4 year old, newborn, and carseat placement... - Page 2

[thepeach80]

Hot thread, everyone's posting at the same time.

4 AND 40# is the min reccomended to use a booster w/ a child, but the longer they are harnessed, the safer they are. By 6 a child is more able to w/stand crash forces on their body. My 4.5yo is 41# and still harnessed and will be till at LEAST 6.

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

She is in Canada. We live near each other. That's why I mentioned the top tether being the law here.

Thanks for clarifying! Since she didn't state she was in Canada, I just assumed she was in the US.

Now, even in Canada, combo seats do not harness past 40 pounds.

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

I have a convertible seat that harnesses to 48 pounds.

That's why I said COMBO seat

[thismama]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

Legal, but definitely not recommended. I would feel MUCH better with that child in booster mode than using the harness past 40 pounds. Where are her shoulders in relation to the top slot?

Um, I have no idea. I can't even guarantee I've moved the straps to the top slot.

Do I get the bad mama of the year award here? :

I don't think much about carseat stuff usually. I just strapped it in, strapped her in, and thought it was safe.

Crap.

Okay: Request from you mamas for safest, non-over-money-spending-due-to-paranoia recommendation? For both my kiddos? What seat, what location, tether straps needed?

Thanks.

[the_lissa]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

That's why I said COMBO seat

I'm sorry I get combo and convertible confused. I have one seat that goes ff and a booster and one that goes rf and ff. They both harness to 48 pounds.

[thepeach80]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

Thanks for clarifying! Since she didn't state she was in Canada, I just assumed she was in the US.

Now, even in Canada, combo seats do not harness past 40 pounds.

No true, there are plenty of combo seats in Canada that harness past 40#. I think most go to 47# though, not 48# like the convertibles (don't know why the # difference). The Chase, Generations, and CarGo all harness past 40#.

[an_aurora]

Okay, take the seat out of the car and look at the back to see if the harness is in the top slots. The straps must be at or above the shoulder. If your seat is a Eddie Bauer/Dorel/Cosco/Safety 1st seat with the headrest that moves up, you cannot use the top slots in harness mode.

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by thepeach80

No true, there are plenty of combo seats in Canada that harness past 40#. I think most go to 47# though, not 48# like the convertibles (don't know why the # difference). The Chase, Generations, and CarGo all harness past 40#.

No way! I didn't know that. I stand corrected! I'll step out now since you've got it covered

[thepeach80]

What car do you have, year and make? Go to your car and find out what carseat you have for your odd? What seat are you using for the baby?

[thismama]

Okay, gonna go look, hang on, brb...

[the_lissa]

I would call the car seat company and find out the weight limit if you can't find the manual.

I'm not sure about your city, but in mine, you can also call the fire dept for help from a car seat tech.

[thismama]

I should do that, Lissa, thanks.

DD's carseat is an Evenflo but I don't see the particular model on it nor can I find it on the Evenflo website. Weird?

Baby's carseat is a bucket seat, an Evenflo Portabout.

Car is a 1995 Chrysler Intrepid.

[thepeach80]

Most of the information she needs should be on stickers on the side. If you don't have all those stickers, you should probably get a new seat anyways. Go here http://www.carseatsite.com/recommended_car_seats.htm and scroll down to Canadian Help.

ETA: This will have pics of the Chase and Generations on there too so you know what those look like.

[thismama]

I have the stickers still. The instructions on them say to install with a seatbelt just as I've done, and harness/booster instructions. So... I'm not sure how helpful those stickers are. Since they don't mention it's ILLEGAL to not have a tether in Ontario.

[thepeach80]

O.K. your carseats should move less than an inch side to side when properly installed. First you'll want to see if your seat belts lock. I'm thinking your car will have lightweight locking latchplates and might look like this.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...n/Lwlpfron.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...n/lightwe2.jpg
W/ the middle looking like this.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...n/backlock.jpg
These all lock on their own so you won't need a locking clip. If they don't look like that, try pulling the shoulder belt all the way out, slowly, and then let it back in a little and try pulling it back out. If it won't come out (and you hear a ratcheting sound when it's going in) than your belts lock that way.

[thepeach80]

Originally Posted by thismama

I have the stickers still. The instructions on them say to install with a seatbelt just as I've done, and harness/booster instructions. So... I'm not sure how helpful those stickers are. Since they don't mention it's ILLEGAL to not have a tether in Ontario.

Well in Canada it is illegal to not have a tether, you think they'd put that on there. The stickers will tell you when to switch the seat from harness to booster mode though, it should say use harness 20-40 or 47# and then you can use booster from 40-80# or kg I guess.

[thismama]

Yep, mine do look like that. I should check locking anyway. I know the middle one locks coz every time I reintall DDs seat (I move it to my housemate's truck etc. a fair bit) I wrench the crap outta the seatbelt to make it tight and I know that damn thing does not give easy.

But i've never used the side belts for a carseat. I will check today.

Thanks for the help! I can't believe how little I knew about carseats. I thought lalala carseat is fine, looks like the pictures, no worries.

[thismama]

Originally Posted by thepeach80

Well in Canada it is illegal to not have a tether, you think they'd put that on there. The stickers will tell you when to switch the seat from harness to booster mode though, it should say use harness 20-40 or 47# and then you can use booster from 40-80# or kg I guess.

Oh, okay! i will check the labels for the weight limit then. I didn't notice that but it's probably on there.

[thepeach80]

I can't find anything in my LATCH/tether book on a 95 Chrysler Intrepid (that's b/c it's a Dodge, info at the bottom), you will have to contact the dealership about having a tether hook installed if in fact your seat does harness past 40#. You also want to make sure the straps are even w/ or above her shoulders. She could outgrow the seat that way before hitting the max weight for the harness. It sounds like you were doing it right though. You want to buckle the seat in, put pressure on it (sit in it, put a knee in it etc) and tighten the belt as much as you can. You then get off the seat and check to see if it moves more than an inch side to side. If it does, repeat the last instructions till it moves less than an inch side to side. Same w/ the infant seat base and remember that the handle on the infant seat HAS to be down when using it in the car.

Canada Dodge #-800-465-2001 You need part #14519077AB for all seating poisitions.

[thismama]

Thank you very much!

This is good timing as I just got a new car (old one got in a minor wreck with large repairs necessary) and we can start off on the safest possible foot!