Parenting has changed | #CarseatFullstop

The times have changed and our generation just can’t do or don’t do the same things our parents/grandparents did.

Technology is at the forefront… most of us are chasing the newest gadget or gizmo on the market. We are keeping up with the times and not falling behind on the techno-scale. Truth is our kids can operate devices better than most grandparents these days. #harshreality

We are moving with the times, but yet in some departments we still think it’s okay and safe to do as our parents or grandparents did…

Here’s a few things we did as kids that can be considered a BIG-NO-NO now that we are parents:

Access to knives and scissors – my mother once locked me and my younger brother in the bathroom because we were fighting quite a lot that day. She handed us each a knife and told us to go at each other if that’s what we wanted. Thinking back… I can’t see myself willingly giving my son a knife or pair of scissors and say “Go for it!”. FYI – we totally did not stab eachother.

Latchkey kids – we often came home to an empty house, fended for ourselves, picked on our siblings while no was watching and it was considered normal. The reality is, it’s just not safe anymore, kids are being abducted on their way on from school, homes are being violated and people are being hurt on a daily basis. #harshreality

Street kids – we played on the street with no cell phones to tell our parents that we were okay, no cell phones for our parents to GPS track our location. They weren’t worried, and neither were we. Again, today we don’t have that luxury. The stress of knowing exactly where our kids are at all times is real. The dangers are too high. #harshreality

Safety gear – we learnt to skate with no shoes or helmets. If you scraped your toe along the gravel you just kept going. My brother was once hit by a car, while crossing the street. He was thankfully fine (Thank you Jesus) but the lady kept driving and my brother had a tyre mark across his white school shirt. Now days, i know i do it, we pad our kids up, insist on a helmet etc, before venturing out on any bike, scooter or skateboard.

Sitting at the back of bakkies – for most of my childhood our family car was a 2-door Mazda bakkie. 2 seats for a family of 5. This meant 3 kids at the back of the bakkie (with or without a canopy), sitting on a mattress, fighting for the ‘best’ spot. I shudder to think of what could have been the outcome if we had gotten into an accident. (Side note – I know for a lot of families, this is the only mode of transport. This is not a judgement but more of an awareness… now days we are more aware of the dangers of being exposed at the back of the bakkie with no forms of protection.)

And lastly…. car seats – back in the day it was thought that a mother’s arms was safer than a 5 point harness BUT the #harshreality today is that holding a child in your arms on the front or back seat is not only dangerous but also reckless. So is allowing the kids to roam free on the back seat, unstrapped and exposed. At risk of flying through the front or back window at a force of impact.

So while it might have been ‘okay’ for our parents and grandparents, it’s certainly not an option today and one of the reasons is…..

Just think about those numbers for a moment….

Hopping in the car to quickly zip down to the garage for bread and milk is no longer as safe as it used to be. This week alone we have had almost 3 accidents… which would have been caused by other reckless drivers, if we were not alert and focused on the road. Imagine how distracting is must be to have a little bundle of energy bouncing on the back seat.

Just as distracting as being on your phones while driving… another NO -NO but this post isn’t about that. It’s about, you guessed it, #CarseatFullstop and the awareness that we are trying to share around the vital importance of car seat education, safety and proper use.

Every time we have a ‘near-miss’ on the roads, I breathe a sigh of relief because I know that Connor is as safe as possible in his high-back booster and properly strapped in.

I didn’t always know what was right but I do now and I come sharing the good news that education on this matter is possible. There are amazing people out there trying to share, encourage and equip the parents of today on why it’s imperative to protect your most precious cargo on the roads – regardless of your financial standing, size of vehicle or driver status..

I hear excuses all the time as to why parents don’t strap their kids in. Come on now guys, Do you let your kid run with scissors, do you allow them on a bike without a helmet, do you let you 5-year-old stay at home, unsupervised??

I’m sure the answer is NO!!

So why would you allow your child to be put at risk in a vehicle. Where you have no control over other drivers.

It’s not about how good a driver you are, how big and safe your car is… it’s about the facts. Every child needs to be in a car seat OR when age appropriate, to use a seat belt. Forearmed is forewarned.

The school drop-off and pick up are one of my worse times of the day. When I see how many children are picked up and dropped off, in fancy, expensive cars, standing on the back seat, sitting in the front with no seat belt. My blood boils and then turns ice-cold when I think of the ramifications and the what if’s…

 

With statistics saying that up to 93% of people aren’t strapping in their kid. We ALL know somebody who is adding to that number.
“You have the power to save a little life.”

The #67Facts images can be found in the Fast Facts album on the @CarseatFullstop Facebook Page here.

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Please share with the friend or family memeber in your life, that doesnt understand the full danger of not using a car seat.

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