[s4play]

For those who are without kids, it's very hard to explain or make you understand certain things. Sorta like my buddy who has 5 dogs and call them his kids. I understand how special they are to him but I could never love a pet like he does, nor do I pretend to fully comprehend his feelings.

My point is you need to be actually doing it to fully understand.

Parents have a million ways to teach a kid and it's all personal preference. To tell a parent how to "parent" will get you bitch slapped in most cases, just try it next time in person. (especially if you are not a parent)

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by NemesisX

My response to ddk632 was not a criticism. It was obvious that he was being facetious with his use of "fasterer." I only posted what I did as an interesting and informative tidbit to a common misconception, using ddk32's facetious use of "fasterer" as a conversational bridge. It's not entirely obvious that responding to a child with baby talk can have undesirable consequences. I wasn't actually giving him parenting advice.

I think you got the wrong guy dude.

I never said fasterer.

I said bestesest!

( read the thread again and you'll see what I'm talking about )

And, I was, as the English say, "Taking the piss" of your response to the poster who said "fasterer"

I agree with OP here, whether you're a parent or not, tell me how to parent my kids and FU.

And yes, I do have kids.

Finally, for the record, I actually agree with you that using goo-goo-ga-ga baby talk isn't doing your kid any favor.

However there is a distinct difference between using garbage-language vs. making cute little versions of real words. Kids will grow up and grow out of it. My now 3yo daughter used to say dog-dog all the time and amazingly she knows now that the actual word is just plain old single "dog" (and has for a long time ... that phase didn't last long).

But even if I see another parent saying/doing something I wouldn't do as a parent, it sure as hell isn't my place to tell them what I think.

[grimlock]

Originally Posted by s4play

You make some excellent points and serious points so I'd address it really quick...

My whole point of this thread was simply to ask if it was safe and (legal) to take my child in the R8. Obviously I'm not doing this on a daily basis. This would be on certain occasions maybe a Friday special jaunt with daddy for a short trip around town. It seems harmless enough and I would never speed in any of my cars when children or even friends are present. It does not take an R8 to speed, I've seen crazy careless parents drive their minivan's like a maniac and that is far more dangerous.

Anyways my intention was not to start a political uproar here since we are all grown adults. My child's safety is always the most important and I've bought some of the safest baby seats on the market to ensure they are well protected. The Clek is probably the absolute Ferrari of baby seats and we use these seats in our cars. We have a pair of SUV's for family duties and the M3 is when I need to take both kids out.

Oddly enough a co-worker and I were discussing car safety and he said in Europe (Sweden) safety is one of their top priorities and they actually believe kids in the front seat are safe with an airbag.

So like all parenting, guess we will have to sit on this a while and probably wait till she gets a bit older. But it's good to have a discussion here regardless.

There was this dickwad in a 1M driving aggressively with a perhaps 6-8yr old girl in the front seat, no child seat. I was tempted to cut the him off to show him what happens when 1. your child is in a vulnerable position 2. you drive like an ass
Those asshole mom/dads in minivans, and any car for that matter, road raging holding the whole family hostage, are the worse.
If your child is secured, and you drive responsibly, it will always be a little more dangerous than in the back, however its multiples safer than being an asshole driver. I would probably do the same thing - if you wanted to be THAT safe might as well live in a concrete bunker.

[NemesisX]

Originally Posted by ddk632

I think you got the wrong guy dude.

I never said fasterer.

I said bestesest!

( read the thread again and you'll see what I'm talking about )

And, I was, as the English say, "Taking the piss" of your response to the poster who said "fasterer"

I agree with OP here, whether you're a parent or not, tell me how to parent my kids and FU.

And yes, I do have kids.

Finally, for the record, I actually agree with you that using goo-goo-ga-ga baby talk isn't doing your kid any favor.

However there is a distinct difference between using garbage-language vs. making cute little versions of real words. Kids will grow up and grow out of it. My now 3yo daughter used to say dog-dog all the time and amazingly she knows now that the actual word is just plain old single "dog" (and has for a long time ... that phase didn't last long).

But even if I see another parent saying/doing something I wouldn't do as a parent, it sure as hell isn't my place to tell them what I think.

I didn't tell anybody in this thread how to parent. I simply posted an obscure fact that draws on my expertise (although, as I'll mention below, the fact that I know more about this subject than you do does nothing to lend it credence).

