Just helped someone looking for boosters at Target! Suggestions for how to chat with strangers if you're not a tech?

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?

I like to send people here. I try to give out info if/when I can. Then I encourage people to come here in case I forgot something or they have more questions. Plus I'm not a tech so I always encourage people to talk to the techs.

Chatting with a stranger in a store, I would stick to basics. Something like, "there are lots of nice seats on the market today. Some will last longer than others, some have certain features that are useful or important to some people, kids usually latch onto a color or design... The main thing is to read the manual so that you can use it correctly every time. And it's always a good idea to get it checked by a good CPST. Are there specific questions you have or features you're looking for? I'm happy to help if I can."

Be ready to refer people to other sources if you don't know how to answer their questions, and knowing someone in the area to refer them to for a check is great.

Since the child is an appropriate age and size, I'd mention fit and the importance of the child sitting correctly even while sleeping. I might also mention that some are taller which is great since most kids do better in a hbb until 8 and then some can convert to a backless to use until 10-12 when they pass the 5 point test. I wouldn't stress the details, but most people have never heard that most 10-12 year olds should be in boosters still so it's good to put that seed in their head.

I wouldn't say anything unless asked. If asked, I would say it was more complicated than it seems and send them here.

I was at our Toys R Us that has a small Babies R Us attached. A family with two little girls were looking at car seats.. reading the signs and trying to figure out what the next appropriate seat would be for their very small almost four year-old. They saw a Britax chart that referenced the Frontier but this store didn't carry it. They asked an employee for help, they weren't sure about a dedicated booster because she was under 40lbs. He told them 36lbs was close enough to 40lbs because kids grow fast, so they should just get a cheaper booster seat. I had somewhat minded my own business (while ease dropping lol) so I spoke up. I pointed out the Nautilus they had in stock and shared that my 50lb niece was five with plenty of room left to grow, plus it would turn into a high back & then low back booster. I also let them know a BRU nearby carried the Frontier if they wanted to go check it out. I don't think the employee was too happy with me, but the parents left and headed over to BRU to look at their seats. They seemed appreciative. I didn't really go into all the reasons why the employee was wrong. I'm a fairly shy person so the fact that I even spoke up surprised me! I wish I had offered to help before the employee came over. But I'm not a tech and have no kids of my own yet (that makes a big difference to some people), so I'm always reluctant.

I usually just refer them to seatcheck.org to find a tech, or to our local children's hospital who I know does checks. If I can help them with the basics, I definitely will! Like how to get a seat off of the base, how to tighten/raise the harness, etc.

Well, I am getting more practice! Today our errands brought us to both BBB and BRU and in both cases, I was approached by people who asked me for advice (I must have the face of someone who is desperate to impart wisdom!) on strollers, which led to extended discussions on car seats. This time, I had the presence of mind to give them the website for safekids.