Do I NEED a backup seat?

arly1983 · Sep 27, 2012

Well, me and DH are having a discussion about this and I want to know what you guys think? I know its hard to believe but I am so much thriftier than I used to be. (Still not sure if I am considered exactly thrifty though

)

DS2 is 40ish lbs/3 yrs 8 months and depending on the install/car he has outgrown the RA50 FFing we just gave back to my sister. That leaves me with one lonely radian65 for him. All my other seats are boosters (lots of them, LOL) I am a SAHM and they don't usually ride with anyone else pretty much. If they do I usually switch cars just because its easier. We maybe ride with my mom once a month or DH maybe twice a month. Its just easier for them to ride with me and DH's car is 14 yrs old and not nearly as safe as mine.

I have wondered about emergencies and if I wreck my car then I could have a seat here from amazon the next day. If I needed a second seat and for some reason couldn't use the radian: walmart is less than two miles away and they have Nautili. If my truck burned down, the same applied. Since we have a 5 seater car with a 3-across, no friends ride with us unless they are old enough to use the front seat. If my seat fell apart, I could order a new one over-nighted.

Am I forgetting something or not thinking of something? Do I actually *NEED* a backup?

rachelandtyke · Sep 27, 2012

I don't think you do. We only have back-ups because we have seats in each of our cars. We didn't have any extra seats at all until we were ready to put some in DH's car. And never had a need for them.

Mysweethoneybee · Sep 27, 2012

The only reason I had back up seats is that my kid vomits at the drop of a hat. Now I have back up seats because we have 4 vehicles plus use my mom's car sometimes.
I don't think you need a back up seat

Brianna · Sep 27, 2012

Hmm. I don't think you do- as long as you'd be able to buy a Nautilus on any given day that you might need to.

Carrie_R · Sep 27, 2012

Do you have Turbos lying around for your big kids? If so, then I would say no, you don't need a backup. In four months he could use a Turbo in a pinch (not as a first choice, but in an emergency-type situation.) If you don't have backup seats for *anybody,* I might consider a Maestro, as he could use it harnessed or a big kid could use it as a booster.

arly1983 · Sep 27, 2012

It does seem strange after all these years I might actually could have bought my last harnessed seat.

Kinda bittersweet.

Brianna said:
Hmm. I don't think you do- as long as you'd be able to buy a Nautilus on any given day that you might need to.

Any day of the week, LOL. Even in these backwoods all 3 walmarts within 35 miles carries the nautilus. Thats pretty much all as far as HWHs go but its a BIG improvement from when they only carried the scenera/cosco highback and that was it besides a couple of infant seats and some backless boosters.

Carrie_R said:
Do you have Turbos lying around for your big kids? If so, then I would say no, you don't need a backup. In four months he could use a Turbo in a pinch (not as a first choice, but in an emergency-type situation.) If you don't have backup seats for *anybody,* I might consider a Maestro, as he could use it harnessed or a big kid could use it as a booster.

Yes, I have a HB turbo under a bed if need be and my mom has one she keeps in her ride since she can use it with 3 out of 4 of her grandkids (backless with my DS1). It is actually a scary good fit on him but then I know he is bigger/taller than most kids his age. Not that he ever "rode" in it: just trying out big sister's seat.

babyherder · Sep 27, 2012

Who would watch your ds while you went to Walmart to get a Nauti? Or would someone go for you? Would a Nauti fit in a 3 across in your car or would you be stuck trying to transport 2 kids at a time or one in the front seat while you wait for another radian?

Ninetales · Sep 27, 2012

I got backups because for a long time we only had one car. Now that we have another I don't find them vital. Nice to have since I already have them, though.

arly1983 · Sep 27, 2012

babyherder said:
Who would watch your ds while you went to Walmart to get a Nauti? Or would someone go for you? Would a Nauti fit in a 3 across in your car or would you be stuck trying to transport 2 kids at a time or one in the front seat while you wait for another radian?

Considering that I have 8 relatives within easy walking distance I think I am ok as far as babysitters go if I had to go get a seat assuming DH wasn't here. Also, I have 3 relatives who can (and 2 have in the past) let me borrow their large suv/crossover while my van was being fixed so I am assuming I could do the same if need be.

If I need a radian that bad, I will pay the extra and have it overnighted from amazon. We frequently go 3 days without driving somewhere so I think I can wait a day. Plus if I need something I am sure I can find someone to go pick it up and my pharmacy does same day delivery: Its a small town.

arly1983 · Sep 27, 2012

Ninetales said:
I got backups because for a long time we only had one car. Now that we have another I don't find them vital. Nice to have since I already have them, though.

I agree, when I was using the RA50 it was nice to have the radian as a backup but I will admit that it mostly stayed in my daughter's closet. From may to october I can remember using it 4 times. I just don't want to buy something to sit in a closet.

The radian was a little different because I knew that I would need it when my son outgrew the RA50 which I thought would be soon. I suppose I could justify a maestro since it has taller top slots than the radian. So if DS2 outgrew the radian before he was ready for a booster... but then it could be possible that the 50 lb weight limit could be an issue by that point...And I come back to the whole: if I need then I can order it when I need it.

Maybe something super tall and narrow would be out by then.

tanyaandallie · Sep 27, 2012

When my kids were younger we never had back up seats. It was never an issue, never a big deal. On the rare occasion we took dh's car, we moved the seats. We never rode with anyone else in their car. I would not purchase a back up for a "just in case" you have an accident. If you have an accident, you deal with it. If you have no real need for a back up, I see no reason to get one. We got seats once we actually needed them in dh's car.