If I casually mention the benefits of vaccinating children with the MMR vaccine, that's not the same thing as demanding that my audience vaccinate their children with MMR. I'm merely providing information to be weighed against a multitude of other considerations.

I'm actually a little surprised to learn that you're so sensitive on this subject. I'll remember your sensitivity for next time and I"ll try to approach you with "kid gloves" instead.

My main gripe with johanness was as follows:

1) Being a parent does not make one an expert on parenting. These are arguments from authority. Reasons should always be evaluated on their own terms and vetted against peer reviewed research (when applicable).

"Are you a parent? No? Then you don't know what you're talking about" is a logically fallacious line of reasoning. That doesn't mean it's wrong. It just means that the structure of the argument isn't valid.

2) I wouldn't be bothered by johanness' utter lack of reading comprehension were it not for the fact that he completely distorted my words to attack my character. I don't mind the fact that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and I'm usually pretty easy going on these forums, but I'm not going to sit by idly while some room temperature IQ, non-contributing zero barges in with nothing of value other than to launch personal attacks on misrepresented arguments and faulty logic.

[ddk632]

@NemesisX, just to clarify, the bold part of my statement that you quoted wasn't directed at you, it was a general statement. The whole thing is a bit funny since you singled me out for making up a word when it was another poster who did so...

Which part of my post made me seem sensitive? Did this post make my ass look fat, or what?



Ok, it does piss me off a bit when some mother at the park thinks she knows better than me, but that is neither here nor there, and has nothing to do with this thread, anyway

[NemesisX]

Oh, it was catcher who said it. Honestly it doesn't matter. The post wasn't a criticism to begin with (that's why I included the smiley face). Maybe it's hard to convey emotions or intent over a forum.

[ddk632]

2 smiley faces, next time...

[NemesisX]

Originally Posted by ddk632

2 smiley faces, next time...

[dreamingat30fps]

I NEVER baby talk to my dog and the bitch still hasn't said a word so, not sure that theory works.

[s4play]

Guys, let's try not to turn this into a parenting thread!

Let's talk about other dad's who's put their kids in 2-seater sports cars....I've seen tons of them on the road so can't believe this is such a hot topic. They must be in the minority?

I'll report back when I do some testing of the baby seat in our car. Wife is ok with the sports car but not so keen in our s2000 (she feels the s2000 is a convertible so not as safe)

[ddk632]

I'd think the R8 is safer than the S2000 just from general German car standards alone.

Can't really chime in beyond that until I get a 2 seater sports car again.. my last one was an SLK300 but I never put my kids in that car.

You can start a Meetup group, "Dads with Two Seater Sports Cars Whose Children Ride in the Front Seat in A Car Seat, On The Front Seat"



What kind of testing are you doing anyway? I mean, just do it, right?

[johanness]

And to think I was going to let it go...

Originally Posted by NemesisX

I simply posted an obscure fact that draws on my expertise (although, as I'll mention below, the fact that I know more about this subject than you do does nothing to lend it credence).

Really?? Judging by your know-it-all attitude in almost every post in every thread on any subject here, I believe your egotistical self actually thinks your miles ahead of complete strangers in a public forum. You've got gall, that's for sure.

Originally Posted by NemesisX

used that strawman to launch an attack on my character (i.e. someone who doesn't understand "bonds" formed between people)

Guess what genius? It's the bond formed between a PARENT and their DNA, and not just a simple platonic 'bond formed between people'. You can try and dismiss it as that... but this was your tell.
If you think sitting around your parents basement with the rest of your diaper-clad circle-jerk friends is the same thing as the bond betweend your child, then you may have an amazing eye-opening experience to come yet.

MAY

Originally Posted by NemesisX

I wouldn't be bothered by johanness' utter lack of reading comprehension were it not for the fact that he completely distorted my words to attack my character. I don't mind the fact that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and I'm usually pretty easy going on these forums, but I'm not going to sit by idly while some room temperature IQ, non-contributing zero barges in with nothing of value other than to launch personal attacks on misrepresented arguments and faulty logic.

LMAO. Think what u want professor. If non-contributing means I don't give my uneducated opinion in every single thread I come across the way you do, then yeah - u nailed it.

