I understand that we’re all passionate about safety. And at some point or another, most of us have had to deal with criticism from friends or family members who think we’ve taken this whole safety thing too far and just gone right off the deep end. Usually, we just brush off these ignorant remarks because deep in our hearts we know that we’re right and obviously they just can’t stand to admit it. We’re aware of the fact that MVC’s are the leading cause of death to children in the US and we’re all determined to protect our children to the best of our abilities. That’s our job as parents and caregivers and we all take that responsibility very seriously.
But how are we to know if we’ve really gone too far? Certainly our safety-addicted friends at car-seat.org would never stage an intervention on our behalf. Our spouses would rather walk across hot coals than incur our wrath by suggesting that maybe, just maybe, we’re being a bit too extreme.
So, who’s gonna give it to ya straight and tell you when it’s time to chillax? Who’s gonna remind you that you can’t save the world and completely eradicate all injuries to children in MVCs – no matter how desperately you want to? Who’s gonna tell you when it’s time to step away from that vehicle in the Walmart parking lot because clearly you’re not dealing with an appreciative and open-mined victim?
CarseatBlog will!
However, the first step to getting help is to admit that you have a problem. Don’t think you have a problem? Get in line. And while you’re there – take our short survey:
1. Do you find yourself repeatedly trying to talk your SIL into buying a Radian XTSL to rear-face your 7-year-old DN who weighs 43 lbs?
2. When you go grocery shopping do you spend 20 minutes thinking about the most appropriate way to secure these projectiles for the ride home?
3. Have you purchased more CRs for other people’s kids than you have for your own children?
4. Have you ever considered gluing sheets of EPS/EPP foam to the rear windows in a vehicle that doesn’t have side curtain ABs?
5. Do you lose sleep thinking about your neighbor’s child who is 4 years old and rides in a Turbo HBB?
6. Do you respond “ABSOLUTELY”, without a second thought, when someone posts a poll asking whether you would put a small, immature 13-year-old back into a 5-point harness?
7. Have you ever refused to ride the monorail at WDW because you considered it too risky?
8. Do you have anxiety attacks when you see properly restrained forward-facing 2-year-olds?
9. Do you always remember to secure your purse with an available safety belt?
10. On Halloween, do you hand out copies of the 5-Step Test flyer instead of candy? (If you hand it out WITH candy – that doesn’t count as a yes.)
If you answered yes to more than 1 question above – please do yourself a favor and go volunteer some of your time at carseat check events in the lowest, low-income inner-city area you can find within driving distance. If you don’t have any impoverished inner-city areas within driving distance, then a rural, migrant farm worker community will suffice. All kidding aside, these are the types of places where your knowledge, passion and dedication to CPS are desperately, desperately needed. And seeing the frightening reality of how these children ride around every day will really help you to appreciate the beautiful sight of a properly restrained, albeit forward-facing, 2-year-old. Everything in life is relative and a healthy perspective will keep you focused on the bigger picture (and help you avoid going off the deep end in the process).
looks around innocently… I think that was ME that was remembered as handing out the 5-step test at Halloween. I promise, it was just a “cool idea”, I never followed through 😀
I’m pretty guilty of freaking about FFing 1yo’s. But I really do love the idea of passing out flyers with halloween candy! That is awesome! But even I have to admit, there are those parents that just aren’t going to listen. I find myself saying quite often, at least educate them, and those that mean well, but dont know might change their ways!
Love the pic!:) Great post! I have worked many checks in low income areas and it is very very eye opening. Pretty scary when an infant comes into a check with no seat at all. There are some tough choices that sometimes have to be made.
OK, if you officially add Darren’s question #11, I might be in trouble. 😉
#11 Do you spend more than an equivalent of a full time job at Car-Seat.Org ?
Funny post. I have to say, there are many, many kids here in Philadelphia whose parents “don’t believe” in using child restraints after infancy. Or bicycle helmets. And that is unfortunate.
