Friday, March 6, 2009

Boy How Times (And Standards) Have Changed

So, I came across this picture of my dad in like the first carseat EVER!!!!

Wow!  How times have changed!  I can't believe how different things are now.  I always get these emails about how "we never wore helmets, we took asprin from containers without foil tops, we rode in the back of pick-up trucks, and we lived" (that last one might actually only be in the southerner's version)  Well, this is the picture that should come with those emails.
I mean, look at what our children today are riding in.

First off, it doesn't just "slip" over the back of the seat, and secondly, it has like every safety feature ever known to mankind.  Side impact protection, 5 point harness, and if it isn't LATCH compatible, forget it!!!!  Todays carseats even have their own cup holders for crying out loud!  
We've come a long way from the days where moms just wanted to go somewhere without having to be driven and didn't want to have to hold their babies and drive at the same time apparently, because I would say that's all this poor carseat did.  It's a wonder I'm alive!

122 comments:

La Belle Mere said...

Morning! Happy SITS day!!!

In the UK kids have to sit in carseats until they're 12!!! How ridiculous is that?!!!

Great pic.

LBM xx

Stacey said...

My dad use to let me sit on his lap while he was driving, so I could pretend I was driving! Couldn't get away with that anymore!

Stopping by from SITS.

Kathy said...

Seriously though!! I KNOW we are *supposed* to lighten up the safety and paranoia because we are still here but Im thinking : HOW ARE WE STILL HERE??

Your blog is adorable!!

Unknown said...

such a good point! Happy SITStas Monday!

Katie Lane said...

This makes me wonder what my carseat was like when I was a baby :)

Helen McGinn said...

Your dad of course was lucky! We were all flung in, sitting on each other's laps, heads hanging out of the open window. Great days....*S*
Happy SITS Day! Love your blog. xx

Queenie Jeannie said...

Wow! What a picture!!

I remember my MIL saying she put my husband in a laundry basket when they went out. (???)

Liz Mays said...

We were toughened up early as kids, weren't we? ;)

MrsM said...

It's amazing how much things change over the years. I'm pretty young but when I look around at things today I feel ancient!

Anonymous said...

Lol! How true!

Stacy Uncorked said...

Love this post! My hubby and I were talking about this the other day - he was watching old home movies of the day he got brought home from the hospital... They just placed him on the back seat with some blankets. :)

Happy SITS Day! :)

mommytoalot said...

Wow indeed.!! Congrats on your special day.

Mikki Black said...

I remember my dad telling me they didn't have car seats, and so his dad welded this sling-type seat to the frame of the car for when they were babies and couldn't sit up on their own yet. Yeah, he welded it straight to the car - that's the kind of creative guy he was.

Happy SITS day!

Becky @ Our Sweet Peas said...

It is amazing we are all here! I would never have been able to go anywhere with twin infants. Now that I think about it I rarely went anywhere, anyways, actually ;)

Happy SITS day to ya!

Anonymous said...

What a great picture! My dh remembers his brothers riding long trips in a playpen and he slept across the back window! And he isn't that old!

Happy SITs day!

Anonymous said...

That's hysterical, but a fair point. I'm all for better car seats (can you imagine a baby with whiplash?) I just can't get on board with the whole "I want to wrap my child in bubble wrap and protect him from everything" side of things.

What a great picture - thanks for sharing!

Happy SITS!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow! Just look at that thing. It is a wonder anyone survived, isn't it?

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Stopping by from SITS! That is hilarious...I feel much better about my kids in the car now. :)

jaquelyn {mama thoughts} said...

Oh my! Yeah, my dad always tells me about how he didn't have seat belts and air conditioning and all the good stuff. I'm certainly glad he survived! =)

Anonymous said...

that is great!! i am amazed how we survived childhood. Happy SITS day!

Unknown said...

Oh, wow, this post is awesome! ahaha, I love that old style car seat.

Be sure and pop by & follow!

glenna said...

Yes, it is a wonder we survived!
Happy SITS day!

Mommys Online Garage Sale said...

Wow, I didn't realize they had them back then. Very cool pic of your Dad.

Rebecca is Thrilled by the Thought said...

That's amazing! I was one of the first kids to sit in a carseat in our family. My mom says that my older brothers sat in this "basket type thing." She would sometimes even breastfeed while driving!

Creative Junkie said...

It is amazing, isn't it? And my mother had two of us (I'm a twin) over forty years ago ... I can't believe we survived!

Anonymous said...

Such a precious picture of your dad!!! Happy SITS Day!!!

Carrie Ella said...

Isn't that the truth? I was just talking with my husband about this the other day.

