How to tell a friend their child need a new seat

Okay - this friend already thinks I'm a car seat nut I think because my oldest is still RF.

She has a DD 6 months older and several inches taller at least - I'm guessing 40" inches in height for sure. She's in a Comfortsport.

I know for her daughter's sake I need to say something, but how do I phrase it delicately? Also, any seats I should recommend? They did not want to spend a lot of money when they bought the convertible, so Britax is out of the question. I don't know much about non-Britax seats.

Yikes, I also hope this doesn't push them to move her to a booster when she's not quite 4 yet even.

What is wrong with the comfortsport? Is she above the harness slots?

crystal vowell said:

What is wrong with the comfortsport? Is she above the harness slots?

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At three and 40", my guess is the child has been above the harness slots for some time.

I would just tell the friend, hey - your daughter has grown a lot! Looks like it's time for a new seat. She still needs a harness, so here are seats she'll fit....
The CS has the lowest harness slots of any seat currently on the market.

I would try to look at the child in the seat first just to make sure. I agree with Rebekah that she has probably outgrown it since my 35" DD has, BUT I know a boy that made it to 39 lb, taller than 36" and just even with the slots in his CS. He was only 2.5, but large and apparently has long legs. I was SO surpised that he still fit I about had to pick my jaw up off the ground. He did get a new seat since he was at the very limit of the height and weight, but still it was interresting.

There are several combination seats that have taller harness slots and shells, but that hasve 40 lb limits, so if she's tall and light that could be a good option. You could look at the Graco Cargo (not Cherished version), the Evenflo Chase, and the Evenflo Generations/Bolero. Only the last one makes a decent booster, so you might want to mention that one since she is older.

If she is closer to 40 lb already then you can look at the Apex 65, Radian, or FP seat that harnesses to 55#.

How about the apex? Do they have headrests in their car? That way they would get more bang for their buck with the harness and then in converts to bpb.

I had a neighbor I approached similarly to skaterbabs' suggestion. This was just after my accident last summer when I got my 2y/o dd's new AOE (before I learned of the Radian and other HWH seats), and I was so excited about all of the new things I'd learned about carseat safety. I just said something like, "Wow, J sure has gotten tall! It looks like it's time to take the straps up to the next slot-- they're below her shoulders now, not above." She replied something about thinking they were *supposed* to be below, and I told her about how it's opposite for FF than it is RF. Then, she said there weren't any more slots to go up; her dd was in the highest slots (which I could see plainly, but wanted to let her make the point). It took her about a month I think to go buy a new seat, by which time I had bought a Radian for my preschooler, so I made sure to tell her all about how wonderful I think it is, how my dd will be able to ride in it until she's 65# (or more likely, 6-7y/o and under 50"). She eventually ordered an Apex.

Her dd is younger than my 2y/o, but almost the same size as my 5y/o, with an extremely long torso, so I was glad to see that she went with a HWH seat.

I know a 5.5 year old who still fits into the ComfortSport. I know that sounds impossible, and I swore it was before I saw it. She's about half an inch below the top slot and 34ish pounds. It scares me.

Thanks for the thoughts everyone - I'm going to bring it up the next time I see her.

I haven't seen her daughter in the seat in a very long time, but I know she has to have outgrown it. I just sold a Comfortsport (our spare seat) because my oldest had long outgrown it and now we have MAs for the extra car so I'd never even use it for the 17 month old. Her daughter weighs the same as mine but it significantly taller and it's not all leg.

I guess I could phrase it in terms of her little one needing to move to a convertible soon (she has a 7 month old DS). I can say something like "Oh, your DS is getting so big! He'll need a new carseat soon huh? Are you going to give him your DDs seat since she might be outgrowing it?"