A Rant - Car Seats

You know what drives me absolutely crazy?  When parents don't take the time (which is like 5 seconds) to properly restrain their kids in their car seats.  Seriously people, they have made it so simple to do and give pretty clear instructions.  Their straps should not be all twisted nor should they be falling off their shoulder.  The chest buckle?  It should be at nipple line folks, not down at their belly button.  Why do it up at all if it's going to be way down there?  It can't do its job and restrain your kid when it's way down there.
I can't think of a time when you would want to be most careful and ensure they are secure then when you are driving.  Another thing (this is more prevalent in infant seats), the straps should be tight.  Tight as in, you shouldn't be able to slip two fingers under the straps.  Yes, it looks really tight but guess what?  That's the point!  For older kids, if they are telling you it's too tight, that probably means it's snug like it should be.
I have 3 kids.  I know that sometimes life gets busy and you can have a lot on your mind but if you ask me, there is no excuse.  These are your children folks.  Your precious cargo.  The little people you claim to love with all your heart and soul and could never live without. Take the time (even if it will make you late) to make sure they are in their seats properly.  This isn't rocket science.

Can you see what is wrong here?  Can you see how this baby isn't even almost restrained as he should be?  Nothing about how he is restrained in his car seat would be of any help to him should there be a collision.  Grinds my gears like you wouldn't believe.

And this....

What the hell?  How could one look at this and say, "Ok,  You are all tied up and safe to go."  I get that they can be tricky in the winter with big, bulky coats but I have a simple solution.  If you can't do the straps securely, take their coat off.  In fact, this is recommended.  Cars have heat.  Cover them with a blanket.  I know you can work with a winter coat in a car seat.  I'm not a rookie.  I have 3 kids.  I know you can work around it.

I try not to be judgmental when it comes to parenting because I know how hard it can be.  I know how stressful it is.  I know that we don't all parent the same and different things work for different people.  I judge this.  When I see your kid in their car seat like this, I'm judging because I don't think there is any excuse.

I might get some flack for writing this but so be it.  It's my blog.  I can write what I want.