It is sad, but I can't say I'm surprised. I remember when I took the written test to get my California driver's license there were questions about legal requirements for car seat use. But most people seem to forget most of driver's ed after they get their license (judging by how poorly people drive everywhere), and no 16-18 year old just getting their license is going to remember details about proper car seat usage years later when they have kids. If I wasn't on this forum, the only things I'd know about car seats would be that the hospital here gives you a free one and you can't drive away without showing the hospital you're putting the newborn in the seat. I mean, realistically in my case I would have done my homework about it anyway, but that's because I'm an engineer and a rule-follower and I pretty much obsess about doing things right.
Post by ilikedonuts on May 27, 2015 21:23:10 GMT -5
I'm not surprised. My FB newsfeed basically confirms all of this.
I posted a very sad blog article a week or so ago about using a booster too early and my friend's sister actually switched her kid back to a 5 pt harness (which she should have been in anyways because she's under 4). I was pleasantly surprised.
I have a friend who is wanting to move her three year old to a high back booster when she puts her DD in a convertible. I've tried to tread lightly but I think I'm going to bite the bullet and be a bit more direct when I see her this weekend. I don't think she realizes just how unsafe it is. I wouldn't know half of what I know if it weren't for this board, and I don't want to come across as judgy or a know it all but I want her kids to be safe.
I have a friend who is wanting to move her three year old to a high back booster when she puts her DD in a convertible. I've tried to tread lightly but I think I'm going to bite the bullet and be a bit more direct when I see her this weekend. I don't think she realizes just how unsafe it is. I wouldn't know half of what I know if it weren't for this board, and I don't want to come across as judgy or a know it all but I want her kids to be safe.
I'm not surprised. My FB newsfeed basically confirms all of this.
Yep. Turned too soon, loose straps, chest clip too low, booster when it should be a harness, sitting up front too early. Everytime someone posts a car seat picture, it's a game to find what's wrong. I think I've only seen one technically correct pic (my nephew and my sister knows I am adamant about extended rear facing because physics) out of the last 20 in my feed. It makes me queasy.
I have a friend who is wanting to move her three year old to a high back booster when she puts her DD in a convertible. I've tried to tread lightly but I think I'm going to bite the bullet and be a bit more direct when I see her this weekend. I don't think she realizes just how unsafe it is. I wouldn't know half of what I know if it weren't for this board, and I don't want to come across as judgy or a know it all but I want her kids to be safe.
I was surprised that my friends were so surprised to see DS in his rear facing seat this weekend. Most of my friends have older kids, and it's been a while, but I didn't think it was that odd for my nearly 14 month old to be rear facing!
I am not surprised. Pretty much every "mom friend" I have uses a car seat incorrectly in some way. One friend puts her 3yo in a high back booster. Another friend turned her petite child FF at 11 months. DH's BFF never has the straps tight enough, and the chest clip is at the kid's stomach. I just ran into another friend at the pedi's office today, and her two week old had a blanket between him and the straps.
I'm not shocked at all. I used to occasionally help load kids at car rider line when I was teaching. There were only a small handful in any type of booster seat (age 4 and up) at all and many times younger brothers and sisters were not in any type of restraint, or were in just a booster, clearly inappropriate for children that are under 4. Many parents/grandparents had their early elementary age kids sitting in the front seat.
My friend turned her kid at 12 months and posted a picture of him in the car seat in which he is wearing the puffiest jacket I have ever seen, with the straps twisted about five times each. I am normally mega breezy, but that one made me cringe. I somehow worked "I thought they had to be rear-facing until two?" into one of our conversations, and she replied, "Oh I know, but he likes this much better." Ugh.
I'm pretty sure DS1 is th economy kid in his class who's still in a 5-pt harness. It's preK3! At least 1/3 of them aren't 4 yet. And when the preK4 teacher puts him in the at pick up she seems baffled by the 5-pt harness, so I'm sure that no one in prek4 is harnesses. I'm going to have to get out and redo his straps every day next year, I know it.
Post by mandapanda18 on May 27, 2015 23:20:30 GMT -5
Exhibit A saw this on FB tonight, private messages her as not to embarrass her and got called a bitch that needs to mind my own business. Seriously!?! The chest clip is in her crotch
Our communication on this issue is horrid. I'm not surprised at the misuse, since no single agency/group seems to be taking ownership and there are no major awareness campaigns. Doesn't help when this kind of news comes out and all the news shows jump on it but boil it down to "rear-facing infant" and "booster" seats. Apparently it's too complicated (or takes up too much air time) to explain the differences between infant, convertible, combination, HBB, and NBB seats and what stages they're most appropriate for. Plus, people look to their doctors for guidance, and many doctors continue to say "you can turn your child forward-facing now" at one year. Or even worse/more incorrect, at twenty pounds and less than one year of age.
Anyway, point is, our current method for public education is lacking, to say the least.
Post by londoncalling on May 28, 2015 5:35:09 GMT -5
I have my very educated friend and her baby a ride in my car and started to turn my convertible RF for him (16 mo riding in my 3 yo DD's seat). She insisted that I didn't need to turn and reinstall the seat it was NBD. Then when she put him in she left his giant jacket on and left the straps loose and the chest clip at his waist.
