Who takes care of the seats?

unityco · Dec 20, 2008

Our gender imbalance on this board got me to thinking...

In general, in the wider world, which parent do you think "takes care" of the carseats? I don't mean as far as daily use, but for installing/choosing, etc..

I would guess dads (though obviously not in my household, or many of yours!)

ketchupqueen · Dec 20, 2008

In my community, kids tend to ride around with mom more than dad (in 2 car households, which most, unlike ours, seem to be.) So mom tends to be the one in charge of "her car" and with "her car" comes the carseats.

I've found that because of this moms are often more receptive to carseat info than dads around here. Many of the dads I've talked to thank me for the info but say, "But it's up to my wife since she drives the kids usually."

unityco · Dec 20, 2008

ketchupqueen said:
In my community, kids tend to ride around with mom more than dad (in 2 car households, which most, unlike ours, seem to be.) So mom tends to be the one in charge of "her car" and with "her car" comes the carseats.

I've found that because of this moms are often more receptive to carseat info than dads around here. Many of the dads I've talked to thank me for the info but say, "But it's up to my wife since she drives the kids usually."

Hmm... that's interesting. I always think of dads as being the "car guys" and therefore more invested in what "gear" goes in their cars. I could totally see less dads asking for advice though, the same way they're loath to ask for directions, lol

. Of course, my own history biases me. My dad was a mechanic, and he was the *only* one (allowed) to make any decisions on cars and what went in them - whether it was he or mom who would be driving it.

cpsaddict · Dec 20, 2008

I have always been a bit baffled when moms say they have to wait for DH to install the seat. I guess I am just really independent, because I would not wait. In our house, DH knows they are important, but hasn't a clue how to use or install one and he's very handy with everything. Just not car seats.

Gypsy · Dec 20, 2008

I don't know.

Obviously here we have a lot more moms/women, however when I first found this place I was SHOCKED that it was mostly women. I thought that this was a very physical & manly kind of thing dads could do, and do well for the well being of their children and when I saw how few men posted here I was a little disappointed.

Based on the numbers here, I'd say women, but based on my pre-conceived ideas that this would be a great thing for dads to do, I want to say men.

So I voted both.

minismom · Dec 20, 2008

I always kind of figured it'd be the woman, just because moms tend to be with the kids more often. I chose which carseat to buy when I was pregnant (and found this board) like any other baby gear dh didnt care what I got. But he did say once it's because he trusts me to make the right choices and he could tell I was researching. I think we have only one friend who's dh had to take charge of choosing the car seat (and the stroller) cause the wife couldn't care less. He knew he had to do it. I thought it was weird she didnt care.
Now dh knows I'm the expert and does what I say, but there was a time when I would ask him to help install, and we first installed the infant seat together.

ETA: DH (like a lot of men in general) have this atittude that they can look at something and figure out exactly how to do it without reading the instructions. When we were adjusting the seat and putting together the stroller I had to keep up when reading the instructions cause he was already doing the next step. So I wouldnt have trust him to do it alone LOL

Pixels · Dec 20, 2008

I am the one who does the research, cuz I care more. DH would buy anything that fit the child (according to the box), and might read the stickers on the seat, but probably not the manual unless he really felt he needed to in order to find the answer to a problem he was having. He does say that he's glad that I do the research, because he knows it's covered and she's safe. It probably also makes him a bit more lazy in this department though.

DH is very "trainable." I have been able to teach him where the chest clip goes and how tight the harness straps need to be. We have a base for the bucket seat in his car so all he has to do is snap it in and lower the handle. Everything else is my department (install, harness height adjustment, monitoring for outgrowing). My brother has learned how to install the Latch base for the bucket seat in his latch-equipped car and tighten it appropriately.

When DD gets her Radians for Christmas, DH and brother will both learn how to install it properly. I didn't worry about it too much with the bucket since she'll be in it for such a relatively short time, but I fully expect the Radians to expire before she outgrows them, so I think it is important for all of her primary caretakers to know how to install her seat. Especially because brother will be installing a seat every single time she rides in his car.

Qarin · Dec 20, 2008

cpsaddict said:
I have always been a bit baffled when moms say they have to wait for DH to install the seat. I guess I am just really independent, because I would not wait. In our house, DH knows they are important, but hasn't a clue how to use or install one and he's very handy with everything. Just not car seats.

:yeahthat:

TXAggieTech · Dec 20, 2008

We do pretty equally in our cars, mainly because I'm lazy and he can do just as good a job as I can.

