My week in carseat H@!!

J-max

CPST Instructor
So we live in an area with not too bad carseat usage - lots of tiny 1 year olds FF and 4year olds in boosters, and the occasional really bad missuse siting, but over all lots of within the law, just not best practice.

I spent last week in northernNV with my Parents:eek::eek::eek::eek:

First my grandma showed up to pick us up (dh flew us down to GA airport - no rental cars, etc, and my parents were not home when we got there) with a car that will not fit all of us. So I have to call my grandpa to come also. That night my parents get there and my dad continually complains that will not them them ride in a RSTV in a lap belt with not tether - "he has a tension mounted dog gate that I could attach it to, or he could run to the hardware store and get a bolt - or they could just ride in it, it is not far and not the law there" he totally does not understand car seat safety. Do even get my started on why DD#1 had to ride in the back - he complained about that one multiple times/day (got called a "d@mn WA Liberal" which is about one of the worst things he can call someone).

Over all I saw very few car seats and kids in them in general - tons of kids standing in front or bouncing around the back seats. and the only rear facing seats I saw were tiny babies in buckets. I got all excited one day because I saw a GN in a car in the parking lot on a middle setting, I actually sat there for just over 20 min to see them come out - it was a little maybe 2 year old with straps by his head.

I did bully my kinda-step-sister in to turning her 30 lb 20mo old back reafacing, but I don't know if it will last.
 
ADS

Joyofbirth

New member
I'm sorry to hear that. I've gotten into it with people I love because they don't get it. I was afraid my step-dad, who i'm really close to, wasn't going to talk to me forever because I wouldn't ride in the car without enough seats for everyone, so they were just going to have my nephew who was about 5 sit on the floor. It's safe enough. Where could he go? I refused. And I was at their house and they were going to take me and my dd home.
 

libbiesmom

New member
Sorry for your awful week! Sometimes I think our parents and grandparents just don't get the whole idea of car safety - I think they figure that since they didn't use car seats we really don't have to either! My mother isn't getting the whole ERF thing - just says that I'm weird! (at least my DDs safe!)

Not sure where in GA you were but I live in South GA and almost passed out the other day when I was in a baby speciality store and the guy literally tried to PUSH me into putting my almost one year old in a Frontier! :eek:
 

Jonah Baby

New member
My parents saw the baby's new carseat, the MyRide, yesterday. The night was endless...they couldn't believe that I put a 2 year old RFing.
"He's got no leg room!"
"All children should turn around when their legs are smooshed!"
Etc.
(My son actually told me that he LIKES how his legs fit - they are not smooshed at all in this seat RF, I don't know if they would in another type of seat though.)

When Jo was about 7 months old, I had my grandfather (who is going on 80) pick us up for one of those "emergency ear infection" incidents. I went to put Jo in the front seat to sit with him for a moment so I could go grab the diaper bag and, of course, the carseat.
My grandfather states:
"Why don't you ride in the back with him. He'll be safer buckled in with you."
:eek:
I kindly explained I was going to get his carseat, there was no need for such an occurrence, and then got such a shock at how little safety there was all of my grandfather's life. It is amazing how far safety has come.

It is also amazing to think that most people outside of this baby-rearing generation have NO clue about the newest safety practices. It did not exist in their time, therefore it must not be relevant.
 

Joyofbirth

New member
I think it's sweet that your grandfather in his 80s was trying to keep your baby safer by telling you to buckle him in the back. I mean in 30 years, car seat safety has come a long way. Can you imagine the difference in cars, too?! He may not really know, but it sounds like he was trying.
 

Nena2007

New member
Yeah... where we live is like where you visited. I would say 8 out of 10 kids I see aren't in carseats when they should be, or in the wrong ones like 2 year olds in boosters. It makes me really angry. I have to try to ignore it and say things to the people I know and love but try not to loose sleep over it.
 

Calleiah

Active member
I totally understand! I see all kinds of crazy crap too! Last week we went on a family vacation with my parents, grandparents, aunt and cousins (who have a brand new baby boy! But fortunately, Im very close to my cousin and she has him in a Keyfit30. Seating was hard with that many people and we ended up with 3 vehicles, but everyone was seated properly! Had to buy a Radian to make it all work, but it did! :D
I did get aggrivated with my aunt at one point who was complaining a bit because when my cousins were little she just "layed them in the seat with her while she drove". :eek:
 

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