I stepped in and tried to gently say "let's get you more comfortable" and did my best to pull the jacket through the harness (not ideal, but better), snug up the harness, and "let's put this up at your nipples." She just shrugged and told me that he doesn't like his harness too tight.
Post by Velar Fricative on May 28, 2015 5:36:40 GMT -5
Obvious misuse is one thing but I feel bad for poorer families who probably aren't using the right seats likely due to lack of money. All the different car seats can be expensive, or they may buy a cheaper used one which comes with its own safety questions. Add multiple children in there and while I know it's wrong, I just can't judge them for this.
Stupid question, but are donations of brand new car seats for families unable to afford the expense a thing?
Also, one parent whose kid goes to DD's daycare drives a pickup (yes, in NYC, but I digress). So the child is in the front seat (but RFing and things looked okay from what I could see, belt-wise). I know front seat = bad but in this case there was no alternative (unless they own another car, which they very well might). I'm curious if this is common where more people drive pickups.
Obvious misuse is one thing but I feel bad for poorer families who probably aren't using the right seats likely due to lack of money. All the different car seats can be expensive, or they may buy a cheaper used one which comes with its own safety questions. Add multiple children in there and while I know it's wrong, I just can't judge them for this.
Stupid question, but are donations of brand new car seats for families unable to afford the expense a thing?
It can also be expensive to find safe options that can go three across, and up grading to a bigger car is not always possible.
i am not surprised at all. one of my friends asked me about carseats and likely would have misused hers if i hadn't given her guidance (that she asked for). i have one other friend who actually knows all on her own. every single other person i know is using their carseat incorrectly. i have a friend who turned her 9m ffing and my neighbor did the same.
the problem is two-fold: education sucks and if you say something to someone about carseat misuse you are the nosy bitch because we don't rely on other mothers and women for support anymore. it's ridiculous. i just hide carseat misuse posts on my fb.
This subject is so frustrating for me. My in-laws have all but said I'm being over the top with car seats. My sil who is their daughter is one of the worst offenders on my fb page. When I didn't turn DD ff at her first birthday they started making comments. I was forced to speak up finally when the my had my niece in a nbb at 3 years old! I'm the least confrontational person ever.
The worst I've seen in the girl on my fb page who flipped her infant carrier around toward facing on her daughter's 1st birthday. She was much too tall for the seat and the chest clip was at her crotch. The worst part is the fact that she runs a day care out of her home. If she can't keep her own kid safe how is she going to keep other's?
The people who flip their seats too early to appease their H make me want to scream. Why isn't he researching this stuff on his own and seeing the safety recommendations as well? Keeping your kid alive isn't solely the responsibility of the mom!
I have a friend who has her 7 y.o. riding without a booster because she keeps forgetting to get it out of her husband's trunk, where she left it months ago. When my kid rides in her car, I always give her our spare booster, which I offered to let her keep until she remembered to get hers from the trunk, but she said her daughter was fine without it. Meanwhile it makes my kid question why she needs one when her friend doesn't.
I think pediatricians need to take a bigger role in advocating car seat safety. I know ours mentioned the two-year RFing recommendation when my second turned 1 (because it had changed after my oldest), but we weren't given any literature on it or anything. To be honest, without the car seat safety awareness I gained from the bump, I am sure I wouldn't have RFed or used 5-point harnesses and high back boosters as long as I have. Aside from my siblings, who have followed my lead with their own kids, I don't know anyone who is anywhere near as strict about it as I am.
I'm not shocked at all. I used to occasionally help load kids at car rider line when I was teaching. There were only a small handful in any type of booster seat (age 4 and up) at all and many times younger brothers and sisters were not in any type of restraint, or were in just a booster, clearly inappropriate for children that are under 4. Many parents/grandparents had their early elementary age kids sitting in the front seat.
It blew my kid's teachers' minds back in September in the car rider line when they opened our door and my almost 3 year was RFing. They both stood there staring for like 2 minutes. Then I had to tell them it still works like a FF seat buckle wise when they went to get her out. One of the 4s teachers had to put E in April and told me she hasn't even put a kid in a harnessed seat in years bc all her students are in boosters.
Post by jeaniebueller on May 28, 2015 7:13:55 GMT -5
This surprises me none. One of the groups I volunteer with does child safety seat installation and when they do events, there is always a 100% misuse rate.
ETA: we also provide child safety seats free of charge to anyone who needs them and cannot afford them, as our grants allow. We go through the convertible car seats like mad, but always have a hard time finding people who want the high back belt boosters--which tells me there is a huge need and people are also probably not using the correct seat for older kids.
Post by gerberdaisy on May 28, 2015 7:18:14 GMT -5
We had this happen last night. My aunt and uncle were talking about picking up my cousin's daughter (who is in 3rd grade) and whether they needed a booster or anything. I said some of the car seat regs I knew, but I don't really know what the expectation is for a kid that age. My cousin (her mom) came over and was all, oh its fine, she can sit in the front seat, no big deal. She took her out of her five point harness at 3 yrs, no booster after 5...then went on to discuss how crazy the regulations are now. I just kinda stood there, not knowing what to say.