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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have told lady in mothercare to get more training!

35 replies

lifeas3plus1 · 12/06/2010 21:08

I went there today and tried my 14 month old in the maxi cosi cabrio fix. (not for him but to see how much use I would get out of it if I bought it for dc2 as ds grew out of his creatis at 7 months)

Anyway while he was in it, a member of staff came over saying " no no, he needs to be in a forward facing seat. Try this one" then pointed me towards a high backed booster.

I told her that she should ask for more training and walked out!

Now I've been thinking about this all day and keep thinking I should have stayed and explained why a 14 month old should not be in a high backed booster secured only with an adult seat belt. I mean what if she tells this to another parent and they believe her.

Now I'm pissed off with myself for not saying anything.

Argggg, bloody mothercare!

OP posts:
girlylala0807 · 12/06/2010 21:15

Can you tell me why?

I dont drive but my mym has high back inher car for ds 14mo i think.

FabIsGettingFit · 12/06/2010 21:16

Of course a 14 month old should be in a seat with a harness!

rubyslippers · 12/06/2010 21:17

I think you were rude

Maybe she made a simple mistake or confused one seat for another

OrmRenewed · 12/06/2010 21:17

What ruby said.

AlCrowley · 12/06/2010 21:20

My 3 year old is in a seat with a harness as he's still not heavy enough for a high backed booster!!

No way a 14 month old should be in one!

Children need to be more than 15kgs before they can be in one of those!

YANBU

Ronaldinhio · 12/06/2010 21:20

you are being unreasonable to speak to anyone in that way

ThatVikRinA22 · 12/06/2010 21:20

why be rude about it?

why do people think shop assistants can be treated like shit and its ok? maybe she did need more training, but you by the same token need to learn some manners.

lidofabiro · 12/06/2010 21:21

YANBU.

However it would be even better to complain at a higher level as shop-floor staff probably get a lot of complaints but may not be in a position to sort out training issues etc.

BritFish · 12/06/2010 21:22

you were so rude. shop assistants are treated like shit by members of the public and people wonder why they encounter rude ones.

Original poster
lifeas3plus1 · 12/06/2010 21:27

I don't think I was rude at all.

I didn't say it in a shitty way. Just said "I think you should ask your manager for more training"

I was a shop assistant for most of my early working years so I know people can be rude.

I think I was more shocked at the fact she was suggesting a 14 month old didn't need any type of harness and that an adult seat belt would be perfectly adequate.

Still think I should have stayed and explained it to her so she doesn't put any children in danger , but then I would probably be told I was rude for telling her how to do her job properly.

OP posts:
OTTMummA · 12/06/2010 21:28

very rude, i would go back an apologise and explain myself.

prettybird · 12/06/2010 21:29

If you said it as baldly as that, then she won't realise why you think she needs more training and sure as hell won't look to acquire more training. She'll just think your're a bolshy parent.

Ds was in is rear facing seat I think until he was nearly 2 - Britax Rock-a-tot (is that what it was called - it's a long time ago).

He was then in his Maxi Cosi Priori for as long as he fitted into it - I think until he was about 4.

He is still using his Maxi Rodi high backed booster at age 9 (10 in September). I could take off the back and just leave the booster - but then I read in Which? how much extra protection the "wings" give you and I deicdde to ignore ds' (infrequent) complain ts.

I have got less angsty about him not being in booster seats when in friends' cars. He is now about 135cm, so OK according to UK law (but not yet the 150cm recommended by the EU).

PixieOnaLeaf · 12/06/2010 21:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

atomicsnowflake · 12/06/2010 21:31

A high backed booster for a 14 month old is totally unreasonable and she should have known better. It's best not to be rude to people, but sometimes they just catch you at a bad time and it comes out that way. Don't worry about it.

BoneyBackJefferson · 12/06/2010 21:31

how would you know what she was suggesting when you didn't give her a chance to explain.

But hey good on you for ruining someone elses day

P.S YABVVU

Original poster
lifeas3plus1 · 12/06/2010 21:34

PixieOnaLeaf

That's what I mean, I've been thinking about it all day and kicking myself for not staying and explaining why.

Ok, so I get that I may have come across pretty abruptly to her.

I blame the pregnancy hormones! I'm not usually rude, maybe I should think about what I'm saying before I say it. At least until the baby is born.

OP posts:
Slambang · 12/06/2010 21:37

How was the poor woman supposed to know the age and weight of your child?

Perhaps you 14 month old looks older than he/she is.

Perhaps the shop assistant hasn't had any training in car seats and is just there on a saturday job.

StarExpat · 12/06/2010 21:43

hang on.
Like this one ?
Are you saying this isn't suitable for a 14 month old?

greentea72 · 12/06/2010 21:43

but she came over to give you unsolicited advice - surely thats rude too. I hate people telling me what to do when I haven't asked their opinion.

PixieOnaLeaf · 12/06/2010 21:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

merryandmad · 12/06/2010 21:58

We had a seat nearly identical to the one in Starpat's link for Dp's car. That one would be suitable for 14 month old, as you use it with the 5 point harness. When they are older, you can take the harness off and use is as a booster with back on (wings), then normal booster (just seat).
The only downside we found was it didn't recline like the maxi cosi in my car, but as it was for very short pick ups from nursery (max 2/3 min) it was fine.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 12/06/2010 22:00

She made a mistake. She was right in that a 14 month old needs to be in a forward facing seat, but not right about pointing to a booster seat, although are you sure that it was definitely a booster seat? Some of the Stage 1 forward facing seats and booster seats look similar.

But think you were rude. She was trying to be helpful, and know from experience that a Mothercare assistant who likes you can be worth their weight in gold.

merryandmad · 12/06/2010 22:02

Sorry StarExpat not Starpat

StarExpat · 12/06/2010 22:11

Thanks merryandmad I was starting to worry so much that I've put my child at risk! We've had DS in this one since about 10 months (he definitely weighed enough for it!). He loves it, it's cozy and lightweight, I feel that it's very secure with the harness and he sleeps in it when he's tired or plays when he's awake.

Some people will say that children should be in rear facing seats until they are 4 or something. They don't need to and are absolutely totally fine in a forward facing seat... but if someone feels more comfortable with their dc in a rear facing one, that's their choice and nothing wrong with it.

HotSprocket · 12/06/2010 22:18

She made a mistake and you could have corrected her is a polite way.
I know from 5 years working in shops that shop assistants get treated like crap and it can be very upsetting to have someone talk to you in the way you did.
Pregnancy hormones are all well and good but even then its not hard to be polite.

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