[Montessorimom8]

I just felt so bad. We were at the store the other day, ds and I stayed in the car while dh went in. In pulled a truck and out popped a little boy, probably around 4. I don't know if he had a seat belt on or not. He was in the front seat as it was a truck.

When they came back out again (dh still wasn't back) they popped in the truck and I heard some argument coming from the little boy about not wearing his seat belt. I was trying to unobtrusively see if the little boy was in a booster so I just glanced over was not staring or anything. The man looked pointedly at me, and said, "you know what they say, 'click it or ticket'" and put the seat belt on him.

I just had such a sinking feeling knowing he wasn't in a booster. He was shorter than my ds and was in the front seat. I know it isn't against the law not to use a booster once they are a certain height, but I'm not comfortable with it for our family. And while I never said anything and wouldn't, I just felt bad this little guy didn't have a booster.

 

[thepeach80]

I see this a lot, it's sad.

 

[ThreeBeans]

It's so frustrating

:

I get ANGRY. It's not like the information is HIDDEN or something. It's not like carseat safety is some vast SECRET CONSPIRACY that only those IN THE KNOW can attain. Spend three minutes with google, you'll know a four year old needs a carseat. Gah!

 

[mummyto3girls]

In some countries people don't even know what a booster seat is...

 

[Marsupialmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThreeBeans It's so frustrating : I get ANGRY. It's not like the information is HIDDEN or something. It's not like carseat safety is some vast SECRET CONSPIRACY that only those IN THE KNOW can attain. Spend three minutes with google, you'll know a four year old needs a carseat. Gah!

Not everyone has access to google.

 

[annekevdbroek]

Well, here in TX the law is that once a kid is 4 they don't have to be in a childseat or booster. Now, that law has nothing to do with physics. You know, how shock would be absorbed, where the seatbelt hits you (across your pelvic bone = good, across your stomach = bad), etc. But, many people do not use a booster after age 4, because that is the law.

 

[mammal_mama]

Of course, you guys have a right to feel sad and angry about whatever you choose to react to. But am I the only MDC mama who's ever made an impromptu trip with someone, when my child's booster was far away in our car at the parking lot of my husband's job, and decided to simply buckle my small child into a seatbelt?

As far as my strong feelings of sadness and anger: I do have strong feelings about some things -- but most of these things are centered around my own family and my own life.

To the OP: I'm glad that at least you didn't try to create problems for that family.

 

[tm2840]

Quote:

But am I the only MDC mama who's ever made an impromptu trip with someone, when my child's booster was far away in our car at the parking lot of my husband's job, and decided to simply buckle my small child into a seatbelt?

Well, yes.

Actually I haven't done THAT, but I *have* given a friend and her child(ren) a short ride home a few times and I put HER kids in the boosters while mine (7 and fairly large) is in a seatbelt only. So yes, no one is perfect and we can't judge - though we can hope it was an occasional occurrence and not an every day event.

How's this? Second to last day of school at DD's preschool. A four year old was picked up by his dad and plopped on a motorcycle. I honestly don't know what the law is in MD - he did put on a helmet. But, as I told one of the teachers, it's not OUR decision. We can worry or be concerned, but as far was we know he could live two blocks away and it was a special treat.

Now the REST of the students were green with envy, of course.

 

[mammal_mama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tm2840 How's this? Second to last day of school at DD's preschool. A four year old was picked up by his dad and plopped on a motorcycle. I honestly don't know what the law is in MD - he did put on a helmet. But, as I told one of the teachers, it's not OUR decision. We can worry or be concerned, but as far was we know he could live two blocks away and it was a special treat. Now the REST of the students were green with envy, of course.

I especially like the statement: "It's not OUR decision." I guess what gets me about these "I'm so horrified at what other parents are choosing to do" threads, is it just (to *me*) reeks of this attitude that parents who make other choices are somehow inferior and wrong.

To me, it seems to be more about that than about feeling so concerned about other people's kids. But maybe I'm just judging other people by my own stick: I used to really luuuurve other people's kids 'til I had my own: now I honestly don't have heaps of energy to be all that concerned about other people's kids.

I "save" my energy for my own family, and for internet message boards.

Okay, so I choose to get pi$$ed about other people choosing to get pi$$ed about what other people are choosing to do. I suppose I could find a better use for my energy, just as they could find a better use for theirs.

But as I said before, it's better to get pi$$ed and just vent about it here than to get pi$$ed and try to make trouble for some family we disagree with.

 

[vbactivist]

Of course, you guys have a right to feel sad and angry about whatever you choose to react to. But am I the only MDC mama who's ever made an impromptu trip with someone, when my child's booster was far away in our car at the parking lot of my husband's job, and decided to simply buckle my small child into a seatbelt?

QUOTE]

You are not alone.

 

[mammal_mama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammal_mama Of course, you guys have a right to feel sad and angry about whatever you choose to react to. But am I the only MDC mama who's ever made an impromptu trip with someone, when my child's booster was far away in our car at the parking lot of my husband's job, and decided to simply buckle my small child into a seatbelt? QUOTE] You are not alone.

