tarynsmum
Senior Community Member
So I passed my certification class (obviously ).
We had a MUCH better turn-out than we expected - 25 seats total (a lot them were the same family - 2 families each had 4 seats to check).
My first EVER seat to check EVER EVER EVER... (drum roll please)
7# 2 month old preemie (adjusted age newborn) with colostomy bag and stoma (sp?) in a SnugRide. He'd only been home from NICU for about a week, he had to pass the car seat test (the 3 hour one) before he left the hospital, but then a nurse installed the seat for them and had it WAY too inclined- close to 35* . On the way home from the hospital the baby's neck kept flopping over, so the mom pulled over the car and stuffed some towels underneath the seat to keep it from happening - she knew it was wrong but didn't want him to stop breathing either. I got the incline fixed using the foot (which I guess the nurse failed to notice on the seat ), and got my instructor (who spent most of her career dealing with special needs CRS issues ) to help me with the harness. We got him in there snug (no pun intended ) and Mom was happy, and I was too .
His brother didn't fare so well... We were worried there wouldn't be a good turn out, so som other new techs were doing the older boy's seat. 3 y.o. (40 months), 34#. He was above the top slots in his convertible seat (I don't remember what it was, most likely a CrappySport)... so they put him in a new TurboBooster. They didn't even look for a combo seat with higher harness slots (I only realized later in the day when I found one for a kiddo of the same size). I was so sad for that little boy. I mean, technically it fit him, but I can't fathom a 3 y.o. little guy sitting the right way all the time. And he HATED it. He screamed for his old seat back the whole time. I wish I had the courage (I was already sort of looked at as the obsessive, 'intense', talks-a-lot (I ask a lot of questions), non-professional (veryone else in the class was an officer, trooper, paramedic, IEP specialists, etc). At least that's how it felt by the end of the class. ) I didn't want to step on anyone's toes and into their check (I know that sounds wrong). I did say something to one of the instructors about how I hated seeing a kiddo that small in a booster ("well, it fits him, and he seems pretty low-key. He's sit properly I think" - said as he screamed "my seat! where's my seat?!")
Besides that one incident, it went really well. I hope I can get into some more seat checks soon! Glad to join the ranks!
We had a MUCH better turn-out than we expected - 25 seats total (a lot them were the same family - 2 families each had 4 seats to check).
My first EVER seat to check EVER EVER EVER... (drum roll please)
7# 2 month old preemie (adjusted age newborn) with colostomy bag and stoma (sp?) in a SnugRide. He'd only been home from NICU for about a week, he had to pass the car seat test (the 3 hour one) before he left the hospital, but then a nurse installed the seat for them and had it WAY too inclined- close to 35* . On the way home from the hospital the baby's neck kept flopping over, so the mom pulled over the car and stuffed some towels underneath the seat to keep it from happening - she knew it was wrong but didn't want him to stop breathing either. I got the incline fixed using the foot (which I guess the nurse failed to notice on the seat ), and got my instructor (who spent most of her career dealing with special needs CRS issues ) to help me with the harness. We got him in there snug (no pun intended ) and Mom was happy, and I was too .
His brother didn't fare so well... We were worried there wouldn't be a good turn out, so som other new techs were doing the older boy's seat. 3 y.o. (40 months), 34#. He was above the top slots in his convertible seat (I don't remember what it was, most likely a CrappySport)... so they put him in a new TurboBooster. They didn't even look for a combo seat with higher harness slots (I only realized later in the day when I found one for a kiddo of the same size). I was so sad for that little boy. I mean, technically it fit him, but I can't fathom a 3 y.o. little guy sitting the right way all the time. And he HATED it. He screamed for his old seat back the whole time. I wish I had the courage (I was already sort of looked at as the obsessive, 'intense', talks-a-lot (I ask a lot of questions), non-professional (veryone else in the class was an officer, trooper, paramedic, IEP specialists, etc). At least that's how it felt by the end of the class. ) I didn't want to step on anyone's toes and into their check (I know that sounds wrong). I did say something to one of the instructors about how I hated seeing a kiddo that small in a booster ("well, it fits him, and he seems pretty low-key. He's sit properly I think" - said as he screamed "my seat! where's my seat?!")
Besides that one incident, it went really well. I hope I can get into some more seat checks soon! Glad to join the ranks!