Why did you become a CPS tech?

[DeeEast]

And did you have to pay for the training yourself? I'm asking because its something I've been thinking about doing for years but haven't had the chance. The last time I checked into it, the woman in charge acted like she thought I was kind of nuts for wanting to do it on my own, as in not working for a Police Department or something.

I'd love to do it this year but the twins are nursing and the all-day classes are over an hour away from here so I guess I'll have to wait. Once you have the training, how do you use it? I guess I'm asking, once I would get certified, would I strictly volunteer for car seat checks or how could I utilize the training? Thanks!

[DeeEast]

Bump

[KAK22]

I haven't taken the course yet, but want to. I am just waiting for a class to be offered near me when I'm not teaching.

I want to be trained so that when my friends and co-workers ask me for help I am absolutely certain that I am giving them correct, up-to-date information. (I was the first to have a baby, so they all come asking me).

I also want to be able to tell people (with a certification behind me) that they are endangering their child's life by either not having a correct seat, not having a seat installed correctly, or not using a seat at all.

[murphydog77]

I became interested in it after trying to find a seat for my first child and being really frustrated by the whole process. After becoming the "expert" (ha!) on my birth board, I figured I'd better get some training.

My training was free because of a grant my local Safe Kids coalition had through our state's Office of Traffic Safety. I had to pay for my lunch and find a day care that would take my ds for a week since I was a SAHM.

I think the SK people were a little surprised by me because I wasn't affiliated with anyone, but I wasn't the first to be trained that way. They think it's great! My class was mostly highway patrol and other cops, with a few social workers thrown in, and it was my classmates who thought I was the weirdo, lol.

I now volunteer with my SK coalition and will check seats for my friends. Even though I have liability insurance, I still prefer to not push my luck and do it privately.

Heather, CPS Tech
http://www.CarSeatSite.com

[Joolsplus2]

Because it's what all the cool kids do, of course :D. Mainly because I just enjoy carseats and working with parents so much, that it's a great hobby and I think it'll look good on a resume when I eventually go back to work. There's no money in it for me right now (I DID have a sweet deal making $20/hour at a ritzy baby store in San Francisco....but I moved to Virginia!), but even working for free is very satisfying. Even volunteering online (which is all I do now, what with the baby needing me pretty much full-time) is really fun.
Sometimes classes are free (Heather actually referred me to mine, I had to drive a fair bit, but it was a lovely vacation), and sometimes you have to pay full price (up to a couple hundred bucks, like any good weeklong seminar/class would be, really)... you should just get in friendly contact with your local safe kids (www.safekids.org) coordinator or even an active and helpful tech will know all the dirt on upcoming classes and costs.

It's been a great way to make awesome friends and put my largely-ignored psychology degree ('almost' a master's..ironically I did terribly in the thesis (writing) and practicum (real live therapy)) to use.

Even if you aren't certified, you can help out at seat-checks...techs need all the help they can get filling out paperwork or keeping kids entertained, so they can really teach the parents the hands-on stuff...so you can be a 'scribe' or a 'baby wrangler' and see if you really think you'd like it.

:)


Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[kijip]

I wanted to do great installations. I paid for it myself but it was dirt cheap, especially considering that it included a delivered lunch daily that I got to order. I have not volunteered as much as I would like, but I am glad to do what I have done and look forward to doing more. It is a fun way to volunteer, even if you do have to crawl into people's car and give them a clear view of your butt while you show them how to install the seat. LOL.


No, really I just wanted the fame and fortune. ;)

[Joolsplus2]

LOL about sticking your butt out for all to see... It DOES help to have a good sense of humor in this job...I've caught myself grunting and panting and sticking my tongue out, and it's always good for a laugh if you can find a way to make a joke about it (some moms and I have gone into gales of laughter over a few double entendres...'push here!' 'oh yeah, that's the spot...' 'ok, great, it's in nice and tight!'

<giggle>
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[DeeEast]

>I wanted to do great installations. I paid for it myself but
>it was dirt cheap, especially considering that it included a
>delivered lunch daily that I got to order. I have not
>volunteered as much as I would like, but I am glad to do what
>I have done and look forward to doing more. It is a fun way
>to volunteer, even if you do have to crawl into people's car
>and give them a clear view of your butt while you show them
>how to install the seat. LOL.
>
>
>No, really I just wanted the fame and fortune. ;)

Ahh, fame and fortune. Maybe I could make a name for myself by breaking into Britney Spears's home and installing her car seats like a cat burgler?

[jeanum]

LOL, yes, I'm inclined to join you on such a mission. I mean, if Britney is this confused with carseats for only one baby, just think of what she may come up with when she has two children in seats, yikes. If we get caught, we would be known far and wide as carseat stalkers, LOL. :)

[skipspin]

I got certified on March on my own. I only had to pay $60 and that included lunch. It was a Sit-safe (VW Audi) sponsored class, although only 1 of their employess ended up completing the class. I guess they lost a lot of mony on that one. LOL.

I wanted to certification for my own benfit (ie- being able to say I am certified), do do things for our church/pre-school and friends, and I would like to work with a local car dealership and I may have the opportunity of working with an upscale baby shop in the future. I'm not doing it to make money, but wouldn't turn money down either :-) Right now I'm just so busy with my summer work-from-home job that I haven't pushed any opportuniteis yet.