Yes, that's me. I'm the Seatbelt Nazi. I think it all started when I was a senior in high school and my sister had a near fatal car crash. She was in the hospital for weeks, broke almost every rib on one side, punctured her lung, severed her spleen, had severe lacerations on her face, and was imbedded head to toe with gravel and burns from sliding across the interstate when she landed on the pavement. Yes. It was awful.Ever since I have been an enormous proponent of seatbelts. Had she been wearing hers she probably would have walked away sore and banged up, but she would have been walking -- not taking 6 months to recover. And then there's the whole other story of my 14 year old niece dying in a car wreck.... same kind of thing... no seatbelt.
So fast forward....years later.... I have kids and I become the mom who won't back out of the driveway unless everyone is belted properly. I'm downright fanatical about it.
So today, Macy was sick and home with me. We go to Jacob's preschool to pick him up after school and I ask Macy to help get Jacob's seatbelt on. This is the conversation between them that follows:
Macy: C'mon Jacob. Let's get your seatbelt on.
Jacob: NO!!!!
Macy: Jaaaacooobbb.... you haaaaaaaaaave to....... you'll be killed if you don't wear it!
Jacob: No I won't!
Macy: Yes, Jacob! You HAVE to!
Jacob: No, I won't be killed by my seatbelt.... I'll be killed by the policeman if he doesn't see me wearing my seatbelt.
Macy: No you won't. Policemen don't kill people.
Jacob: Yes they do! If they don't wear their seatbelt, the policeman will shoot them!
And I'm in the front.... listening.... thinking maybe I've been a liiiiittle bit over the top about this seatbelt thing. I have absolutely scared my children to death! Poor things.... Macy thinks she's gonna die if she doesn't wear it every moment she's in the car and Jacob.... well, I'm afraid he's going to have an anxiety attack everytime he sees a policeman! I guess sometimes even with the best of intentions we warp our children. I'll probably spend the rest of Jacob's childhood trying to convince him that policemen aren't going to waste him if he forgets to buckle up!
