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Just wondering whether daycare providers supply a car seat for each child or the parent is responsible for supplying it? I used to supply them because I did drop offs & pick ups at the school but since I've stopped doing that I haven't bought new car seats. I have one parent that seems to be annoyed with bringing in the car seat. We've been going on field trips up to 2 days/week. Maybe I'll scale it back to once a week.
I ask all parents to supply their own. I don't go out that often though, maybe 5 times a year
I have it in my field trip blurb that parents may be asked to supply car seats but I have never done so. I think it would be annoying for parents to supply it ( my fiancé puts them in and takes them out for me and says it's a pain in the butt lol) so I bought 3 car seats myself and our car has 2 built in boosters if I ever have a child big enough for it.
We used to go out quite regularly ( last summer it was almost daily!) so it was just easier for me to do it this way. Now we go out maybe once a month if that as I only have room to take out 3 but normally go out if I only have 2.
Depending on how difficult her car seat is to put in (also where it is in her car would make a difference, back seat, middle seat etc), I can understand why she would be annoyed sometimes. I also wouldn't want to be putting in and taking out car seats throughout the week with my crew either. Sounds like a lot of work! If I have a low number for awhile, we just leave the seats in the car.
I have 5 car seats/booster seats right now, I don't like asking parents to provide unless absolutely necessary.
I understand the mom getting annoyed by bringing the car seat twice a week, it is a pain to be constantly taking it out and putting it in. I try to avoid taking my daughter's out unless absolutely necessary, and even then get my husband to do it because they can be so frustrating.
Luckily, my spare seats I was able to get used from friends/relatives at a cheap price, so it wasn't hard on the wallet to get a bunch of them.
My only concern with me supplying them, is replacing them every time they expire! Thankfully I have 3ish more years for them but it will be sad....I don't allow the kids to eat or drink in the car so they will still be in immaculate condition!! :(
This is really the only benefit I see of asking parents to supply the seats
I don't do field trips but I am somewhat anal about car seat safety so if I were taking the dck out then I would supply the seats. I need to know that the seats fir properly in my car (not all seats fit in all cars). I need to know that the seats all fit together (they have to puzzle together or be skinny enough to fit beside each other). I need to know that they are not expired, that they haven't been damaged in some way and that they actually are the right seat for the child (rear facing, forward facing, booster etc).
My car, my rules, for car seat safety. So odds are the dck would be rear facing longer, forward facing harnessed longer and in a booster seat longer than they are at home since I don't follow the laws minimum age/weight/height limits for each stage but rather the safest recommended limits (rear facing well past age 2, harnessed well past age 5 and boostered until well past age 8).
I also would NOT be willing to install a handful of care seats with a group of kids sitting there waiting...not only could I not supervise the children but I would worry about being rushed and doing a crappy install. Car seats are only safe when installed correctly and when buckled properly!
You ladies certainly have given me food for thought! I only take 3 children out at a time. I put one of the seats in when the first child comes (she's the early bird and sticks right beside me when I install her seat). One of the girls is in a booster seat so pretty easy. The third seat is put in last and all the children are in the van while I'm installing. All the children are 3-4 years so no rear facing seats. I used to put in and take out seats all the time when I was taking the children to and from school, I feel very confident that they are being installed correctly and of course I check the dates on the car seats.
We have a car seat. I don't even remember where we bought it.