Meanwhile, though there are a lot of other issues in the world beyond car seat safety. How ’bout clear air to breathe? How ’bout not feeding your kids foods that cause obesity, cancer, diabetes, etc? There are many ways to care for kids. If you focus all your energy on the 2 mile drive to the store and back, you might be missing out on some other important issue.
Maybe she *did* hand out the candy too. She is pretty sweet herself; I can’t imagine she’d deprive the kiddos their candy too. Man, that was so long ago . . .
I agree, great post! I think sometimes those of us in “internet world” need to come back to the “real world”.
Thanks for putting things into perspective. I’ve heard the phrase “uptown problems” a lot lately, to describe situations where people wish they could have FRESH mozzarella on their sandwich, or can’t believe they have to wear the same coat from last year, or that they wish they could have a second lap top so they wouldn’t have to carry the first one around.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to only have UPTOWN problems, but sometimes we need a stark reminder that, as bummer as things might get uptown, in the real world just getting the basics is not necessarily easy. Great post, thanks again.
Nice post
Wait, I thought she handed it out WITH the candy (hence the disclaimer)? Am I not remembering the story correctly? If I’m wrong, then yes – we do still love her. 😉
To be fair, I allowed everyone to be guilty of one of the above without “failing”. I’m certain that I’m guilty of #3. And even though I wouldn’t have a problem with the monorail at WDW, I did refuse to have my family ride the free “Disney Express” bus transportation from the airport to the Disney hotel. I made DH shell out the $$$ for a taxi instead so we could all be properly restrained. He wasn’t happy about it but he knew there was no point in arguing with me. LOL!
Um, we know someone who actually did hand out the 5-step test instead of Halloween candy one year ;). We still love her!
Anna,I was thinking the same thing 😉
Great post, and thanks for the idea of handing out the 5-step test with Halloween candy :p
Thank you, fantastic post, and so true.
After working the kind of checks you describe, I just can’t get worked up over a 37# 5yo in a good highbacked booster instead of a harness or a 36# 2.5yo in a tethered harnessed seat.
Oh, of course fantasy land = Car-seat.org 🙂
Oh dear, I may have gone too far once or twice. Sigh.
Working in a certain purple baby store has given me a lot of real life perspective. People smile and nod politely at me, the crazy nut who even dares suggest that rearfacing for ‘even a little longer’ than a year is ‘a bit safer, and way more comfortable’ and then promptly buy a seat for forward facing only. I point out the top tether and send them on their way.
That’s why I love to escape to fantasy land where people WANT to rearface their kids to 5 and harness to 6 or longer and booster till…well, see my own blog entry with my almost 12 year old riding happily in a Frontier 😉
I like it. I have to try and figure out whether to “recommend” my neighbour use a BPB for her 4yo (once she turns 4 and 40#). She often doesn’t do up a crotch buckle…so a properly used BPB is obviously the better option. But I fear she won’t do that up either AND her daughter will be leaning all over the place. *sigh*
Great post and so true!
What a great post! It is so important to remember that there are plenty of kids not properly secured or not even riding in a car seat. That’s reality.
I’m all for ERF and HWH, but there is a huge population that needs our help with the most basic of car seat needs.
Great article! Thanks for the reminder on perspective. Now if Safekids will just do some checks around here I’d help.
Nope. That one came from my own personal experiences. 😛
Heeeeyyy, where you thinking of me when you wrote #3?
Great post! And I invite anyone who fails this little quiz to join me at the next seat check in Detroit. 😉
Great post! I agree that working at seat checks really changes your perspective on things. That and living in a town where you are more likely to see kids unrestrained entirely. I’m *thrilled* when I see a 4 year old in a backless booster! LOL No really, I’m glad the word is getting out about ERF and I’m seeing more and more kids using boosters. But I’m also very appreciative of a ff’ing one year old with a tightly installed seat with snug straps.