Thank you! I've just seen so many carseat threads here where it sounded like everyone in the "MDC" world must have, like, two carseats for each child -- and a totally perfect transportation situation -- to enable them to always arrange things so perfectly ... and then gaze on with anger and sadness at the rest of us, imperfect mortals that we are.

 

[SamuraiMom]

No, you're not alone, around the corner if the seats are in DH;s or Il's car or if a friend want's to come home with us after school, we shift everyone around for the short trip home.
But I love to share this short anecdote;
This was before haveing my own DC's, I was at a stop light and in the car next to me was a cute little girl and her dad, she was probably about 7, she was sitting in the front seat w/o a seat belt on. The windows were down and I smiled at her and said "tell your daddy to put your seat belt on!" He made some derogatory comment about my parents letting me pierce my nose, I think I was 24 at the time! My response to him was "yeah, but going through that windsheild at 40 MPH does alot more damage that peircing ones nose!" I don't know if he put her seat belt on, but I feal like I made a point!Common sense man! Use it!

 

[BusyMommy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammal_mama Okay, so I choose to get pi$$ed about other people choosing to get pi$$ed about what other people are choosing to do. I suppose I could find a better use for my energy, just as they could find a better use for theirs. But as I said before, it's better to get pi$$ed and just vent about it here than to get pi$$ed and try to make trouble for some family we disagree with.

I really like that.

 

[chaoticzenmom]

Nothing about the OP's description of the father and the boy saddened or angered me at all. My SO drives a truck and can turn off the airbags and does take our children places with him. He uses a booster, but if it weren't the law, he probably wouldn't.

Lisa

 

[Montessorimom8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbactivist Thank you! I've just seen so many carseat threads here where it sounded like everyone in the "MDC" world must have, like, two carseats for each child -- and a totally perfect transportation situation -- to enable them to always arrange things so perfectly ... and then gaze on with anger and sadness at the rest of us, imperfect mortals that we are.

Well yes, actually we have three. One for each car and one as a spare in case it is needed. My friend can top that, she has four for one child!! Yes I did have sadness for him as I would for any child that was in a unsafe situation.

 

[zeldamomma]

I think we all have different parenting passions. I have known parents who are passionate about carseat safety, but make some other parenting decisions I find pretty questionable. Nobody is perfect, and I would hate to have my every parenting choice being judged by a stranger who doesn't know the whole story.

I do hate to see people holding babies in their arms in cars, but it's how a LOT of the world lives.

ZM

 

[dallaschildren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annekevdbroek Well, here in TX the law is that once a kid is 4 they don't have to be in a childseat or booster.

Actually the law in Texas is any child younger than five years of age and less than 36 inches in height is required to be in a child restraint device (which includes booster seat). Our lobbying effort in Austin was unsuccessful this past session (to increase the age/height requirement) and it saddens me and infuriates me. We will try again.

DC

 

[dallaschildren]

Car seat use is not about the parents; it's about the children.

DC

 

[beanma]

so can i hijack this thread for a minute? first off i was wondering if the OP was able to see if the kid in the truck might have been sitting on a backless booster? and then that got me to thinking -- how do those things work? are they any better than just sitting on a phone book or a pillow? would that work in a pinch if you found yourself needing to transport an extra kid w/o and extra booster? my 6 yr old dd1 has a britax belt-positioning booster (parkway i believe), but i had it in the back of my mind that we would probably switch out to a backless booster before she was 8. i kept her in her marathon until she started K, but she was pretty lanky and drawing me pictures of "the booster seat in my heart" so i switched her over and it's worked out very well for us. iim guessing that at somepoint she'll be begging me for a backless booster before she's 8. (our state law is 8 yrs / 80lbs.)

thoughts on backless boosters?

 

[Autumn Breeze]

It's the responsible thing to do.

That said. I took my kids to the hospital last year in improper seats.

My 4 yr old was in just a seatbelt, and dd was in the infant bucket. She was under the weight limit but about 2 inches too tall for the height. Her feet just hung off the bottom.

But, then again, I was taking ds to the hospital for stitches, so I don't really care. I drove carefully, and prayed that no one would be stupid and hit me.

But I was sooooo uncomfortable the entire trip.

I only have one seat for each kid, but if I could afford it I would have two for each kid. Just so I wouldn't have to take the two out of my van anytime I needed them!

I did want to say, that along the lines of "It's not my child, it's not my choice" what bothers me A LOT more than seeing a kid in the "wrong" carseat (Ie, infant forward facing, too small of a toddler in a booster...) what really scares me, is a child that is completely unrestrained. Those that I can see bouncing around the back seat, or hugging on one of the front seats...or leaning between the front seats. Those scare me, and I try to get away from the car. I couldn't live with being the one that killed the child if something were to happen and I hit them.