Holly · Dec 20, 2008

I'm in charge of picking out what seats we will have, and installing them, because I am a lot more passionate about it than he is. He of course wants our kids to be safe, but he trusts me, and I pretty much make all the baby and child gear decisions, as long as I dont make us go bankrupt, he couldnt care less.

But I do have him come out and pull the belt/latch strap/tether strap even tighter for me after I've already done it, just to make sure it's good, or because lately with being pregnant it's hard for me to tighten it just that last little bit.
He knows how to properly put our kids in too, and I'd trust him to install a seat by himself if needed, he knows it's important for them to be tight.

LISmama810 · Dec 20, 2008

Interesting question. I think in the "real world" (i.e., not on this board), the moms usually choose the seats, but the dads install them. "Installing" things (especially car things) is a "man" thing. (Like putting together the crib.)

Before I turned into a car seat fanatic, I always had DH do the installs. Now I don't let him touch them

disbugsmomma · Dec 20, 2008

I am the one who takes care of the seats in our house. DH doesn't really care what seat she is in as long as she is in one. He did, however, insist that she be turned ff in his truck. Neither he nor IL's would listen to me in that regard.

She is still rf in my car though. Dh usually tightens the straps enough, but I always double check. I'm also the one who installs the seats.

Farm_Mama · Dec 20, 2008

Both my husband and I are getting more and more into car seats. With baby #3 coming very very soon he's really gotten into it. I think he's enjoyed the challenge of making 3-across in a Civic work. He's crazy nuts about Radians and Britax and for some reason thinks that anything with an Evenflo label is junk. I think it's funny. I still do all the research, I'm the inquisitive one about everything though. While I do most of the installs, I'll have him do that last bit of tightening that I just can't manage. I've always thought of car seats, like most other baby gear as a mama thing. Since I use the stuff the most, I make the decisions. My husband trusts me to make informed, frugal choices with most of our purchases and car seats are no different.

skylinphoto · Dec 20, 2008

I pick out all the baby gear.. that includes carseats. My dh is very involved though. I install them and show him how to do it..and I'd trust him to install the seats if I weren't there.
He wants our kids to be as safe as possible in the car just like me and he's the one who insists that no one but us drive with them until they are old enough to know what's right and wrong carseat-wise and tell the adult how to do it right or do it themselves.
He's very good about these things. He watches the crash test videos, reads the reviews and such.

natysr · Dec 20, 2008

Well, I voted Mom because that is what it is now. But in the baby bucket days, it was Dad. When first installing the carseat base, I was Pregnant, and swollen and waddly and itchy. I also had a preconceived notion that it took brute strength to get a seat in correctly. So, I read the manuel aloud to DH while we looked at the seat on the living room floor. Then he went outside and installed it.

However, once we moved to a convertable seat, I took over.

Victorious4 · Dec 20, 2008

Many of the families I see are single mom households like mine . . . however, almost all of the married couples fit the theory: IME, the dads do the installing....

seamonkeys · Dec 20, 2008

cpsaddict said:
I have always been a bit baffled when moms say they have to wait for DH to install the seat. I guess I am just really independent, because I would not wait. In our house, DH knows they are important, but hasn't a clue how to use or install one and he's very handy with everything. Just not car seats.

:yeahthat: I have a friend who always relied on DH to do it. I finally told her once that she needed to make sure she knew how to do it too. Still not sure if she does, but she is the one who took them to a seat check, so hopefully she watched the tech.

jdubsm · Dec 20, 2008

I always install the seats even before I became a tech. I don't think dh has ever installed one without me there to help.

G8r4evr · Dec 20, 2008

I chose the seat and my husband installed it. Not because I didn't think that I could install it, but at 8 months pregnant, I was so swollen and miserable that work was the only activity I could handle. LOL

safeinthecar · Dec 20, 2008

I do. But that's because I'm me

DH is a research everything kind of guy, so I know that if he didn't have a resident expert he would still make great choices. I can totally trust him to make choices based on careful research and not just chose the cheapest thing on the shelf.

When we have another one, I'm planning to use the RN from birth in my car, but he will be in charge of finding the seat he wants for his car. I'll help be part of the process, but the final choice will be totally up to him since he's the one that will have to make it work on a daily basis. It will be interesting to see what he chooses, especially considering he will be looking to do 3IAR in a Corolla.

Who takes care of the seats?

Which parent takes care of the carseats?

Mom

Dad

Both equally

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