Stopping by from SITS to wish you a happy day. Congratulations!

daphne said...

The carseats are like little thrones now. my son refuses to let lean on the armrest. I just need to do the old fogey thing and go "tsk tsk, kids nowadays.."

Happy SITS day!

Laura said...

My youngest is 13 & carseat have changed in just those few years (no cup holders on her carseat). Stopping by from SITS!

Connie said...

Seriously! My mother in law tells me all the time that she just laid her babies in the backseat when she went somewhere. It's hard to convince her that Carseats serve a purpose.

HAppy SITS day!

JaelCustomDesigns said...

* Visiting from SITS!
Happy SITS Day! My, how times have changed! :-)

Life of a Stepmama said...

Happy SITS day!! Wow we sure have come a long way! Thank goodness!

B.o.B. said...

Seriously that is a hilarious car seat. Thank the lord we got some upgrades. LOL!

Happy SITS Day!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on being Saucy today. That is such a cute photo! Sometimes I wish I did live back in the day when you could just toss everyone in the car and go. I know carseats are crucial, but they are such a dang pain!

Single Mama NYC said...

Oh, wow - that's a GREAT picture!

Anonymous said...

It's a wonder how anybody made it out alive! Things are definitely different these days!

Mrs. Mootz said...

My grandma tells a story about driving my mom to the Dr's office as a baby and my mom was laying on a pillow in the front seat.

Happy SITS day!

Unknown said...

Hiya from SITS!

Congrats on being the FB! Haha... i love that photo - how very nostalgic, and o-so-true! ;)

Rhiannon Bosse said...

Wow!! That sure does look very old but very fuss free :) Happy SITS Day!

Katie said...

I am an Alabama girl, and my brother and I would ride in the bed of the truck when we were kids around town all the time.

My dad would just open the back glass where he could yell at us to sit down if we ever moved.

Could you imagine seeing that now?

The Skinny On Getting Skinny

missy said...

hope you are having a great SITS day!!!!!!
isn't that amazing!?!?!?!?!?

Robin said...

Ha!....
Yeah.....I remember when cars didn't have seatbelts.

Keelie said...

What a great picture you have found!! I sometimes wonder how we (and they) did survive without all the saftey stuff we have today!

Visiting from SITS...congratulations!

Marrdy said...

My mom had twins when I was 12. They used to ride in the backseat of the car in little white plastic seats. Not buckled in or anything. They are now over 40!! I'm sure I didn't have a carseat at all.

Jessica said...

Ah, yes... have you seen the carseats from 1975?? Not much better, I assure you. They look like a gigantic plastic shoe horn haha.

Susan said...

I think it's interesting what was allowed then, is like taboo now...

Suzi said...

It is amazing how things have changed. I remember my dad would put my sister on the engine compartment in his van....in a swing seat. Who knows what they did with me, I am 7 years older.

Happy SITS Day.

Unknown said...

yes times have changed greatly even from when i was a child...what a great photo of your dad tho!

Lorie Shewbridge said...

I always laugh about these "then and now" stories... and yeah, I'm dating myself, too. Riding in the back of pick-ups is not a southern thing, I did it too, and I lived in New England... :-)

Mel at Adventures of Mel said...

oh wow....that is some carseat; I've never seen one from the old days.

Robbie S. Redmon, LPC said...

I am glad you are! Happy SITS Day!

Rhiana said...

I didn't even know babies could drive back then! LOL. It's still a cute picture though. My mom always likes to tell me how when she went anywhere she just laid me on a blanket on the floor of the backseat!

Brooke said...

i wouldn't have believe you if i hadn't seen it myself - but my niece's car seat does indeed have a cup holder!

happy sits day!

na na said...

Woah. I can't believe they put babies in those! One reason I am glad I had a baby in the 21st century.

Happy SITS day!

Ashley ♥
http://ashleyclarkphotography.blogspot.com/

Anne said...

That's a cute picture! A little scary, but still cute. I remember when I was little my grandparents still had a car that didn't have seatbelts!!

Amy said...

What a scary picture! I admit, there have been many times I have complained about the over safety of our society (plastic playgrounds? What is that about?) but I am so glad that my children will at least have better chances of surviving a car crash should they get into one. I am sad they won't get the joy of riding in the back of a truck, playing in fields (they are all developed now) and the other fun things we did, but what can you do? At least they are safe, right?

Happy SITS day!

Lady Mama said...

Amazing isn't it! I remember someone telling me they put their baby in some type of box in the back of the car to keep them safe because there was no other option.... um?

Jennifer said...

It looks like he is going to topple over out of it.

Anti-Supermom said...

What a great photo of your Dad - and yes, time have totally changed.

