I don’t want parenting advice from someone who doesn’t put their 2 year old in a car seat

[jaxxi]

@reporter94 My 12 year old is still in a booster most of the time because she's short for her age. It really doesn't hurt.

 

[qdv80353]

@writeletters15 I'm pretty sure kids here can be in a booster until they are 12, and no one would even consider going in the car with a kid unless they had a seat. What planet is this chick on?

 

[lewis977]

@writeletters15 SAME. We're in California and kept daughter rear-facing until she was 4. It's safer, all the way around.

I'd laugh in a BITCH'S FACE if they seriously suggested that I not put my toddler in a car seat, and then I would mock them if they ever offered advice on anything again.

I don't think we would be friends for long

 

[emwu]

@qdv80353 Yep, yesterday my 2.5 year old wanted sooo badly to go with my husband to move the car, from the front of our house, to around the other side of the house into the driveway. Husband said no, because there was no car seat and internally I was like “awesome, thank you!” Our house is on a corner with a stop sign where I’ve been a witness to a T-bone accident and some more near misses. It’s not worth the unnecessary risk.

 

[lewis977]

@emwu I don't even move from one parking space to another without putting on my seatbelt, so why the hell would I not have my baby in a car seat‽

 

[nrnowlinma]

@emwu My husband did this. She wanted to do the same and I casually said "I'm sure you're going to put her in the car seat but I have to say it anyway" and later he told me it was a good call bc it took longer than expected and it sets the precedent to always get in the car seat. I'm not saying he'd have let her not sit in it... just that it was one of those oh yeah, do that.

 

[feedfaithdoubtsstarve]

@qdv80353 I’m currently living in the Philippines and it only recently became a law that babies and young children need to be in a car/booster seat. What’s worse is that the law isn’t even enforced so

 

[churchboi]

@feedfaithdoubtsstarve I went to Nicaragua a couple years ago (my son was 2 at the time)... No carseats to be found. It was terrifying. Also, little kids hanging on motorcycles. The motorcycle thing is also common in China.

I mean, I guess you just do whatever you're used to. When I was a kid in the late 80s I would ride in the back of a truck on the freeway. No restraints whatsoever... Just looked it up.

Twenty states have no laws prohibiting passenger transport in a truck bed. They are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Granted, these kids are NOT 2 years old.

 

[takodadream]

@batman21 She picks your parenting apart to make her feel better about her parenting choices. Nothing wrong with bottles or CIO whatever parenting preferences but car seats and safety...

Kids need to be in car seats period. There is tons of data that backs it up.

I got looks for rear facing for over two years. My kids were in high back boosters until they couldn’t be. Stick to your guns here and do what is best for you. Steer conversations away from these things if you remain friends with her but I would put some distance there at least while you get through the first year or so of parenting. It’s hard enough already without outside opinions!

 

[phoenix70]

@takodadream My kid is 3 and still rear facing (extended rear facing carseat). She will be until she reaches the max weight/ height for for seat. Can't tell you how many people have commented or given me looks for it.

 

[neveralone96]

@phoenix70 This. We have a rear facing car seat that goes up to 4yrs. Totally am going to use it.

And those people telling me "but we survived, too" I just stare at them until they change topics or leave me alone. Sometimes, if they don't get it, I let out a very long, very sarcastic "sooooo?".

Bc sure, I survived jumping up and down on the back seat that didn't have any kind of seat belt "back then". Don't think I want to let the survival of my kid depend on luck if there are safely measures.

 

[takodadream]

@neveralone96 When my mom would say we didn’t wear seatbelts and such I tell her the population in my town was 11,000 people at that time. It’s over 50,000 now. The size hasn’t changed the roads are just crowded and awful. Car seats save lives.

People are crazy to not want to take that extra step in prevention, just why? Why risk their life?

I tell my kids to this day not to do stupid stuff because I worked way too hard keeping them safe and yanno raising them for them to blow it now hah.

All the eye rolls. It’s amazing.

 

[takodadream]

@phoenix70 I looove that car seats are pushing for longer rear facing my oldest is 12 and they were just really starting to talk about it here when he was waiting facing. 4 years later with my youngest it was completely different recommendations and now 4 years later it’s different again.

 

[mille]

@phoenix70 I am hoping I can do extended rear facing with my second. I had to flip my youngest to forward facing around age 2 because she started getting car sick. Any car ride longer than 10 minutes and she would vomit all over herself, and within 2 minutes of the car moving she would start screaming bloody murder. However, despite flipping her early, I still got lots of comments about her rear facing after she turned 1.

 

[kermit7]

@batman21 WTF. I'm all for different parenting strategies, but I'd draw the line at being friends with someone who is negligent

 

[birdiie]

@batman21 This person sounds like an asshole. Not wanting your kids to die in a car accident is not a “safety bubble”, it’s common sense.

 

[writeletters11]

@batman21 She could lose her children over that. The child is mandated by law to be in a car seat. End of story. I’m a PICU nurse and trust me if she had seen what I have seen her kids would all be restrained.

 

[kingdavid123]

@writeletters11 This. I’ve worked Peds ED at level 1 and level 2 trauma centers and I’m horrified someone would think it’s ok not to put their 2 year old in a car seat.

 

[kjetilk]

@writeletters11 I was an EMT for a while, so I’d be the first on scene to accidents.

Trust me when I say little kids should ALWAYS be in a car seat. Even for short trips.

 

[tamz]

@batman21 Please call child protective services on them before that poor 2 year old dies, I beg you.