car seat -- new hope
 

we are going to a wedding. the bride to be will be picking us up from the philadelphia airport to new hope, pennsylvania.
we are travelling with our 13months old daugther. my concern is car seat. we are yet to hear from her about the car seat issue.

the last time we spoke, she mentioned she was renting a shuttle bus;
supposed she forgot about the carseat which i know she might since she claims she doesnt have a child so all of this is new to her. what do i do?

can i rent a car seat separately from somewhere for the bus/car? where can i rent one?

thanks
chocho

I think a car seat is the parent's responsibility, not the bride-to-be. I would assume your daughter would be sitting in one on the way to the airport in your hometown, and if you bought a ticket for her, she'd be using the same one on the plane.

If you plan to have her sit in your lap on the flight, just check the carseat as baggage. I see many wrapped in a large plastic garbage bag to keep them clean - bring some extras along for the return flight.

Why would you expect to hear from the bride about your child's car seat?

That is your responsibility not hers.

I think the bride is already going above and beyond her duty renting a shuttle bus.

I, too, have seen lots of car seats checked on flights. As J62 said, they are wrapped up well in garbage bags for the flight. In order to be prepared for the return flight home, before you go, wrap enough duct tape around an ink pen to secure the bags around the car seat for the flight home - then you won't have to worry about carrying a whole roll or buying some at your destination.

A shuttle bus may not have adequate (if any) seat belts to use for a carseat. It might be safer and easier for you to rent a car. New Hope is not near the Philadelphia airport. Also, you'll probably need a car once you get to New Hope.

The carseat is not the bride's responsibility; it's yours.

You received excellent advice on your other threads about airports and transportation. With the areas you will be in, I don't know how you will get around without renting a car. Having your own carseat with you will be necessary however you plan to do all the traveling around.

Forgot to include that we always checked our carseats in plastic garbage bags as J62 and Bayougal recommed. We brought an extra garbage bag for the return trip and never had any problem getting suitable tape from airport gate agents to close up the bags.

If you don't want to bring your own carseat on the plane, you can rent one with your rental car from the rental car company.

we have no problem bringing our own car seat. its just its a different one, its the next one after the 3months infant car seat. anyways, we also dont know what kind of car the bride is renting. first she said shuttle, then a car; and also, she said repeatedly she will be driving us around. the driving around is more to/from airport and on the day of the wedding. and that concerns me as well!

i myself i didnt want to go to the wedding, its stressing me out already. she is my sis-inlaw and i am not finding things that helpful, i mean we have travelled around wiht my 13motnhs old daughter and i did all the planning (spain + holland), but with this, she is not very helpful at all. i have also been a bride before, and i am sure, its not easy, but if you are inviting out of towners you try to make it accomodating as much as possible. i guess everybody is different.

thanks though.

cheers
chocho

If it were me, I would thank the bride for her offer and rent my own car. It should not be all that expensive for the weekend, you will have your freedom, one of you can take baby off somewhere while other stays at reception, you can run out for anything you forgot.

I agree with gail. Best plan yet!

Having been a bride myself last year, and with about 80% of my guests from OOT, there was <b>no way</b> I could arrange transportation for everybody! It was very nice of her to offer, even if she's your SIL.

If you don't find her helpful, why don't you just go ahead and rent a car on your own and not be stressed out by your SIL. I'm sure she'll be a lot less stressed out too!

Renting a car is not that expensive. If you're limited by a budget, try either Hotwire or Priceline - I've had really great deals via either one.

I just reread your other posts - and at least a dozen folks have suggested renting a car as the only real option to your varied questions and situations.

Bring your car seat, rent a car and let the bride relax and enjoy her wedding.

Let her know immediately after you reserve the car. I'm sure her stress level will drop dramatically.

From reading all your other posts about how inconvenienced you are having to go to this wedding...Maybe you should just not go.

Otherwise...Let me try and make this simple

- Rent your own car
- Either bring your own car seat or rent one from the car rental agency
- Give the bride a break

yeah, i just dont want to go, but i guess i have to go and support my spouse;-)

i want to rent a car, and even not stay in the hotel she reserved for us, but i think i will be a bad sil as everybody will be driven around by her, and stay in the same hotel, so i say, i am not going to do anything, i will watch her stress herself, and i guess i am getting stressed out myself.

like i am good in planning things on my own with tight budget, but its just insane when you are being so dependent on somebodys timeline.

oh well
chocho

Be a GOOD sil and bring your car seat, rent a car and give her the best present EVER - 3 fewer people to have to worry - or even think about - during her wedding weekend.

YOU are in control here. Rent a car*

* probably the 14th time that suggestion has been made as the only logical suggestion over several posts during the month of October. The consensus is in. Rent. A. Car.

i want to rent a car, but its her family affair, when i suggested that i am stiring up things.

so i just left it. i dont want to be stiring up anythig, its enough having to hang out with inlaws that weekend.

yes i want rent a car, bring my own, name it i want that too. my husband doesnt want to drive the car and i dont want to drive the car either as we both not for the US. so its nto that easy.

anyways...
thanks for all your replies
chocho

With a 13 month old child, you have the best excuse to rent a car- the child! You just tell the family it's better for the child if you rent your own car. The child is safer, you can come and go when the child needs to do so, etc.

I suspect your SIL does not want to drive the 3 of you around at her wedding. She's just being polite and trying to make it as easy for her guests as possible. Do her a big favor (and get your relationship off to a good start) and rent a car.

Regarding driving in the US - the area you will be visiting may be some of the prettiest and less stressful driving you can encounter. NOT &quot;typical&quot; US driving - whatever that may be.

