6 passengers in 5 seater car!

[twiggy]

My friend who is also a childminder has phoned me for advice. She minds one child and he was collected tonight by his grandad.
The problem she has is that the parents had asked her to fit a car seat into the grandfathers car and on doing so she discovered he had 5 children in his car which seats 5 including the driver. She made sure the child she minds was strapped into his car seat in the front of the car. The other children in the car were the minded childs siblings. My friend wonders if she should say something to the parents tomorrow.

What would you have done? She did ensure the child that she was responsible for was safely strapped in but was really unhappy about the situation.

[Lady Haha]

If the other kids were mindees siblings, then I'm guessing that mum knows already!!! I don't know if I would mention it! Perhaps you should though! I know that something similar happened to me and I didn't mention it to mum cos I'm a coward! My mindees mum had told me in advance that her friend was picking mindee up. The friend turns up and as she got mindee into car I noticed there wasn't a car seat for her. I didn't say anything to mum because I didn't want to look like I was interfering!

[Pipsqueak]

yes i would be saying something along the lines of oh i noticed when i put the car seat in that grandad had his car overloaded - did you know it invalidates the insurance.

It really pees me off this sort of irresponsible behaviour

[Mouse]

I would have to say something to the mum. It might just be a one off, but if it is a regular thing you don't want to be held responsible for sending the child off in an overcrowded car.

When 2 of my mindees were younger, I used to go to the car with them to help strap them in (otherwise mum or dad would just let them run round near a very busy road :panic: ). The straps on the car seats were never on the right setting & the mindees would just pull their arms straight out of them. I told mum & dad endlessly that they needed to alter the straps, but they said it was OK, they only had a short journey. The probelm is, most accidents happen on a short journey and I also knew they regularly went on very long journeys with the children still in the same seats. I really wasn't happy strapping them in, so in the end I told the parents that I wouldn't do it. I would stand by one side of the car (to stop the child running in the road) while they strapped the other child in, but that they'd have to then come & do the one I'd normally have done. I just said I wouldn't be responsible for strapping them in when I felt the seats weren't safe.

They did alter the seat belts eventually, but I still won't strap the children in.

[gigglinggoblin]

I would tell the parents and if they know ask them never to put me in that situation again as I would have no choice but to call the police. I would be really mad if they knew, isnt it a safeguarding issue?

[Gizmo]

I would have to say something to the mum. It might just be a one off, but if it is a regular thing you don't want to be held responsible for sending the child off in an overcrowded car.

When 2 of my mindees were younger, I used to go to the car with them to help strap them in (otherwise mum or dad would just let them run round near a very busy road :panic: ). The straps on the car seats were never on the right setting & the mindees would just pull their arms straight out of them. I told mum & dad endlessly that they needed to alter the straps, but they said it was OK, they only had a short journey. The probelm is, most accidents happen on a short journey and I also knew they regularly went on very long journeys with the children still in the same seats. I really wasn't happy strapping them in, so in the end I told the parents that I wouldn't do it. I would stand by one side of the car (to stop the child running in the road) while they strapped the other child in, but that they'd have to then come & do the one I'd normally have done. I just said I wouldn't be responsible for strapping them in when I felt the seats weren't safe.

They did alter the seat belts eventually, but I still won't strap the children in.

One of my mindees does this in her mums car and when she started with me she tried to do it in my car as well but, as my seats are fitted properly she cant get her arms out. My dd noticed that last week dad picked her up in his car sat her in the front and drove off without strapping her in at all she is 3 :panic:

[Carol M]

I would not have let the minded child go!
I would have rung mum and explained why. We have a duty to safeguard.
Same as if a parent turned up to collect the child and was under the influence of drink! Its just not acceptable , I wouldn't risk the childs safety even if it annoyed the parent!
Carol:mad:

[little chickee]

I would definatley say something about it. if they had an accident it would prey on my mind forever.

my 18 month old mindee is collected by his grandad and on following him out to the car on a couple of occasions i noticed that he really struggled to strap the child in and wasnt doing it properly.

the first time i didnt say anything cos i didnt want to interfere but worried about it the whole time - not only was the child not strapped in properly the actual carseat was not fitted correctly.

The next time he was collected i offered to fix seat and strap child in which the grandad greatly apprieciated. Now i strap him in all the time and we are all at peace!