to it and he'll be fine.

I made her promise not to ever do it again and to make sure those straps are tight but I give up on her. I've educated her about his car seat since he was born. I've repeatedly fixed his straps, moved them to the right height position showed her how to install his seat and yet she chooses not to retain the information or does something she knows she shouldn't. Oh, did I mention she told me that on a 10 hour drive out of state he wouldn't calm down so she took him out of the seat and held him in the back instead of finding a place to pull over so he could have a break! She knows it's wrong. She even tells me she knows it's wrong and that she know's I'll be mad at her. So why do it?! Why risk your kids life because he's complaining or it's too hard too do.

GAH! Ok, sorry, vent over.

big hugs for you and props for not uninstalling the seat and using it to smack her with!

(uninformed, I have all the patience for... but someone who has been repeatedly informed and just decides not to use her brain... meh)

Thank goodness she has a friend like you to keep her little guy safe!

Today I was having a hell of a time trying to get the buckles done up on my CA. Between the snow and my fingers freezing and my screaming, squriming kid I was ready to just leave it in frustration. I was rear ended today without even a peep from Emi. I can't imagine what could have happened if I had just given up because it was "too hard"

Kat_Momof3 said:

big hugs for you and props for not uninstalling the seat and using it to smack her with!

(uninformed, I have all the patience for... but someone who has been repeatedly informed and just decides not to use her brain... meh)

Click to expand...

:yeahthat:!!!! I have a "friend" who continues to ask me for advice and then promptly does the opposite. She routinely rides with her 1 year old in her lap.

Aaack!! I feel your pain. A friend just told me yesterday about a long car trip where they uninstalled the rear seat of their van and put in foam so that they could let the kids out of their seats to play and nap. We are new friends and I had a hard time trying to maintain a pleasant smile as she went on to talk about how illegal that was. All I could think was what would happen to those kiddos barrelling down the freeway at 80 mph if they had an accident...any kind of accident!!
Again, tried to maintain a straight face today as my neighbor drove by with her 6 yr old and 2 yr old riding unrestrained in the front seat. They had just come from the neighborhood playground ~1.5m from our homes.
Why, Why, Why do people not care???