Are you absolutely SURE you don't have a baby? Because from where I sit, you're certainly acting like one.

[NemesisX]

Originally Posted by ddk632

I'd think the R8 is safer than the S2000 just from general German car standards alone.

Can't really chime in beyond that until I get a 2 seater sports car again.. my last one was an SLK300 but I never put my kids in that car.

You can start a Meetup group, "Dads with Two Seater Sports Cars Whose Children Ride in the Front Seat in A Car Seat, On The Front Seat"



What kind of testing are you doing anyway? I mean, just do it, right?

I was thinking the same thing

Originally Posted by s4play

Guys, let's try not to turn this into a parenting thread!

Let's talk about other dad's who's put their kids in 2-seater sports cars....I've seen tons of them on the road so can't believe this is such a hot topic. They must be in the minority?

I'll report back when I do some testing of the baby seat in our car. Wife is ok with the sports car but not so keen in our s2000 (she feels the s2000 is a convertible so not as safe)

Looks like there was a jalopnik article back in 2010 about some guy taking his 2 year old for a ride in his R8. The video was taken down after backlash from the community, but there's a relevant piece of text in the article -

UPDATE Chris took down the video in response to several comments questioning the safety of his drive. For the record: Yes, you can put child seats in the front of a two-seat vehicle, as long as the air bags can be deactivated, as the Audi R8 does automatically. Here's the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's brochure [PDF] on the matter. This is why we can't have nice things.

http://jalopnik.com/5690177/adorable...-turbo-audi-r8

Video is no longer up, but that text is the only relevant portion anyway.

[s4play]

Originally Posted by ddk632

I'd think the R8 is safer than the S2000 just from general German car standards alone.

Can't really chime in beyond that until I get a 2 seater sports car again.. my last one was an SLK300 but I never put my kids in that car.

You can start a Meetup group, "Dads with Two Seater Sports Cars Whose Children Ride in the Front Seat in A Car Seat, On The Front Seat"



What kind of testing are you doing anyway? I mean, just do it, right?

My test is 3 parts:

a) Not all baby seats fit every car the same way, it has to mainly do with the backseat angle in relation to the car seat. But since the front seats do recline (unlike most rear seats) this should not be a main concern.

b) Height of the child sitting in the seat in relation to the doors and roof. Some baby seats really "prop" the child up high which in a sports car is not ideal. Our Clek Foonf is such a seat and is touted as the best baby seat on the market at nearly $500 a pop.

c) Distance from child to front dash for maximum safety. Certain baby seats are much thicker while others are very slim/compact design such as our Radian RXT seat. Most likely this will be the seat that will go in the car.


thanks Nemesis for the post/link!

[ddk632]

Good points, OP.

I use a Britax Frontier 85 SICT (Red to match my red interior) for my 3 yo and an Orbit Infant seat for my son. Neither of which would be a good candidate in a front seat! The Britax is huge.

[kobeballer96]

I'd say do it, drive safe, have the airbag off and enjoy your day with your son/daughter.

People need to relax. When it's your time it's your time! You could die from eating water melon sitting at home and choke on a seed for crying out loud.

[Taskmaster]

First problem is that it's a VW, I'll say no.

[Ashley Schaeffer BMW]

Should prob put your childs safety ahead of your own vanity just this one time.

[s4play]

So I finally found some free time earlier tonight to do a test fitment of one of our baby seats, the Recaro Pro-Ride.

Looking at the size / shape of the Clek foonf and Maxi Cosi, we decided those will stay in our family sedans and SUV's due to their size and width. The Clek has the fixed LATCH system and the larger plastic shell though incredibly strong are more suited for larger cars. Thus I decided to do my testing on the Recaro and later the Radian RXT. I think the best fit will be the Radian due to it's narrow shell design and compact low sitting height.

But for now, here's how the Recaro looks. I used heavy black towels to protect the stock seats and adjusted the recline to match the Recaro's back angle. Then following the owners manual, we engaged the auto retractor locking system test fitted the seat. Seat fits pretty nicely but since it's late, will have to wait till tomorrow to have my girl do a live sitting test. The most important thing as the manual pointed out is to make sure the Audi weight pad will detect the baby seat and disable the passenger airbag. An actual indicator should come on saying the airbag is disabled.