Do You Tighten Every Time?

Yes, I tighten them every time (or loosen if she has on a big fleece or coat). It just takes a second. :)

every time. But we've always loosened/unloosened the straps with every in and out. so tightening is a necessity for us.

Yes, I check my 3 year olds straps every time! She might be wearing some more bulky one time and it needs to be adjusted and sometimes they just loosen. Good mama R.!! :)

My two year old is an escape artist. I check and double check everything before we head out.

Yes I check everytime. I adjust the clip everytime. I want my son to know that it's important that he's buckled properly too and he knows this is part of riding in the car, it's not just a click and go.

When my boys were in the infant car seats - i checked the belt that held the base in place every day.

When they moved to car seats - I checked the straps and tether once a week.

vibrations from the car/road can make the belts loosen. Not every time but it does happen!!

We check the harness each time we put him in and check the "restraint" straps that connect the seat to the car probably every-other-week, but we do check it all regularly.

I always check the straps on his car seat! Sometimes he wears a bulkier sweatshirt and it needs to be loosened a little (but still tight) But I always check to make sure the straps are where they are supposed to be and that he is good to go. My husband checks them too without being asked too.

I absolutely check every time. What my little man wears effects the straps so much from one time to another. Two seconds of my time to check his harness could mean saving his life in an accident.

every time i put my son in i would just out of habit grab the tightening belt and make sure it was tight enough or loosen it up if need be. i would also wiggle the carseat (and still do) to make sure it's tight. i knew a lady once who had let her son borrow her car and he ubuckled the carseat from the seatbelt and didn't tell is mom. when she stopped the car the baby and car seat went flying forward. that was one hysterical mama!

I wonder if this is a generational thing. Since I had one child before safety belts and car seats were the law and 2 later...I was not a checker. I just buckled up and went. Faster when I taught my kids to buckle up on their own. And I raised a sister and brother back in the 70's too. So that experience for sure set up habits.

But I do see the safety concern and reasoning behind your checking motivation. You are probably from the seatbelt and carseat generation. And there is nothing wrong with being extra safe on today's roads. Too many drivers and drugs nowadays. And too many who shouldn't be there.

I do it every single time. I also adjust and tighten others too, if I see it. ONly people I know of course. I don't walk up to perfect strangers and tighten their childs harness, though I have thought about it. LOL

Why even have harnesses if they aren't going to be used properly?

You can never be too obessive about car safety. But then again I am the mom on here that is always preaching car safety...My husband is a Fire Captain and EMT, believe me it can happen to you!

Yes, I check every time.

I had two friends who didn't know how to use the strap on a car seat. Both didn't know how to adjust the straps - and loosen them. So they would just slip the babies in and out - and the strap was never tight on them. These were both college educated women. It's like - hello, these staps are too loose!!

I would give my car seat a good shake every so often (once a week) to be sure it didn't need tightening. In and out, in and out, it's bound to loosen.

I dno't think it's obsessive - it's smart.

Hubby always puts our daughter in her seat and he ALWAYS checks! EVERY time! The straps, the buckle, wiggles the whole thing to make sure it doesn't actually wiggle!

I think its a good thing. Besides kids grow really fast, you gotta be checking often to make sure they are still fitting correctly and still comfy cozy in it!

Wow, I feel like an outsider.

I have to admit that I don't check every time, or even every week. When I notice that the straps are getting too tight, I loosen them. When I remember to check the belt holding in the base, I do. Sometimes it's twice a week, sometimes I go two weeks without checking.

I check every time and my son is almost 4...with my middle child in a booster right next to the car seat I cannot tell you how many times she has reached over and unbuckled his car seat instead of her own. If I did not check and we were in an accident how could I ever forgive myself? Our children are our most precious and irreplaceable...checking the straps and making sure they are buckled in safely takes only a few moments! I never even thought of it as obsessive, just a good habit!

my carseat has to be tightened everytime we use it (its part of strapping her in, & makes getting DD in & out so much easier, plus if she wears different jackets or sweaters, we always get a good fit), it has handles on the side for this. The shoulder position has to be adjusted from behind, but that doesnt need to be done so often. Its great b/c the little infant seat seemed to need to be altered so often, it drove me nuts.

Yes, I check them. I need to adjust it according to what he is wearing too. If he has a bulky coat on versus just a t-shirt, it makes a difference. And most car seats have very easy adjustable straps, so it is part of the process of putting him in.

Yep - I check everytime too! :)

Of course! When it's tight enough to be safe it's difficult to get him out without loosening the straps. That being said, I have an ex friend whos babys carseat (under a year!) wiggled all around because the seat strap wasn't tight, and his straps were so loose he could practically climb out. She got so bitchy when you ever corrected her I used to hope she would get pulled over and ticketed.

I ALWAYS check my 10mo olds straps. I usually loosen them to take her out and put her in, since it's much easier. So, once she's in, I tighten them to where they need to be. Who cares if you're being obsessive--its your child's safety!! There's no such thing as obsessing over that!