to think its not that hard to strap your child in correrctly!!!!!

[JjandtheBean]

i think im going to burst!

maybe im clucky or paranoid, who knows?

But in this past week i have seen a photo on fb and met up with several people who have there children sooo poorly restrained in the car i feel quite sick!

2 in infant carriers without the straps tightened at all, one in an adult belt on a graco type highback booster that was under 1 and last of all a 18mnth old in a carseat that barely reaches his neck level and the straps loose coming over his body near his elbows!!!

WHY PEOPLE WHY?

My two are tightened over and over until im satisfied they cant go anywhere! every weekend dp re fits the seats so theyre tight, are we over the top?

Am i correct in thinking that the belts being across elbows are a bit useless? that completely slack infant carrier belts are pointless? or am i a clucky over protective carseat freak?

I just dont think people are shown how to use straps properly. They think if the actual seat is put in properly than it will be fine - regardless of the fact that the kid has the straps falling round their elbows. I hate it - I was always told to tighten as much as you can only slip 2 fingers between the child and the strap. The amount of people that say they dont do that because the child moans amaze me - my son has started moaning (21m) he's "stuck" when strapped in, but I just tell him tough, its a car seat.

I am anal about car seats - my 18kg 3.5yr old is still in a 5 point harness (bought an Elite to get him in one) as I just dont think an adult belt is adequate at his young age.

However, I do put him in the front of my car (51reg Peugeut) I turn the air bag off, and have the seat as far back as possible. I have him in the front as in the back him and his brother fought constantly (kicking and hitting each other) or kicked my chair - and it was far more distracting and more likely for me to be in an accident that way. It also means both boys are now on the left of the car, meaning I can get them in and out safely both on path side - essential when you dont have any off road parking and are on your own with 2 under 4s IMO.

OP, YANBU IMO. Car seat safety is my anal bug bear.

This thread makes me feel better! When I pick DS up from CM, the other children there are being wrapped up now in thick coats etc, before being put in their mums cars, whilst I just take DS to the car in a thin jumper.

I hate the fact that the seat belts don't do up as much when he wears a coat. I tried doing it once, but couldn't get a snug fit, that I took him back out, took his coat off and returned him to his seat, to be able to pull through another few inches of seat belt.

Am sure it also looks bad that I have a thick coat on, and don't put one on DS. Nevermind.

my car has a really good heater so i flick that on the get the kids out, i never wear a coat so people must just think im crazy, never mind noticing the kids lol!

i have my car literally 2 steps from the door, in that time, they will not freeze, and at the other end coats are put on in the car, at the end of the day id far prefer a cold child to one thats flung from its seat the next time i have to break sharp!

backup - I can't remember the make - was going to say it's navy blue with tartan print but looking at the two in my lounge which are also that it doesn't really help!

Pushchairs aren't much better especially with the instructions. Eg I have a Maclaren XT, classic pushchair, instructions are a bunch of crappy diagrams. Attaching a footmuff to it took 2 guys in John Lewis to do after I'd cut a hole in it (I was sleep-deprived and hormonal I admit...), and at 5 months I still hadn't managed to get the straps to lengthen so I went to Croydon Mothercare where 3 shop staff gave up and luckily the manager knew that actually the arm straps don't lengthen, only the crotch one. At least you can put them in one at a time unlike the carseat where you have to hold both arm buckles together when sliding into the socket. I predict when ds is three I'll be getting him to do it himself!

Luckily some savvy mums were around the first time I had to fold the pushchair to get on a bus - the instructions claim you just kick down a lever but you actually have to push the links in between the back wheels up first so it folds in properly. Bah.

I think this is something that should be taught at anti-natal classes. I read our Maxi Cosi Cabriofix manual and it isn't clear how tight the straps should be. I can get one finger snuggly under the straps across our DD's shoulders but there's more room under the part of the straps that go across her body. DD doesn't like it (she's 3 months so just have to let her cry). However, we did buy the isofix base for the seat just so we are confident it's always fitted in the car correctly.

I didn't think about her wearing a thick jumper in the car but at the mo with the car heating on, I've only been tucking a blanket in over her. Will remember that though.

Totally agree with OP, I can't understand it. Well-educated, very involved and generally anxious parents I know had their baby DD with the straps just loosely arranged across her - WHY? When you buy a carseat and also when you look at the instructions it's made so clear what you should do. The mothercare woman wouldn't even let us take ours until she'd marched us out to the car and showed us how to fit and use it. How does this get past people?

We were once at a supermarket where the police were checking carseats and so we had ours checked. It was fine and DS was in properly - but the man said 80% of the time they aren't. It's bizarre.