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JennGM
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| Posted: March 30 2007 at 10:07pm | IP Logged
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We had the Britax Roundabout and I just loved it...the convenience and luxury features were nice....
But thanks for the reassurance.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 30 2007 at 10:08pm | IP Logged
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I'm not sure if you saw the big bruhaha over a Consumer Reports carseat test.. it was about the infant carriers coming loose from bases.. but the speeds the seats were tested at were higher than they were supposed to be or something..
But anyway.. one of the seats that came out of that with good reviews was the graco.. they're a good reasonable seat money-wise. and all of mine are now graco.
Not that there aren't other good seats.. it's just that these are what I know.. and I know they get good reviews.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Lissa
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| Posted: March 30 2007 at 10:34pm | IP Logged
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I ran into the same problem last year (needing to fit 3 boosters in the back of the minivan). When I posted about it, I got lots of great suggestions in the comments. http://liltinghouse.clubmom.com/the_lilting_house/2006/07/i_ think_ive_fou.html
I wound up buying the seat suggested in the first comment, the Britax StarRiser Comfy. It is adjustable and can be made narrower than any other seat I've seen. We're using it in the backseat with a toddler seat and a different kind of booster--the one StarRiser is narrow enough to make it work. Buckling is still a pain, though.
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Lissa
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ALmom
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| Posted: March 30 2007 at 10:50pm | IP Logged
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Ok here is my problem with these laws:
We have 6 children - our 4 yo rides in a booster. All other children are seatbelted - no exceptions. Now, our state does not require anyone of our children to be in any kind of carseat (because our vehicle is exempt as a Ford club wagon). Now, I would never have my under 4s in anything but a infant or toddler seat. Our 4 yo upgrades to the booster seats - usually by then we are needing our other seat for the infant. Our 6 yo - heck even our 10 yo do not meet the height requirements (I barely do). Now, if we put our 6 and above in booster seats in the car, instead of worrying about a serious enough wreck to cause seatbelt damage, we would be endangering them with whip lash as their heads all get above the backseat. This is a much more likely injury for us so we generally move the children out of the booster when the back of the seat no longer supports their head.
As far as using lap and shoulder belts - we require it when in a seat equipped with both. But our center seats don't have both. We do use one of the seats with just lap belt for the infant/toddler seat as this is acceptable according to our manufacturers instructions. We place the booster only where the belt arrangements work - and we are not supposed to use seats with shoulder belts for this one. However, if we are carrying extra children (all have seatbelts of some sort), we do have children in just lap belts.
Reading the legaleese of the law, I have no idea whether or not TN, Maryland, VA, Ohio, and DC would consider us in compliance or not. Do I now have to run out and find 5 point harnesses for my 4 yo and boosters for my older children when we travel through these states. (I think the 12 yo and 15 yo barely meet the height requirement. I think the 12 yo meets the weight requirement - but it might be close. My 10 and 6 yo are definitely under 60 lbs and no where close to 5 ft.) I also have no idea whether or not our carseats meet whatever the latest standards are. We bought them years and years ago and have never been in an accident so we have re-used them with every child. I don't see the point in finding the latest and greatest and this whole thing just irks me no end. Whatever happened to giving parents information and trusting them to do what is best for their children.
Janet
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Maryan
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| Posted: March 31 2007 at 8:42am | IP Logged
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Again -- I really appreciate all the feedback and recommendations. I'm busy taking notes, bookmarking all these great sites, etc. Thank you thank you.
On Lissa's link, one of the commenters said that she got an extension to the seatbelt ata dealership so that the buckling mechanism was up HIGHER than the carseat (no scraped knuckles digging between 3 carseats smushed together). 
This sounds intersting -- but since it deals with the actual buckling mechanism, I was a little worried.  Has anyone have any experience with this?? Because if it works, it does sound very helpful.
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 31 2007 at 11:28am | IP Logged
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it's just a short piece of strap.. same strap and buckles as used in the car.. I wouldn't have any problem with using that.. hmmm I have one child having a difficult time.. wonder if that would help her
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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juststartn
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| Posted: March 31 2007 at 3:25pm | IP Logged
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Janet/ALMom...
You may want to be careful---car seats older than 5 yrs. have problems with plastic degradation, and the stresses from quick stops, not including wrecks. I've managed to get three thru most of our seats before the five yr span ends, so it's not as expensive as you might think (although having to buy two car seats this time was interesting, lol--I needed to buy a new infant car seat after my youngest dd got out of it, anyway, but having twins...lol).
I kwym about the height requirements. My oldest one is a new 7, and I am keeping a close eye on her head height in the rearview. She's not near the 80lbs NC requires in addition to being 8 yrs old, but we'll be at her next bday before I know it...don't know where she will be height wise by then. She's already in the smallest booster I could find.
We only generally travel from here in NC thru SC to GA, and back, and I am sure that the standards here are more stringent than in either of those two states...(8 and 80lbs to get out of a booster, 4 and 40 to get out of a 5-point harness/car seat...)
Rachel
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Married DH 4/1/95
Lily 3/11/00
Helena(Layna) 5/23/02
Sophia 4/19/04
John 5/7/07
David 5/7/07
Ava Maria, in the arms of Jesus, 9/5/08
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Car seat help!
