Nedra
Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I think this is one of those questions that has an obvious answer from a public health standpoint, but I am kind of curious -- is it really irresponsible to not get your seat checked?
I am not a CPST, but I am on here frequently and am learning a ton about car seats. I buy easy-to-install seats, read the seat manual and the car manual, watch CPST- or manufacturer-made videos about how to install the specific seat, and ask on here if I have questions. I have even downloaded and read the CPST training manual.
I have never actually gotten the seat checked, though. Should I? When I read that the vast majority of parents think their car seat is installed correctly, but it has at least one "critical misuse," I get nervous. But on the other hand, are we talking about people who just consider themselves well-educated and able to read a manual and are surprised that it's harder than it looks? Or are we talking about people who have read all the "common car seat mistakes" articles, spend time on car seat blogs, and watch CPST installation videos?
Every now and then, I think I should really just follow the advice of the PSAs and get it checked out. (This one gets me every time! [ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WBV7i5JeAfY[/ame] Darn those judgmental toddlers!) But then when I go to the NHTSA website to look up a seat check site, it only gives me a map and there are no markings for where the locations are. Maybe it's because I surf the net on my phone and not at a computer?
Anyway, techs, after you got interested in car seats but before you were a tech, were you able to competently install an easy to use seat? Is it just flat out irresponsible to not get the seat checked, or is the "everyone should do it" campaign more a matter of "there's no one demographic to target because misuse is so widespread, so we have to tell everyone to do it or else no one will" kind of thing?
****UPDATE*****
Okay, so, inspired by all of your comments, I decided to bite the bullet and go to a car seat clinic with my in-laws to get the seat for their car checked. They were running a bit behind schedule and so I went into the fire station to use the restroom and when I came out the tech was already talking with my in-laws and looking at my daughter in her seat. She asked me a few questions, and then asked us to take my daughter out of her seat. Then she checked a few things on the empty seat, remarked that my RF tether was okay because it was Britax, etc.
Then she turned to me and asked if I was the one who had installed the seat. When I said that I had, she said, "So, are you a future CPST? Like, you're going to take the course to teach others how to do this? Because I gotta say I'm not finding anything concerning at all. This is exactly how it should be."
:dance:
I nearly burst out of my skin and I told her that YES, I wanted to take the course and that she'd made my day by telling me that. We talked about where and when it was offered. Then while I was helping my mother-in-law as she was practicing the install, I overheard our tech telling another one that she was going to get my contact info to give to [name of the person who runs their local training] and she used the word "perfect" several times to describe my install with the other tech.
It was awesome!
So yes, I'm totally on-board now. Every parent should get their car seat checked. Whether you learn something new and empowering for the future or whether you get made to feel like a friggin' rock star for what you're already doing, it's totally worth it!
I am not a CPST, but I am on here frequently and am learning a ton about car seats. I buy easy-to-install seats, read the seat manual and the car manual, watch CPST- or manufacturer-made videos about how to install the specific seat, and ask on here if I have questions. I have even downloaded and read the CPST training manual.
I have never actually gotten the seat checked, though. Should I? When I read that the vast majority of parents think their car seat is installed correctly, but it has at least one "critical misuse," I get nervous. But on the other hand, are we talking about people who just consider themselves well-educated and able to read a manual and are surprised that it's harder than it looks? Or are we talking about people who have read all the "common car seat mistakes" articles, spend time on car seat blogs, and watch CPST installation videos?
Every now and then, I think I should really just follow the advice of the PSAs and get it checked out. (This one gets me every time! [ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WBV7i5JeAfY[/ame] Darn those judgmental toddlers!) But then when I go to the NHTSA website to look up a seat check site, it only gives me a map and there are no markings for where the locations are. Maybe it's because I surf the net on my phone and not at a computer?
Anyway, techs, after you got interested in car seats but before you were a tech, were you able to competently install an easy to use seat? Is it just flat out irresponsible to not get the seat checked, or is the "everyone should do it" campaign more a matter of "there's no one demographic to target because misuse is so widespread, so we have to tell everyone to do it or else no one will" kind of thing?
****UPDATE*****
Okay, so, inspired by all of your comments, I decided to bite the bullet and go to a car seat clinic with my in-laws to get the seat for their car checked. They were running a bit behind schedule and so I went into the fire station to use the restroom and when I came out the tech was already talking with my in-laws and looking at my daughter in her seat. She asked me a few questions, and then asked us to take my daughter out of her seat. Then she checked a few things on the empty seat, remarked that my RF tether was okay because it was Britax, etc.
Then she turned to me and asked if I was the one who had installed the seat. When I said that I had, she said, "So, are you a future CPST? Like, you're going to take the course to teach others how to do this? Because I gotta say I'm not finding anything concerning at all. This is exactly how it should be."
:dance:
I nearly burst out of my skin and I told her that YES, I wanted to take the course and that she'd made my day by telling me that. We talked about where and when it was offered. Then while I was helping my mother-in-law as she was practicing the install, I overheard our tech telling another one that she was going to get my contact info to give to [name of the person who runs their local training] and she used the word "perfect" several times to describe my install with the other tech.
It was awesome!
So yes, I'm totally on-board now. Every parent should get their car seat checked. Whether you learn something new and empowering for the future or whether you get made to feel like a friggin' rock star for what you're already doing, it's totally worth it!
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