Who are you people and what have you done to me??

**PrairieGirl** · 01-31-2008, 03:00 AM

Some general thoughts and observations about the car seat world and my newly aquired information (thanks to this forum):
(I posted these thoughts on another thread but realized that it was not on topic at all, hence this new thread.)

Why do these places sell car seats without really knowing that much about them? How is the average person buying a seat supposed to know these things on their own? Why does it have to be so hard? Is it just me? Other people I know just went shopping and without any deliberation picked up a new car seat in one day (usually one of the 3 in 1's)

When I mention to people about not wearing bulky winter coats in car seats, or how I found out how much safer it is to to keep your child rear-facing as long as possible, I see their eyes kind of glaze over and I can tell they are not listening. Or they are thinking in their heads "Here she goes again with some information that she found on the 'internet' again."

Why does this stuff seem so "out there" to people?
Have I stumbled on some type of 'car seat' cult here? :P

I guess I just needed to vent. Learning about car seats is good, it's just taken up so much of my time lately. Of course I like to gain all the knowledge I can about keeping my son safe, but maybe I am becoming obsessive about it. No one else I know invests nearly as much time in this as me. Just wondering if I have gone a little bit crazy.

**Car-Seat.Org** · 01-31-2008 03:00 AM

**CRS** · 01-31-2008, 03:08 AM

Welcome to the dark side...

...

**Wineaux** · 01-31-2008, 04:46 AM

Buwhahaha!

As a certain Scottish engineer used to say, "You can'na change the laws of physics!"

**Tammyfh** · 01-31-2008, 06:29 AM

My husband is wondering the same thing about me! It's been several weeks that he'll ask what I was doing on the computer and it's been the same answer.... reading about car seats! He just keeps asking haven't you already decided??? Think he's a little tired of hearing about it

I just have a need to know everything I can before making a big decision like this. Now most people I know don't consider it a major decision. I look at them and wonder if they drive around the same crazy people I do! I just couldn't stand knowing I didn't do everything I could to keep ds as safe as possible.

**Victorious4** · 01-31-2008, 07:54 AM

You have been assimilated.

Next step: SafeKids certification.

**TerisBoys** · 01-31-2008, 08:22 AM

Join the 'family'...

I came to a 'baby gear' board on Parent Soup almost 10 years ago looking for a better option for Josh who outgrew his seat heightwise at the ripe old age of 2 (he also turned FF at 9 mo because of the seat's 20# RF limit)...

I wander away and leave every so often when life calls, but...I'm an advocate at heart and that never changes.

Ironically - I've never been certified. Time/money constraints have always intervened. But I have worked checks under a senior checker and helped out at Phil's checks.

**solmama** · 01-31-2008, 09:04 AM

Welcome! And, yes, people will continue to think you're wacky! But, once in a while, someone will listen and you will be able to make a difference. But only once in a while

.

**kimogilvie** · 01-31-2008, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by PrairieGirl

Why does this stuff seem so "out there" to people?
Have I stumbled on some type of 'car seat' cult here? :P

but maybe I am becoming obsessive about it. No one else I know invests nearly as much time in this as me. Just wondering if I have gone a little bit crazy.

Car seat guru/nut/advocate, etc....really all just equals car seat obsessed....I guess cult isn't too far off ;-). Obsessive....I won't tell you how many times a day I check this forum (though it's definitely in the double digits

). Get to know some of the ladies on this board and then you'll know lots of people who invest just as much, if not more, time reading about car seats :-)

I doubt anyone here will admit to you being crazy....though to the outsider...

**wildeyes** · 01-31-2008, 10:14 AM

welcome to the jungle, it gets worse here every day.... lol
i windered the same thing when i got involved her, i was onna ask one, maybe two questions, now my 2 dd's are car seat models...

