up on a soap box-venting

OK if you don't want to listen to me vent about car seat stop reading NOW! You have been warned.

I will say I am a car seat nerd. Why I am not sure but I am. I love seeing the new car seats that come to the market. I have taken two classes on car seats, I am not a car seat tech, so by no means I am I a car seat expert, I don't know everything about car seats, but I do know a lot. Some of my "education" on car seats have come from the classes that I have taken and also what I have learned from kyle david miller foundation and Out numbered by testosterone and just searching the web. So again I am no expert. Yes have I make a few mistakes with my kids and their car seats. YES I have. Which ones you ask. Well for starters when Katey and Camron were little I turned them around before they were one. At that point I didn't know what I know now. I am not sure if the information was out their, I am sure it was but I didn't know it, but with Jacob he is 2 and still rear facing. Does he care NOPE not one bit. Are his legs crunched no, he just hangs them over the edge or crosses them. When I see other babies/kids either buckled in wrong or the car seat not tight I will normally try to help and offer what I know, and its up to the the parent to make the choice if they follow my advice. Again I am not an expert. With me being a daycare provider I feel its my "job" to help the parents with not really raising their babies, but helping them along the way. I will offer my advice when they ask or if it looks like I can help out some other way. What I never understand is when you buy a new infant seat/car seat it comes with directions on how to use them. Most people don't even read these little books. WHY? Some people don't pay any attention to the height and weight requirements. WHY? They come with this information for a reason. You don't buy a new DVD player or a new game and just toss the directions away do you? NO you normally glance at them to figure out how to use the darn things. A car seat is no different than a new DVD player or a game. When you learn about car seats you can go crazy when you see someone with their seats wrong, harness too loose, forward facing too early, chest clip too low(people it DON"T belong down by their belly's) the baby sitting up on a pillow and more. IF you ask me, which no one ever does, before anyone is allowed to bring their newborn infants home they should have to take a car seat class on how to install them right. And when the child is ready for the next stage of seats they should have to again take a class on car seat safety. Yeah it seems like a lot but its OUR kids that we are keeping safe. Yeah you can over all your outlets in covers, put a padding around your coffee table, shoot even hire someone to come into your house to show you all the "hidden" dangers in your house but when it comes to your car seat most people are clueless! So for the ones who are still reading this, thank you. Now take the time out of your busy day and learn something about your car seat or take a class on car seat safety. If you know just something little about car seat safety share it with others. As parents we should help other parents when they need it. Its not just our kids that we are keeping safe its our kids classmates, friends, or maybe the next president.