Help me get my niece safe

2BunniesMommy

Well-known member
Well actually my great niece.

This nephew is 21 and has a 3 year old daughter. He has a pretty relaxed shared parenting plan with her mom. I have discussed car seats with him a bit since he starting driving with her when she was probably around 1.

She turned 3 in Dec, so getting close to 4 now. Many months ago I saw she was in a booster, but I saw this on FB and saw she fit very well in the TB and was sitting correctly, so I decided to try to let it go, even though it was hard for me. Now, when they were leaving my house a few days/weeks later, I did take a peek to check for the screws. You know they weren't there. I let him know that it should have them and that the seat can't really do its job without them. He said, I get the seat from her mom when I get her.

Now I just saw a pic on fb from tonight. She is sleeping in a cosco 5pt booster, the one where that is pretty much the name of the seat. Straps were very loose and I know for certain she is too heavy for the seat. I weighed her at work more than a month ago and she was 43 or 44lbs then. Couldn't believe she had passed up DD2 who is 2.5 months older and had usually been bigger.

So, on one hand I think it is great that he decided to have her back in a 5pt. Too bad that 5 pt is not ok for her.

What is the best thing to say to him? I have gotten a bit too excited more than once and crossed the line. I have to make sure I don't do this. I don't want her to get hurt, so I can't have her daddy tuning me out. Our last car safety convo I really flipped, but that was because his truck pulled up to my house and his daughter hopped off of his girlfriend's lap and then out of the truck. Yep, drove here with her on his lap and then on GFs lap! I gotta say I crossed the line that night. Now I gotta real myself in to where they will hear me. His reasoning/excuse then...it was a dirt road and not very far.
Nephew is not upset about me going off, if anything he probably thinks its funny...but good thing is, we are still talking and everything is fine between us...I just want to make sure to keep it that way and still get across to him.

Whoa, that got a little long. I am gonna post and run, its past bed time. I do hope for some great words of wisdom to have found this post when I return.

Any questions, feel free to ask, I may have left something out...its 3am:eek:

Please help me protect this little sweetheart!
 
ADS

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Can you get him to a local tech or check event? Maybe it would be better coming from someone else? "Hey, I think she might be over the weight limit. You know, Safe Kids has a check down at the wherever on whatever day. Why don't we go see if they can help you figure out the best thing for her and make sure that the seat is in right and all, since they're experts on that?" Something like that?
 

2BunniesMommy

Well-known member
I wish that were an option. Last check event here was over 5.5 years ago. DD1 was 13 months old. One person was glad she was still rear facing and the other thought I should turn her. It was done by CHP. Nearest station for checks is 1-1.5 hours away, at a CHP office and it is random that they will do them. No Safekids close enough. Gotta love middle of no where :(
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
What about ”finding” SBS's ”virtual checkup” form and offering to go through it with him-same approach ”Hey, I used this and it was really helpful! So I brought one for us to do on her seat!”
 

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