[Jacobbbsmommy]

Ok I am only doing this becaz I HAD to take a car seat safety class a week ago and found out stuff I never knew, even with having already had a kid go thru this and is on his third type of car seat...
If you do not have a seat yet and are worried about the price or even if you have a seat and want to know about safety call your local YMCA or Fire Dept. They will have info on FREE car seat safety classes. They are held once a month in my town but I was told some may have them more often. By going through the class you can purchase a full size convertible carseat (5-50lbs) for $20! You learn all the safety points and then bring your car up and they help you install it correctly.
I did not know that the suggested rear facing for the first year has now been changed to suggested rear facing for the first TWO years! I also did not know about 80% of the things that were discussed. I would really suggest this to anyone who has the time to do it. In my class were 8 other adults and I was kinda disgusted at how LITTLE they all knew while at the same time although I knew how to safely put my son in a seat, I still didnt know alot of the things that were went over. One woman had her 5 year old there without ANY kind of booster or anything. The poor kid was getting the belt cutting into her neck and her mom didnt even realize and her 2 year olds carseat chest strap was BROKEN and she didnt think it was a big deal! UGH. Anyhow Rant over and just wanted to share this info.

[blessedmom080911]

I need to do this. I did know they changed the age to two. Also the chest strap is supposed to be even with the arm pits. I see A LOT of people not doing this.....especially on babies! It's a pet peeve of mine!

[Kobain's Mommy]

There's a car seat board (car-seat.org) that really makes you realize how wrong you really have been. My cousin's oldest son is 12 and I took care of him a lot. I had a used, from a yard sale, T-shield car seat for him. He wasn't even 1 year when we put him forward facing in my car, and he was a preemie. They have helped me with questions and decide what would be a good seat for us.

Locally there's a class that you can take but it's not free. I think it's $30 and if you want the car seat it's $20 extra. When DH and I took it last year there was a lot of people that did day care. It was scary what some of them were saying. One had no idea car seat expired and was using a car seat for one of her day care kids that she used with her son who was now 15.

[Mod-Urchin]

Thanks for sharing! I've been very concerned about car-seat safety. I'm hoping I can attend a class too, so i can make sure all is ok with our car seat and that I am doing things right.

For some reason, a lot of people don't really take a lot of time or thought about car seats. They are so important and it's a big deal to know how to properly use them!

[ashj_1218]

It really is scary how little some people know about car seats and safety involving them. I have been very interested in it ever since I had Liam. I did a LOT wrong with Julia (as did her parents) and wanted to learn more. They also have CPST (child and passenger safety tech) classes for those who want to be certified to be a car seat check person. I am taking one in July It is nice they have them at the local level too...so everyone has access to it!! Thanks for letting me know, I am going to see if they have one around us

[Mumba]

Loved that car-seat.org or whatever site! They helped me a lot when I was researching whether three seats could fit in my car before we TTC. (they can) and they were super sweet!


There is a lot that is different than what I thought, I am lucky that my pedi was really big on reminding me when Dani hit 1 year old that she can stay rear-facing as long as she fit!

To be honest though there are some things I just don't follow. My daughter has a sippy cup in the car, ideally there would be NOTHING that could move in a crash (anything that could be a projectile), and that's just impossible for us.

Once I get the infant seat though, I will be bringing it to a monthly-clinic they hold in Maine about an hour away so I can make sure I'm installing DD's seat and DS-to-be's seat correctly as I've never done two seats with LATCH.


Things that piss me off when people do them: Turn around babies WAY too early (I've seen 6-monthers) have toddlers in no-harness boosters, have kid's in the front seat too early. Complain that their carseat won't hold their child with a jacket or snowsuit on (See that in the carseat reviews) YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO HAVE ONE! Ughhh that's my biggest peeve.

[Mamma2Girls]

I am going to have to see if they have a class around here! I have a friend who had her 2 YEAR OLD that weighed only 26ish pounds in a butt booster!!! I cringed everytime I saw her put her in the car! She would always tell me that she was very good in it! Then again she turned her 12 month old who was only 16POUNDS around because she was 12 months! I was finally able to at least get her to put her 2 year old in a 5 point again but only AFTER the 2 year old entangled herself in the buckle!

All of my girls are in 5 points! My older 2 have natulius and my 27 months old is RF in a my ride. They are all getting new car seats next month! My older 2 are getting britaxs and dd3 is getting a sunshine radian! I love how slim they are and that they can be in a 5 point until 85 pounds and they won't come out of one until they are exactly 85 pounds and DD3 will be RF until she hits the limit on her seat!

I will admit I turned DD1 and 2 to early but they will continue to be in a 5 point. DD4 will also remain RF as long as she is within the limits of her seat!

My friends call me the car seta nazzi which is fine with me!

[laurenmarie]

That is useful information. Thanks for sharing.

[WendyBird]

It never occurred to me to take a class. Interesting.

I call myself a carseat nazi. LOL My youngest was rear facing until 2 1/2 when he outgrew his seat, now he's FF in a 5pt harness. My 7 year old just got out of his 5pt last summer, and is now in a high back booster. My 9 year old is also in a high back booster. Although it looks like we're going to take the back off soon. If the shoulder straps fit him right, he gets to have it gone. All the friends of my oldest two are in the cars without any kind of car seat or booster now. But I don't care, and tell them that all the time! LOL

I want to get one of the Radians, but then I read (and saw on youtube) some stories about the seat buckle coming loose, so that worries me. I will probably have to buy one and make sure the store has a good return policy, in case it does the same thing in my car.

[army_wife1008]

Yup, carseat Nazi here too, lol. I am VERY anal about carseats and I absolutely cannot stand to see them used incorrectly. It drives me INSANE. I think that every parent should be required to take a carseat saftey course. There are so many things that parents just don't know. My son will be 3 next month and he is still rear facing. I have no plans of turning him anytime soon at ALL. He is tiny at 24 lbs so he has a long ways to go before I even consider turning his seat. This baby will remain RF'ing for as long as possible also!