Ponder With Me? Re: Seats for J

Jonah Baby

New member
I'm sure everyone knows that I over-think and over complicate every scenario - the answer is often simple and in reach, I just stress about it too much to see clearly.

J has precisely one inch in torso height before he is even with the top slots on the MyRide.
It took him about 6 months to gain one inch of torso growth recently, and he is due for a growth spurt ANY DAY NOW.
My kid is LARGE. Proportionately large, but think of a thickly built/SOLID average 5 year old/small 6 year old - that's J.

At Walmart today I tried him in the Nauti again.
He makes this seat look like he's in an infant bucket. His shoulders are kinda turned in from the sides and the crotch buckle, on the out-most setting, is UNDER his rump. He didn't think it was too comfy, either.
I've tried him in the CA - the harness spacing is too close, it leaves nasty red lines on his neck just testing at the store.

I faxed in the receipts for the carseats today (original $300 from Radian and the $150 recent True Fit receipt.) So...I'd expect us to acquire a Radian again shortly.
I CANNOT get the damn Radian to install in my Mother's car. I'm not sure I want to TRY in my Stepmother's (miserable freakin' car...) Nothing installs good in my Father's and my Mother's second car is a Dodge and completely incompatible with most carseats I've owned, including the Radian.
So, having only ONE carseat for J that is a Radian is, well, a problem. Buying a back-up/grandparent/emergency seat is NOT an issue with us. We will find a way to do it if needed (the value to my sanity when my parents take him is just too large to give up.)

Our other Wizard expires March 1st, but he's close to outgrowing that as well if I remember right. He's already sitting OVER the crotch buckle.:rolleyes:
My Stepmother and Father WILL NOT correctly use an RSTV. My Mother would and has asked me about it before.


If this was YOUR kid, what would you do?
 
ADS

amyd

New member
Frontier 85? Instead of the Radian? Maestro as a backup seat? He's 4, right? How much does he weigh? How close to booster ready do you think he is?
 

armywife12

New member
My soon to be 3 yr old is similar in size (40 inches, 37lbs, 15.25 inch torso) and has a lot of growing room in the Maestro. We just sold our MyRide because he was close to outgrowing it both RF and FF. Caleb seemed to fit fine in the Nautilus but I just didn't like it very much so I just recently sold it as well. The buckle strap was under him a little bit but he still had room in that area to grow. We replaced the MyRide with the Complete Air and, so far, the close straps haven't bothered him at all and I love how much RF growing room he has left. I would go with a Maestro or Frontier 85. We LOVE our Frontier 85 and can't wait to use it when he goes FF.
 

Jonah Baby

New member
Ooh, didn't think of the Apex.
Is that the one that requires head rests? That may be an issue in my car.

I'd hate to ditch the (replacement) Radian. The RF time left is valuable to me and I'm positive A will need it down the road. J may also really need the HWH time.

J just turned 3. I know he can't booster until closer to 6 1/2 - 7, he couldn't handle it.

The True Fit is for baby. He really hates the Wizard, it's uncomfortable for him, but J's head slump in it terrified me so some compromise had to be made.

We could do a FR85, but it won't install in my Stepmother's car, so we'd still have to buy something else and I'd lose the RF time for both kids.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
"My" J is very similar in both age and size to your J -- about two mos older, but has outgrown the MR in RF height and is 41lbs. I think he's 14" in torso, but otherwise very similar. So I totally get your dilemma, in terms of what will fit... the HWH options (let alone ERF options) feel like too few.

I think the first thing I would look at is the Maestro. I know it would only get him a couple of years, but in a couple of years, you will probably be itching to do something else anyways. J could use the TF, A could use something else, who knows what will be on the market. It's certainly the most economical option. The only concern I can think of is some commentary about the width of the straps... they may cut into his neck like the CA does.

Otherwise, you have the Radian for your car, right? If that's the case, then I'd go ahead and look at the Apex. That thing is wide (I am, um, not skinny -- I guess on the upper range of average -- and it's the only seat I've owned that I can sit in, and comfortably, at that.) My solid now-6.5yo used it at 5.5, and we never had a problem with the crotch strap. It does require head support, but if that's only a problem in your car and you have the Radian, then it wouldn't be a problem. (Plus, it will take a while for him to be tall enough for it to be a problem... and, like with the Maestro, you may be ready to switch at that time.)

Lastly... J may shock you with boostering. I have one child I would still have harnessed at 8.5 if I could... and another who I would booster f/t at 5. They're not the kids, at 3.5, that I would have thought that of. He may mature in that area and surprise you. :)
 

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