Question Helping (correcting) others

R

Rm2000hg

New member

• Dec 14, 2014

• #1

Under what circumstances and to what extent do you get involved when you see children not being secured properly in the car?

 

BananaBoat

Well-known member

• Dec 15, 2014

• #2

Not unless they ask. Most people get very defensive when they get unsolicited advice and the "help" falls on deaf ears.
If I see very small children completely unrestrained in a moving vehicle, I will call the non-emergency police number with the license plate number.

People will ask for help if they want it. Otherwise, well-intentioned "help" typically ends up doing more harm than good, unfortunately.

 

1mommy

New member

• Dec 15, 2014

• #3

Depends, for example FF what seems to be a 1 year old, loose straps, chest clip to low - nothing. One time I saw a fellow daycare parent with a FF infant bucket seat in their small car- then I just simply told the Dad the seat wasnt meant to be FF and it isn't safe, to which the Dad polietly replied he outgrew that seat long ago anyways, and we left it at that. Also depends on who it is - total stranger I'm less likely to speak up then if I know the person at all. Debating about asking if I can pass out a car safety flyer to my youngest sons daycare class because I see a lot of loose straps and low chest clip but don't want to offend the parents.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Dec 15, 2014

• #4

I don't get involved with strangers.

Friends/acquaintances I try to find a way to work into conversation that I'm a tech and available to answer any questions.

 

Genevieve

CPST Instructor

• Dec 16, 2014

• #5

carseatcoach said:

I don't get involved with strangers.

Click to expand...

A sentiment that can apply to many areas of life ;-)

 

thepote

New member

• Dec 16, 2014

• #6

There was another thread on this recently that I posted in...

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=273400

 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Dec 16, 2014

• #7

Rarely. I handle it on a case-by-case basis. One day I was at work, assisting with an install in the parking lot, and needed to step aside for a mom in the adjacent car to load her child. She loaded a child in a FF infant seat, and I literally could not stand there and not say something. I very very gently said to her, "Ma'am, I know it's none of my business, but I work here at (work) in the car seat program, and I wanted to make sure you knew that seat wasn't designed to go FF and won't protect your child properly." She agreed to let me turn it around, show her a baseless install (she hadn't installed it at all since she didn't have the base) and buckle the crotch buckle... It was a situation where I felt I couldn't stay silent from a professional standpoint.

I've also talked to moms at church nursery; usually it's something like, "Hey, did you know that buckle is recalled?" that leads to a full-on discussion with them requesting info.

I think there was one other parking lot encounter similar to the first, where I was literally standing there waiting for someone to load their child and noticed gross misuse (FF with belt through RF belt path.) Again I was careful to be very apologetic, "I'm sorry, I know this isn't my business but I work in passenger safety and I couldn't help but notice..."

For the most part, I don't touch a darned thing though.

 

L

lgenne

New member

• Dec 16, 2014

• #8

Anyone have an opinion on this?

A relative who has called me for parenting advice numerous times before just posted a video of her FF 7 month old to FB. The car seat looks like a Safety 1st Complete Air, so there's no reason it couldn't just be turned around.

She's young (early 20s) and this is her first. And she knows she's surrounded by a lot of bad parenting advice. She's physically thousands of miles away.

Should I just text her and ask if she wants to have a conversation about car seat safety? Baby at least appeared to be buckled correctly for a FF install, so I've seen worse...

 

aept

New member

• Dec 16, 2014

• #9

Yes, I think in this case it's ok. Considering she already asks you for parenting advice I think it would not be "unwelcome advice" like it might be if it were a stranger or something. (As discussed recently in other threads and this thread!) Maybe start by complementing her on the new car seat and how it's a "favorite" amongst the safety nuts. (I think that's an accurate enough statement?)

 

L

lgenne

New member

• Dec 17, 2014

• #10

It went well! Baby meets weight requirements for FF, but obviously not age requirements. Mom had no idea, and was a little concerned that the baby will scream rear facing, because she screamed RF before. But that was also in her infant seat, which she has always screamed in. And the Complete Air is a much more comfortable seat.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Dec 17, 2014

• #11

It sucks when babies scream, but it sucks more when they are unsafe. I'm glad she was receptive.

 

L

lgenne

New member

• Dec 17, 2014

• #12

Yeah, she screamed in the infant seat when it wasn't in the car at all. I don't think it had anything to do with RF vs. FF. Which I pointed out to her mom.

 

aept

New member

• Dec 17, 2014

• #13

Glad it went well! Hopefully the little one will RF for a while yet to come.

 

1mommy

New member

• Dec 17, 2014

• #14

I think that's just an age for screaming in the car too, I remember my oldest being fine in his infant seat outside of the car, but as soon as we snapped it in screaming regardless.