Brigala
CPST Instructor
The dad of the girl (age 5.5) I babysit picked her up today using a different car than usual. It's a Suburban. He had her get in through the front passenger seat and climb over the back to get in her car seat which was behind the driver's seat (why???).
The seat she uses in the car is a Safety 1st Apex 65 I gave them a while back. I was curious to see how much growing room she has in the seat's harness (another inch at least in the shoulders, btw). So I go around and open the door as the girl is buckling herself into the harness.
The seat is not even buckled into the car. Seriously. Not even an attempt. It's just sitting there. I mention to the dad that the seat isn't installed, and he said, "I just threw it together" (whatever that means??). I said, "No, I mean it's not even buckled into the car." And he just says, "Oh." So I had the girl get out and I installed it myself. Their seat belt is so dirty that the sliding latch plate barely moves on the seat belt, so it was a little hard to get in securely, but I managed.
I've seen it where he's buckled a seat into the car but not bothered to lock the retractor before, but to not even attempt to buckle the seat belt?? Is it really that hard? When the girl rides in a booster, he also never double-checks to make sure she's buckled properly in that. And I have YET to see her properly buckler her booster without assistance even though she's been riding in a booster since she was three (she rides in a booster in one of my cars as well, and she does great now that she's older, but she always needs assistance to get the seat belt in the right place).
I know the dad thinks I'm a car seat nut (and I am), but at least he could try.
I'm going to have to have a talk with the mom, I guess. I know she tries. Maybe she can lean on him a little. They're going to have another baby and I'm hoping to at least convince them to RF the next one for a whole year.
The seat she uses in the car is a Safety 1st Apex 65 I gave them a while back. I was curious to see how much growing room she has in the seat's harness (another inch at least in the shoulders, btw). So I go around and open the door as the girl is buckling herself into the harness.
The seat is not even buckled into the car. Seriously. Not even an attempt. It's just sitting there. I mention to the dad that the seat isn't installed, and he said, "I just threw it together" (whatever that means??). I said, "No, I mean it's not even buckled into the car." And he just says, "Oh." So I had the girl get out and I installed it myself. Their seat belt is so dirty that the sliding latch plate barely moves on the seat belt, so it was a little hard to get in securely, but I managed.
I've seen it where he's buckled a seat into the car but not bothered to lock the retractor before, but to not even attempt to buckle the seat belt?? Is it really that hard? When the girl rides in a booster, he also never double-checks to make sure she's buckled properly in that. And I have YET to see her properly buckler her booster without assistance even though she's been riding in a booster since she was three (she rides in a booster in one of my cars as well, and she does great now that she's older, but she always needs assistance to get the seat belt in the right place).
I know the dad thinks I'm a car seat nut (and I am), but at least he could try.
I'm going to have to have a talk with the mom, I guess. I know she tries. Maybe she can lean on him a little. They're going to have another baby and I'm hoping to at least convince them to RF the next one for a whole year.