How do you weigh your kids?

Boot

New member
We don't have a scale. When I want to know my kids weight I borrow a scale from my neighbour (its digital). About a month ago I weighed my 2 year old and she was 25lb. Yesterday I took her to the doc and she was 27lb. I suppose she COULD have put on 2lb in a month but it doesn't seem likely. Our seat only rear faces to 30lb. I thought I had lots of time when she was 25lb but 27lb seems so much closer to the limit. I really don't want to buy a scale but even if I did, how do I know its accurate?
 
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Dillipop

Well-known member
You don't know if it's accurate.

We have a scale at home. I weigh the kids on it when they are interested in doing it. They have to ask me to do it or get on it themselves. Ours has always been within a pound or 2 of the doctors office.

For seats, my kids have always outgrown their seats by height first or by maturity before weight became an issue. If they hadn't, then I would move them up after confirmation that they were within a pound of the weight limit- on any scale. I have to believe that the weight limits take into account a couple extra pounds for parents that don't weigh their kids often or don't pay attention or their kids have a growth spurt. But as soon as I knew my child was over the weight limit on any scale, I'd move them up.
 

Brianna

New member
Unless a scale has just been calibrated, there's no way of knowing how accurate it is. If you plan on RF longer, I would buy a higher weight limit seat now and not worry about weighing again for a while. Or I would just buy a cheap scale to keep at home.
 

tjham

New member
If you plan on RF longer, I would buy a higher weight limit seat now and not worry about weighing again for a while. Or I would just buy a cheap scale to keep at home.

:yeahthatlove:

And good for you for keeping your little one rear facing for so long!
 

mykidsmom10

New member
You can also weigh yourself, then pick up your child & weigh both of you together...the difference is the child's weight. I found it was more accurate as my 2 year old doesn't stand still for long!
 

leighi123

Active member
I weigh my ds on the giant scale they have at the grocery store. They also have one at the pharmacy. Its got handles you can hold while you are being weighed, and its big and looks cool so he will stand on it. I weigh him pretty much whenever we go to the store, just b/c he goes and gets on when we pass it so I check.

I've put him on our home scale but it seems really off especially with him being light. I also weigh him on the wii when we play it, but thats not often.
 

Boot

New member
Unless a scale has just been calibrated, there's no way of knowing how accurate it is. If you plan on RF longer, I would buy a higher weight limit seat now and not worry about weighing again for a while. Or I would just buy a cheap scale to keep at home.

I wasn't planning on buying another seat, although I do have a scenera I could possibly use. I was thinking that 30lb would take us to 3 and I was OK with turning then, now I'm not sure. The seat is a Radian and at the time I bought it I think the US versions rear faced to 33lb so I guess I can assume a bit of leeway there. I'll look out for a cheap scale but I'm not sure if I'd trust it anyway, lol.
 

Brianna

New member
If he still fits by height in the Scenera, I would probably put him in that.

Do you have any exercise weights at home? I suppose you could check how accurate a scale is with those.
 

Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I put my kids on the scale at the vet's when we pick up dog food. I got strange looks at first, but they're used to it now!
 

canadiangie

New member
At the vet office, usually.

It's calibrated quite often because it's used to calculate med dosages. The girls just stand on it and think its fun.

I've done it at Greyhound too but methinks it's rigged for increased profits or something. Said oldest dd was over 40lbs last year, when she wasn't more than 36!


Eta: lol, I see pixelated and I think alike. :p
 

tiggercat

New member
Pixelated said:
I put my kids on the scale at the vet's when we pick up dog food. I got strange looks at first, but they're used to it now!

I love this ;)

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org
 

skiersnowboarder3

Senior Community Member
I put my kids on the scale at the vet's when we pick up dog food. I got strange looks at first, but they're used to it now!

At the vet office, usually.

It's calibrated quite often because it's used to calculate med dosages. The girls just stand on it and think its fun.

I've done it at Greyhound too but methinks it's rigged for increased profits or something. Said oldest dd was over 40lbs last year, when she wasn't more than 36!


Eta: lol, I see pixelated and I think alike. :p

I just weighed the baby at the vet this afternoon! Well, technically I weighed her car seat with and without her in it. ;)
 

Ninetales

New member
I go to the chiropractor every week so when she's with me I weigh her there. Otherwise I have to use my home scale, which is slightly off. I weigh a 10 lb weight to see how off it is each time.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I now have a scale, and I test it periodically with known-weight objects to see if it's reasonably accurate.

But, uh, I've been known, before I had one or when I need a more accurate measurement (my scale is analog, not digital), to go to the post office after hours and put them on the scale for the Automated Postal Center...

Uh, I mean, some people have been known to do that. Not me. Yeah. :p
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Me? I notice that clothes seem small, and say, hmmm, I wonder how much you weigh, then I go to the scale aisle at walmart and try out a couple scales. The average wins as the kiddo's weight.
 

erind

Member
DS and I just use the wii fit. I like it because it is always telling me I am underweight. :) I also work for UPS so if DS ever comes there with me I stick him on the scale.
 

djma

New member
We're at the doctor's office enough with DD to know her weight all the time. LOL

We did recently buy a scale. I think it's a pound or 2 off, but she's got 10 more pounds to go before reaching her seat's RF limit. :D
 

agave

New member
My scale has always been within a half pound of the doctor's scale. I have also weighed my kids at the vet.
 

mrosehughes

New member
We do the differential weighing with DS (weigh ourselves - usually DH - with and without him). That souls be accurate even if the scale is not calibrated, right?
 

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