Those who are nannies or do home child care what are your car seat guidlines?.....

emandbri

Well-known member
I'm in the process of making a website, flyers, business cards, etc to try to find kids to watch and I'm going to put the car seat info on my website.

I'm thinking

Children under the age of 3 will ride rear-facing (unless over 45 lbs).
Children under the age of 6 will be in a 5 point harness (unless they are too tall)
Older children will be in a high back booster seat unless they are too tall and then a backless booster will be used until they fit in a seat belt.

My seats are two marathons (used rear-facing only), a radian, 2 nautilus, a monterey, a pro booster, and some backless boosters. I should be equipped to transport any kids I should happen to get but might need to buy a bubble bum if I need to do 3 in a row in the back.
 
ADS

babyherder

Well-known member
I prefer littles to be rf as long as they fit.

I will booster at 4 and 40 if they've outgrown all my harnessed seats and can sit right. Its legal to go without a booster at age 8 so most kids are then in nothing in their parent's car so I let them go backless in mine. Kids must use a booster until the seat belt fits correctly and I prefer they use one until they no longer fit it or hit puberty.

However, I handle each situation a little differently. Last week I ff an almost 3 year old. It was her first day in my car and she had just met me. Her mom was riding with us and she was completely freaking out rf but calmed down once she was ff and could see her mom. Yesterday she rode rf with no problems and I plan on keeping her that way for a while. Sometimes if I only have one high back booster the younger sibling gets it and the older sibling goes backless. If a situation makes me cringe and not want to move the car then I need to change it. If I'm ok with it but not thrilled I do my best to change it as soon as I can.
 

Phineasmama

New member
I'm not technically a child care provider but when we still lived in GA and I got out of the military I kind of became the backup care person for all my friends and DH's friends who were still in the military :rolleyes:

If the kid fit RFing I had them RFing (they were all 4 or younger). At the time I didn't have my van yet, but now if I were watching other people's kids I would use the same guidelines I do for my own kids. If they are not mature enough for a booster they won't ride in a booster in my vehicle. Even adults who ride in my car I will tell them to move their head rest up/down and make sure they have their seat belt on if they are slow putting it on :p

ETA: If the child is 4+ years old and tiny but doesn't want to RF I would be okay with FFing them. But 4 is my personal comfort level for FFing.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
Ideally I would like to rear-face all kids as long as possible, but hardly anyone ERF here so I'm not sure it will work. I thought about trying to rf the little girl I have now, she will be 5 in June and is 32 lbs but people here talked me out of it. ;) I am sure her mom would think I was nuts, she dropped her off one day in a backless turbo because she accidentally left her seat in someone's car. She left in a borrowed nautilus. ;)
 

thtr4me

New member
So quick question, as a mom who employs a nanny. Do most nannies use their own vehicles and seats? I have never been comfortable with that, so always leave my nanny with my car and the installed seats, and school them thoroughly on safe seat usage. I am assuming what I do is not typical?
 

miraclebabies

New member
I have a in-home daycare and use my seats and rf till 3 and 30lbs then harness till atleast 6.. that being said i dont really take my kids anywhere. since I dont have enough space in my vehicle with my kids 3 seats in there already.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
So quick question, as a mom who employs a nanny. Do most nannies use their own vehicles and seats? I have never been comfortable with that, so always leave my nanny with my car and the installed seats, and school them thoroughly on safe seat usage. I am assuming what I do is not typical?

I think most parents do provide their own seats (from what I can tell from babysitting and applying for nanny jobs). I think it should be the parent's responsibility. However, I always offer so I know the history of the seats and can use age appropriate seats. Also, I have a 3 across that works for two different families and I don't have to reinstall every day.
 

emtb79

New member
So quick question, as a mom who employs a nanny. Do most nannies use their own vehicles and seats? I have never been comfortable with that, so always leave my nanny with my car and the installed seats, and school them thoroughly on safe seat usage. I am assuming what I do is not typical?

I supply my own seats because the parents dont have seats or have washed and dried their covers and straps, or everything is twisted and dirty. So I use my own seats so I know how they were treated.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I handle it on a case-by-case basis. Generally, kids under 3.5/4 ride RF, until they outgrow the seats. If they fit longer, I talk to the kids about it and sometimes they'll RF, sometimes FF. I am a to-the-limits girl but I am also aware that it's my own personal hangup so I'm willing to be flexible with kids approaching K age, who have been FF with their parents since a year.

I FF harness until they are mature enough to booster - generally around kindergarten age - and then HBB until the kids a) complain about a HBB, b) stop sleeping in the car, c) show that they're mature enough to stay in position at all times, or d) outgrow it. Then backless until they fit better without the booster than with.

It's typically not a long drawn out discussion w parents, as they quickly figure out I'll transport their kids at least as safely as they do and my version of "safer" is not scaring their kids for life, lol. They generally leave restraint decisions to me.

One note of experience, you might consider saying "We follow best practices in the car" in lieu of specifying ages & stages. I had an experience where I interviewed with a family and happened to mention CPS and apparently they were fussing to one of my references, "Is she going to make my 9yo sit in a booster? My 9yo will NOT! sit in a booster..." That family was ridiculous in other ways, but honestly between that and other discussions I've found it easier to avoid the discussion until I start talking details with a family, at which point I know them better and it is not a "thing."

JMO, from someone who's BTDT. :)
 

cmm7

New member
I don't necessarily advertise with how I am going to restrain children other than I am a CPST and follow best practice. I agree with the PPs who said to take things on a case-by-case basis. Yes C2 fits in the Radian RF but he is 4.5 and rides in a backless booster with his family. Therefore I give him a choice between harnessed FF or RF. If I was driving a kiddo who was 5 or 6 and usually boostered, assuming they sat correctly I would probably give them a choice, too.

To the person who asked if nannies usually provide their own seats, I would say the ones on this board are probably in the minority. There is just no way I would drive a 4 yr old with autism in a backless booster so I simply told his mom I had my own seats and if she didn't mind I would prefer to use those so I didn't have to switch seats around.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
I figured it would be nice to let parents know ahead of time how I will be transporting their kids. I also figured while out looking for kids to watch I can education folks as well! :D
 

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