4 YO Nephew STILL in LBB!

Mommy2Marcus

New member

• Apr 29, 2008

• #1

I am so frustrated & upset! I talked to my MIL about reharnessing my 4 yo nephew, gave her information & she ignored me. She said he was perfectly safe in his LBB, but he is NOT. He does not sit properly in it, falls asleep & anything else you can imagine. SHE buckles him in & puts the shoulder strap behind him....GRRRRR. He also allowed to sit in the front seat this way with an airbag. I am SO concerned for his safety! We will be moving down there soon & we will be buying a HBB for our car for when he rides with us. There MAYBE some hope though, b/c ALL week while we were there he kept saying he wanted a seat like Marcus! He also wanted to ride RF to...Hehe....but he is TO big for that! Sorry, but I am SO frustrated with this! I so wish she would have listened to me!

She also told me is was unsafe & dangerous for Marcus to still be riding RF! I said, actually it is not dangerous or unsafe...it is SAFER! She just gave me a whatever look & didn't say anything else!

 

Heather98012

New member

• Apr 29, 2008

• #2

Does your MIL have custody of your nephew? <Sigh> It's so hard for our parents to get the safety thing, when many of us didn't even ride in car seats (& if we did, they were a joke!).

 

Mommy2Marcus

New member

• Apr 29, 2008

• #3

No my MIL does not have legal custody of my nephew, but he lives with her & my FIL. His father, my BIL, is in jail again & his mother we are pretty sure is on drugs, so they have him full time. I do wish she would have listened to me, but I was pretty sure she would blow me off. Sigh!

 

thepote

New member

• Apr 30, 2008

• #4

Oh man, so sorry you have to witness that. I hope they don't get into an accident.

My nephew at 4 was in a crappy HBB at 30lbs, and the 6yo was in a LBB at 40lbs... I did manage to convince my brother to re-harness the 4yo in a Como and the 6yo got a Parkway. I don't know what I'd do if they wouldn't have listened to best practices, though

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Aug 4, 2008

• #5

What is a LBB and HBB? Forgive the ignorance here...

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Aug 4, 2008

• #6

Both acronyms refer to belt positioning booster seats. HBB is a highback booster and LBB stands for lowback booster which really is a backless booster seat to be precise. And it's not a silly question at all.

 

fyrfightermomma

New member

• Aug 4, 2008

• #7

Maybe instead of focusing on trying to get your nephew back into a harnessed seat (which seems like a huge change) you could try instead to get him into a HBB with good side support and head support.

Maybe your MIL wouldn't see it as such a huge change and he would be slightly safer as the side wings and head wings can offer some SIP and keep him more in position.

Maybe once they get used to that, you could slowly work your magic and try to talk them into a harnessed seat.

Its just that going from a no back booster to a harnessed seat is such a dramatic change and one most people not concerned about carseat safety are willing to take

 

bobbysgirl7103

New member

• Aug 4, 2008

• #8

I'm sorry. It's hard when you try to explain things and they just don't listen. Just keep trying.

 

T

tanyaandallie

Senior Community Member

• Aug 4, 2008

• #9

I agree that sound like htere is no way she is going ot agree to a harness. If the harness is a losing battle, try for a hbb OR at least try for correct use of the lbb. Putting the shoulder portion of the belt behind his head just turns the seat into a lap only belt. Not pretty in an accident. My guess is they are putting the shoulder belt behind his back b/c it doesn't fit him right and it's bothering him. Tell her that the hbb would position it correctly and be so much more comfy for him, esp if he sleeps! If not, get the belt positioner for the lbb. It will get the shoulder portion in the right place.

I know it's so hard dealing with family when they won't listen. Very very frustrating, esp when you know how dangerous it is to have a child in a lbb with the shoulder belt behind his back!!!

 

fyrfightermomma

New member

• Aug 5, 2008

• #10

Also, if you can't change their minds, see if they having locking retractors on their seatbelts where you pull the belt all the way out and it "clicks" back in and locks the seatbelt. Place the belt correctly on him and then lock it and hopefully that will reduce his movement

 

W

Wineaux

New member

• Aug 5, 2008

• #11

At the very least show her "Twinky Physics" for the behind the shoulder belt situation. Just make an OK sign with a Twinky in the O. Now squeeze your thumb and first finger together. See how the goo comes out of the Twinky? That's what will happen to your nephew's internal organs in a crash with him riding like that. Simple, to the point, and you get to eat your demonstration materials afterwards.

 

Mama!

New member

• Aug 5, 2008

• #12

Wineaux said:

At the very least show her "Twinky Physics" for the behind the shoulder belt situation. Just make an OK sign with a Twinky in the O. Now squeeze your thumb and first finger together. See how the goo comes out of the Twinky? That's what will happen to your nephew's internal organs in a crash with him riding like that. Simple, to the point, and you get to eat your demonstration materials afterwards.

Click to expand...

I need video of this.

 

W

Wineaux

New member

• Aug 5, 2008

• #13

You just squeeze a Twinky till is squishes. Your finger is the belt going to the kiddos backbone, which is your thumb. There is nothing that's going to stop a lap belt that is riding too high on a child from pushing as far back as it can while squishing everything that gets in its way.

 

Mama!

New member

• Aug 5, 2008

• #14

Wineaux said:

You just squeeze a Twinky till is squishes. Your finger is the belt going to the kiddos backbone, which is your thumb. There is nothing that's going to stop a lap belt that is riding too high on a child from pushing as far back as it can while squishing everything that gets in its way.

Click to expand...

Ah there you go. Now I can picture it.

(sorry, I'm a visual learner )