Vent Why are they not educating people better?!

mommy24babes

New member
A lady I know just posted looking to buy a forward facing car seat for her 20 lb 5 month old.
She said she needs to move to the next stage because she can't carry the bucket anymore.

Our law here is 20 and a year but it is worded in a confusing way.

Ahhhhhh
 
ADS

mrosehughes

New member
Well, I think the laws should be more stringent, but really a person who thinks it's ok to FF a 5mo is ignoring apa and nhtsa -- and not really thinking about car safety at all.
 

mommy24babes

New member
mrosehughes said:
Well, I think the laws should be more stringent, but really a person who thinks it's ok to FF a 5mo is ignoring apa and nhtsa -- and not really thinking about car safety at all.

I agree I just wish it was more clear.
The way it is worded where I live is confusing. Plus they have these posters that should say rf to minimum 20 lbs. instead they just say rf to 20 lbs.

These people may not be the brightest bulbs but they think they are following the law.

I actually saw a bucket installed backwards because the parent thought they had to ff at 20 lbs. SMH
 

Kac

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Did you PM her and give her some links?

There aren't a ton of ways to educate, but I do feel as though its my job as a CPST to help spread the word. Parents just don't know. Of course some do know what is safer and don't care, but some genuinely don't know better.
 

Athena

Well-known member
I share your frustration and agree we need a lot more education and publication out there. There are educated, caring people who don't know all the recommendations. On the other hand, the situation you're describing is so extreme that this person has her head buried in the sand if she thinks that's okay. She can't even figure out that she doesn't have to carry the bucket and can just use it like other car seats.

P.S. I would send her some info too, but I wouldn't count on her listening. Apparently I'm far less sympathetic than others, but I don't get how anyone who actually tried to do any research could really think this was okay.
 

jeminijad

New member
You know, full grown adults are responsible for their own education.

I can agree that children have not been educated while their patterns of thinking are being developed to truly probe, to develop the skills necessary to assess data, and to employ some sense and perspective. Blame that.
 

Mysweethoneybee

New member
In my kids pediatricians office the same posters had been there since 1995. Rear-face to 20lbs Forward face in harness until 40lbs Then use a booster seat.
I thought one good thing about the Joplin tornado was that those posters would be lost. But they showed up again at the temporary offices. And the doctor quotes those posters and so the parents believe the doctor knows best. I really wish someone would educate the doctors more so they could educate parents more. My neighbor's kids go to the same office as my kids but with a different doctor. Her 6 year old is just in the seatbelt and her 10 month old is in a cosco high back harnessed booster because she follows what the doctor tells her. I have told her she should visit CSO but she says the doctor wouldn't say it was okay if it wasn't safe.
So yes, I think there should be billboards about it. I think doctors offices should be educated and have to have posters that expire every 6 years and have to be replaced. Or even better ones that are replaced at the beginning of every year with current recommendations. I think any place that sells child restraints should have posters in the area telling parents the minimums of the law and the current recommendations.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Where do you live? Most states don't actually have 1 and 20 written into their laws, but most do require proper use, and all forward-facing seats (well, almost all) require kids to be at least 1 and at least 20 lbs.
 

mominabigtruck

New member
If she has internet to post looking for a seat then she has the information right at her fingertips bit she's choosing not to use it. I have never googled good seat for 5 mo bit I can't imagine the answer that pops up is a ffing seat in 2013.

Sometimes you have to accept that you can't fix stupid.
 

christineka

New member
I think at the bare minimum, a person who cares about doing things right will at least go to the store and read the seat's minimum requirements for use and go along with those. (I was once one of those people- I found out my 15 month old daughter could not ride forward facing because she was under 20 pounds, so I bought a convertible and installed it rear-facing.) Imo, anyone who reads that the bare minimum of a seat is age 1, 20 pounds, and 29 inches tall and buys it anyway for their under 1 year old child to use does not care for their child's safety.
 

Lenae

Active member
I think at the bare minimum, a person who cares about doing things right will at least go to the store and read the seat's minimum requirements for use and go along with those. (I was once one of those people- I found out my 15 month old daughter could not ride forward facing because she was under 20 pounds, so I bought a convertible and installed it rear-facing.) Imo, anyone who reads that the bare minimum of a seat is age 1, 20 pounds, and 29 inches tall and buys it anyway for their under 1 year old child to use does not care for their child's safety.

