Spinoff to WWTD thread

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dluciew

New member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #1

So do you leave a carseat with anyone who watches your child? Sometimes I drop my son off at my mothers (in the same town, 2 miles away) while I clean the house or do some running around. I have an extra car seat but she never takes him anywhere and a lot of the time when she goes out with her friends she is the one who drives so she needs the room in her car. I can't really trust her to install the car seat herself (she's one of those people who will give her bottle of water to someone else to open ).

Am I being a bad parent to not insist that she have the carseat installed all the time?

 

BudgieStew

New member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #2

Always. I tend to believe that anything can/will happen and even if we are near by or just a few hours. I always install as well. Or give it a check iif someone else did.
We have enough seats(3 for each child) that its not a big hassle of uninstalling our primary seat all the time.
I keep two seats at the inlaws. One is installed in DH car and two are installed in our van and one is left here at home as a just in case seat.

The exception is my day care providor as if anything does happen the ambulance is called.

 

MomToEliEm

Moderator

• Oct 18, 2007

• #3

If she would never take the child anywhere and you are always close by to pick up the child if needed then I woudln't leave a seat for her.

I would leave instructions with her that if she needed to go somewhere, she needs to call you to pick him up. If you knew ahead of time that she might need to go somewhere with him, then install the seat at that time in the car. I think leaving the seat there might give her more of a temtation to go somewhere with it and install it incorrectly. Install the seat yourself or leave it at home. Only if you were sure she would install it correctly would I want to leave a seat there.

If there was an emergency and the child was injured and need to to go to the hospital, hopefully she would call 911 instead of trying to drive him herself.

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #4

When my mom or sister watch the girls (usually it is for an hour at most) I leave them my van and take their car. When they are at day care, I don't have seats installed for them because I would expect the DCP to call 911.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Oct 18, 2007

• #5

I don't know whether to be sad or glad that I don't have this issue -- I don't have family near enough to watch my child. We will be doing some traveling soon and it's possible that she will be spending time alone with grandparents. I would swap cars with my mother if that was the case, but neither my father or stepmother drive a standard transmission so that won't work. I may buy a TurboBooster to leave with the grandparents-- I don't think she's ready for a booster full-time, but she is over 5 and over 40 pounds so in an emergency it would be okay (and maybe even better than having gps trying to install an unfamiliar seat).

 

Melizerd

New member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #6

I'm moving 2 doors down from my mom and I'm getting her a seat. You just never know. What if you were in an accident somewhere and she wanted to come to the hospital and see you with the child? How would she get there?

What if you had a fender bender and got to her house? How would you get home without a seat? An extra seat just makes sense.

There are just so many senarios to consider that she MIGHT need one that I think it's worth it.

Each time I leave Gabe with her I'll put the seat in myself and then take it out afterward, it's time consuming but safer.

 

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arly1983

New member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #7

Yes!!!

Me and DH once left my DS (before there was a DD) with my MIL. It was DH's R &R and she wanted us to go out alone) My FIL (who passed away from a braintumor) aspirated(sp) food into his lungs and the ambulance was called. She jumped in the car with 8 month old DS in the front seat. She called us but we were an hour away. It was only a mile drive but that was right after my big roll-over wreck. I understood that in the situtation, there was really nothing else she could have done with DS but now I ALWAYS leave properly installed seats (even if it means moving them and installing them myself) and STRONGLY DEMAND that if my children are in that car they will be in their seats OR YOU WILL NEVER KEEP THEM AGAIN!

 

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amy919

New member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #8

Almost always. And I am never unreachable. Right now we don't have spare seats, so I leave my car with my mom or MIL and take their car. I guess I'm just paranoid by nature in this respect. I need to know that my kids are going to be transported safely at all times. You never know when something unforeseen will occur.

 

melniemi

New member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #9

I only have 1 spare seat and 4 kids in seats But if I ever leave them, I leave my van. We only have 1 vehicle that we all fit in and don't live near family, so no one watches our kids but us, unless someone comes over or we go visit family. I don't like other people driving my kids around anyway - I'm too paranoid! I almost had a heart attack when my inlaws were planning to take my kids for ice cream when they were camping. My 3 big (3, 6 & 7) kids were at camp with them for the day, dh left in the morning and did leave all their seats. I went to pick them up in the afternoon with the baby. However, in-laws have no clue how to install or use a seat! MIL cannot even manage to properly buckle 3 yo in her MA. I'm not sure how, but??? I was so glad I got there before they went. Maybe I should have spare seats, but dh thinks it is an unnecessary expense. Maybe boosters to go along with the cargo for his truck, but those are easy to move. I don't know?

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #10

I rarely leave my kids anywhere, but when I do I leave seats unless I know there will be more drivers than vehicles. For example, I don't always leave MIL a seat because 1. I'm always within contact range and 2. even if she needs to go out there's almost always a second (or third or fourth) adult available. So in an emergency she'd call me, leave DD with one of her uncles, and I'd return from wherever I am.


I avoid leaving DD with my sister at all.

 

amyg530

Active member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #11

we dont live near family anymore but when we did if i would leave him with my mom i would install the seat before i left, but shes really the only person i ever left him with and the only one that was allowed to drive him.
now that we've moved i only have one friend who i trust to leave him with and usually i dont leave his seat b/c i know she wont go anywhere but when i left him yesterday i left the seat b/c with 3 1/2 weeks to go i figured it was best to leave it incase the dr ended up saying it was time

 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

• Oct 18, 2007

• #12

Yes, I install harness seats myself & teach them how to use it correctly.... I also insist that rides be on an emergency basis -- one that doesn't require an ambulance (which pretty much eliminates the option, but just in case I like to know at least they have something).

With our teenage babysitter, I have the mom drop her off & I educated them both on using the booster correctly at all times even though Leila knows how on her own anyway. She's another homeschooled kid & I trust her mom to make sure that my wishes are followed. Besides, Leila is a blabber mouth :thumbsup:

 

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sdjeppa

New member

• Oct 19, 2007

• #13

My parents have a seat at their house, and its usually installed in my Mom's car unless she took it out for something...and as DS just hit 40 lbs, we need to take the harness off anyway (its a recaro YS) If we are leaving him there, we do install the seat if its not already.

Other places, I leave a seat or leave my car...he is only without a seat at daycare.

 

natysr

New member

• Oct 19, 2007

• #14

I do not leave a seat at daycare, but in all other instances I install a seat in the sitter's car.

 

sb518

New member

• Oct 19, 2007

• #15

sometimes you can do everything and still lose them

 

Last edited: Oct 19, 2007