What would you do?

Good Evening Ladies!

OK so I need some advice on a situation that I have with my neighbor. On Thursday I got my daughters new carseat. We got her a boulevard. We were hanging outside with my neighbor and her son at the time UPS came. She said to me how she loved my carseat. She then continues to tell me that she was thinking about turning her 8 month old son forward facing!!! WHAT??? So we had a long talk about it. I told her how I plan to keep my daughter rear facing as long as possible and how much safer it really is. I said PLEASE don't put him forward facing it is ILLEGAL!! She then tells me well my sisters 8 month old weighs 17lbs and hes foward facing. I said thats VERY illegal too and hopefully he doesn't get hurt. My neighbor says oh well they got into a bad accident and he didn't even have a scratch. WELL thank god! I just don't get it. So finally I THOUGHT she had understood me. She begin to say I'm going to leave him rear facing because I would rather a broken leg over a broken neck. I'm not going to listen to all my friends and family telling me to move him forward. So I felt relieved. Well I came home today and see that they have moved her sons carseat forward facing. I'm so pissed. So not only is it illegal but she knows how dangerous it is?? What the hell is wrong with people??? I'm not sure there is anything I can do. I was also taking about going to the police station after having our new seat installed to have them check it. She says to me I KNOW my carseat is not in correctly. UMM...then get it fixed. I'm just looking to get some advice. I just can't seem to get over it. If we as parents don't protect or kids no one will. GRRR!!! I just feel sorry for the little boy who is so innocent. :thumbsdown:

Thanks for any advice you girls may have!!

Where I live there is a line you can call if you see a child in a seat that is improperly used or installed improperly- I would call them, and they would send out educational material. And that is about all I would do. You've educated her as best you can, and she has chosen not to follow through. Can't change those who are unwilling to change. Police are unlikely to ticket her for having a baby FFing.

If she comes to you for more information, then please do provide it and direct her towards a CPST- a rear facing restraint will do her little good if it's not installed properly (same can be said about a forward facing restraint).

Some people just don't get it. I think you did your best by telling her its illegal. Maybe she just turned the carseat to tick you off? It is sad that some people can't listen to the right kind of advise...Hopefully she will see the error of turning her child around. I think you did good!

Unfortunately, some people just don't "get it." They use a carseat because they have to, not because they feel it is important. In the same vein, they don't stop to care whether it's used properly, or whether their child is restrained legally. The carseat is a little magic bubble to some people that as long as their kid is in it will do what it's supposed to do.

Thankfully, most of those people get lucky and never have to experience the grief and guilt of their child being killed due to their lack of caring. Unfortunately, some of those innocent kids die when they're unlucky enough to be involved in a collision.

If you have a hotline like a pp mentioned, then definitely call it. Otherwise, you've really done all that you can do. You've told her reasons, and you're leading by example. Beyond that, it's her responsibility to keep her kid safe in the car and while she may be failing miserably at it, there's unfortunately nothing you can do to change it. People don't change unless they want to. And from the sounds of it, she doesn't want to right now.

Some people just don't get it.
My daycare parent after knowing everything turned her 12 month old, 20 pound child forward facing. :-(
My neighbor turned their 6 month old FF regardless of what I and the techs at the police department said.

You did what you could. If you want you could call the police department, but I am thinking they will know it is you.