Child car seats !

There are so many buckles and on the prams as well as car seats, leavers and switches that you need to learn the purpose of and more importantly, remember it for next time

What us grand parents need is a rapid "anti rigid toddler" spray that calms them for just long enough to get them buckled in.

My painful wonky thumb joints don't help when it comes to doing up the buckles.

Ive never collapsed a buggy
The first time we looked after DGD1 at her house and decided to take her for a walk we couldn't uncollapse the buggy.

I'm slightly embarrassed to say - we failed to fit the car seat into either of our cars.
I can highly recommend Halford's - they sell reasonably priced car seats, good variety and best of all, they have properly trained young people to assist grannies in selecting the seat to suit their budget/car and better still, the same young person demonstrates various models being fitted into grannies car.

Phew, baby collected, safely

Ive never collapsed a buggy ! A step too far for me. I bought one of those maclaren things we all used to use for ours. They open in one fell swoop of the foot. Mine cost £5 in a charity shop. It has one thin buckle to do up but even that bit is hard having to battle with a rigid thrusting body. I find now I can't really be bothered and we walk or get the bus. More fun, too, shuffling in leaves and looking at all this things to be seen around us. I allow puddles as long as they are not deep and walking along walls is fun as I know how much I enjoyed it As a child. Hand held firmly of course.

Halfords fitted mine for me. It's the fitting child into seat that I can't do. It takes ages to get the two metal bits to meet in the right place and then to slot them into the bit they slot into. It doesn't help to have GC pulling the shoulder bits off and thwarting my efforts to get the metal bits together. That is once I get him into the seat at all as he quickly tries to clamber off to the back passenger seat, laughing at me. Even once I get the metal clips together, it's then a struggle to fit them in to the bottom bit. Once I hear that click I feel I've won a big battle. I then drive like a learner driver all the way home, conscious of my valuable cargo. Luckily I don't have to do this often, but will have to collect him tomorrow from nursery while DD meets friends in London. Then when I'm home and dry I can start worrying about that!

This thread certainly brought back some memories - in particular I remember wandering around the carpark of the Wildfowl Trust in Slimbridge looking for a vehicle with a similar carseat to the one my son had installed in our car so that I could ambush its unsuspecting owner on his or her return and enlist their help with getting our grandson safely strapped back in. Fortunately we didn't have to wait too long. Fortunately we have now graduated to the Booster Seat which is much simpler to operate.

O practise is essential !!!?

Eventually you manage the art of the car seat..............then there's collapsing the buggy!!!!! I bought a bugaboo off my neighbour, had to get her round twice to show me how to do it, I was too embarrassed the third time but found a YouTube clip....phew, I can now do it easily

Put the manufacturers video on your tablet or mobile, watch it carefully and keep practicing. Although hanging half out of the car in the pouring rain is not much fun.
I bought DGS1s adjustable car seat just before his brother was born in April. It is probably about time I adjusted the position of the shoulder straps.

If we are out and about when visiting him he enjoys coming in Nanan's car for a change. He also prefers not to be in a car with baby brother who at six months took to screaming his head off every time he was put in his car seat.

Ah, what a good idea MariClaire - thanks for that.

I'm sure you'll be fine! But, may I suggest you find a YouTube video ready to roll on your phone? Just in case... (based on personal experience)

No I don't think it's an isofix . Vegas, I long for the return of Big Prams. These days Prams seem to morph into all kinds of push chairs, car seats and occasionally Prams like things. There are so many handles and things to manoeuvre. Ah well I shall just have to get a grip I expect.

It'll all be fine Iam - I do sympathise though. I am a complete numpty with these modern contraptions. After battling unsuccessfully with the stupid raincover on DGD's pushchair, with her screaming and grabbing the sides in an attempt to hurl it to the floor, I found myself that evening shouting at the TV: 'Bloody James Dyson, stop wasting your time on vacuum cleaners and invent a pushchair that keeps the rain out and that grandma's can do!' It was all so much easier in the olden days with the Big Prams.

Is it an Isofix one Iam64? Ours was, but even so, we fitted the seatbelt through as well (belt and braces!)
When we had trouble fitting the car seat our young neighbour kindly came and helped us.

I now have a suitable car seat and am considered a 'safe' person to transport the treasure that is our 6 month old grandson. I'm terrified as I'm designated to transport him from one place to another tomorrow. I am not convinced I know how to fit said car seat properly. It's heaving with rain so I didn't practice today. I am hoping tomorrow for a break between down pours so I can ensure I know how to fit the * thing properly.

Almost being the operative word, went to check I had remembered and I hadn't !
1/2 later I have now got red painted arrows which will hopefully work
as teddy is over 60 he don't wriggle much

Teddies don't wriggle and squirm though!

Update!
Have been practising with my (very) elderly teddy and have almost got it!!

You're right they do Nelliemoser, whilst sticking all 4 legs out with claws fully extended, if I remember correctly....it's been a while since I had to do that manoeuvre

When my GD was new born my DiL and I went shopping to Toys R Us baby department, loaded the car seat onto the pram base with no problem, did what we needed to do but could not remove the seat from the base to get it back into the car. DiL went back to the store but it was not a make they stocked so no help there, in the end, and in the rain, with me sitting in the car with GD all wrapped up DiL phoned DH and over the phone he talked her through taking the car seat off the base. Needless to say the whole event was not helped by us collapsing in to fits of giggles occasionally. GD slept through the excitement non the wiser as to how daft her mother and grandmother were.

Even cats do the stiff middle thing when you are trying to get them into a travel basket.

ginny that works on reluctant buggy users too.

A quick karate chop , right in the middle of the plank usually does the trick !

Only joking

On the way to collect DD and baby from hospital, we had to stop at Mothercare to get someone to show us how to disconnect the infernal thing from its Isofix base. We had been trying for the best part of an hour at home, having clicked it into place so easily. Neighbours popped out and had a go, passers by tried, but no, it was firmly stuck.
We were panicking because we understood that if we didn't bring the car seat into the hospital they wouldn't let the baby leave . (This turned out not to be entirely accurate - they would allow the baby to leave as long as they were satisfied there was a car seat in the car).
The Mothercare staff member popped down to the car and effortlessly removed the car seat, much to our embarrassment. We had, apparently, been holding the thing the wrong way - a quick lesson and it was as easy as pie .
That was nearly 4 months ago, and we've only just worked out how to loosen and tighten the straps while the baby is in situ. So finally, it is much less stressful than it has been.