I agree with this. The parents who care but don't know, seek information. The parents who do know and don't care, or don't know and choose not to care, don't seek that information. It's easier than ever to find information regarding infants and children of all ages. If they wanted to know, they would seek.
 

nataliem257

New member
I don't necessarily think its that cut and dry. Speaking from personal experience, A CPST at a local boutique here in Little Rock talked me into buying a frontier for my then 21 lb 2 year old daughter when I came in shopping for a new convertible. I trusted him and didn't question it, not because I didn't love my child, but I trusted him to know what he was talking about. Now I know he was just trying to sell me the most expensive seat in the store. I imagine a lot of people just trust that the law knows what it's talking about, and until the laws are more clear it probably won't change.
 

Suzibeck

Active member
I really think educating doctors is key. I hope to be doing seminars for doctors soon. Don't just parrot the law, refer to techs. I don't think making more laws is the answer. I may be wrong but I don't think Sweden has car seat laws, yet most parents rf kids until at least 4 because they know it is safer. How did they do it?
 

nataliem257

New member
I really think educating doctors is key. I hope to be doing seminars for doctors soon. Don't just parrot the law, refer to techs. I don't think making more laws is the answer. I may be wrong but I don't think Sweden has car seat laws, yet most parents rf kids until at least 4 because they know it is safer. How did they do it?

^excellent point
 

D&L's-mommy

New member
In my kids pediatricians office the same posters had been there since 1995. Rear-face to 20lbs Forward face in harness until 40lbs Then use a booster seat.
I thought one good thing about the Joplin tornado was that those posters would be lost. But they showed up again at the temporary offices. And the doctor quotes those posters and so the parents believe the doctor knows best. I really wish someone would educate the doctors more so they could educate parents more. My neighbor's kids go to the same office as my kids but with a different doctor. Her 6 year old is just in the seatbelt and her 10 month old is in a cosco high back harnessed booster because she follows what the doctor tells her. I have told her she should visit CSO but she says the doctor wouldn't say it was okay if it wasn't safe.
So yes, I think there should be billboards about it. I think doctors offices should be educated and have to have posters that expire every 6 years and have to be replaced. Or even better ones that are replaced at the beginning of every year with current recommendations. I think any place that sells child restraints should have posters in the area telling parents the minimums of the law and the current recommendations.


this happened to me. My kid's doctor told me I had to ff at 20 lbs, that it's dangerous to have them rf past that, and that they can't have their knees bent when rf, or their legs will break in a wreck. That scared me, so I turned them (14months, and 10 months :eek:) I thank god we were never in a wreck. GOOD information is not readily available, I think posters with current recommendations should be in drs offices, WIC offices, all stores that sell car seats, and they should stress that turning at 2 and boostering at 40lbs is the MINIMUM. of course it doesn't help that ff only seats (like nauti for example) say "20-65lbs harness" and there are boosters that say "30lbs", then parents think it's ok, which I feel is understandable. If the only information you're given says that it's ok to use a ff seat at 20lbs and booster at 30lbs, then why would you think otherwise?
 
I don't think additional laws are the answer, myself. I believe that communicating the importance of best practice to doctors, infant/child retail staff and caretakers (as others have mentioned) is the answer, or at least part of it.

Places such as CSO make it easy for those searching to find quick and correct answers to their questions, it's a big step in the right direction.
 

Baylor

New member
My dr made a point to tell me that we rear face til 2 years now at least and my cousin in philly was told the same thing by her dr. I think it should start in the hospital. I think that instead of just checking the seat and making sure you have one, There should be CPSTS on staff at every hospital like were Zactayaus works and they should get more than a quick check but a good informational visit.
 
My dr made a point to tell me that we rear face til 2 years now at least and my cousin in philly was told the same thing by her dr. I think it should start in the hospital. I think that instead of just checking the seat and making sure you have one, There should be CPSTS on staff at every hospital like were Zactayaus works and they should get more than a quick check but a good informational visit.

:yeahthat:
 

D&L's-mommy

New member
There should be CPSTS on staff at every hospital like were Zactayaus works and they should get more than a quick check but a good informational visit.

I agree. They check to make sure your baby is going home in a seat, but what about after that?
 

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