Disappointed in newspaper article about AAP guidelines.

brelza

Member
So how often do you all find yourself persuasively writing about car seat laws? Our newspaper had the following article on Sunday.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=301969

I am so bothered by it I keep thinking of how negatively it portrays the new AAP guidelines. It also CLEARLY shows many people basically saying they will do what they want because it's not law to rear face to 2 years. You should have heard me venting to my husband about the "there is no leg room" complaint for rear facing.

Along the side of the article (not shown online) it has 5 kids' take on the new law. They had ONE 7 y/o say they liked their booster and the rest were complaining about how long they'd have to wait to get out of a booster or that they'd NEVER go back into one after being out of it. YES MOM! Let the children decide what is best for them. :rolleyes:

I feel it was an unfair dig at the new guidelines and really was poorly written in that it doesn't give a whole lot of support (such as no need to worry about broken legs vs broken neck). I'm contemplating writing into the paper about the article and my feelings on it, but already know I'm in the vast minority that have followed the rear facing beyond 12 mo suggestion.

What's your take on it? Can anyone put my mind at ease? :eek:
 
ADS

Brianna

New member
:thumbsdown: I can't believe they didn't consult a tech on that story or possibly somebody that has a 4 year old RF still! If I were you, I'd see if I could get a letter to the editor published and try to get the other side of the story!
 

tarabelle

New member
Isn't the whole point of journalism to be neutral and present both sides? Nothing like only showing the negative aspects huh? :thumbsdown: Didn't start out so badly but there were no parents or techs rebuffing the length/leg room issue which annoys me.

Briheartzu, they did consult a tech, the woman from AAA. It's not in the same paragraph that introduces her.
 

brelza

Member
:yeahthatlove: Exactly! I was thinking where is the info/support FOR it? It just seemed all negative on being controlling and that parents are going to do what they are going to do as long as it's not law. They didn't have anyone TRULY in support of it. Yeah sure they had the ONE woman's comments that she made her son wait til he was 13 to sit in the front and such but she doesn't even have young children any longer.

I just might need to sit down today and attempt to write a letter to the editor. Each week they have a section of "letters to the editor" where people can write to the paper in response to the articles. I want to see if it can be done electronically now or if I really have to write one to send it in.
 

scariestone

New member
I stopped reading at this one: "But I know my 1-year-old is much happier riding facing the installed DVD player so he doesn't have to twist his body into a very uncomfortable position," she said. "I know he loves to see me and the road in the car, and his legs have more room." :sick: I couldn't take it anymore.
Yes having your child watch DVDs in the car is so much more important than said child not breaking their neck in an accident. :hitselfonhead: Parents are being so childish about eh new guidelines. "Oh that's new and different, its bad." Um that's how a 5 year old thinks! There's also no way the lady that said her 10 month old was scrunched RF is telling the truth. If my giaganto kid is perfectly comfortable RF, any kid smaller than him could be.
 

brelza

Member
Ok I just found this

"We welcome letters from readers. Letters should be brief (about 200 words) and address a specific topic of general interest. For verification purposes include your full name, address, and telephone number (day & evening) also please include your e-mail. Concise letters will get preferential treatment and are less likely to be condensed."

Now how to get it all in under 200 words... :D Got my work cut out for me today.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I think they need an onslaught of contact from techs... maybe the carseatlady, too, just because she has really developed a name for herself and has been doing interviews and stuff nationally.
 

brelza

Member
I think they need an onslaught of contact from techs... maybe the carseatlady, too, just because she has really developed a name for herself and has been doing interviews and stuff nationally.

Yeah see that is sort of why I came here. To anyone around here, I'm "just a mom". I'm not a tech, not an "expert". I do have a 260 word letter I keep rewriting and looking at as I have no submitted it yet.

I did not know if anyone local or nearby wanted to go up to bat on this and could make the AAP guidelines thought process more clear.
 

brelza

Member
So this is what I have typed up. I know for best impact I probably should not include personal info..reference..but I thought in this case it might be good to show I actually do what I say we should do. So what do you think? And trust me my feelings won't be hurt if you all think it's :thumbsdown:



I am writing in regard to the article "Local parents react to new car seat guidelines".

While I seen lots of negativity from parents in the article about the new recommended guidelines, I didn't see many positive supporters of it. People need to realize the AAP is making recommendations based off of research as to what is BEST for young children and babies riding in vehicles.

