It doesn't matter if you graduated from high school with honors, did your undergrad in physics, and breezed through some engineering masters: if you’ve never put together a car seat, prepare to look like a monkey.
In fact, 80% of parents (this is a fact, now) who believe they’ve installed a car seat correctly are delusional. Don’t be ashamed. I, too, only had a vague understanding of how car seats should be installed: “You put it in the backseat, loop a seat belt around it somehow, and yeah, it works out.”
Apparently, that’s not good enough. I tried to help install my nephew’s car seat a year ago, and that was a fiasco. The seat came with only a hint of instructions. No matter what we tried, it was more than wobbly and clearly not safe enough for a sheet of paper to ride in.
Before ye young ones turn up ye noses and guffaw, know this: this is not one of those tasks that you can do strictly by following the instructions. There are variables involved, people! Is your car old? It may not have the safest anchors for a new car seat. Is your backseat at a steep angle? If your car seat doesn’t have an adjustment foot, you’re going to need large foam noodles or blankets to place the seat at the right angle. Do you know what angle the car seat should rest at, anyway? That would be 45 degrees. Think you want to hang a cute mobile from the car seat’s handle to entertain baby? That’s considered a hazard during an accident.
The list of what I did not know prior to becoming pregnant could go on and on. Point is, putting in a car seat can be irritating. Mainly, because you know it’s important to do it right. You can screw up a lot of things as a new parent that aren't life-threatening, like a diaper change, but installing the car seat isn’t one of those things.
My answer? Forget trying to be a know-it-all. Don’t let your partner attempt to be a Mr. or Mrs. Fix-it-all, either. Drink a big glass of your own pride, and do what I did: contact your local police/fire station or http://www.usa.safekids.org/. You can set up an appointment or go to one of their car seat inspection events, and they will install your car seat for you (or check the job you’ve done). They will teach you how to do it correctly.
In fact, 80% of parents (this is a fact, now) who believe they’ve installed a car seat correctly are delusional. Don’t be ashamed. I, too, only had a vague understanding of how car seats should be installed: “You put it in the backseat, loop a seat belt around it somehow, and yeah, it works out.”
Apparently, that’s not good enough. I tried to help install my nephew’s car seat a year ago, and that was a fiasco. The seat came with only a hint of instructions. No matter what we tried, it was more than wobbly and clearly not safe enough for a sheet of paper to ride in.
Before ye young ones turn up ye noses and guffaw, know this: this is not one of those tasks that you can do strictly by following the instructions. There are variables involved, people! Is your car old? It may not have the safest anchors for a new car seat. Is your backseat at a steep angle? If your car seat doesn’t have an adjustment foot, you’re going to need large foam noodles or blankets to place the seat at the right angle. Do you know what angle the car seat should rest at, anyway? That would be 45 degrees. Think you want to hang a cute mobile from the car seat’s handle to entertain baby? That’s considered a hazard during an accident.
The list of what I did not know prior to becoming pregnant could go on and on. Point is, putting in a car seat can be irritating. Mainly, because you know it’s important to do it right. You can screw up a lot of things as a new parent that aren't life-threatening, like a diaper change, but installing the car seat isn’t one of those things.
My answer? Forget trying to be a know-it-all. Don’t let your partner attempt to be a Mr. or Mrs. Fix-it-all, either. Drink a big glass of your own pride, and do what I did: contact your local police/fire station or http://www.usa.safekids.org/. You can set up an appointment or go to one of their car seat inspection events, and they will install your car seat for you (or check the job you’ve done). They will teach you how to do it correctly.
I had my car seat installed yesterday, and let me just say, I could’ve figured out how to do it myself ... but my kid would’ve been five by then.
2 comments:
You should have seen how he reacted when I told him our carseat was in wrong... :s
Really? How come? 80% of parents don't have their car seats installed correctly; just tell him, "Don't feel bad; you're just another statistic." Ha! I'm sure he'll like that ...
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