Need advice to deal with idiotic cousin

obnurse19

New member
My DH cousin is a moron when it comes to car safety. They have no clue how to install seats correctly and constantly come over for DH and I to 'help' them (which ususally means we end up doing most of the work).

She has a 5 year old that is still harnessed in her car (big feat on my part). She has a 10 month old that is TINY (she claims that she is close to 20lbs but I doubt it). I saw this baby's car seat in her grandmother's car FF! I almost fell over in the driveway! I did speak up, but these people don't care.

Today, she asked me if she could bring over her FF seat and have me install it in her car, because she wants to put the 10 month old FF all the time! I just stared at her! I could site statistics, tell her she isn't even hitting the bare minimum for age and weight in this state...she just doesn't care. For them, 10 months is ERF'ing, as their first was FF at 6 months old (I kid you not) I called DH (who is also very into car safety). I asked him what we should do. I really want no part of helping someone FF a 10 month old. He doesn't either, but said they are going to do it whether we help them install it correctly, or they screw it up themselves. Lets just say when she changed the baby from the baby bucket (which she didn't always clip both the chest harness AND the crotch buckle shut..OMG) to the convertible seat, the seat literally tipped over in the car. She had the latch run through the FF belt path, the seat RF'ing, and then loosely hooked in. You could pick up the seat and push it across the car. She actually said "well I thought I did it right". So there is my delimma with letting her put in her own seat unsupervised.

I really think I have had enough of 'helping' them. I want to tell her that she is TOTALLY making a big mistake turning her, and if she wants to do that..she needs to do it herself. I don't want to touch her seat.

Did I mention I am 33 weeks pregnant and could shoot someone on site if they look at me crosseyed LOL?
 
ADS

SusanMae

Senior Community Member
As a tech, I will refuse.

But since she's coming to your house...bring her in sit her down and make her WATCH the videos. I like the one the aunt did for her sister. It's done very loveingly and has stats thrown in.

Susan
 

dhardawa

Active member
I absolutely would not for liability reasons. If her kid gets killed, she could sue you because you installed the forward facing seat for her 10 month old against the manufacturer's instructions.
 

lovinwaves

New member
Wow, that's awesome they want you to help them! That is definitely a step above many of my family members.

This is what I would do. Tell her you would love to help her. Set up a date and time and have them meet you at your house. Then in the meantime find a local CPS (Child Passenger Safety Technician)(see if maybe there is one here on this board) and have them meet you at your house for help with the installs. Don't tell the mother they are coming though. Maybe if she hears about the dangers of ff'ing a child so soon from a professional/cps advocate she will change her mind, and just be kind of pushed into installing the seat rf'ing.

ETA: I would be very upfront with the technician, and let them know the situation and see if this is even something they want to take on LOL.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Wow, that's awesome they want you to help them! That is definitely a step above many of my family members.

This is what I would do. Tell her you would love to help her. Set up a date and time and have them meet you at your house. Then in the meantime find a local CPS (Child Passenger Safety Technician)(see if maybe there is one here on this board) and have them meet you at your house for help with the installs. Don't tell the mother they are coming though. Maybe if she hears about the dangers of ff'ing a child so soon from a professional/cps advocate she will change her mind, and just be kind of pushed into installing the seat rf'ing.

ETA: I would be very upfront with the technician, and let them know the situation and see if this is even something they want to take on LOL.
EXACTLY what I was going to say. A professional is NOT going to install the seat against the manufacturer's instructions and they can tell her that they are not legally allowed to. Maybe it will help to get it through her thick skull...
 

PixieEMT

New member
As a tech, I will refuse.

But since she's coming to your house...bring her in sit her down and make her WATCH the videos. I like the one the aunt did for her sister. It's done very loveingly and has stats thrown in.

Susan

I 2nd the video idea!

Plus make them read this article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4145099a6009.html

This article is what I use when people try to deny "internal decapitation" that they "Never heard of it and that the babies legs will break!" :rolleyes: That old wivestale. Blah
 

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