My car seat story...

BudgieStew

New member
Tonight when I was changing my siggie I was thinking about how much I have learned about car seats since DS.

Honestly I think I knew more then the avg. parent seems to, but I made many mistakes and allowed other people to influence me regarding what I felt was correct.

I have always read all my manuals but man were they ever confusing.

Way back when I was pregnant with DS I started the online search for an infant seat.
It was rather confusing and there was no one to point me in the right direction.


I knew enough that every time SIL would tell me to just get a used seat to tell her no every single time.
I also knew that 5 points were best for a seat but beyond that had no real information.

So we went with an Evenflo Portabout IV. It was priced right, nice colors came with a sunshade, boot and headrest and looked comfy.

So off we went with it..after several failed attempts at installing it in a 98 Sunfire I knew enough to call in a professional. We visited a local police department and he installed it for us.
I can't recall much but I do remember him telling us never to use the sunshade. I guess he knew not to use after market products but this did come with the seat..never mind that it sucked and never stayed on.

I knew not to use aftermarket products though and never did even with a winter baby in Canada there was no Bundle Me etc .

But while on holiday I borrowed a bucket which was most likely expired. I knew about expiration dates after all it was stamped on the back of DS seat but details like a borrowed expired seat just slipped by me.

Then fast forward to DS turning 10 months old and starting to outgrow his infant seat.
The online research for a convertible started. Once again confusion set in and no real direction..at some point I think I even visited this site and become a member only to find that it was very U.S centric regarding seats and never came back. :eek:

I looked at all the seats even the Roundabout which I think was new to Canada.
But after comparing it to say the Cosco seats I could see no real reason to spend the extra money. After all they are all safe right why pay more for a pretty cover.
Still confused I spoke to my cousin who had a DS two months older and she said the Cosco Eddie Bauer was what they were buying and it was on sale that week too.
So off to Sears we went and came home with a nice blue seat...I even told a friend who had a DS two days younger then DS and that is what they bought too.

I knew that RF was best for as long as possible(how I knew this I don't know) and DS was 18 months and 28 lb. before he was turned despite me having a seat that RF to 35lbs(a seat which seems to be one of the last ones sold in Canada to do that.)You know why he was turned. MIL and DH were annoyed that he was making the back of the seats dirty. i protested but in the end went along with them

Vacations would happen and there I would be borrowing another seat a Fisher Price T-shield or a Century.:eek:

I knew that big puffy coats were a no no but MIL prevailed once again and I would give in....I even have the photo to prove it.

I am sure though that my straps were tight and chest clips in the right place and harness height was always correct.
Installations, not so much. I always made sure they were in tight and spent time to install but most likely missed details.

Next DD come along another winter baby and big puffy suits. This time we had a Latch and install was a breeze.

DS even got turned around to RF again during this time. He was two and half and while on holiday (this time with his own seat) the tether buckle broke and I turned him RF until I could order a new one. I waited 2 months before ordering a new one;)

Now the real story(obsession) begins.

DD was getting close to outgrowing the Portabout and once again SIL was telling me to just get a used seat. Umm, no again.

So I came online found this place again and started to read and read..(as well as MDC )and ask questions.
Narrowed it down to the Marathon for DD and then realized hey DS is close to outgrowing his seat and the hunt began for his new seats until I decided on the Radian for him.

But for some reason I haven't left....why I don't know...I switched from being a sling\cloth diaper addict to a car seat cover addict.:eek: I look in cars and cringe and spew forth information to friends who ask.

What is your car seat story?
 
ADS

Mattkarn

Member
I found this site trying to find if the boosters I had required the head rest behind them. In the end they did not, but I started reading here more after that.

I had a three year old in a booster, 6 year old in a low back booster in a car with no side impact protection. It was scary, heres a picture from before I knew better :eek:: Projectiles galore!
SalvadorandBoys110-1.jpg


I bought them both new Recaro Vivo boosters last August, and moved them both into that.

Then decided that I wanted the 4 year old harnessed. I was about to break the bank and buy a Regent when the Natalius came out. It was exactly what I needed, so I went crazy until I found one. Now I have an 7 year old in a Vivo and a 4 year old harnessed in a Natalius.

Oh and today I put this: http://www.cafepress.com/cpstgear.51471057 on my car!

I'm obsessed its true!:)
 

kidzndogz

New member
When I turned 16 all the neighborhood families I babysat for were super excited I could take their kids to birthday parties and on other various outings. I pretty much spent my weekends taking kids places but never really paid attention to how the seats were put into my car, although I ALWAYS made sure their harnesses were tight (although I had no clue about harness slots in relation to their shoulders).

At 18 and a freshman at ASU I got my first nanny job with a family with a 8 month old and a 2 year old. I usually drove their car so didn't worry about seats. But their mom ended up needing to take the car, so I had to start using my own car. One day we got ready to go to the museum and I realized I had *no* clue how to install their seats. I thread the seatbelt through the beltpath, but when they moved side to side I knew something wasn't right (don't know why it didn't occur to me to lock and retract the belt). Needless to say, we didn't go because I wasn't comfortable with it. Their dad showed me that night.

I got tired of having to put two seats in my car every other day, so I decided I was going to save up to buy my own. The family recommended the AO (the seats they had) so I went to look at car seats at BRU. After seeing them all, I didn't like that the AO didn't have the deep side wings, so I didn't get it. I came home and researched as much I could about different seats, and coveted the Britax seats like no other. Unfortunately, being a poor, barely 18 year old college student, I had to settle for two Regal Rides. I learned about LATCH, and that my car didn't have it, so I took it to the dealership to have it retrofitted with tether points. The family ended up moving, and I sold my RRs.

About 6 months later I got a new job with a 3 month old girl (the infamous A in my signature), and bought a hand-me-down RA (from a trusted person) to use with her. It expired around her first birthday, so I bought an Evenflo Orion (like the Triumph) and flipped her FF. When she was about 18 months old I found this site and read about ERF and turned her back RF. I tried to tell her parents about it (maybe I wasn't pushy enough...I'm a pretty quiet and shy person) but they kept her FF although said I was welcome to do whatever I wanted in my car.

The Orion got hit by a UPS truck while sitting on the sidewalk while I vacuumed out my car (RIP little Orion) and I was able to purchase my brand spankin new FPSVD!! Unfortunately A is very tall, and I had to turn her FF on her 3rd birthday about 6 months ago.

Now her brother, D, is 8 months and in a RA i bought off my cousin (I'm still a poor college student...I really need to quit switching my major. *sigh* :() that is good for another 2 years. By then he should be able to move into A's FPSVD and she'll be moved into a seat of unknown name. ;) He's also got an SS1 I found on sale for $59 at Baby Depot last year, but he gets mad when I put him in it since it's more reclined than his RA.

So there we go. I'm 22 years old, childless, and have a car seat problem.

Fortunately all my friends know how to install a seat now, my boyfriend is a fireman and now knows how to as well, and my entire nursing class has listened to so many presentations on car seat safety they are probably ready to throttle me.!
 
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