From the start of your posts, Fodorites have described the surrounding area. You will need a car to get anywhere. You will need a car if your baby needs anything. You will WANT a car for flexibility traveling in that area with a baby. Believe us. Really.

After reading the development of these posts, I would guess if that you asked the bride again if she would mind if you rented a car, she would say &quot;Not at all!&quot;. In any case, you two are adults and can make your own decisions.

The more I read, the more I am convinced that a car for the three of you is the best present you can give the bride on her wedding weekend.

Email this thread to your sister law and I'll bet a dollar that she offers to pay for your rental car.

I just have to say that the funniest part of your post is that your SIL &quot;claims she doesn't have a child&quot;. That is just too funny! Do you think she's hiding a love child somewhere?

chocho, where do you live now (city,state)?

Where are you from (what country)?

Is your SIL from the US, your home country, or another country?

dont get me wrong, i am excited, but i didnt want to go because of cost you know; with a child everything is insanely expensive. and we just just arrived back from our trip to Europe, so you can imagine how my prevoius post mentioned about budget.

and yes of course i am excited for the occassion, we are happy for her. but i was more rooting for my husband to go by himself that way we can send off a generous gift, just becuase of cost etc.

so yes i am excited about the occassion, but i am more concern about the bills you know.

cheers
chocho

I just have to say that the funniest part of your post is that your SIL &quot;claims she doesn't have a child&quot;. That is just too funny! Do you think she's hiding a love child somewhere?

&gt;&gt;yeah its funny because that was aher response. i know u are getting the impression why fuss about all of this, why dont you rent a car and leave the bride to be alone; i so want that, but its not as easy as you guys are saying...

thanks though
chocho

Author: chocho
Date: 10/27/2006, 12:57 pm
i want to rent a car, but its her family affair, when i suggested that i am stiring up things.

so i just left it. i dont want to be stiring up anythig, its enough having to hang out with inlaws that weekend.

yes i want rent a car, bring my own, name it i want that too. my husband doesnt want to drive the car and i dont want to drive the car either as we both not for the US. so its nto that easy.

anyways...
thanks for all your replies
chocho
--------------------------------

I'm sorry you feel that way about your husband's family.

Is your husband aware of how stressed out you are? Does he realize the dilemma you're facing regarding the car seat? I'm sure he should be as concerned about the safety of your child as you are. Tell him to pick up the phone and call your SIL and tell her you will be renting a car on your own so that you'll have more flexibility with the baby.

Well, if I were your new SIL I know I would be thrilled to hear that family members could not come to my wedding because they opted to spend their budget on a trip to Europe instead. That would make me feel very, very special indeed.

&quot;but i was more rooting for my husband to go by himself that way we can send off a generous gift, just becuase of cost etc.&quot;

Trust me, the presence of friends and family at my wedding was priceless - better than any gifts anyone could have given me.

LoL, Starrsy!

I am thinking (hoping?) there are some cultural differences here that are not clear. I was hoping chocho would answer my questions about origins, but still waiting.

Is this a money issue or a please the bride issue? It seems to swing both ways.

choco, sit your husband down and ask him if he will call his sister and tell her that you and the baby will not be attending.

You are stressed which will make the baby stressed and fussy.

That you want to attend but you just cannot swing it right now but you are looking forward to spending quality time with her and her new husband when the dust settles.

well, we went to europe way before her wwedding arrived;

anyways thats not the case here; one day when you have a child and a family of your own, you will try to out your new family first, meaning on what can you afford and what cant you afford; if you are accomodating the needs and wants of others, your new family will be shumbles.

you try to be accomodating and yet practical; its not an attack to my husbands family or anybody, its more, can we afford and how will that impact us; its more, where are we now, in our life right now.

i have aboslute respect and admiration for my husbands family and all, but i also dont want to break an arm and leg to make people happy.

cheers
chocho

chocho-

Reading your other threads, I see that you'll be flying in from <b>Toronto</b>.

AFAIK, driving in Canada is not much different than driving in the US. And like others have said, the traffic in the area around New Hope is not busy at all. It really wouldn't be that difficult to drive.

And I find it hard to accept your explanation about it being expensive to go to the wedding, when you just returned from a European trip?

We all posted at the same time, but seems like it's come down to a money issue.

Chocho, if you can't afford it and the plans they've made are too stressful and difficult for you, then I strongly suggest you follow GoT's advice posted above.

well, for starters i just returned to work; you guys have been great, but i cant tell you all my problems.

my husband knows my concerns and respects that, but i guess i just started stressing out about the car seat. i am sure all will work out fine.

i will post after the wedding this weekend and let you all know how everything turned out.

cheers
chocho

Just make the best of it, chocho. Didn't realize the wedding was tomorrow! Have fun, and give your SIL the best gift you can: be kind and gracious regardless of what you've been through to get to the wedding.

oh i will sure have fun. the wedding is not tomorrow, its over the weekend.

i am gracious:-), and i think i have stressed out myself than its needed. after all its a wedding:-)

i guess God always work things out well for as all.


cheers
chocho

Cho, honey, today is Friday. Is the wedding Sunday? LoL That's about all the weekend there is this week.

Does Canada recognize the same calendar as the rest of the world?

Whenever the wedding is go and have a good time.

Lawsy I hope they aren't missing the flight....

That's one way to solve the problem.

can u tell my mind is tired:-)
yes today is friday, oh dear. flights is later. and yes its tomorrow.

hehe, oh dear where is my mind...

thanks guys
chocho

LMAO, Starrsy, I adore your sense of humor, girl!! :))