I Have a issue...babysitter Not Having My 3 Year Old in a Carseat.

Yes carseats are important! First I would thank her for making sure your son was in a seat belt, then I would explain to her that carseats are very important to you. Offer to get a booster seat that is left at the babysitter house. The fact that he was in a seat belt does show she cares, she just may not know how important carseats are to children's safety as well that it is the law. My daughter is six and still uses a booster seat. You are a great mom thinking about his safety. :)

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A., Wow! You have a right to be concerned and I wouldn't worry about losing her as a sitter, as much as I would about losing a life. It's not only irresponsible, but endangering your child and .... isn't it illegal in Ohio(I know it is Pennsylvania where I moved from)?

She could be the safest driver in the world but you never know what person could at any moment wreck into her vehicle. I would go out today buy a booster and upon taking my child to her house on Monday morning I would just say, here is a booster seat to use for Johnny in your car - please be certain he is in it anytime you get into the car. If you know some of the parents you could mention it to them so that they can do the same. I don't think she should get angry over it, ...she might just assume since you didn't give her a booster to use that it wasn't a big deal.

On second thought, if you did already give her a booster and she isn't using it...well, I'd try to communicate with her to see if she has any explanation and ....well if was the case with my girls, whereby I gave her a booster seat and she didn't use it - personally, I'd be looking for a new sitter.

Hi A., I can understand your concern. This is a scary subject. Does your sitter have a car seat for your child. If not maybe you could pick her up one at a yard sale or something. Or just kind of ask her kindly to make sure your son is in a car seat if she goes somewhere. Even down the street to your home. No one can predict the future and accidents happen close to home. I'm sure she would respect your request. Good Luck and God Bless.

A.,

I am an at home sitter myself, I can't believe she has the gull to not use a booster at least. (If it were me, I would have fired her) but if it is not an option for you I would offer to buy a booster for him to use in her car. That could open the conversation, and explain your feelings about it. Good Luck. You are a lot more tollerant than I am.

I would find a new sitter. If she will drive without him in a car seat, you have to ask yourself what else is she not doing. That is not just careless, it is 100% unacceptable! You should not worry about what she will think if you bring it. You should worry about the lives of the children in her car. If you really can't afford to lose her I would buy a car seat for your son for her car. Go to Re-runs. Then suggest that she get seats for all the children. Seat belts fail- a 5 point harness is always the safest route. WOW!! I am shocked. You must have more self control than I do... I would have FLIPPED!!

I would remind her of the law. This violates state laws as well as childcare laws (I have an in home childcare myself). If you wanted to be completely sure she was going to use it then you could offer to supply it... then she pretty much has no choice but to use it! I would talk to here asap, this is your son's safety. Don't feel scared or worried about talking to her because it is important. If she is noncompliant with this then you may need to think about other arrangements because once again this is your son's safety.

A.,
My advice is to tell your sitter that your son must be in a car seat for every drive! Do it tomorrow! It's great that she is flexible and affordable but your main concern is your son's safety. Tell her straight out the next time you take him that he is not permitted in a car without a seat. You have to do this for him. Your husband is right! Good luck!!!

Hi A.,
It is so hard to find a good sitter. I would def ensure your sons safety and you can even go to a twice but nice shop and see if you can find a used one for her to use. If she still doesnt use it then i would suggest another sitter. Most accidents happen within a mile form your house.

Do you provider her with a carseat or booster for him?? I would say if you don't, then you should and that would be a good way to approach it. If you already do provide her with a carseat or booster, I would say just tell her to use it. Try not to be confrontational about it and it won't put her on the defensive. I would say in general that you would be better off losing your babysitter than your baby. So just think about that as motivation. ugh...tough spot!

Hi A.,
I understand you are very thankful to have the babysitter you do, and it sounds like she does a great job in other ways and is very affordable to you. That's really good, however, NOTHING can replace your child's life! Remember that! With that being said ;-) I agree that it would be a really great idea for you to offer to get a car seat/booster seat to leave with her. I also agree that it would be a good idea to start the conversation off by telling her what a good job she does and that you really thank her for her services, and you hope that if there are ever any issues with your child, she would be open and honest with you. Then it may be easier to tell her how VERY important it is to you and your husband that your child be in a car seat EVERYTIME he is in the car - whether it's for 2 minutes or 10 minutes. You could also use the angle that you know she would feel absolutely horrible if, God forbid, something happened to any of the kids while they were in the car with her and not properly restrained. That may make her seriously think about the situation and save not only your child, but the other children who are not in car seats as well! Good luck in talking to her - hopefully she will be open minded and receptive to your concerns!!!
Take care,
T.

