Please help, I've been doing it all wrong! - Canada

U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi all! I'm a single mom to 5 and unfortunately for the 9 years I've been a mother I had no idea that I was doing this car seat thing terribly wrong. My kids are 9, 6, 4.5, 2 and 10 months and I only had my two youngest in the car seats that I used for my two oldest which are now expired. (I had no idea that car seats could expire!!) Thankfully someone told me that my kids are very unsafe so I'm going to need to by all new seats for them.

Stats are: 10m, 23lbs 29"
2, 30lbs 35"
4.5, 42lbs 43"
6, 49lbs 47"
9, 73lbs 54"

I drive a 1999 plymouth voyager which isn't super spacious so if I can get help with configuration that would be great too. Things are very tight financially right now, if I ration groceries for the month I can probably afford $150 in total for all of the seats. Help please!
 
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bubbaray

New member
Re: Please help, I've been doing it all wrong!

If you post your city and state, maybe we can help you find some low cost resources?

Also, where do you have lap/shoulder seat belts and headrests? Are there any seating positions that just have lap belts?
 

gigi

New member
Re: Please help, I've been doing it all wrong!

I would get two scenera nexts for the youngest. A high back turbo booster for the 4.5, a harmony youth booster for the 6 year old, and an incognito for the 9 year old.
 

lgenne

New member
Re: Please help, I've been doing it all wrong!

I would get two scenera nexts for the youngest. A high back turbo booster for the 4.5, a harmony youth booster for the 6 year old, and an incognito for the 9 year old.


This, assuming that you have at least 3 seats with lap/shoulder belts and 2 with head rests, and at least one of the headrests is in the 3rd row. (The Turbobooster isn't narrow so it probably won't work for 3 across.)

If the 4 year old is used to a backless booster already, and sits well in it, a Harmony Youth booster would save you a few dollars, vs. the Turbobooster. And there's a two pack of Scenera NEXTs here, which can save a few dollars too: http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/17376977?type=search

After checking out local low cost resources, anyway. I hate the thought of kids in unsafe car seats, but hungry kids are no picnic, either.

Oh, one other thing to consider: some (girly) prints of the discontinued Cosco Scenera are available for $34 right now. It doesn't get the love around here like the Scenera NEXT, but it's narrow and will fit your younger 2.
 

featherhead

Well-known member
Unfortunately OP is in Canada, and we don't have the Scenera Next, or any inexpensive seats really. If you are lucky you can find a regular Scenera for less than $80.
 

featherhead

Well-known member
OP, can you share your city and province? There is just no way to get seats for all your kids from the store for $150. Car seats are not cheap in Canada.

Do you have family that can help at all? Are the three olders in nothing at all, or do they have boosters of some sort?
 
Last edited:

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Of note, the OP's location appears to be in Canada, where top tethering forward facing harnessed carseats is mandatory, and where there also can be some variation in carseat model pricing and availability for Canadian certified carseat models vs. U.S. certified models. I moved the thread to the Canadian and International forum and changed the thread subject line accordingly to flag it as Canadian. :)

A 1999 Plymouth vehicle pre-dates having factory equipped top tether anchors but it should be retrofittable according to the LATCH manual at a Chrysler/Dodge dealership if the original poster hasn't already had top tether anchors retrofitted for use with any forward facing harnessed carseats. Chrysler is the parent company of the discontinued Plymouth brand, and Chrysler and Dodge branded minivan models were the corporate siblings to Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager minivan models. The Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth top tether anchor retrofit part number for the 1996-2000 model year Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth minivans is 04864118AB for each of the second row vehicle seats, and part number 05018506AA for each third row seating position, with the top tether anchor points for installing the retrofit top tether anchors located on the vehicle floor behind the vehicle seats. There is a Chrysler Service Bulletin that customers can refer their Chrysler/Dodge dealership to for details about Chrysler's policy of providing top tether anchor retrofits free of charge for the retrofittable vehicle's owner, but I believe the free retrofitting is currently applicable in the U.S. only, and no longer honored in Canada. :eek: Just in case it still may prove useful in Canada (or for any lurkers reading this in the U.S. with retrofittable Chrysler models), it's Chrysler Service Bulletin number 23-029-08 dated Oct. 24, 2008, and also refer the dealership to Warranty Bulletin D-08-33 for additional reimbursement detail.
 

sunflower

New member
Does the 9 year old need a seat? His/her stats seem enough to be without one.

The 6 year old can be in a Harmony Youth backless - less than $20 at Walmart.

Can the 4 year old go in a combination seat? I have never done combination, so no experience with those.

Walmart has a few seats for under $100 on sale now.
 

featherhead

Well-known member
Does the 9 year old need a seat? His/her stats seem enough to be without one.



The 6 year old can be in a Harmony Youth backless - less than $20 at Walmart.



Can the 4 year old go in a combination seat? I have never done combination, so no experience with those.



Walmart has a few seats for under $100 on sale now.


Good point. The 9 year old may be large enough to not need a booster. $150 still isn't enough for two harnessed seats (one rear-facing for sure) and two boosters. Even if both the 6 and 4 year old would be in $25 backless boosters. That would leave $100 for the other two seats. It's just not possible unless there is some incredible sale somewhere.
 

SnoGurl

New member
Hopefully OP will return and let us know where abouts she lives (general area is fine OP, or perhaps PM someone if you don't want to share with the whole world-- I understand!), there are a handful of places with local resources that may be able to help.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Hopefully OP will return and let us know where abouts she lives (general area is fine OP, or perhaps PM someone if you don't want to share with the whole world-- I understand!), there are a handful of places with local resources that may be able to help. Posted via Mobile Device

:yeahthat: I'm sure we can figure something out.
 

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