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Entry bubble Car Seats Make Me Crazy!

By: Joanne | February 12, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

But before you think I’m a horrible mom, allow me to explain myself. For the past 7 years I have been wrestling irritable young children into car seats and strapping them in for a safe ride. Safe, yes – but you try having a rational discussion about crash safety with an immobilized and indignant toddler. Gone are the carefree days of the free floating children in the back of the station wagon. That was me, playing cards, napping, and waving to everyone on the highway.

These days it’s different – we know more about child passenger safety than our folks did. So I will wrestle and wrangle and do what I need to do to make the kids safe in the car.

The thing that really bugs me the most is actually positioning a seat in the car. Am I alone in thinking that it’s frustrating and back breaking and I feel like I have to be an iron man contortionist to get the dang thing installed properly? How my mother laughed at me when I told her that my infant car seat came with a 36 page instruction manual!

That’s why I was so excited to see that the National Highway Traffic Safety Association has done something absolutely brilliant – they’re now publishing ease of use ratings for child car seats.

I’m past the point where these ratings will help me plan my car seat purchases – what’s done is done. I do hope that they’ll spare some of you some pain in the back and a pain in the neck as well!

| View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: car   child   crash   joanne   safety  

Comments (6):

blue comment bubble Posted by Nancy on February 12, 2008 at 03:43 PM EST

What a great memory!

I was a free-floating child in the "back, back part" of my dad's Ford LTD station wagon back in the 70s. The only bad part of sitting back there though was being next to the radio speakers. My dad used to blare his favorite station, which played that sleepy, "beautiful music" format. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautiful_music

I was the only kid in the neighborhood who used to yell at her parents to "Turn down your stereo!"

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blue comment bubble Posted by stylin mom on February 12, 2008 at 04:04 PM EST

Girl - I am WITH YOU on this topic. I have a 2 door Honda Civic and it has gotten harder and harder to use the car seat as my son grows older. My mom just doesn't understand why isn't there just ONE car seat? First there's the infant seat, then the infant-toddler car seat, then the booster seat - my mom says we don't need all that.

I am fortunate though, because the hospital near my house offers free car seat safety checks once a month. This also may be offered in other areas by local car dealers and fire stations.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on February 12, 2008 at 04:13 PM EST

When we were kids taking a car trip to visit the relatives in New Jersey, my mom subjected us to Bernard Meltzer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Meltzer). "Beautiful" music would have been music to my ears!!! All I can remember is older women with thick Jersey accents calling into the show saying, "Oh, Mr. Meltzer, you're a saint!" My brother and I still laugh about it.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on February 12, 2008 at 04:18 PM EST

stylin mom I don't even know how you manage car seats in a 2-door. Your poor back!! I was talking with my fellow blogger, Sommer, about the seats - she's expecting a child soon and was shocked to hear that I've owned 5 car seats so far (2 kids). Welcome to the wild, wacky world of parenting...

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blue comment bubble Posted by Patriot on March 01, 2008 at 07:59 PM EST

Come on over to www.car-seat.org . The ladies and gentlemen there are FABULOUS and will hopefully be able to help you find a seat that is easy to use, compatible with your vehicle, and appropriate for your child. :)

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on March 03, 2008 at 09:12 AM EST

Thanks for the great tip, Patriot! Keep up the good work!

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