Misuse. Now I know.

StarrNanny · Aug 15, 2007

Now I know why my employer didn't get it. she doesn't get carseats. at all. After several weeks of struggling to explain why her DS needed a new seat in my car and her not getting it she brought over the MA out of their rarely driven Mercedes today. She said she figured if they needed a seat in that car they would just pull the one out of her husband's truck. Well she just stuck the seat in the garage when she got here and left for work. I told her I'd install it myself, but that i had concerns about a MA fitting in a 3 across situation w/ a Turbo and another MA (which did BTW work but it's super super tight and there's no way T can buckle herself)

Anyway, the seat she brought me... I don't even want to know who it was installed in the Mercedes. She had the extra strap portion of the tether wrapped all inside and around the ff belt path and then clipped into the lockoff so it would stay in place.

And she had the harness in the top slots when he is just barely too tall for the second slots.

I care alot about this kid, and I want him to be safe in everyone's car, but at this point am I wrong to just be satisfied that he's safe in mine?

stayinhomewithmy6 · Aug 15, 2007

StarrNanny said:
I care alot about this kid, and I want him to be safe in everyone's car, but at this point am I wrong to just be satisfied that he's safe in mine?

Sometimes you just can't help people. I've come to that realization with some of my daycare kids over the years... if there parents won't keep them safe when they're with them, at least I can ensure they're safe when they're with me.

lynsgirl · Aug 15, 2007

StarrNanny said:
Now I know why my employer didn't get it. she doesn't get carseats. at all. After several weeks of struggling to explain why her DS needed a new seat in my car and her not getting it she brought over the MA out of their rarely driven Mercedes today. She said she figured if they needed a seat in that car they would just pull the one out of her husband's truck. Well she just stuck the seat in the garage when she got here and left for work. I told her I'd install it myself, but that i had concerns about a MA fitting in a 3 across situation w/ a Turbo and another MA (which did BTW work but it's super super tight and there's no way T can buckle herself)

Anyway, the seat she brought me... I don't even want to know who it was installed in the Mercedes. She had the extra strap portion of the tether wrapped all inside and around the ff belt path and then clipped into the lockoff so it would stay in place. And she had the harness in the top slots when he is just barely too tall for the second slots.

I care alot about this kid, and I want him to be safe in everyone's car, but at this point am I wrong to just be satisfied that he's safe in mine?

FWIW, when I've installed ds2's MA w/LATCH, I've pulled the extra tether strap through the FF belt path and the lockoff (not tightly, I've left enough extra out so it's not pulling both ways on the adjuster or anything). This is because he was in the middle row of the van, middle seat and the older kids kept getting tangled up in it OR if I tried to tuck it between the middle seats, one of them (ds2 or one of the older kids) would pull it out and try to torture each other

. Soooooo.......

And I'm not saying your employes *does* get it, but since it used to be common that convertibles used FF could *only* use the top slots, maybe that's what she was doing? Of course, it means she didn't read the manual, but that was my first thought when you mentioned the harness height. ((Hugs)) and keep doing what you need to do in your car. Being safe when they're with you IS better than never being safe at all :thumbsup:.

StarrNanny · Aug 15, 2007

She just called me to check in since J has been sick for a few days, and asked if I got the seat in OK. I asked her if she had a moment to talk and she said she was on lunch, I asked her about the tether strap and she said "oh I didn't know what that was" I asked if she wasn't using the tether how she had the seat installed her reply "I had those bottom hook things in and the seatbelt and that long hook in the top"

Yes that's right folks, She was using the lower anchors, the ff belt path, and the top tether which was loose since she couldn't tighten it due to the fact it was wrapped trough the belt path.

I have spent a good part of the afternoon spamming her with links and videos. She just called me and said "I was wondering... can you stay late tonight and look at the seats in our cars too?" I told her I would but only if she gets rid of the comfortsport that was in my car and buys J another MA for hers.

Beckers · Aug 15, 2007

Sounds like you may have broken through the mental barrier she had!

snowbird25ca · Aug 15, 2007

Yay, sounds like she's realizing the importance now and good for you for getting across to her how important this really is.

I think that a lot of people truly don't know better, and have difficulties understanding the importance. We're still very much in the generation of "My mom held us kids on her lap and we survived." and they just truly don't get it.

I really believe that most people just don't understand the importance - and once they do, they do better. Of course there are exceptions, and maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I think all parents want to keep their kids safe, and sometimes just don't realize the importance of car safety.

(I just went through similar with my neighbor... they replaced their old expired - really super expired seat, for a new one - I talked to them Sunday night, and last night I helped them install it. They truly didn't know better, and here I'd spent literally months and months worrying about their crummy car seat and not knowing how to approach them...)

Misuse. Now I know.

StarrNanny

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stayinhomewithmy6

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