Where do you draw the line? Anger/frustrate/annoy your friends and family when you keep pointing out their seat installation errors, tightening their kids' straps or emailing them links to articles and information about safe seats and safe usage? Or keep your mouth shut, pray hard and not feel responsible if something happens to a child you love?
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The Fine Line
- Thread starter tchrgrrl
- Start date
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KaysKidz
Senior Community Member
It's tough, I know. My friend is constantly making mistakes with her kids/seats. I quit saying anything. However, I won't ride with her either anymore. And if she rides with me, the kids ride in MY seats, and I make sure they are in properly.
The last time I saw the kids, she brought the baby in his bucket. It's a Snugride, with a 3pte, that's been in a wreck (although VERY minor), with a thick coat on, straps loose and a belly clip. He's 18lbs @ 6mo...so I keep reminding her it's almost time to move him to the convertible. She kept the last one in the bucket WAY over the height AND weight limit. I won't quit on that matter. The rest...she'll have to live with the consequenses. Would it break my heart? YOU BET. But she's the parent...and if she chooses to live in a bubble...all I can say is I pray it never pops.
The last time I saw the kids, she brought the baby in his bucket. It's a Snugride, with a 3pte, that's been in a wreck (although VERY minor), with a thick coat on, straps loose and a belly clip. He's 18lbs @ 6mo...so I keep reminding her it's almost time to move him to the convertible. She kept the last one in the bucket WAY over the height AND weight limit. I won't quit on that matter. The rest...she'll have to live with the consequenses. Would it break my heart? YOU BET. But she's the parent...and if she chooses to live in a bubble...all I can say is I pray it never pops.
Ali
New member
I try my best to inform my friends who have children (without being a nuisance or a nag 
). I send the videos and info, but I still have 1 friend who turned her DD FF at a year. She knows the risks, but says it was too "inconvenient" to have her RF. When she wanted me to check her seat to see if it was in correctly I told her no. I told her I didn't even know how to install a seat FF and I didn't agree with her turning her DD. I told her to take it to a tech, but I doubt she did. I just pray they're never in an accident.
Most of my friends who have DC younger than my DD have said they will keep their DC RF as long as possible. I hope so. I can understand misuse when they don't know, but I cannot comprehend misuse when they know better.
). I send the videos and info, but I still have 1 friend who turned her DD FF at a year. She knows the risks, but says it was too "inconvenient" to have her RF. When she wanted me to check her seat to see if it was in correctly I told her no. I told her I didn't even know how to install a seat FF and I didn't agree with her turning her DD. I told her to take it to a tech, but I doubt she did. I just pray they're never in an accident.Most of my friends who have DC younger than my DD have said they will keep their DC RF as long as possible. I hope so. I can understand misuse when they don't know, but I cannot comprehend misuse when they know better.
Here's the way I look at it...
I have knowledge that could save a child's life. If I choose not to share that knowledge then I would feel horrible and IMO be just as responsible as the driver if anything happened to the child. What the parent/caregiver/driver chooses to do with that information is up to them. How you choose to share is up to you.
HTH
Belinda
I have knowledge that could save a child's life. If I choose not to share that knowledge then I would feel horrible and IMO be just as responsible as the driver if anything happened to the child. What the parent/caregiver/driver chooses to do with that information is up to them. How you choose to share is up to you.
HTH
Belinda
I'm not obnoxious, but I am persistant! My BIL hates it when I look in their van but as I've told him...I love my nephews and couldn't live with myself if something happened to them that I may have helped prevent. It's become a "jokey" kind of thing and everybody I know that has children knows my obsession with car seats so they've come to expect it.
Belinda
Belinda
scatterbunny
New member
I usually talk to them once about it and then let it go, but I keep talking to them about what I heard on the carseat boards, or how I helped so-and-so with her carseat, things like that. I don't say things specifically about THEIR seat after the first time, but I keep up the "carseat talk" in general, hoping that they'll ask me to help someday.
It worked today. My friend asked me to help her turn her 22-month-old ds's seat back rear-facing. He's been FF since he turned a year old. I've talked to her about other people's seat issues before and mentioned once that her son could still be rear-facing (about 2 months ago) but today she finally asked me some questions about it and I showed her the CPSafety rear-facing info and she wanted to turn him back.
This is the first time friends/family has asked for my help, so it felt great.
It worked today.
My friend asked me to help her turn her 22-month-old ds's seat back rear-facing. He's been FF since he turned a year old. I've talked to her about other people's seat issues before and mentioned once that her son could still be rear-facing (about 2 months ago) but today she finally asked me some questions about it and I showed her the CPSafety rear-facing info and she wanted to turn him back.This is the first time friends/family has asked for my help, so it felt great.
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