Vickie I normally agree with most everything you say. But I have to disagree here. There should never be a need to use a laundry basket in lieu of a car seat. Many non-profit organizations provide car seats on loan so that you never have to transport a child without being in a proper car seat. These seats are also designed to protect children from the safety features such as air bags. The thing you suggest would offer no protection whatsoever from the force of a side airbag deploying.

I understand that Kathryn is in the UK and organizations and laws may be different there, but in the end what it boils down to in my opinion is if you don't have the proper tools you don't do the job. Leave the child home until you can obtain a car seat.

I know here you cannot even bring your newborn home from the hospital without the nurse (and what qualifications they have idk) checking to see that you have the proper seat and that it is installed correctly. In the event you do not have one, they will loan one to you.

My kids never fussed about getting into a car seat, then a booster seat because there was never a choice involved. If you're in a car or a plane, you're in your seat. My cousin was rather lax about this once her kids became toddlers. We took them on a vacation with us and her son (five at the time) started to put up a fuss, I told him my car doesn't work with kids out of car seats. He made a six hour trip one way (with stops of course) without complaint again. I realize that kids behave much better for anyone other than their parents, but it was only laziness that prevented my cousin from following through with this in her own vehicle.