Different strokes for different folks!

I guess all the years in the states with you and your kids has taught me that there is a proper car seat for each and every situation.  An infant, rear-facing one for new ones and a bigger one on up to the booster.  I remember that we did not have to use car seats for the kids as long as they were in seat belts. In fact, I only ever owned one car seat and each of my children took turns sititng it in.  Very small babies were held on a lap or were is an infant seat carrier that was like the car seats for infants today but were not strapped in.  In know, we were dumb, ignorant and did not care very much for our children to do such a thing to them!  But after the laws and restrictions in the US it is a little surprising to be here and to see what we see.  Kids are not required to be in car seats and even infants are not restrained.  I saw a baby car seat, like the ones you all use, sitting, sideways in the front seat but not bucklet in.  Mom was feeding the baby a bottle while she drove.  I see little kids riding in the front seat (I know another no no) all the time.  

Maybe the thing that bothers me the most happens in the morning.  As you have learned from this blog we live across the street from a catholic school that has students of all ages in it.  The street that goes between us and the school is two lanes going in on direction and that lane is right by the school.  There is one other lane that goes the opposite direction from which you need to make a right turn (remember we are on the other side of the road) into the school and it is on our side of the road.    But usually, those moms and dads that are dropping their kids off do not want to pull into the school.  If they drop them off on the other side of the road, right in front of our place, they can continue on and it is an easy entry to the motorway to go on into Auckland.  So each morning I can look out my window and see kids climbing from cars, from the front and the back seats and then they frog hop across three lanes of traffic to get to the school while their parents just drive off.  I feel like screaming at those parents becuase many of those kids can not be more than 6 or 7 and they are alone, crossing that street!  Makes one sad to see what is important to different folks.