You guys have given me so much good info and confidence! I am an RN in a labor and delivery unit. The other day, I walked into a patients room and found a visitor with a child in a baby bucket seat. I couldn't BELIEVE the size of the child. It was the length that shocked me actually. I politely asked the mom, "how old is your son?" She told me he was 13 months (I swear, he looked 2 1/2!) She was a totally sweet women and immediately began to tell me that he was underweight and needed to stay in this seat, (he was 18lbs she said).
I looked at the child in the seat and he was literally draping over both ends. The bottom of the seat ended at his knees, and his head was to the top of the shell. I pulled back the padding at the top of the seat, and showed her that the shell was not protecting him properly. (never mind there being an inch of shell above his head, there was NO shell!) He had outgrown this seat by height a long time ago. I commended her for keeping him rfing and told her how important it was. I encouraged her to go out immediately and get him a decent convertable seat that could rear face him till 35lbs. If money was an issue, I told her about the Scenera at Walmart, since she needed a seat ASAP. She thanked me repeatedly and I hope she went out shopping that night.
I would never have felt educated enought to be able to approach someone that was not already my patient. Thanks so much! Hope I did alright! I would have loved to go over a few different seat options, but I think I would have lost her. I honestly couldn't believe she kept him rf'ing that long. Most of the poeple I see have absolutely no clue about proper use of seats, and I am surprised her family/friends didn't pursuade her to turn him. HAPPILY surprised! I myself have large kids, and remember a secretary in our unit telling me it was FINE to turn my 8 month old FF. Thank goodness I knew better than that!
I looked at the child in the seat and he was literally draping over both ends. The bottom of the seat ended at his knees, and his head was to the top of the shell. I pulled back the padding at the top of the seat, and showed her that the shell was not protecting him properly. (never mind there being an inch of shell above his head, there was NO shell!) He had outgrown this seat by height a long time ago. I commended her for keeping him rfing and told her how important it was. I encouraged her to go out immediately and get him a decent convertable seat that could rear face him till 35lbs. If money was an issue, I told her about the Scenera at Walmart, since she needed a seat ASAP. She thanked me repeatedly and I hope she went out shopping that night.
I would never have felt educated enought to be able to approach someone that was not already my patient. Thanks so much! Hope I did alright! I would have loved to go over a few different seat options, but I think I would have lost her. I honestly couldn't believe she kept him rf'ing that long. Most of the poeple I see have absolutely no clue about proper use of seats, and I am surprised her family/friends didn't pursuade her to turn him. HAPPILY surprised! I myself have large kids, and remember a secretary in our unit telling me it was FINE to turn my 8 month old FF. Thank goodness I knew better than that!