WIBU to not use this carseat

[namechange88]

I know the carseat thing has been done loads, but I have a dilemma.

I'm a childminder. One of my mindees is 5 months, and I guess is a little big for his age, but nothing out of the ordinary. Yesterday when his mum dropped him off she had a stage 2 forward facing carseat with her. She was very proud of it and told me how it was in the sale so they decided to get it a little early "as he's about the size of a 9 month old anyway" - He isn't, but IMO thats not the point.

I also had a 3 year old with me yesterday and had planned a trip to a farm, about 45 minutes drive. I couldn't bring myself to use the seat, so used a spare infant seat that I had. Usually I think, your child, your choice, but this was in my car, while he was in my care. I'm not sure what to do next time. I only have him once a week.

You cannot use it. It would not be safe. You are doing the right thing by the child.

I would normally say you should do as the parents sat, it's their baby, but on this occasion I think you should use the rear facing car seat
Could you tell them it's part of your insurance to use car seats at the correct age range?

By rear facing I mean infant

YWNBU.

You are right good thing you have spare seats. In an accident the child might not be so lucky in a forward facing seat

i wouldn't use it. and i would tell her it's illegal for HER to use it. which it is.

by law children should be in an "appropriate" seat for their age and weight. this is neither.

Yeah I'm going to have to say something next time she drops him off. I would have told her I didn't use it when she picked him up last night, but it was so rushed I didn't get the chance.

I bought a couple of car seats when tesco had their baby event, thought it might be good to keep some spares in case a parent forgot! Good thing I did.

Yanbu to use the more appropriate seat for his age,weight etc. Perhaps tell her it would contravene your insurance.

It doesn't matter if he is "the size of a 9 month old" - most 9 month olds aren't heavy enough to go forward facing anyway. Perhaps she doesn't realise that he needs to be 9kg and that there is a risk of breaking his neck if she turns him forward facing?

Just explain to her that there will be a weight limit on the car seat & advise her to check the instructions.

No way were you BU, I would have done the same, I've only just turned my daughters carseat round (its a birth to 4 year one) and she's nearly 14 months.

ywnbu. The baby's muscles are not yet developed enough for it to be in a forward facing seat, no matter how big and heavy the child is.

I'm sure that its your responsibility as the driver.of the vehicle to ensure the baby is in an appropriate child seat.

It would therefore be you who was prosecuted if the police stopped you. I'd tell the mum that she has to provide an appropriate seat - or you could use your own but I'd still tell her.

Meant to say yanbu!

Why are parents so I'll-informed about this? Why is a forward facing car seat some sort of badge of honour? I really don't get it. My baby will be in his infant seat till long after his first birthday. And then in a rear facing seat for toddlers/children till he's 4. Tell these parents that the new car seat is not legal. You sound like an excellent childminder!

My 5.5mo was in a ff carseat. He was almost 10kg so it was appropriate.

YANBU OP if you think the baby was too small for said carseat.

It wasn't appropriate it was unsafe! 9kg and 9 months is a minimum, a 5.5 month old is not safe to face forward. Why would you want to do that when the weight limit of infant seats is about 13kg?

I second rubirosa's question.

A 5.5 month old does not have the strength in their neck and chest to be able to sit safely in a ff seat. Google it. Watch the crash test dummies. Put your VERY SMALL baby back in an appropriate infant seat. Please.

It says 9kg. We had a mothercare assistant fit I for us. She had as long as he was 9kg they should have ff. I had never even heard of rf carseats until mn.

Thank you for feedback. I'm going to speak to her and tell her I won't be using it in my car, and I'll check that she knows the current guidelines. Thankyou TooManyDaisies - thats always nice to hear. Sometimes people think that as I don't have my own DC I don't know what I'm talking about .
LST unfortunately it wasn't appropriate as it goes on age and weight. By 5.5 months your DS's muscles were not properly developed to be in a FF seat.

LST your child could break his neck in a ff seat at that age. Did the person fitting it know how old he is? If so I would go back and complain. I had to buy a second larger rf seat as my baby grew like a weed, but I would rather broken legs than a broken neck.

It actually said (call me a liar if you want ) 9kg OR 9mo.

Good job he didn't then. An welsh what a vile person you seem.