how to approach a parent?

So I take babysitting jobs here in Dallas thru a local agency, and the other night I sat for a a very sweet family with a 13 month old who is in a FFing MA with a custom cover. (They pulled up just as I got there, so I got to walk by and look at the carseat ) I took a deep breath and contemplated the whole evening how I could possibly mention to them that they should turn baby back around to RFing, and get that dang cover off too! Baby was precious, and definitely under 30lbs.

When the parents got home at the end of the night, mom and I were chatting and I casually mentioned that I was a car seat technician and she immediately asked if I wouldn't mind coming back over and looking at her seat sometime. I asked her for her email address telling her I would send her some information and we could schedule a time to get together and I could take a look at her seat.

So my question is, what should I say in your intitial email? I want a tactful way to say "Your little girl is too small to be forward facing, turn her back around RFing NOW NOW NOW and get that custom cover off ASAP!!!!!!!!" I also plan to include the youtube video, "the importance of rear facing" and some other links to websites she can look at!

TIA!!!

When I'm in that situation I generally point out the limits and then add links. So,

"The Britax Marathon has a rear facing weigh limit of 33 pounds, which is wonderful since extended rear facing has been proven to reduce the chances of internal decapitation for children who can ride that way. Check out this crash test footage! It's really telling.

"Here are a couple of links I like, if you want to look at them before we meet together (this would be where you add aftermarket products, covers, etc.)

"I can't wait to meet with you!"

Good luck with that. I find that usually the crash test footage and "internal decapitation" work really well. I bring with me the images of the neck bones being in three pieces, then the crash test footage which shows the forces (or if I don't have it I reenact it myself), I mention that in Sweden they RF to 55 pounds and they have the lowest rate of mortality due to auto collision in the world.

Wendy

I had the same problem with my older sister. Her DD and my DD are 3wks apart and have always talked about there milestones. Her DD Brooklynn will be 1yr. in Jan and she has talked about changing her to forward facing. I was so scared to say anything cause she is the "older" sister and sometimes gets defensive if I try to correct her about anything. I didn't care I was going to make sure my neice rode safe in her MA. She rides rear facing in the middle and was saying how hard it is to get Brooklynn in and out everytime. So she was going to move her for convience not saftey, she didn't know her seat goes up to 33# rf. I nicely told her that she could move her outboard if it was to hard for her and since she is almost 1yr. old her recline doesn't have to be 45 degrees. She said well if you help me I will move her outboard and keep her rear facing. I feel so much better letting her know the safest way for my neice to ride in rf. My neice is only 20#, 28in, my DD is 30in, 18# so they both will be rf as long as possible. I also told her some storries I have heard about kids getting hurt, paralyzed or even dying cause they wern't harnesed right. Good luck and I hope this helps you. I know I didn't want her to think I new everything but she was surprised and glad I offered to help her...