JaRylan
New member
Hi all,
I need deciding some car seat issues and everyone here is just so good at what they do!
Rylan's dad and I are separated and he recently moved about 4 hours away for work. This means that Rylan sees him every other weekend or maybe 3 weekends a month. Rylan recently outgrew his car seats that were harnessed and he is not mature enough to sit in a booster properly. He is 4.5 years old but has a seizure disorder that has caused him to regress. He is 40" tall and weighs 45lbs.
I bought a Radian 65 for my vehicle but I am still thinking I would like the Regent eventually. I figured I would wait until Transport Canada issues the higher ff weight limit (supposedly 04/01/07) and then get an approved Regent and sell the Radian to my sister. There is no way that his dad would go for a Regent for his vehicle (he thought the Radian was big???).
Now the questions (factors that need to be considered follow):
Should we just share the Radian 65? It installed great in his parent's Impala (but I did have to work at it to get it tight enough) and he says it installed well in his Cobalt. Problem being it means installing a seat all the time and I don't know if they have the strength to do it. They (the ex or his parents) aren't very receptive when I double check things that they have done (and I can't blame them, but please do it right then!).
Is Rylan better off in a 5 point harnessed seat (Radian 65) or a booster seat (hopefully a Britax Parkway) when he is with his dad (given the potential for misuse of the harnessed seat by grandparents and even when dad is in a rush)? I think my ex is willing to buy a HWH seat but I'm wondering if this is the best option.
Can you lock the shoulder/lap belt when you are using a booster? Just trying to think of ways to limit how far Rylan can go when he gets the notion to.
Things to consider:
- they travel at night so it is hard to see if he is still positioned properly
- the driver should be watching the road as much as possible, harnessed seat would make this easier
- grandparents would be using the seat in their vehicle and they don't always pay attention to detail or forget things so the potential for unintentional misuse is good
- it is 8 hours of driving round-trip on single-lane highways
- Rylan sleeps a lot in vehicles (so far the Radian is great for sleeping)
- Rylan has seizures and can slump forward or to the side
- ex drives a 2005 Cobalt and there is a shoulder belt in the middle (so booster could be in the middle)
If you think of anything else you would like to add or question please go ahead. I know he is safe when he is with his dad and his grandparents, I just want him to be as safe as possible. I really worry about the amount of highway driving and the fact that I won't be able to install the seat all the time.
Thanks,
Jacqui
I need deciding some car seat issues and everyone here is just so good at what they do!
Rylan's dad and I are separated and he recently moved about 4 hours away for work. This means that Rylan sees him every other weekend or maybe 3 weekends a month. Rylan recently outgrew his car seats that were harnessed and he is not mature enough to sit in a booster properly. He is 4.5 years old but has a seizure disorder that has caused him to regress. He is 40" tall and weighs 45lbs.
I bought a Radian 65 for my vehicle but I am still thinking I would like the Regent eventually. I figured I would wait until Transport Canada issues the higher ff weight limit (supposedly 04/01/07) and then get an approved Regent and sell the Radian to my sister. There is no way that his dad would go for a Regent for his vehicle (he thought the Radian was big???).
Now the questions (factors that need to be considered follow):
Should we just share the Radian 65? It installed great in his parent's Impala (but I did have to work at it to get it tight enough) and he says it installed well in his Cobalt. Problem being it means installing a seat all the time and I don't know if they have the strength to do it. They (the ex or his parents) aren't very receptive when I double check things that they have done (and I can't blame them, but please do it right then!).
Is Rylan better off in a 5 point harnessed seat (Radian 65) or a booster seat (hopefully a Britax Parkway) when he is with his dad (given the potential for misuse of the harnessed seat by grandparents and even when dad is in a rush)? I think my ex is willing to buy a HWH seat but I'm wondering if this is the best option.
Can you lock the shoulder/lap belt when you are using a booster? Just trying to think of ways to limit how far Rylan can go when he gets the notion to.
Things to consider:
- they travel at night so it is hard to see if he is still positioned properly
- the driver should be watching the road as much as possible, harnessed seat would make this easier
- grandparents would be using the seat in their vehicle and they don't always pay attention to detail or forget things so the potential for unintentional misuse is good
- it is 8 hours of driving round-trip on single-lane highways
- Rylan sleeps a lot in vehicles (so far the Radian is great for sleeping)
- Rylan has seizures and can slump forward or to the side
- ex drives a 2005 Cobalt and there is a shoulder belt in the middle (so booster could be in the middle)
If you think of anything else you would like to add or question please go ahead. I know he is safe when he is with his dad and his grandparents, I just want him to be as safe as possible. I really worry about the amount of highway driving and the fact that I won't be able to install the seat all the time.
Thanks,
Jacqui
