Going overboard?

If you're a mom in the "birth world" or probably in any "mom world" at all, you've probably seen the new AAP guidelines for car seat safety that just came out today. I happened to be at Classical Conversations this morning in the nursery with not a lot to do so I was reading many comments on thestir. My goodness! I've seen many heated conversations on birth, vaccinations, circumcision, etc. but I've never seen quite the heated opinions on car seat safety. I guess it just goes to show that moms are passionate about anything and everything that has to do with their children!! Since seeing it there, I've seen quite a bit on facebook as well in a natural birth group that I'm in. It seems those Crunchy Mamas have a lot to say (about everything!) :) I put myself in that category as well--so don't get offended if you are there!! :)

So the new guidelines say that children should be rear facing until at least age 2 and in a booster seat until they are 4'9" AND 12 years old. Let me say here that these are GUIDELINES. This is not the law in any state--yet. From the comments on these pages, though, it looks like many people want this to be the law. I can't help but think that these people must only have 1 or 2 kiddos that they are strapping in.

I know that I am not the poster child for car seat safety, and maybe that's because I feel a little too safe in my big 12 passenger van. But I do kindof think that this is a little overboard. Oh man, I would so be skinned alive and burned at the stake for saying that on one of those boards!! A part of me wonders if, like everything else, some of this isn't about money for the car seat companies!! I mean, they are the ones doing the tests.... Someone figured it out, and in order to follow the guidelines, comply with weight/height regulations, and keep the "shelf life" of a carseat/booster seat in mind, each child would go through four car seats before finally graduating to being able to sit in the front seat at age 13. For me, that would mean buying 24 car seats throughout my kids' lives. Yes..... sorry, I have to wonder about the money thing for the car seat companies!!

I guess I've been living under a rock, but I hadn't seen the recent studies, videos, etc. done on keeping children rear facing for so long. From what I've seen today, I guess these studies have been circulating. So, I just put Cedar in a front facing convertible car seat on Saturday because he's now over 22 lbs. That's what I thought I was supposed to do. Man, these ladies were talking about calling the cops on people who do that!! I'm really glad none of them has ever been behind me when I happen to look back and see one of mine hopping over the seat to sit with his/her sibling!! And all day today after reading that this morning I kept thinking, *someone is going to look in my window and see my [almost] 9 month old forward facing!!* So as soon as I have a chance, I will turn him back around. It is really a pain to have a rear facing car seat in a 12 passenger van--I can tell you. I was soooo looking forward to having him turn forward. It's so much easier to get him in and out plus, the only place for a rear facing seat is right in the middle of the front bench seat so whoever sits on the other side of him has to climb over his seat--not that kids mind too much, though. But it means another year and a half of me having to haul myself up in the back to strap him. When he's forward facing, I put him right behind my seat so I can just get in with him in the driver's side, turn around, and put him in. So much easier!! I tell you what--12 passenger vans weren't invented for families. Some car company would do well to make one that was more family friendly!! Because there are plenty of homeschooling, quiver-full families out there who have them.

So, I understand the safety of keeping the babies rear facing for longer. It's the "stay in a booster seat until they are 12" part that gets me! Are you kidding?? I like the comment that one lady made--that we should just wrap them up in bubble wrap until the are 18 because that's safer. :) Hey, maybe it would work--we could just line the insides of our cars with it!! But really, come on, people. I know someone who did make their kids sit in booster seats at 12 years old, and all the kids laughed at them (behind their backs, of course.) I mean, I can't even imagine telling my [almost] 8 year old now that he was going to have to go back into a booster seat. He would have a heart attack!! He and my nine year old daughter could actually (by weight limit) still sit in the convertible car seat that my 8 month old now sits in. It says "up to 65 pounds" for forward facing. Seriously? That would have to be one fat kid!! Because there's no way they could meet the height requirement. I don't know what it is, but I know their heads aren't supposed to be more that one inch above the top of the seat, and they, of course, would be hanging out both ends. I am considering, though, putting my 6 year old back in one. She is going to be so mad at me, but I do think it would be better for her. We'll see how that fight goes!

I just think the world over does it sometimes. There are plenty of adults who are 4'9". Do they need booster seats as well? I saw someone's comment saying that everyone--even adults--were safer rear facing, and she would be willing to try driving that way if someone invented how. Have we lost our minds? Are you kidding me? Can you imagine the day when all the seats in the car will be facing backwards and the drivers' side will have a head harness and safety straps like the space shuttle? And half of those people facing backwards will be puking because they are car sick. (Side note: I've always wondered how many babies are fussy in the car because they are sick to their stomach from being rear facing--just saying...)

At some point, prayer has to be enough. All the safety requirements, rules and regulations in the world will not be enough when it is God's time to call you home! I'm not saying live dangerously or recklessly or put your child's life at risk by holding him in your arms while your driving down the road. I'm just saying that somewhere along the way, we have to figure out how to live by faith. We have to trust God with our lives and the lives of our children. We do what we can and know is best for them. After that, we don't worry because all the worrying in the world will get us no where except in the hospital with stomach ulcers!!

Thank you, Jesus, that you have my kids in your hands--even when they are forward facing at 9 months or jumping over the seat in the van!! And please help me to be more diligent in making sure they keep their seat belts on!!