The Bjorns
New member
Just a bit of a vent. You guys will understand my frustration and won't think I'm nuts.
I was talking to my girlfriend about our travel plans to my grandmother's funeral. I mentioned how I finally got Alaska to give us a better price than their standard berevement fare (over $500/pp!). I also mentioned that it was nuts that they don't offer children's discounted fares since I need two. She carefully pointed out that my youngest (8.5 mo) could be a free lap baby. Yes, I said, but I want to guarntee she'll get to use her car seat on the plane. Oldest was a lap baby once and we lucked out and were able to use her infant seat, but that was several years ago on a flight that typically didn't sell out. Now with fewer flights available, they tend to be fuller, on Saturday there aren't as many flights so they're fuller, etc.
Here's where I got peeved. She said, "Diane, you do know, don't you, that if the plane crashes, she's not going to be any safer in a car seat." YES, SHE WILL! I know my friend is a nervous flier and is afraid of the plane falling out of the sky. And yes, if that happens, I don't think a car seat is going to be particulary helpful. However, that's not where most accidents happen. After seeing that YouTube video, Seconds from Disaster, about the Sioux City crash, I just can't have my child be a lap baby. I watched that whole video picturing having to hold her on the floor while she screamed. Can't do it. If my grandmother had lived another year and a half we would've purchased a seat for her (and still complained it wasn't a child fare). Why are the laws of physics different for babies? Um, they're not!
This friend already thinks I'm nuts and will change my tune about harnessing once DD is in school and I see how all her other friends are just in boosters. No, I won't. She's delighted that the 8/80 law hasn't passed yet (mainly because her 8 yr old is such a lightweight).
Just for the record, I was calling the rental car company about car seats (just so I could tell my mother I had called with no intention of actually using one from them) and my 4 yr old piped up that she needed a race car seat belt (5-pt harness) when she overheard me mentioning booster seats using the vehicle belt. She calls her Radian her race car booster seat! She knows what's safe!
When we read my old copies of Dick and Jane, she always comments that they're not safe when the pictures show them bouncing around in the back seat. "Why are they not in car seats, Mommy?" Try explaining that one! I usually leave it that they're just playing in the car in the driveway and not really going anywhere. I hate those old illustrations!
Okay, I feel better now. My kids are safe and that's all that matters!
I was talking to my girlfriend about our travel plans to my grandmother's funeral. I mentioned how I finally got Alaska to give us a better price than their standard berevement fare (over $500/pp!). I also mentioned that it was nuts that they don't offer children's discounted fares since I need two. She carefully pointed out that my youngest (8.5 mo) could be a free lap baby. Yes, I said, but I want to guarntee she'll get to use her car seat on the plane. Oldest was a lap baby once and we lucked out and were able to use her infant seat, but that was several years ago on a flight that typically didn't sell out. Now with fewer flights available, they tend to be fuller, on Saturday there aren't as many flights so they're fuller, etc.
Here's where I got peeved. She said, "Diane, you do know, don't you, that if the plane crashes, she's not going to be any safer in a car seat." YES, SHE WILL! I know my friend is a nervous flier and is afraid of the plane falling out of the sky. And yes, if that happens, I don't think a car seat is going to be particulary helpful. However, that's not where most accidents happen. After seeing that YouTube video, Seconds from Disaster, about the Sioux City crash, I just can't have my child be a lap baby. I watched that whole video picturing having to hold her on the floor while she screamed. Can't do it. If my grandmother had lived another year and a half we would've purchased a seat for her (and still complained it wasn't a child fare). Why are the laws of physics different for babies? Um, they're not!
This friend already thinks I'm nuts and will change my tune about harnessing once DD is in school and I see how all her other friends are just in boosters. No, I won't. She's delighted that the 8/80 law hasn't passed yet (mainly because her 8 yr old is such a lightweight).
Just for the record, I was calling the rental car company about car seats (just so I could tell my mother I had called with no intention of actually using one from them) and my 4 yr old piped up that she needed a race car seat belt (5-pt harness) when she overheard me mentioning booster seats using the vehicle belt. She calls her Radian her race car booster seat! She knows what's safe!
When we read my old copies of Dick and Jane, she always comments that they're not safe when the pictures show them bouncing around in the back seat. "Why are they not in car seats, Mommy?" Try explaining that one! I usually leave it that they're just playing in the car in the driveway and not really going anywhere. I hate those old illustrations!
Okay, I feel better now. My kids are safe and that's all that matters!