Help Needed!

A family with six children at our church needs some help choosing new seats. I told them about this site (I have posted here a while ago) but they said they didn't want to "bother people who could be saving children who are more endangered in the vehicles." I think these kdis are pretty endangered! They are...
-Boy who is sixteen years old and does not need a seat (obviously).
-Boy who is eight years old currently in no seat but only 58 pounds and around 4' 3" tall.
-Girl who will be turning five in a few months and weighs 33 pounds and is 43 inches. She is in a backless booster.
-Boy who is 3.5. He is 38 pounds and 40". He is in an overhead shield seat but his shoulders are over the top slots.
-Twin sister who is also 3.5 years but is only 32 pounds and 38". She is in a T-shield seat.
-Baby who just turned one and is very small. 17 pounds and only 25 inches. She is still rearfacing ("Did you know thats a law? I think its stupid. I can't get her out that easily when we're driving." Direct quote from the father! Mom swatted his hand and said that of course she always stayed IN while they were moving though.) also in a T-shield.

So, they say they can buy any seat no problem at all but I think they're fibbing. If possible, could you recommend the least expensive solution, the best solution, and the "dream" solution. That way we have everything covered and I can hand them the different scenarios and just tell them all are safe. If they have the $ they'll go for the most and if not they will have other safe choices!

Oh, and they have two cars. One is a van with two passenger bucket seats and then two rows of three and a row of four. Their other car is a mini-van with two bucket seats an a three seater bench. Ideally I would like a scenario for the best in the van (one seat for each child) and then a few seats that would work for different children in the mini. That way they don't have to always swap seats around.

Sorry that this is so much. I've never been good at condensing these things!

I will definitely work out some ideas for this, but it will have to be later. It's going to take some thought, and it's almost dinner time.

For the baby and the twin sister, Sceneras are the cheap choice. $40 at WalMart & Target. If both vehicles have head rests, go for the Apex for the twins *IF* they haven't outgrown the harness by height already.
get a high back booster ($50 turbo booster) for the next little girl and pass the backless up to the 8 yo.

That's the budget option. The *ideal* solution (IMO) would be Marathons for the younger kids and a Parkway or Recaro booster for the 8 yo.

Same here -- do you know what kind of vehicles?

Least Expensive-
Eight year old moves to backless booster.
Five year old goes into Graco Cherished CarGo (which is the cheapest of the CarGos with a front adjuster I believe).
Three and 1/2 year old boy also in a CarGo and just hope he doesn't gain those two pounds in less than six months.
Three and 1/2 girl in a Cosco Scenara
Baby in a Scenara RFing.

Best for an average family-
Eight year old in a high back booster.
Five year old in a harnessed booster with taller slots such as Evenflo or Graco seats.
3.5 boy in a Cosco Apex to make sure he is harnessed until at least age 4.
3.5 girl in a harnessed booster w/ tall slots.
Baby in Scenara RFing.

"Dream"-
Eight year old in a Britax Husky/Regent.
Five year old in a Husky/Regent.
3.5 boy in a Britax Marathon or Regent.
3.5 girl in a Marathon.
Baby in a Scenara to RF to the limits (35 lbs).

For the second car I would probably put a high back booster (usable for oldest two), harnessed booster (twins and 5 yr old), higher weight harnessed seat (any of the FFing kids), and a Scenara (baby and girl twin). That still leaves room for the older boy and/or another seat if the ones in there weren't enough for a trip.

Hope that helps!

• Have parents & child take the 5 Step Test & show them this article with unboostered crash test
• Show parents (& 4 yr. old) this crash test comparison of harnessed vs. boostered
• Show parents this website explaining why OHS & T-shields are unsafe
• Show parents this website with crash test comparison RF vs. FF & extended RF photo album links at the bottom

1st Option

• Give 8 yr. old the backless
• Fisher Price Safe Voyages (available at Target) for 4 yr. old & twins
  • 8 year old could hand down the booster when 4 year old outgrows the FPSV
• Cosco Scenera for baby

2nd Option

• Give 8 yr. old the backless booster
• Britax Regent for 4 yr. old
• Graco CarGos or Evenflo Boleros/Generations/Traditions for twins
  • Platinum & Ultra versions of the CarGo are comfier than the Cherished & I think they have easier harness adjuser?
• FPSV for baby
  • When 8 year old outgrows the booster, 4 yr. old could use it, handing down the Husky to bigger twin who would hand down the combination seat to the baby & smaller twin could use the FPSV for longer harnessing, too

3rd Option

• Give 8 yr. old the backless booster
• Britax Parkway or high back Graco Turbo Booster for 4 yr. old if if if !!! they have Automatic Locking Retractor seatbelts & will use them -- if they don't/won't then get 4 yr. old the Recaro Young Start
• Get Britax Marathon or FPSV for twins & baby

Ride Safer Travel Vests are also an option for tight seating arrangements or as spares (they might need top tether anchors) & also, the Cosco Apex is an option for the 4 yr. old & twins ONLY IF THEY HAVE HEADRESTS.

If it were me, I'd put the 8 year old in a Parkway, 4 yr. old in Regent, twins in FPSV (boy FF, girl RF) & baby in Scenera....

PLEASE make sure they take a sledge hammer to the T-shiled & OHS, espeically if they are expired!

Well, everyone gave such good answers I don't need to!

Just make sure whoever is using the backless booster is sitting in a position with a headrest/high seatback at least to the tips of the ears; same for the Apex if they get one of those.

scatterbunny said:

Just make sure whoever is using the backless booster is sitting in a position with a headrest/high seatback at least to the tips of the ears

Click to expand...

Ooooh! YES! 8 yr. old might just need a high back booster himself

I had to mention that because, even after the vehicle descriptions, I'm still not picturing it clearly, and don't know what seating positions have headrests/shoulderbelts available.

Just a comment on the larger twin. At 38 pounds I would get him a FPSV or regent and skip the cargo/bolero. He is way too close to the weight limit of the cargo/bolero to get good use from it, possibly weighing too much before his 4th birthday. Otherwise, I agree with all other suggestions.