Hilary Duff in in hot water with the parenting police once again. In this case, she wasn’t even there. Hilary’s three-year-old daughter, Banks, was spending the day with Hilary’s former co-star Molly Bernard. Molly posted this video to Instagram with Banks in the backseat of a moving car:
The post, as you can see, is still up. The point of the video is the comment Banks is making. But all anyone could notice was that she is not in a car seat. The law in California, where this was taken, is that kids need to be in a rear facing car seat until they are over the age of two and 40 pounds or 40 inches. After that, they must be in a secured car or booster seat until they are eight or 4’9”. I’m shocked this got posted to social media.
TMZ speculated that this was some sort of prearranged get-together with Banks and Molly, in which case Banks’ car seat should have been given to Molly. So that would be an oversight on Hilary’s part. Molly may have not known, but child seat laws are on TV in California. Of course younger children have to ride without car seats or boosters sometimes in a pinch, but that does not seem like the case here. Plus Banks has the shoulder strap behind her. We were told to do that when my children were little if we ever needed to travel without a car seat, but apparently that advice has changed. I just hope this will be a teachable moment to remind everyone to brush up on the child seat safety laws in your areas because they change all the time. And maybe to think twice before posting everything to social media.
Photo credit: Instagram and Avalon Red
I am shocked that parents that in 2022, still have their kids out without appropriate car seats AND WITHOUT OMG seatbelts. I usually dont judge, but I dont know about this one. Im feeling judgy. If I remember correctly, the statistic that came out (in the 80’s?) after the testing was that 50% of people died in accidents if they didnt wear their seatbelt. 1 in 2. 50%. just click it, how hard is it?
If she wasn’t actually there I don’t know how she can be blamed for this. I do think she needs to make sure that anyone who takes her child in their car or out without her knows property car safety for kids. But I don’t get how she is to blame for a situation she wasn’t even present for.
You’re right @Ameerah. I thought she was the one in the video. Whoever the adult supervising is, my original comment applies to them
Umm, no. It’s second nature for mothers to think about car seats before letting anyone take your kid anywhere. This was not an emergency where rules had to be bent. She’s certainly rich enough where she could afford to have an extra seat/booster to lent to her best friend. I just saw that a new expensive seat seems to have hard anchors and should, therefore, be a heck of a lot easier to mount and dismount. She can certainly afford it, so 0 excuses.
Yeah that’s the crazy thing — the child isn’t in a carseat AND it doesn’t look like the seatbelt is around her either.
I know it’s not Hilary in the video, but it is her best friend. If I saw that my best friend took my son in a moving car without the proper carseat needed, I would FLIP. THE. F. OUT. on the friend.
She is 100% wearing a seatbelt though. Just not the front strap. You can tell in the 3rd picture. And even though she you can’t see it, it’s very likely that she was in a booster seat based on where her waist is in the same picture.
Yeah, she should be criticized for this. It’s stupid and dangerous. This isn’t “everyone parents differently” or the usual mommy shaming…it’s just plain dumb.
I agree. Using car seats, using the seat belt properly, is not just the law, it’s a no-brainer. Strapping your kid in just becomes second nature, to you and them. I can’t believe anyone would not only ignore that basic safety protocol but post a video showing the infraction! Just dumb and dangerous.
This is about a child’s life and safety. The child is far too young to comprehend what is at risk. The adults were inexcusably careless. This isn’t judging or mommy shaming (I’m sure they will try to claim that, well, people noticing and being naturally horrified if you and your friends have a compulsive need to share publicly about everything dumb or life-endangering you do to a child does not mean you’re being “mommy shamed”) — the law is there for a reason, so please don’t put a child’s life at risk. Ugh!!!
Hilary’s husband has just responded to a valid comment about the breech in his daughter’s safety with: “you’re the kind of person who cuts up their kid’s applesauce, hey?” She picked quite the champion to procreate with. 🙄
I saw that too, really great father eh?
I remember once my ex and I got in an epic fight because I refused to take our 10 month old out of her carseat and hold her IN MY LAP, IN THE FRONT SEAT, of a moving car while we drove through a Christmas light display event.
I ruined Christmas with that one, I did.
Some people are morons.
Did anyone else point out yet that if this were a black celebrity with a black child, CPS would now be involved?
Was this definitely in CA? I know in NYC the law for kids in taxis and ubers is different and since her babysitter is right next to her in the backseat it looks like an uber/lyft situation
I can’t see below her waist in the video. And the level of her head next to the adult looks a little high for a 2 yr old. I suspect she’s buckled/using one of those booster seats that doesn’t have a back. That actually would make sense if she’s in someone else’s car, because that style is much easier to carry and buckle in and out of cars, than other booster seat styles.