question about saying something to others about kids car seats

mistylavon

New member
A question here. I am not a certified car seat technician but I feel like I have learned so much from this site and can't believe all the knowledge here, it's just amazing.

I saw a dad yesterday w/ a baby in a baby carrier and the baby was NOT harnessed correctly when picking my dd up from school. The chest clip was literally touching the buckle clips and the harness was soooo loose. I wanted so bad to tell him but I did not b/c I'm not certified or anything. And I'm sure he just doesn't know. If I see him again, it's a small school, what should I do? Ignore it or should I say something, my husband doesn't think I should, he says I'll start making people made if I do stuff like that. What is the expert opinion here?

TIA!
 
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poohbearkrazy

New member
A question here. I am not a certified car seat technician but I feel like I have learned so much from this site and can't believe all the knowledge here, it's just amazing.

I saw a dad yesterday w/ a baby in a baby carrier and the baby was NOT harnessed correctly when picking my dd up from school. The chest clip was literally touching the buckle clips and the harness was soooo loose. I wanted so bad to tell him but I did not b/c I'm not certified or anything. And I'm sure he just doesn't know. If I see him again, it's a small school, what should I do? Ignore it or should I say something, my husband doesn't think I should, he says I'll start making people made if I do stuff like that. What is the expert opinion here?

TIA!


I totally know where you are coming from here. I have such a hard time biting my tongue when I see something that I know isn't right. Like yesterday I was leaving wal-mart when I saw a lady taking her maybe 7 month old out of a EFTA that was forward facing. I so wanted to stop and show her my 15 month old in his seat rf and to tell her that rf is safest but I didn't. Or the other day when I was at the wic office and pulled up next to a car that had an evenflo discovery ff in the back seat of their mustang not strapped in what so ever. But they strapped the baby in the seat perfectly. Tight straps and chest clip where it needed to be. It makes me so sad to think about what could happen to those innocent children.
 

zeo2ski

Well-known member
"What a cutie! I love the outfit. This is such a cute pattern on the carseat--I had a similar seat and it took me forever to figure out how to adjust it right. Once I read the manual it was easier. Here's where you pull it tight, like this, and the chest clip goes up here, like this."

But it sounds like you're seeing this guy inside the school? You never know when they may have loosened it just to come inside.

I also sometimes wonder if being a tech would give me more credibility or "right" to say something, but at the same time, NOT being a tech you can just approach it as a caring BTDT parent trying to make their life a little easier. It's a tough call when to say something or not, but I sometimes feel guilty not saying something if I think they are not aware that what they're doing is wrong.
 

MomToEliEm

Moderator
I very rarely approach anyone. If I see a blatant error in a car (typically forward facing infant seat that I can clearly see is strapped in for use, not just thrown in there), I try to write a little note and include the USAA carseat booklet (I have a bunch in my car) and leave it on their car. If I see misuse at a daycare, I try to approach the director and see if I can distribute info to everyone via handouts in their children's folders. At our current daycare, I made up a package of the USAA booklet, a couple extended rearfacing handouts, extended harnessing, and then booster usage handout. I have no idea if the parents actually looked at the info, but at least it got into their hands and maybe a few might look at it and see some errors they were making.
 

freqflyer

New member
I finally spoke up at my mom's group and shared some information. Most were receptive and let me check their kids. I also stopped someone from buying those big snuggleme neck pillows the other day at BRU by saying I wish I'd known when I was pregnant.

Most people have been really receptive, but its hard to guage what the reaction would be.
 

aclayton74

Active member
I give up on talking to others about car seats. I was at my mom's last Friday and her neighbor has a 4 almost 5 year old girl and a boy that just turned 2 in February. First off she was like oh I need to get Cassie a new seat since the one she has is 10 years old!! I about fell out of my chair!! Anyway I asked what she had the little boy in and she said i belive and Evenflo chase I was like you know he is still small enough to rear-face she said the usual oh he would be too squished. She than proceeds to tell me that her car seat doesn't move I was like oh that is good are you using LATCH or a seatbelt. She says oh I use both!! I tried to explain to her that it is not allowed and that the two systems have never been tested together blah, blah, blah. She proceeds to tell me well it's my kid and I like it installed this way!! Whatever I tried.
 

Andie

New member
If I see a blatant error in a car (typically forward facing infant seat that I can clearly see is strapped in for use, not just thrown in there), I try to write a little note and include the USAA carseat booklet (I have a bunch in my car) and leave it on their car.

:yeahthat:

You can get 100 USAA booklets for free here. #544. I got mine within a week.
 

cookie123

New member
You just can't tell some people anything. Even if you're nice and non-threatening, they get all defensive. I try not to talk about it to people unless they ask.
 

Pixels

New member
I said something once or twice, before I was certified. I just picked the one biggest thing, because if you try to correct it all, it's too much and they end up doing nothing. If they're interested and receptive, by all means you can tell them more, but start with just one thing, like getting the harness tight enough. If the harness is tight enough, the chest clip really shouldn't matter.
 

scuby20

Member
I had a friend who brought her son over a month or so after he was born to visit with me and she carried him in a 3 point infant carrier/car seat...I was floored....Also she had him so loose that it wouldn't have done anything. Luckily this friend is pretty receptive to suggestions and I tried in a non threatening way to explain to her why it needs to be tight...blah blah blah...I also ended up giving her a current car seat and stroller combo for him that I had that I didn't use, so he would have a safer ride.

