Does your DH or SO ever complain about installing DC's?

My husband always seems to complain when he is putting the kids in their carseats. He and his 78year old father think the design could be changed to be easier. Of course I fired back with "well they designed the harness that way, because that's what works and what is safe!!".

Anybody else think they could design the harnesses differently?

What do they say is difficult about the harness?

He gets frustrated with the straps twisting up in the shoulder pad area, and how he has to always pull the belly pad out, and well really I don't know. He just thinks the design could be changed? dunno?

First, I LOVE the new picture in your signature...those are 2 gorgeous babies you have!!

Anyway, lol, I haven't had any more of a twisting problem out of my Britax's than with any other seat...probably less actually. I just smooth the belt out from the top before I buckle it or do anything to it and I don't have any major issues. The belly pad can be a pain in the butt, but no more-so than pulling the crotch buckle out from under them on any other seat. That's just the way carseats are made, so we have to suck it up and do it anyway, lol!

They should have a piece of velcro or a hook or something to hold the buckle out of the way so you don't always have to fish for it after the child gets in. The shoulder pads should be designed so that it doesn't matter if they twist around the straps. I like the theory of the retractable harness in the Safeguard Childseat, but it doesn't really work with the same ease as a seatbelt. Every seat should have easy-to-use lock-offs and the retracting LATCH straps that the Safeguard seat has. And every RF seat should have an infinately adjustable harness.

I had more problems with my safeguard and the crotch buckle than any other seat. The belly pad is attached to the cover and pulls the crotch buckle to the back of the seat. I have to pull the whole thing from under his bottom to get it together. The retractable harness was nice, but you still have to tighten the harness once it has retracted with the nobs on the side. An extra step over just pulling the strap. I never did try the seat with the retractable latch.

If your DH has a problem with the bellypad, remind him he doesn't have to use it. OUrs was always under DS when we buckled him in because we were too lazy to dig it out. We have since removed the pad from both our marathon and husky because it was more of a pain to use it.

And I LOVE the belly pad for being able to find the buckle! Without it, it would take me longer to fish out the buckle!

I've also pinched a thigh or two buckling kids in before I had the Britax. With the belly pad that is NO MORE...the kids appreciate it! LOL

I also rely on the belly pad to help find the crotch buckle on the Britax seats, and I use the velcro all the time to hold the straps off to the sides when I unbuckle. I did get annoyed with the belly pad coming off all the time on the first or second MA we had (replaced after crashes). I had to hand stitch those belly pads on tighter to keep them from getting lost, and my stitches wouldn't hold for very long before the pads would start coming off again, lol. Our current belly pads stay on nicely without any extra stitching, fortunately. I wish there was such a thing as totally non-twisting straps on seats, but the Britax ones are the least "twistiest" of all in my personal experience. The straps on the Regent are more twist prone either due to their longer overall length or their thinner material (or because DD1 is more likely to twist them when she gets a head start buckling herself in while I'm buckling up DD2). The worst straps for twisting were on a Century Accel or an old Touriva, those were like thin ribbons and I swear they would twist all by themselves.

My DH doesn't complain, but maybe that's because he really only has to do it on weekends. If your DH gets frustrated with the straps or something, it's probably because he doesn't do it as often as you do- as moms, usually we do things 14 million times and we could do it in our sleep! One thing I have to keep reminding him, though is to take her coat off each time.

Generally, I have noticed that no matter what product we bring into our home or car, my DH has an idea (or more,LOL)on how it could be made better! If your husband is an engineer-type or works with his hands/builds/designs things, that is very common. Of course, my mom is the same way and she is a retired bookkeeper!

Mark doesn't complain, but that's only because he knows better than to complain to me about carseats.

Eh. I think men just want to re-engineer everything. What does he want, an overhead sheild, a t-strap, a vest.

My mom complained though after having the kids for a few days. "Just such a pain to deal with the car seats." I think when you do it day in and day out, you just get used to how the kid sits, where the buckles fall, how to un-twist straps one-handed, how to prod the kid to move this way and that, how to get one climbing in while you are strapping the other in, etc. I also think mom was probably getting the belly pad "just so", whereas I use it about 50-50. Its more of an additional thing to grab than a belly pad for me.

The only complaint my dh has is the D*mn American manuals need to be written so normal people can figure them out easier. Here's a guy who has read each one that came with our US made carseats, but has never managed to install one from start to finish anywhere within an acceptable safety margin. He HATES them! He has no trouble with the ease of installation for the Maxi-Cosi. It's pretty much idiot proof anyway But the others: Oy Vey. Neither of us can explain it.

For years, he's built munitions and explosives for the military following the wierdest instructions one can ever imagine. He creates workable armour out of scrap by figuring out old texts from German, French, old English, & vague descriptions by writers long ago. He even has the patience to sit, design, and create mail shirts out of endless links! Furniture -- No problem -- let's assemble or even make our own. He writes and reads at college level and is going back to finish off his Bachelor's degree.

But Car seat manuals? No way! He hates to admit it, but they're impossible for him to comprehend no matter how patient he is. He wants to keep our dd safe. He has no problem harnessing her in at all..... as long as I do all the installation work. Poor guy has absolutely no confidence in himself after all of his hard effort to get these things in correctly.
It shouldn't be this dang hard for him!