Take a Seat

I grew up standing up on the front seat of our Studebaker with only my mom’s arm to protect me when she hit the brakes.  When my children were babies, I held them while we drove (sometimes when I drove!) Later, they had booster seats so they could see out the window.  From the time they could sit up, I did insist they use a seat belt, it was a non-negotiable. Note: everyone survived.

Now, you have my personal background story and you will be able to understand better the complete bafflement Karl and I encountered yesterday while trying to install a ‘rear-facing child safety restraint system’ in my car in anticipation of my lovely bonus daughter and grandson’s visit this week.  It very quickly became clear we were in over our heads.  Just figuring out how to loosen the straps that will hold Jamie in the seat took us a good fifteen minutes, and we will only really know if I truly got the concept later today when we pick them up from the airport.

The car seat book, which had well over 200 pages, devoted lots of space to cautions and warnings and for diagrams and pictures and accompanying explanations about installation and use that did absolutely nothing at all in regards to helping us figure out what to do. I’m certain that the complete how to explanation is included within the pages, but just not in a linear, step by step format that was accessible to laymen with our talents and expertises.

We worked for about an hour. I read aloud while Karl attempted to decipher the instructions, then we’d trade places. We checked the car’s owner’s manual as suggested, which added a whole new dimension of befuddlement.   Then, in a spark of what I think was probably Divine Mercy, we decided we needed help.  Off to the fire department we drove. Thank God for the Cheyenne Fire Department and a fireman named Chris who has been schooled on car seat installation. Filled with grace and best practices, in about half an hour the seat was properly installed and we were educated in car seat safety.  In reality, it wasn’t that hard, not nearly as complicated as the book made it out to be. 

So yay!  I’m off to the airport.