Ok, I know I have already posted today, but I really just have to vent.

So, I was on Facebook this morning (I'm always on Facebook...) and I was browsing through my groups. On one local group page I came across a post with a link to an article about Canada's new car seat laws. As I am about to become a new parent, this article was aimed at me and I figured I better read it and educate myself. I wouldn't want to unknowingly do something that would endanger my new baby.

This was the link to the article: http://hqcomoxvalley.com/news/local/news/Local/12/01/9/Car-seat-confusion.

My first thought was, "Isn't Comox in British Columbia?" But I read anyway, because it said Canada's Car Seat Laws, so I figured even though the article was from a B.C. paper, it would still apply to me. Well, the article stated that car seats bought before July 2011 could not be sold or passed on after they had been used by one owner. It then went on to list all of the new regulations and restrictions and criteria. Of course, I was still stuck on the July 2011 thing. Erik's aunt gave us a near brand new stroller and car seat travel system, only a year old. We were so grateful for it because we knew how much travel systems could cost. Now, I find out we won't be able to use it because it was purchased before July 2011? Me being me, I panicked.

I decided I had better do some research. The article seemed legitimate enough, but I wanted to be absolutely positive. I hadn't heard anything about these new car seat laws anywhere else and I wanted to be sure I had all the facts straight. I went to the Government of Ontario website and read what they had to say. Well, it seemed they had nothing to say. Everything was the same as I had previously thought. And the only thing I found that had anything to do with my current problem was this: "not expired or beyond the seat's useful life date." Other than that there was nothing stated about selling or buying or using a used car seat and definitely nothing about car seats older than July 2011. I went to another government site that had an article on the new car seat laws. To me it seemed like they really did not even apply to the public, but more to the manufacturers and their new criteria. Again, nothing was said about July 2011. I searched several other sites and found nothing about this date. I found nothing that should concern me.

Maybe B.C. has some different laws, but for Ontario I could find nothing that supported what the article from Comox had to say. Relieved, I posted my findings on the same Facebook group page as I had found this other article. Of course, innocent me, I didn't even consider the kind of flack I might get for contradicting someone else.

I began second guessing and doubting myself and my sources. Stupid, I know, as they were government sites and articles. I reread the articles and tried to reassure myself that my sources were legitimate and if anyone tried to dispute me or make nasty comments, I had references to fall back on. So far, no one has really disputed or made any nasty remarks. There was one from the person who had originally posted the article that had caused all of the concern and I wasn't quite sure if she was agreeing with me or arguing with me. It was all very confusing. But she reposted the link to her article and urged everyone to read it (in capital letters). This confused me even more on her stance.

I really didn't want my post to become an argument or a place for things to get nasty. My only intention was to inform other mothers like me who might have panicked after reading the first article of what I had found. I only wanted to help. For some reason people can't always accept that. They need to make an argument about it. I'm not saying anyone has made an argument out of this, although it seems to be dancing around the edges. I'm just saying that is not what I want it to become and I'm worried that it is a controversial enough topic that it will become that if given the chance.

That is why I have decided to step back. I'm not going to make any further comments. I'm just going to see where this goes and reassure myself that my sources are safe, knowledgeable ones.

That is all.

*UPDATE* turns out my sources weren't as valid as I thought. You would think a government site would keep information such as this up to date, but no. The article was updated last August... How are we supposed to keep up with this stuff if it isn't updated to the most current laws and regulations? How are we supposed to know? Especially as new parents who might not know where else to look... I'm not happy. :(