Question What was the car seat world like for babies born from 1980-1984?

I think the key term here as the op asked was "well informed/educated."

You could ask many people with young kids today, in 20 years, what it was like. And a lot would say something like, "rear facing until 8 mo when he outgrew the 22 lb SR bucket, then FF for two yrs until he outgrew the FF comfort sport, then a booster for a couple yrs. what's a tether?"

So yeah...common practice wasn't necessarily what everyone was doing in the 80's. I am sure some parents knew better and used what was available, and indeed there were seats available to those who wanted to use them.

I was born in '81 and my brother was born in '84. We started in a "pumpkin seat" (my mom indicates it was similar to modern-day infant seats,) then moved to a brown vinyl/metal thing (Strollee?) I know I had a shield booster, which had its own internal seatbelt - so you pulled the shield across your lap and there was a tightfitting lap belt inside, which had a buckle entwined with the shield. Then you buckled the adult belt across the whole mess. Guessing I was in an adult belt around age 5.

We always, always, wore seatbelts in the car, but we didn't always wear them correctly. I recall a friend's mom yelling at me for putting the seatbelt under my arm. I know there were a few, rare occasions (mostly when I was sick, I think once on a multi-day road trip) where I was permitted to sit in the center lap belt, buckle, loosen, lay down, and re-tighten around my middle. School of thought was that it wasn't "great" but it would at least keep me in the vehicle. Hey, when you know better, you do better, right?

My mom insists they bought the best, state-of-the-art seats at the time. Whether that's "the best" like a parent would currently buy Britax purely on reputation (even if it's not the best fit for their needs,) or whether it's "the best" in terms of research, etc, I'm not sure. I do know that my parents waited an awfully long time to have us and are VERY (over)protective - so they did the best that they knew and would have sought out some education on the subject. I don't know if we had TAs but I am guessing everything else was as good as it got.

I was born in 76 and was in a "pumpkin seat" that I'm guessing my parents reused when my brother was born in 80.

I was in a harnessed seat too for a few years but I don't remember ever having a booster so was probably out of a seat around 3.

My brother was harnessed and then in a booster sometime around 3 yo that he stayed in a bit longer than required at the time b/c he liked how it helped him see out the window.

I was very aware of car seats at an early age. I know that people would use either the GM love infant seat or dynamo seat OR often around here it was the Strollee RF until 6 months. During that time most people turned babies FF at 6 months or as soon as they could sit up. Then usually Convertible car seat FF until 2 years old. Then often either a nbb or seatbelt by itself. I remember that one of the kids I babysat for was in a seatbelt at 2.5 years old. I insisted on installing their Strollee with a tether in my car. They thought I was crazy....and I was only 16 at the time. I thought they were crazy too!

I wish we had taken more pictures. I don't think I have any of my kids in their car seats except the 2 I posted awhile back of my oldest as a newborn. I remember making DH install a top tether in one of our cars, but not which kiddo it was for or which seat.