I would talk to her and explain to her that you demand your child be in a car/booster seat! This not only is the safest for your little one, but it is the LAW!! Laws are put into place for our safety! I agree to buy one to leave with the sitter-if she refuses to use it, then find another sitter!! No cheap sitter is worth endangering your child.

GOOD LUCK!!

You're in a tough spot, I know, but you're being the best mom you can be by being concerned about this. You ABSOLUTELY have to talk to her about it. The idea of providing a booster seat for her is perfect and should be a pretty easy of getting the message across. Plus, you may want to gently remind her that not only are you very concerned for your son's safety (and the safety of the other children in the car) but the children being in car seats is a LAW. In the end if she's not compliant with your wishes, you may have to either have her a) not drive your child anywhere while he is in her care or b) have to find someone else to watch your son. Taking the chance is just not worth it! While she may be flexible and affordable, none of that will matter if you no longer have a child for her to watch! Kudos to you for being such a great, concerned mom! (And good luck!)

If she does not have a seat for him, provide one. If she still refuses to use the carseat then find another sitter. Your son's life is in her hands..If she does not care enough to keep him as safe as possible, she does not deserve the responsibilty.

Here is Ohio State Law:
Child Passenger Safety

Ohio's Law

All Children up to 4 years AND 40 pounds must be in a child restraint system.
All Infants must be rear facing until they are one year old AND weigh 20 pounds.

Child safety experts encourage parents to use booster seats for children over 4 years and up to 8 years AND 80 pounds.

A Child may safely use a seat belt when they've grown to fit the belt properly. The belt should lie across the chest, not the neck or throat. The lap belt must be low and snug across the thighs, not the stomach. Also, the child should be tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with their legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down. SEAT BELTS WERE MADE FOR ADULTS. If the belt does not properly fit your child, use a booster seat. Normally, the seat belt fits when a child reaches a height of 4'9" and is between the ages of 8-12 years. Experts also recommend all children ride in the back seat until reaching the age of 12 years.

If she were pulled over for any reason, she would get a ticket for each child not properly restrained. The ticket amount for each child is $100 for the first offense/ticket, $250 for each one after (misdometer/4th degree) and/or imprisonment for not more than $30 days.

(All information taken from Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws. http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/pdf_forms/HSY-7607.pdf).

With that being said I think that you do, as everyone else said, need to confront the baby sitter. Provider her with a booster seat for the child and maybe even inform the other parents. I think trying to be non-contraversial by letting her know that she is a great baby sitter firs is a wonderful idea, as mentioned before. I don't forsee any problems, but if she is resistant, you could bring up the above facts. If she continues to be resistant, I would find a new baby sitter. Your child's life is at stake, great baby sitter or not, not properly restrained could mean death if there were an accident. Best wishes!

Just to say it again, Get your child in at least a booster, or fire the sitter. Just cause she is flexible, is it worth losing your child. As some one mentioned the law, but accidents happen with a few miles of your home. You can always buy a cheap seat from a yard sale or 2nd hand store if you can't afford a new one. I would supply her with one and expect her to use it. Would you leave your child in a running car while you go into a store because it is conveinent? Same thing, it may be quicker not to buckle up, but think of what could happen. I hope you find the help you needed. Sorry if that sounded mean. No Offense to you!

Hello A.. That is quite a delima. Personally, I would go to K-Mart and buy a booster seat for $20 dollars, you can sometimes get them for just under when they are on sale. Drop it off with your son and tell her that she can keep it at her house for when they go somewhere and you would really appreciate it (and you expect her) to use it. I understand not wanting to loose her as a sitter, so I wouldn't go into the law with her. With my 4 y/o when she doesn't want to sit in hers I remind her she can see out the window better when she sits in her "big girl seat". You could do the same approach with both her and your son; since he is use to riding with her without a seat he might not be too inclined to go along with the seat. I think this would get your point accross to her with her becoming defensive or angry. Best of Luck!

I would go and find another sitter ASAP. My in-laws didn't have the car seat properly installed. We didn't know till we got back that after noon. From now on they don't get the kids until they are out of car seats.