Thanks to you all, I'm such a car seat safety nut...

[sarahsthreads]

...that my ILs probably think I'm just plain nuts! ;)

They were visiting for the weekend, and their car is bigger, so we were going to use one of the seats they keep in their car for one of my nieces and nephew. Except they had no idea if either of them were five-point harness, so we trooped out to the car, and they had:

1. A belt-positioning (high-back) booster (I might have considered this for a very short trip, but we were going 30+ minutes on a 65-mph highway and DD is a car sleeper.)
2. A car seat with a t-shield harness that might as well not have been buckled in it was so loose. Plus I'm about 99% sure it was way, way, way expired - I didn't see a date, but I remember my 8+ year old niece riding in a seat just like it way back when. Maybe it wasn't the same seat, but I was totally not going to chance it.

We considered installing our Marathon in their car, but they don't have latch and we don't have much practice installing it with the seatbelt. So we took our car instead. I'd much rather cram in and know DD is really as safe as possible than ride in comfort and regret it. They really couldn't understand the problem. And yes, I worry for my niece and nephew, and I've tried over the years to gently educate, but being the last to have kids I'm obviously not considered a legitimate source of information.

I'm pretty sure I'm the evil DIL now...

Sarah

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, they think you're nuts...trust me (been there, done that...). :hug:

Ugh about the seat choices..yeah, I think all the T-shields are definitely expired by now (or worse, recalled!)

[all together ooky]

Yeah, all my friends think I'm crazy, but they all come to me when they need info on a new carseat.

Suggestion... practice putting in the Marathon with the seatbelt. If FF it's incredibly easy (I think I can do it faster than LATCH). Takes 20 seconds. Really.

[sarahsthreads]

Yeah, they think you're nuts...trust me (been there, done that...). :hug:

Ugh about the seat choices..yeah, I think all the T-shields are definitely expired by now (or worse, recalled!)

Actually, DH has admitted he thinks I'm nuts too, that he honestly doesn't believe carseats should have expiration dates, and that DD (being 30 pounds as of last October) is plenty big enough for a booster...but luckily he is willing to "humor" me when it comes to car safety. I just wish I knew *anyone* IRL who didn't think I was completely crazy. At least I know you understand. ;)

Sarah

[sarahsthreads]

Yeah, all my friends think I'm crazy, but they all come to me when they need info on a new carseat.

Suggestion... practice putting in the Marathon with the seatbelt. If FF it's incredibly easy (I think I can do it faster than LATCH). Takes 20 seconds. Really.

Yeah, you're probably right. I should practice it. It's just that the FF situation is still rather new to us and I just finally feel like I'm good at the LATCH installation...and I hate to mess with it. The next time DD wets her seat and I have to take it out to get the cover off I'll do a few practice installs! (It was *sooooo* much easier to deal with wet covers in RF mode!)

Besides, the weight limit for the lower anchors is 40 pounds, right? So eventually we'll have to be good at installing with the seat belt. May as well learn sooner rather than later.

Sarah :)

[asha]

Yeah, me too. All my friends IRL just don't understand why I dont want to turn my DS's carseat forward. He did after all turn 1 three weeks ago.
Why would anyone not let their child look ahead and enjoy the view? It is legal, so why torture the kid.

I am nuts, no doubts about that.
Asha

[KrisM]

Yeah, you're probably right. I should practice it. It's just that the FF situation is still rather new to us and I just finally feel like I'm good at the LATCH installation...and I hate to mess with it. The next time DD wets her seat and I have to take it out to get the cover off I'll do a few practice installs! (It was *sooooo* much easier to deal with wet covers in RF mode!)

Besides, the weight limit for the lower anchors is 40 pounds, right? So eventually we'll have to be good at installing with the seat belt. May as well learn sooner rather than later.

Sarah :)

I know how to do ours with a seat belt. I figure just in case my car dies and I have to install them in something that I can't use the LATCH system for, I should know. FF is pretty easy. RF is harder and my install would not be perfect, but it would be pretty good.

[gatorsmom]

You are sooo not alone. Everyone thinks I'm the persistent b**** in my family and my friends think i'm paranoid. Well I AM paranoid but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. Thank God for you guys and youtube videos or my husband would think I'm nuts too.

[Joolsplus2]

Well I AM paranoid but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. .
:yeahthat:

I LOVE that!

[lizajane]

You are sooo not alone. Everyone thinks I'm the persistent b**** in my family and my friends think i'm paranoid. Well I AM paranoid but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. Thank God for you guys and youtube videos or my husband would think I'm nuts too.

someone actually said to me, "it is like that because he has a coat on, if you mess with it we will have to adjust it EVERY time we put him in the car!"

um. yes. you need to adjust it every time he is in the car. ??????????

i usually just say, "what would you do to get him BACK if we had an accident and his carseat was WRONG? probably a lot more than the time it takes to get it in there right." or, as i said to DH when i got the regent, "what would you pay to get his life back? probably a lot more than $300."

[niccig]

You are sooo not alone. Everyone thinks I'm the persistent b**** in my family and my friends think i'm paranoid. Well I AM paranoid but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. Thank God for you guys and youtube videos or my husband would think I'm nuts too.


Everyone thinks I'm crazy too. But today I sent out the rear facing is 5 times safer article that Julie posted. I was nice, I just sent it as a FYI, not preachy at all. But my other reason to send it was to prove that I'm not nuts and that I was right about rear facing DS for three years, it is safer and here's proof.

[801kelle]

[QUOTE=sarahsthreads]Actually, DH has admitted he thinks I'm nuts too, that he honestly doesn't believe carseats should have expiration dates, and that DD (being 30 pounds as of last October) is plenty big enough for a booster...but luckily he is willing to "humor" me when it comes to car safety. I just wish I knew *anyone* IRL who didn't think I was completely crazy. At least I know you understand. ;)

Well here is some info to show him that you are crazy.. you are smart, educated and want your child to be as safe as possible!!!

Here is a link showing appropriate use of a booster seat:

http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.pdf

Here is a site that talks about why a 5 pt harness is safer than a booster:

http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4211/Car_Seat_Safety:_5-point_Harness_is_Safest.htm

Have him watch videos on that site.. they speak for themselves!

Here is a link showing a crash test with a booster seat and a 5 pt harness in a car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2kO8AxKbrM