Unknown said...

How times have changed. I just had a baby and it took me forever to figure out how to work the dang car seat. I should have been born 50 years ago lol.

Kate said...

Ha ha

Happy SITS Day!

Anonymous said...

Times have definitely changed. If you had your child in a contraption like that today, you can bet the cops and CPS would be called on you in a heartbeat.

It's good that our children are safer, but it would be nice if things were as simple as back then.

Happy SITS Day!

Unknown said...

That's so funny! My mom tells me about laying in the back window of the car on a trip. LOL!

Brigetta Schwaiger said...

Happy SITS day. I love that picture. So interesting.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on being the featured blogger!

Gigi said...

Wait--where do you get one of those new-fangled fancy-shmancy carseats? I've been just drivin' around with my baby on my lap.
; )
Happy SITSday!

GreedyGirl said...

Hi stopping by from SITS www.GREEDYGIRLSGUIDE.COM

Angeline Schnare said...

Great slice of history! Thank for posting the picture it's amazing how times have changed - for the better.
Happy SITS day!

Nicole @ Chic and Cheap Nursery said...

happy SITS say!

African American Mom said...

Happy SITS!

Anonymous said...

This reminds me when I was little my mom had a 2 seater convertible car and my sister and I would fight who got to fit behind the seat when we went out.

Happy SITS Day

AP Mommy said...

Sometimes I wonder why our actual seats in our car aren't designed with the same care and paranoia that today's baby's seats are. I mean is there something we're missing? :) Happy SITS Day.

Jewls said...

Happy SITS day! My 8-year old sis is still sitting in a booster seat thing that looks very similar to your dads carseat!...boy how times have changed!

The818 said...

Happy SITS day! I can't tell you how many times I've had this very argument with my father when he tries to help us "prepare" for our baby.

Patrice said...

Stopping by from SITS! Happy SITS day! :) That is such a cool old picture & wow that doesn't even look like a car seat! crazy!

Pam said...

Your dad's parents must have been progressive to have had one of the first car seats. My mom talks about putting my brother and I, as infants, in a basket on the floor of the car when she had to run errands. You are so right. Times sure have changed.

S Club Mama said...

I've always wore a seat belt or car seat, but I understand. However, I hate it when I do see babies on laps; it is dangerous (people drive faster and care less about other people these days).

But my son's carseat - dang, I wish I had a seat that fancy!

Meg said...

Wow... it's amazing how something can go from being a convenience to an important safety device!

MIITB said...

Yea, obviously car seats are a great improvement. But some of the other improvements are way over the top for me!

Congrats on your SITS day

Scottish lass said...

Funny we both went retro with our blog posts!
Congrats on your Sits Day.

brokenteepee said...

Happy SITS day.
I sometimes wonder how we did survive what we did.

I mean my mother smoked through all her pregnancies but it was totally acceptable then. No one knew the dangers back in the 50ies and early 60ies.

Hannah said...

I love that picture - and yes, yes we DID survive! Haha. Enjoy your time in the SITS spotlight!

Xazmin said...

No kidding! I love this post! Times sure have changed...enjoy your Featured Blogger Day!

Angelj052@gmail.com said...

stopping by from SITS, I like you recipe for Gumbo, it is a little different from mine. Think I will try it.

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Yeah, times have certainly changed - when my son was first born, most cars only had lap belts and baby seats, if they were used at all, didn't look much different from your dad's!

Happy SITS Day!

shortmama said...

A lot really has changed! Its amazing we survived!

Cole said...

Stopping by from SITS :)

My hubby's parents used to through some blankets in the way back of the car and let him and his 3 sisters sleep on them during their road trips. My mom used to forget to buckle my sister's carseat in. Amazing that any of us survived!

Sassy Chica said...

Happy SITS DAY!
Great post and picture.

No matter how annoying Seatbelts are they truly do save lives....we have come a long way!

Claudya Martinez said...

I can't believe your Dad was allowed to drive when he was a baby. Things have really changed. Just kidding!

Kim's Korner said...

Hi,

Love the pic! Stopping by from SITS. My mom has a pic of me laying across the back window while they were out for a drive. And that was in the 70's lol. Guess it could have been worse, they could have put me in the trunk ;-)

Probably some days she'd STILL like to put me in the trunk ;-)

Becca said...

Oh wow. They may as well have sat babies on a pillow and strapped them in with a seatbelt! So glad carseat technology (and laws!) have come a long way!!

Courtney said...

Lol

Prairie Sage Farm said...

I remember standing up beside my dad in our yellow ford fairlaine (no ac) as we sped along the freeways in Houston Tx. Wow was that a long time ago! happy sits day!

said...

