Wow...

I have had so many car seat 'revelations' in the past week. First off, on Sunday, I gave my dear cousin a lesson on proper use. She still has her son occasionally in his wizard (and I'm sure he has more than outgrown it by shoulder height) but she said that she thought he would fit until he was 65 lbs!! i told her that the proper use is in the manual and she said she'd never read it...it's too thick!!! College educated woman here!!! Aaahhh...I love her to death though and she is taking whatever advice I give her (I think she's this close to putting ds back into a harness - frontier) and that would rock!

Then...last night at dh's softball game another mother out of nowhere asked if waited to 20 lbs to move dd forward facing (1st time I've met the lady but we were discussing have petite children). Her daughter is not quite one yet and lucky to weigh 17 or 18 lbs. She tells me they just bought her a new carseat - a NAUTILUS! Wow....I can't imagine that little petite girl in that big huge seat!! And to think she's already in it or will be on her 1st birthday. I tried to throw in there that AAP now recommends rear facing to the max of the seat (which is nothing for her new ff seat)...she said that harnesses on baby seat are below her little girls shoulders right now (yes...that's where they're supposed to be). Why is it that all this information is not common about extended rear facing!!!

My 17 pound niece is no where close to fitting in a Nautilus. I put her in it for fun one day (the car didn't move) and it just swallowed her. That is really sad. I can't imagine how the mom could look at her and think it was ok. I would post pics, but they are just on my phone and I can't.

There is a great deal of confusion regarding when a seat is outgrown and how. The government doesn't help either - they always concentrate of weight limits, but rarely address strap height or how a seat is outgrown by lengthwise.