**dhardawa** · 01-31-2008, 12:44 PM

I think this is the case with many items, not just car seats. One example is smoke detectors. I had an issue with mine going off one day and couldn't figure out why so I called the non-emergency number for the fire department and talked to the fire marshall. He knew TONS about smoke detectors that I had never even thought of. He knew things like failure rates with age and told me things like a smoke alarm should never be used longer than 10 years. The average Joe runs to Home Depot where someone with no education in fire prevention attempts to make recommendations just like for car seats.

**DesertQueen** · 01-31-2008, 01:02 PM

I imagine you fit right in here!

I, too, have had trouble convincing people about RFing. We're the only family that I know of here who will RF DS until he goes to college.

**safeinthecar** · 01-31-2008, 01:03 PM

[QUOTE=PrairieGirl;329708'car seat' cult [/QUOTE]

ROFLMBO

I can't even tell you the number of times my brother (who is actually quite good with carseats because he listens to what I tell him to do) has rolled his eyes and exclaimed
"mom, Kim's preaching about car seats again!"

**castanuela** · 01-31-2008, 01:04 PM

I am in the same situation, my son 14 months is RF in Roundabout, and MA (I am also getting an addiction for covers

) and people ask me isn't he 1 year already, so you can turn him FF, I just tell them, he is safer RF I don't say much because I know they won"t listen.

**ThreeBeans** · 01-31-2008, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Wineaux

Buwhahaha!

As a certain Scottish engineer used to say, "You can'na change the laws of physics!"

I

you

**debbiemomof2** · 01-31-2008, 04:25 PM

I have been having similar thoughts lately. I have never had a real conversation with another mom(or dad) around here IRL about car seats. Except for my big brother. He's the one that made me more aware that there are choices out there when it comes to car seats. Otherwise, I think people just go to Walmart or Target and pick out the prettiest or comfiest seat. They glance at the box and that is that. I think a lot of people see it as just another choice like what color should I paint the nursery or which brand of diapers should I use, not the life or death matter that it is.

I re-discovered this website last week when I was looking for a new car seat for ds (we found a Graco Nautilus) and now I feel compelled to check back everyday to see if I am missing anything.

**Shanora** · 01-31-2008, 04:42 PM

Deleted....

**skaterbabs** · 01-31-2008, 06:16 PM

Nazi is not a term we encourage for several reasons.

Nazis killed people. We do the exact opposite - we expend a great deal of time and energy trying to keep people alive.

It's also offensive to many Jewish people to have that term used so lightly.

**Momto3Divaz** · 01-31-2008, 06:37 PM

i thought i was waaaaayyyyy to in to diaperbags....then babywearing......and NOW carseats!! LOL these are expensive addictions but i dont go to my other sites as much as i do here!! my fiance is okay with by obsession he says as long as i dont buy EVERYTHING i see!! i wish i could get my friends as into all of this as i am so i have someone to go carseat window shopping with

**Airforcemomma** · 01-31-2008, 08:39 PM

MY hubby thinks I'm crazy. Totally car seat obsessed. My friends think the same thing. He actually took a count of all the different car seats we have bought since last summer and I think it totaled 6 and we only have 2 kids.....lol. I use car seats for my daycare too though, that's how I justify it.lol

I just want every child to be safe and if I can pass on something that I have learned on this site to a friend that makes a difference then my obsession is worth it. Nothing bugs me more then to see a child seat installed incorrectly or a child not using one at all. My son 6yo has several friends that don't use a BPB or a harness and just get put in a seat belt. Very frustrating.

I spend more time on this web site then any other. And, I actually learn something new every day. TIME WELL SPENT!!!

**minismom** · 01-31-2008, 09:38 PM

Yep, I'm obsessed too! My husband is fed up with it to. I mean, he thinks I'm the best mom ever for looking into things like that and learning what I can do to maybe dd as safe as possible. But he's fed up with how much time I spend on this site, talkign about car seat. He actually asked when will I get to the point of knowing it all so i don't have to keep learning

I also started when I was researching which seat to buy. I researched all my gear, but was specially careful about the car seat choice. Once I found this site I knew there was so much more to learn. I also can't believe how some people just walk into a store and buy the first seat they see. I mean, I'd look around more even if it was just for cover choices