Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

Yesterday DH and I had to go pick up his car from the body shop, they ended up having to change the battery last minute and we had both kids with us so we went to the bagel place to get a bite to eat. While we were there I saw a dad with his adorable little boy (about 6 mos. old) When I first saw them on line the baby was in the infant carrier, but he was clearly not strapped in properly. 1 strap was off his shoulder, the part that goes up by the armpits was down by his belly and the straps were loose. They were sitting right next to us and I couldn't help, but want to give the dad a quick lesson in car seat safety. If I was alone or he made some kind of small talk I probably would have, but I didn't want to assume he drove with the baby like that and I didn't want to embarass him. I didn't though.....would you have said something? I can't stop thinking about it.....

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

he probably just took the straps off while they were sitting there. you did the right thing

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

Posted by maybesoon

he probably just took the straps off while they were sitting there. you did the right thing

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

No. I would have minded my own business. You dont know if he loosened them when they got in, or whst the story was. Im a firm believer in just because you have a child, it doesnt give youna right to be a know it all.

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

When DS would still hang out in the car seat I would leave him buckeled and just loosen the straps and sometimes he woukd get obe arm out. This is probably what the dad did. You did the right thing!

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

I was at the peds office one time and I watched a dad, incorrectly strap his son into the carrier. I mean, it was bad , the infant had a huge jacket on and the straps were so loose, there is no way it would have held him in that seat if there was an accident. I didn't say anything. I regret it all the time and I made a promise to myself that its better to say something and risk them getting mad , then to feel guilty if you found out something bad happened.

eta - most likely they loosened it in the restaurant, but you never know.

I have thought about what to say if I am ever in that situation again and I would say something like "sorry, I am a little obsessive compulsive with this issue and I just have to make sure you know the straps should be ......." something along those lines.

Message edited 1/26/2011 11:02:20 AM.

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

I would have left it alone.

That said.. I'm SOOO Guilty of this.

You'd think as an active LIF member etc I would KNOW better but honestly I had NO IDEA! at all!

I was driving down a highway when I saw a sign that said "Strap them in and Strap them in right" and a picture of a toddler in a carseat with the middle part way up (armpits) and thought to myself "Oh crap!" Sure enough I looked into it ever so briefly and we'd been strapping her in wrong for over a year in her convertible.

Its a rule now and we trained my aunt too. But we had no idea.

Given that if you'd told me that I'd have told you to mind your own business. I would have thought you were one of 'those' moms full of herself telling me how to be a mom, etc.

Not fair? probably but it would have been my first instinct. Then again, I can't seem to imagine HOW you'd breech that subject in any other way that wouldn't get me defensive.

If she'd lost a sock or was chewing on something inappropriate and you said something I'd feel foolish and thank you of course, but the straps? Nah, I can't see how to say something without seeming superior.


ETA: HOWEVER in Texas its a law to be properly strapped (hence the sign on the highway) so I'd have probably said that I'd made the same mistake, etc and opened up with that. But I would only do that if I KNEW he had it wrong and it wasn't just loose. I try to not to pry into assumptions of other parent's care of their kids

Message edited 1/26/2011 11:19:09 AM.

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

It would have been bothering me too, but I don't think I would have said anything because you never know if he did loosen the straps as other pp's have said. Let's just hope that was the case :)

Re: Not sure I did the right thing...wwyd

Posted by Xelindrya

I would have left it alone.

That said.. I'm SOOO Guilty of this.

You'd think as an active LIF member etc I would KNOW better but honestly I had NO IDEA! at all!

I was driving down a highway when I saw a sign that said "Strap them in and Strap them in right" and a picture of a toddler in a carseat with the middle part way up (armpits) and thought to myself "Oh crap!" Sure enough I looked into it ever so briefly and we'd been strapping her in wrong for over a year in her convertible.

Its a rule now and we trained my aunt too. But we had no idea.

Given that if you'd told me that I'd have told you to mind your own business. I would have thought you were one of 'those' moms full of herself telling me how to be a mom, etc.

Not fair? probably but it would have been my first instinct. Then again, I can't seem to imagine HOW you'd breech that subject in any other way that wouldn't get me defensive.

If she'd lost a sock or was chewing on something inappropriate and you said something I'd feel foolish and thank you of course, but the straps? Nah, I can't see how to say something without seeming superior.


ETA: HOWEVER in Texas its a law to be properly strapped (hence the sign on the highway) so I'd have probably said that I'd made the same mistake, etc and opened up with that. But I would only do that if I KNEW he had it wrong and it wasn't just loose. I try to not to pry into assumptions of other parent's care of their kids