Oh heck I hear ya. I did lots of "dangerous" things back in the days of childhood.

Congrats on your SITS feature day!

Sandy said...

Seriously, I know I rode on my parents lap in the car! Of course, back then, their car was built like a tank, so I guess I was pretty safe!

Are You There Mom? said...

Oh that pic is hilarious! I'm cracking up! Happy SITS day!

mommy4life said...

Very true! I remember being told of Moses baskets that just laid in the backseat with the baby inside.

Becky @ Babes in Hairland said...

LOL! Seriously - it IS amazing we survived! My mom used to have us in some type of bassinet thingy that she had on the front seat, and when she had to stop quickly she'd just hold her hand out to prevent us from sliding off the seat! Enjoy your day in the SITS spotlight.

Lamonica said...

Great post. It's true about how things change. I had no idea car seats had cup holders. Congratulations on being a featured blogger.

Stopping by from SITS

Carolyn said...

I can remember sitting in the front seat and being so little the shoulder strap went right across my head! I'd just put it behind my back. :) It's a miracle we're all alive.

Happy SITS day!

Karen, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry" said...

I don't remember even having a car seat. I know when I was a baby, that was before there was a law that you needed one. Maybe I did, I just don't remember. I do remember having a very cool toy dashboard so I could pretend I was driving to keep me occupied.

visiting from SITS.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha, that is hilarious! How did we survive I tell ya ;-)

Jamie :)

Lisa said...

It is truly a miracle that we survived at all!! I remember standing up in the car!! Yowsers!!
Happy SITS day!

Teresa @ ♥ Too Many Heartbeats ♥ said...

HAPPY SITS DAY! I hope it was a special day. I'm loving your photos on the right side bar, especially you and your precious newborn baby. It is absolutely beautiful!

I hope you have a truly wonderful week!

Many, many blessings,

Teresa <><

http://toomanyheartbeats.blogspot.com/

Avery Tales said...

Happy SITS evening! I'm often reminded by my grandmother of the "carseats" they used back in the day. I'm surprised the majority of the baby boomers are still with us!

KatBouska said...

What I want to know is if 5 point harnesses are so safe, how come as adults we on't wear them as well? At what point is it decided that one no longer needs to be THAT safe??

I LOVE the photo of your dad in his carseat! What a change!!

mamammelloves said...

It is amazing! Anytime my mom goes shopping for baby (now toddler) items with me, she says, "They didn't have this when I was a mom..." So funny!

Karen MEG said...

I remember sitting in between my parents in the front seat, fiddling with the radio while we were driving. I think was about 2 ... shudder!

It is amazing how times change...I won't move the car unless my daughter is strapped in so she can barely move ;)!

Coniqua said...

Wow, Ive been wondering what older carseats looked like before all the bells and whistles.

supahmommy- somethin's wrong with that girl said...

Happy Sits day.. a day late.. dollar short. :)

FOr reals... they might as well have tied us to the roof.. it would've been SAFER. :)


d

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

No kidding! And how did we survive BPA? ah ha

tiarastantrums said...

I have NEVER seen one of those!

Rachel Lundy said...

I've never seen a car seat that old. Very interesting!

Jamie said...

My husband was just telling me a story from when he was young and riding in the back of the station wagon. His mom got in an accident, spun around and sent him and his brothers flying through the car. "It was awesome!" -husband
I must also say that I LOVE the music on your blog. Its very inspiring!

Michelle (hometc) said...

We rode in the backs of trucks in Wyoming too :)

Jessica said...

That picture is awesome!! Happy SITS!

Michelle said...

Happy SITS day!

Awesome picture.

Ms. Mama said...

And cars before like, uh, 1970? I don't know, early model cars didn't even have seat belts in them.

I remember in drivers Ed in 198? that you should lay the baby on the seat, face down. LIke that would make a difference.

Love the old photo. Looks like your family has some great documentations!

Days of Whine & Noses said...

Love it!

I am attempting to catch up with roll-call and all the FB since I was out of town almost the entire month of July! Stopping by from SITS

Brandy@YDK said...

happy SITS day. I was allowed to sit on my nana's lap while she drove me around.

Gamma Sharon said...

I am dating myself but... i was never in a carseat. Haven't ever seen a seat like the one your Dad was in in that old picture. Pretty amazing for way back then!
Sorry I am late for your SITS day... hope it was great!

Frugal New England Kitchen said...

Visiting from SITS - wonderful blog!
Yes, we lived - from a Baby Boomer here. Can you imagine? No car seats in my era, no remotes, we got to play outside all day until dinner, no cell phones, we climbed trees, .....

what fun we had.