harness tightness on thighs?

[NannyMae]

I was watching a little girl yesterday (6 months in snugride) and we went for a walk so I just attached her SR to my travel system and off we went. well I was playing with her straps (moms really good about cs safety.. tight install, handle in proper place in car, straps/chest piece are good, ect) and when I was buckling her up, I noticed her straps were just a little too loose so I fixed them. then as I was tightening them, I noticed all the slack was coming from the tightness on her thighs. how tight exactly should the harness be on a childs thighs?

should it be about the same as the tightness on the shoulders?

[snowbird25ca]

I usually tell parents to look at the belt on a child's thighs the same way as when you buckle your own seatbelt and tug the slack out of the lap portion.

You want them snug on her hips because the hip straps are going to be the first method of preventing her from ramping up in the seat if she's in a crash, and the harness works as a system overall meaning that slack from the hips can easily become slack in the shoulders.

So I always show parents to buckle, then grab onto the harness above the buckle and pull up to snug the hip straps flat against babies legs, then tighten the harness. Usually what I have them do is tighten the harness really snug, then tug again so that the little bit of slack that was at the hips goes up and makes it so the shoulder straps aren't uncomfortable on their neck and that usually leaves a perfect fit with tight thighs and snug but not too snug straps at the shoulders. :thumbsup:


IIRC you've mentioned a family you care for has a baby in a bucket that uses a bundle me - if there's a bundleme in there, that's likely where the problem with the hip straps is coming from - it hides the slack and tends to even twist the hip straps preventing them from laying in the proper place. (Sorry if I've mixed you up with someone else.)

[wildeyes]

just like this!!
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa247/wildeyescl/carseat%20stuff/th_S7300743.jpg (http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa247/wildeyescl/carseat%20stuff/?action=view&current=S7300743.flv)

[NannyMae]

yep--you must have mixed me up with somebody else lol :)

[luvmy2]

just like this!!
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa247/wildeyescl/carseat%20stuff/th_S7300743.jpg (http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa247/wildeyescl/carseat%20stuff/?action=view&current=S7300743.flv)

Looks perfect, Amanda!