In my van my 7 month old will be rear facing for a very long time. My 6 year old is in a 5 point harness. My 8.5 year old is in a high back booster. My 10 and 11 year olds just within the last month moved out of their no back boosters. My older children were actually sad to see their boosters go. My 6 and 8.5 year old children did sit rear-facing until they were 2+ years of age. No, they were not short children, they just crossed their legs which is what many extended rear facing children do. Broken legs are not an issue as saving a child's spine from possible irrevocable damage. Reading this article certainly made me think that we were largely outnumbered.

We as parents need to make it more acceptable to have children rear face for longer, stay harnessed longer and be in booster longer. We should all be teaching our children that we do what is best for them as we know it. We need to make car seat transitioning less of a milestone, growing up, benchmark. This is about the SAFETY of our children. Not what is perceived as "better", "uncomfortable" or "more enjoyable".

--
Heather
 

tarabelle

New member
I think that's a great letter :)

I like how you wrote it, from a PARENT'S perspective. A parent who will actually follow the guidelines and is happy to do so.. the group they seemed to neglect while writing that article
 

mlohry

New member
I don't understand kids who complain about their boosters. It's the parents that complain and the kids pick up on it. My boys would never think to complain. Maybe because I show them crash test videos of kids without boosters, hmmm...
 

Gypsyphoenix

New member
Love the mom who said "I wish they would make the guidelines based on height and weight, not age" (or something to that effect). Clearly she does not understand the purpose of the guidelines - it has little to do with height and weight and everything to do with age (maturity of bones and muscles along the spinal cord. The bones don't ossify faster because your kid is tall :\ )
 

PunkyMonkey

New member
Wow this is so sad and frustrating to read.

This is how everyone I know thinks and they think I'm crazy for thinking otherwise... I pretty much battle this negative thinking all the time when I talk about ERF.

The bottom line is SAFETY... not DVDs... where are these parents priorities. Also, BE A PARENT not a "friend"! If a kid has never sat forward facing THEY wont know what they are missing!!!!!! So just because YOU (parent) find it annoying in some way to promote this milestone turn around graduate from booster as a happy thing if you have never said anything they wouldn't know the difference! I know I'll be promoting my child's safety seats as this will keep you safe and sound! Who cares if you have to sit indian style... unless you spend your whole life in a car kids are NOT going to complain about crossed legs. That's how most kids sit when they're not in a car!

And kids eventually understand what it means to do things so they "dont get hurt" they don't want to get hurt, present this as a positive thing not a negative thing. I'm sure no parent wants their child to be a vegetable for the rest of their life god forbid something happened.

My almost 4 month old hated her first car seat so I bought a different one, she loves it now. Maybe these kids that are throwing a fit are uncomfortable because the parent bought a crappy seat! Who knows... and when a mom is saying things like "I'm sorry you have to be in that seat, I know its hard.. blah blah" negative of course that child is going to see this as a negative thing. BE POSITIVE about safety!
 

brelza

Member
Thanks everyone! I did email the editor so let's see now if my little letter makes it into the paper to show the OTHER side of the "dilemma". I know that my children have NEVER complained of their seats. We NEVER made it a big issue. I explained to them from very young WHY they were in the seat. I did share with them also why I am so "neurotic" (as many people think I am) about seat belts fitting properly---the fact that I was in a car accident in 2000 where the seat belt did not fit me properly and it bruised me up BUT the seatbelt saved my life. I didn't want to see them go through what I went though.

We are constantly battling with family and friends on this. They don't "get" why I until recently had my 10 and 11 y/o in boosters. They don't "get" why I have my 6y/o 5pt harnessed. My MIL :rolleyes: when I put my 6 mo old in his seat rear facing. SIX MONTHS OLD! She's like OH GAWD, you're not making him sit facing backwards are you? I calmly told her, of coarse, and he will be for another few years. She goes YEARS!?!? I said "yup!" But oye...this is REALLY getting old...
 

PunkyMonkey

New member
Ugh, my MIL is worse -- if it were up to her car seats wouldn't exist because kids are unhappy in them.

I know how you feel, I get so much crap from everyone. Some of my friends are really sarcastic.. "poor girl she'll be in a car seat in high school" blah blah... excuse me for caring so much that my child is safe. I live in Pinellas County, FL... our crash statistics will make any parent cry. I can remember riding home from the hospital freaking out at every car that got near us thinking once we got home we'd never leave lol.
 

brelza

Member
Ugh, my MIL is worse -- if it were up to her car seats wouldn't exist because kids are unhappy in them.

I live in Pinellas County, FL... our crash statistics will make any parent cry. I can remember riding home from the hospital freaking out at every car that got near us thinking once we got home we'd never leave lol.

:ROTFLMAO: yeah my MIL says to me. Well, I remember I use to just wrap Chris in a blanket and lay him on the front seat. :whistle:

My friend lives in Seminole...I know the area :)
 

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