Nedra
Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I was browsing the car seat aisle at Target and there was a woman there buying a HBB with her daughter. As soon as she said "oh look, this one has cup holders" the kid was obsessed and kept saying, "I want the one with cup holders." The mom looked at me and I made a joke about her being a "classic American."
So then we got chatting about boosters and she said she didn't know anything about them and asked if I did. I explained that I wasn't a car seat tech, but that I was into car seats and might be able to help. I asked her child's weight (40 lbs) and age (5 years old).
She asked if I knew which one was recommended by consumer reports and I said that I didn't but that the most important thing was that it fit her daughter and her vehicle. I suggested going to BRU where she could try out the seat in her car and see how the belt fits because different cars have different ways that the belt fits. Then I explained that the most important thing to look for was that the lap belt be low on her hips and that she be comfortable enough that she wouldn't slouch and let the lap belt move up.
She agreed and decided to wait until she could try them out at BRU.
What messages do you try to get across when chatting with a stranger? I didn't want to overwhelm her or make a mistake. I could have explained the 5-step test, but I was afraid that was too much from a stranger at target with no actual credentials. I could have asked her what seat her daughter was in now and talked to her about extended harnessing, but I wasn't sure of how much safer a harnessed seat would be for a 40-lb 5-yr old, so I wasn't sure how to "push" it without the details. (If she's been under 4 or 40 lbs or looked under 40" I would have felt comfortable communicating the recommendation about staying harnessed until those minimums.) I could have helped her find the seat with the highest weight limits, but I wasn't sure how height limits work on HBB because I'm just not familiar with them.
I wish I had told her how to find a seat check event. It seems like such an obvious thing I could have done, since I clearly wasn't well-informed enough to help.
Any other tips?
So then we got chatting about boosters and she said she didn't know anything about them and asked if I did. I explained that I wasn't a car seat tech, but that I was into car seats and might be able to help. I asked her child's weight (40 lbs) and age (5 years old).
She asked if I knew which one was recommended by consumer reports and I said that I didn't but that the most important thing was that it fit her daughter and her vehicle. I suggested going to BRU where she could try out the seat in her car and see how the belt fits because different cars have different ways that the belt fits. Then I explained that the most important thing to look for was that the lap belt be low on her hips and that she be comfortable enough that she wouldn't slouch and let the lap belt move up.
She agreed and decided to wait until she could try them out at BRU.
What messages do you try to get across when chatting with a stranger? I didn't want to overwhelm her or make a mistake. I could have explained the 5-step test, but I was afraid that was too much from a stranger at target with no actual credentials. I could have asked her what seat her daughter was in now and talked to her about extended harnessing, but I wasn't sure of how much safer a harnessed seat would be for a 40-lb 5-yr old, so I wasn't sure how to "push" it without the details. (If she's been under 4 or 40 lbs or looked under 40" I would have felt comfortable communicating the recommendation about staying harnessed until those minimums.) I could have helped her find the seat with the highest weight limits, but I wasn't sure how height limits work on HBB because I'm just not familiar with them.
I wish I had told her how to find a seat check event. It seems like such an obvious thing I could have done, since I clearly wasn't well-informed enough to help.
Any other tips?