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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think a 'qualified Nanny' should know how to fit a carseat?

43 replies

IneedAbetterNickname · 16/05/2009 23:22

My SIL is, as she quite frequently likes to tell me, a qualified nanny. I have 2 children, who are 4 1/2 and 2 1/2. She has 2 boys who are 2years 2months, and 3 months old. Ever since I had DS1 she has criticised, told me I do things 'wrong' and that she should know because she has a childcare qualification and I don't!

The 'worst' (I think thats the word I want) criticism she ever made, was telling my partner (her brother) that I was putting the baby car seat in wrong. By baby I mean rear-facing. I put in it the car with the handle up, where it would be to carry it, as per the instructions. She then told DP that I was 'risking' our son's life as the handle should be down. She told him not me, as she 'knew I was touchy and would get upset'. Anyway, I then checked online,in the instruction book, and in the shop where we bought it, and confirmed that I was correct. I showed SIL the instructions, and she told me they were wrong (because Graco don't know how to fit there own carseats )

Anyway, her baby carseat doesn't fit in her husbands car, so she had to buy a new one just after DN2 was born, and they have one in each car. The new one she has bought is a Graco one, and she is STILL fitting it with the handle down, even though I showed her the manual for my DS. I mentioned it the other day in a casual 'Oh have Graco changed the fitting instructions then?' kind of way, and she replied, "No, you have always fitted that seat wrong, you are lucky you never had a crash, the boys would have died!"

AIBU to think that as a 'qualified nanny' (which I only mention as she goes on about it all the time) she should know how to correctly fit car seats, especially as they come with instructions!?

OP posts:
bellabelly · 16/05/2009 23:26

Hmm, she does sound v irritating but when ours were in rear-facing car-seats, the instructions were v clear that the handle needs to be down. Not Graco though so maybe it is different.

FAQinglovely · 16/05/2009 23:29

all the infant car seats I've had (3 of them) have been handle down as well.

Original poster
IneedAbetterNickname · 16/05/2009 23:30

When I asked in Babies R Us, when she first told me it was wrong, the lady told me they don't sell any carseats where the handle has to be down, though there probably are some!
Our instructions said that the handle MUST be in the UP position (pic A) followed by a picture of the handle in all different positions, and 'A' was the position you would carry it in.

OP posts:
FAQinglovely · 16/05/2009 23:32

yes mine all said up position for carrying and down in the car so it sorted of "held" (well not literally obviously as you use the belt as well) the car seat against the seat at the front of it.

FAQinglovely · 16/05/2009 23:36

question 59 on this website indicates down in the car is normal too

bellabelly · 16/05/2009 23:38

Actually, now I think about it, am talking rubbish - ours had the handl;e up but not just up as in the carrying position but like RIGHT UP out of the way so child couldn't possibly smack head into it in event of a crash. Sorry to be confusing, hope you understand what I'm on about!

GlastonburyGoddess · 16/05/2009 23:39

Mine had to be "up" in the car as well. always assumed it was because it sort of protects the baby coming into contact with anything in a car-eg the handle hits the seat/whatever first.

bellabelly · 16/05/2009 23:40

It was a pain to do as well - must have blocked it out of my mind - NEVER but a mamas and papas primo viaggio!

juneybean · 16/05/2009 23:40

Yeah because we learn how to fit car seats at college ????

differentID · 16/05/2009 23:40

the picture on the side of the car seat will tell you what position the handle must be in when fitting it in the cra,

FAQinglovely · 16/05/2009 23:41

and in this article on page 17 (under fitting problems) on the childcarseats website it says that a common fitting problem was that the volunteers didn't put the handle into the lowest position

Plonker · 16/05/2009 23:42

Mine was a Britax and the handle was down in the car.

She sounds like an arse with all her critism though ...

trixymalixy · 16/05/2009 23:43

My Ds's baby car seat definitely had to have the handle up in the carrying position when in the car. I always thought of it as a kind of roll cage!

FairMidden · 16/05/2009 23:43

It depends on the brand of seat. Ours was designed so the handle was upwards, but I have seen others where the handle should be lowered. So she should follow the instructions for the individual seat. If you want to prove her wrong, take her to halfords and causally ask an assistant!

FairMidden · 16/05/2009 23:43

Halfords ... casually

nappyaddict · 16/05/2009 23:44

I think it varies on different models to be fair.

Original poster
IneedAbetterNickname · 16/05/2009 23:45

juneybean - she said she had learnt as part of her nannying course!

differentID it shows it up,as in above the seat, not between the seat and the seat in front if that makes sense.

We were told it was so if the car rolled, the handle was between the baby and the car roof.

OP posts:
FAQinglovely · 16/05/2009 23:45

a quick google I think in general isofix ones are handles up, and others handle down.

bosch · 16/05/2009 23:48

I should just accept that she knows better than the manufacturer and ignore anything that she says from now on (like you don't already do that anyway )

Think your question might be unreasonable - there are so many different car seats out there and she can't possibly have been tested on them all. Does seem to be most common for the handle to be down to 'brace' the car seat - but clearly also normal for it to be used as 'roll cage'.

differentID · 16/05/2009 23:48

the old style Britax rock a tot was handle down, Graco has always been up, Maxi cosi handle up, Silver x handle up as well if my memory is serving me correctly.

FAQinglovely · 16/05/2009 23:49

Diff - my Graco I had for DS2 was definitely a handle down as I (still) remember debating with DH about it LOL.

TheCrackFox · 16/05/2009 23:49

I would leave her to it. You have tried to tell her, she won't listen. There is not much more you can do.

KathyBrown · 16/05/2009 23:50

Well I always left mine with the handle up, the fact is nobody dies unless there's a pretty horrific car crash in which case the handle is the least of your worries from under a lorry or whatever.

Original poster
IneedAbetterNickname · 16/05/2009 23:51

bosch I wouldnt expect her to automatically know, but I showed her the instructions and she still insists I am wrong! I do, however, ignore everything she says

OP posts:
bosch · 16/05/2009 23:51

ah, isofix was only a twinkle in the eye when I bought my first (and only, reused for ds2 and 3) baby car seat nearly 8 years ago!

Maybe sil or her teacher is (are?) similarly out of date.