The one thing that gets to me, I watch those baby shows on TLC and the like....the ones called "baby story", and "bringing home baby"...well they ALWAYS show them taking the baby home in the car...so you know the camera man is in there with them, because they show the parents talking the whole way home and show the baby in the car seat....I have seen maybe 2 that had their kid strapped in properly...and I'm just talking the harness tightness. Most of them are so loose, there is no point in having them in there! You would think a broadcasting network that millions of people watch would do something to ensure the safety of the children!

I thought about writting TLC, but I don't have enough tech terms and info to give them, since I'm new to all this myself...and am not a tech, but I listen to you all about everything!
 

SGTex

New member
I've struggled with this too! I pretty much decided that if it was a friend (or a friend of a friend;)) then I would speak up to anyone who would listen. I typically won't say something to someone I don't know, but I have been known to try and find someone I do know that knows that person to introduce me so I can say something, especially if it was someone at school, in the neighborhood etc...

I find the hardest part for me, is after having educated someone, then seeing them still not make the right decision. I have a close friend who's kids I adore. She has both her children (just turned 5 yr old and a rambunctious 3 yr old) in bpb's. I've showed her the videos and information out there, offered to help find deals/coupons to purchase safer seats and even offered her the use of one of my Husky's when I had an extra. It would break my heart if something happened to one of her kids and if I could afford it, I would personally buy her new car seats, but I can't. All I can do is keep trying and every new piece of info I find make sure I show her. :(
 

Cryssy Jane

New member
At our current daycare, I made up a package of the USAA booklet, a couple extended rearfacing handouts, extended harnessing, and then booster usage handout. I have no idea if the parents actually looked at the info, but at least it got into their hands and maybe a few might look at it and see some errors they were making.

I run an in home daycare and would love this information to hand out to parents!!! The clients I work with immediately switch ff as soon as their child reaches 1 & 20, while all children under 35 lbs all RF in my vehicles. I have received complaints from a couple of parents (particularly of the 3 year old, 26 lb, 10 inch torso girl), she rides FF in her parent's vehicles, but I RF her whenever possible because she's so tiny. I explained to her that it's safer and why, she's a smart kiddo and understood and has no problem RF, but I cannot get her parents to even listen. Keep in mind they also have their 5 year old, 34 lbs in a HBB... she rides in a GN in my vehicles and loves it!
 

MomToEliEm

Moderator
I run an in home daycare and would love this information to hand out to parents!!! The clients I work with immediately switch ff as soon as their child reaches 1 & 20, while all children under 35 lbs all RF in my vehicles. I have received complaints from a couple of parents (particularly of the 3 year old, 26 lb, 10 inch torso girl), she rides FF in her parent's vehicles, but I RF her whenever possible because she's so tiny. I explained to her that it's safer and why, she's a smart kiddo and understood and has no problem RF, but I cannot get her parents to even listen. Keep in mind they also have their 5 year old, 34 lbs in a HBB... she rides in a GN in my vehicles and loves it!
If you want to get together some of that info for your daycare parents, here is what I had:

USAA carseat booklet(here is the PDF version if you want to see what you are ordering: http://www.usaaedfoundation.org/pdf/544.pdf). It has a lot of use/misuse pictures in it which is really handy.
To get it, go to: http://www.usaaedfoundation.org/
Select the "Order Publications" link at the top of the form.
Select publication "544 - Installing Child Safety Seats"
You can order up to 100 brochures at a time and they are free.

Rearfacing info:
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/30/4/12-a
http://www.cpsafety.com/PDFfiles/RearFacingBrochure.pdf
http://www.carseatsite.com/RF_Handout2.pdf

Extended Harness Info:
http://www.carseatsite.com/EH_handout.pdf

Booster info:
http://carseat.org/Boosters/630.pdf
 
Last edited:

heatherann0221

New member
:yeahthat:

You can get 100 USAA booklets for free here. #544. I got mine within a week.

Oh that's awesome! Do you just get the ones on how to install the car seat properly or do you get others too? I'm going to give some to my WIC office and my doctor, that's where I see some of the worst offenders of improper car seat use.
 

zeo2ski

Well-known member
Thanks for posting the links for the handouts--I need them!

I find the hardest part for me, is after having educated someone, then seeing them still not make the right decision. [...] It would break my heart if something happened to one of her kids
I think that's the hardest too. But then the next thing you said--that's the reason I try anyway. I'd feel too guilty if something happened and I hadn't at least given it a shot. I want them to make an informed decision at least.
 

Andie

New member
Oh that's awesome! Do you just get the ones on how to install the car seat properly or do you get others too? I'm going to give some to my WIC office and my doctor, that's where I see some of the worst offenders of improper car seat use.

Those are just how to install and use a seat properly. Here is the pdf of it that was posted above. I gave half of mine to the local nurse that does home visits for families. She's putting them out in our health department.

I like this one for ERF information. It's short and to the point. It was just updated 4/07/09.
 

SGTex

New member
Thanks for posting the links for the handouts--I need them!


I think that's the hardest too. But then the next thing you said--that's the reason I try anyway. I'd feel too guilty if something happened and I hadn't at least given it a shot. I want them to make an informed decision at least.

I agree, that's why I keep trying too!

Thanks for the links to these great handouts/articles here. I've printed a whole bunch already to give to friends!

And I had already convinced one of my babysitting families to keep their just turned 40lbs dd in a harnessed seat - they bought 2 radians to replace her old seat. So I gave her the RF sheets today at pick-up and I *think* she might considering RF'ing her just turned 2 yr old (he's a little guy though) he's already RF'ing in my car, so I'd be thrilled if they turn him! At least some people listen and see the light!
 

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