Of course, I have a zillion boosters now so FAR more back up seats than my kids need!!! But, those are actually for kids who ride with us.

tam_shops · Sep 27, 2012

*Need* a back-up seat w/ Walmart and Amazon so readily available. Nope.

Now, want, use and enjoy that is another story! I've always kept and used back-up seats for both my kids. Nothing fancy or expensive, clearance sale kind of things. I *had* a $99 GN and Monterey. Then, YDS started to outgrow his seat so I put it at a ridiculous price on CL. It sold the next day. Into the car my GN went and I waited for a great sale on the Maestro, made a way better back-up seat anyway.

Then, I was in a crash, was told my car would be written off. Lost my 2 main seats and 1 of my 2 spares.The store was out of stock on 2 of the 3 seats I wanted. I wasn't sure if they'd fit in the new car I was (hoping) to be buying...Out popped my Maestro and Graco LBB (emergency spare I keep in the shed for if someone has to pick ODS up from after school care, just in case).

I then had to borrow a second seat (always an option rather than buying spares) and will get my car back Friday (sucks), so I can go on Saturday and see if they have the seats I wanted back in stock (yet)...

Point being, after a crash, things get complex fast and they may not have what you wanted to replace your seats with at the drop of the hat.

Also, I found that ODS needed a spare a lot more when he got to 4yo pre-school. Play dates, field trips...And, my inlaws were more willing to take him for an afternoon at that point. I'm not letting my SIL drive my car, she's been in more crashes than me and they've all been her fault! She pays more for insurance in a month than I do for an entire year! LOL

Need a spare, nope. Want, use and enjoy one, oh yeah! LOL

tam

christineka · Sep 28, 2012

arly1983 said:
It does seem strange after all these years I might actually could have bought my last harnessed seat. Kinda bittersweet.

I know how you feel. My newest radian will expire when my baby is 9 years old. The frontier will expire when she's 11. I have no need to ever buy another car seat (provided that no accidents befall ours). I am smitten by diono plum and need a diono seat to put a diono plum cover on, so we will see about buying another harnessed car seat someday. (But selling whatever it replaces.)

djma · Sep 28, 2012

Going to be the enabler here....

Yes, you need to order the peg and then if/when he grows out of that, pass it down to your sister's newbi.

In reality, I like having at least one back up. I panic that when I need that back up, it will be in the midst of hurrying to get there or in an emergency and needed right then. But then again, I have worry issues. LOL

arly1983 · Sep 28, 2012

LOL, I don't want to make it sound like we never go anywhere. We just rarely drive anywhere. Its helped me lose 27 lbs in the last year and DD is no longer even considered overweight when 2 yrs ago they were saying obese.

It just hit me last year that I was driving everywhere when we could easily walk to most places.

You have a point, Tam, about what I need not being available when I would need it. Pretty much the only seats I personally know for sure fit 3-across and that my son can use is the radian or maestro (and the maestro only because the literider's arm rests fit perfectly behind the maestro's shell). Probably should have kept the maestro. Story of my life.

We have 2 literiders, backless tb, 1 cruz, monterey, hb tb as spares. When my kids first moved into boosters I went a little crazy.

I forgot to mention we homeschool so even transportation to school is not an issue.

arly1983 · Sep 28, 2012

djma said:
Going to be the enabler here....

Yes, you need to order the peg and then if/when he grows out of that, pass it down to your sister's newbi.

In reality, I like having at least one back up. I panic that when I need that back up, it will be in the midst of hurrying to get there or in an emergency and needed right then. But then again, I have worry issues. LOL

You know that I have the worry, too! This is why there is some much thought going into one seat. That, and actually thrifty DH.

jacqui276 · Sep 28, 2012

I think you are fine without a back up.

The only reason that I bothered to get a seat for DH's vehicle is because sometimes due to our work schedules I drop the kids off to be watched and he picks them up or vice versa. And of course it gave me an excuse to buy a second seat.

DD was 5 before she had a seat in DH's car because I was always able to drive her or switch cars.

bnsnyde · Sep 28, 2012

I never even thought to have a back-up seat (s). I guess we'd need 5 soon! Now, we do have Sceneras in the basement from when we traveled. So I guess I kind of knew there was that.

Though, the 4 and 6-year-old are both over 40 lbs. now. Even the 3-year-old is close, at 36 lbs. We do have plenty of boosters. I have a Maestro I put in Nana's car, too, that the 3 and 4-year-old can use. And the 6-year-old can just keep using the Radian in Nana's car (rare she ever drives him) until 53 inches.

babyherder · Sep 28, 2012

arly1983 said:
Considering that I have 8 relatives within easy walking distance I think I am ok as far as babysitters go if I had to go get a seat assuming DH wasn't here. Also, I have 3 relatives who can (and 2 have in the past) let me borrow their large suv/crossover while my van was being fixed so I am assuming I could do the same if need be.

If I need a radian that bad, I will pay the extra and have it overnighted from amazon. We frequently go 3 days without driving somewhere so I think I can wait a day. Plus if I need something I am sure I can find someone to go pick it up and my pharmacy does same day delivery: Its a small town.

Well I guess you have no practical reason to need a backup seat. If you want one I'm sure I can come up with some reasons. Otherwise, you're probably good. I'm jealous you can go days without driving! I couldn't go anywhere.

christineka · Sep 28, 2012

I live a homeschooler, sahm life. It has been very rare for my kids to actually need spare seats. It's been convenient, but not a need.

Do I *NEED* a backup seat?

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Do I NEED a backup seat?