Saturday, December 21, 2019

Keep Our Kids Safe

Our whole job, as parents, is to keep our kids safe. Right? I mean, we don't want to just throw them to the wolves.

Well, maybe sometimes...kinda...

So, there's a new law, RCW 46.61.687, that goes into effect on January 1, 2020 right here in Washington that affects my 10-year-old son.

And he is pissed.

Like, so pissed he's stomping around in his room yelling that laws are stupid. And making some kinda racket and his brother, who is significantly larger, is laughing up a storm....

It's kinda funny...and kinda not. I mean, I completely understand being pissed off. But I'm also mostly a dedicated law follower. Mostly

But this law is all about keeping our kids safe while they are passengers in moving vehicles.

Here's what the new RCW, which goes into effect on Wednesday January 1, 2020, states: 

  • Children up to age 2 must be properly secured in a rear-facing car seat.
  • Children ages 2-4 must be properly secured in a car seat with a harness (rear or forward facing).
  • Children 4 and older and less than four feet nine inches tall must be secured in a booster seat with seat belt (or continue in harness seat).
  • Children over height four feet nine inches must be secured by a properly fitted seat belt (typically starting at 8-12 years old). 

My son is affected because he is less than 4', 9" tall. Like most 10-year-olds, he's incredibly egocentric, and is taking this change in the law personally. I've explained to him that when a law to protect public health is written, a lot of research is conducted by universities, hospitals, and other agencies working together.

In this situation, research was conducted by a pediatrician named Dr. Beth Ebel,  who works at the University of Washington, and happens to study transportation safety at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center. And she practices medicine at Seattle Children's Hospital.

So, she totally has her shenanigans together and she has seen a lot of kids who have had some pretty significant and life-altering injuries due to not being properly restrained when they were in an automobile accident.

She is also responsible for me secretly calling my 10-year-old "Mr. Pissedoff." He does not want to get back in a goddam booster seat, thank you very much! He was done with that shit two years ago. The previous law stated: 

Effective June 1, 2007, children less than eight years old must be restrained in child restraint systems, unless the child is four feet nine inches or taller. A child who is eight years old or older, or four feet nine inches or taller, must be properly restrained either with the motor vehicle's safety belt or an appropriately fitting child restraint system.

I've explained to my 10-year-old that the Washington State Legislature is responsible for writing and passing the law in order to keep kids safe, and that the three men who represent the 24th District are all very aware of health issues and tend to look at what the research and the data show about prevention prior to writing a bill, voting on it, and passing it.

And, then of course, the governor signs the bill, and it becomes law...just like on School House Rock.

He continued to glare at me. Because ultimately, it's my fault. Because I'm the mom.

I pointed out that most of the kids in his fifth grade class were probably going to be sporting new booster seats when school started back up in January. I told him that I can think of two, maybe three, kids in his class who are tall enough to not be in a booster seat. That this law would also be affecting some sixth graders...and maybe even a few seventh graders...?

He sustained his scowl.

I explained that the doctor who is the lead researcher and the reason the law has changed is a doctor who has seen a lot of kids get really messed up in car accidents...life-altering brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, kids end up in wheelchairs, and may not be able to feed themselves any more...let alone throw someone at Hapkido or kick a soccer ball very easily...and that really, her entire job as a pediatrician is to keep kids safe and healthy. She's not out to punish anyone or make life harder for people. That really, the whole philosophy behind injury prevention is to make it harder for people to get hurt. #Duh

He softened a bit and asked when he'll be four-foot-nine. I told him I didn't know...but probably before he gets to seventh grade.

He asked me when he'll be old enough to sit in the front. I told him that currently, the law says he needs to be 13 to sit in the front.

He asked me if I think some kids in his class will be without a booster seat, and will some kids still be allowed to sit in the front seat when they aren't supposed to.

And those parenting questions are always just tricky to answer...because you don't want to put your own judgement on another family...but the law applies to everyone...

So I said that it could be that maybe not everyone is aware of the new law...or that maybe some people aren't able to afford to get a booster seat for their kids...so those parents may need to contact Safe Kids Washington...?

It could be that maybe some people believe that they won't be in a car accident...and they're OK with taking that risk of not putting their kids in a booster seat, or in the back seat. That some people go through life thinking nothing bad will ever possibly happen to them...because that's just how some people roll...?

He said that he expects that some kids will still be allowed to sit in the front seat. I replied that probably, there will still be some kids that sit in the front seat that legally should not be...or some kids that, by law, need to be in a booster seat, but that each family will make their own decisions. In our family, we're getting you back in a booster seat, kiddo.

Forever frowning in order to get his way, he started to complain again. But I'd had enough...so I finally said that perhaps the kids who are not properly restrained aren't loved by their parents in the way that I love him. I told my seething son that if he really wanted to make a change in the world, he could contact the lead researcher...we can look up her email...and he can write her a letter in protest and explain why he believes what he does.

He looked me in the eye and said, "Nope."

And that was that.

So, I'm heading to bed because there may be a run on booster seats tomorrow.

Good night, y'all!

Love,
#MaRa

Head Bitch
Anderson Family Circus







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