Helped a stranger yesterday/booster use

I met a really nice, well educated mom w/2 wonderfully well behaved toddlers/preschoolers yesterday at McDonalds. Our kids played together for about 2 hours.

We got onto the topic of carseats, b/c her dd is the same size as my dn. I wanted to know what seat she found comfy for her dd, since she mentioned buying her a new seat and how much they liked it. I was hoping to see the GN or the Frontier in use, b/c she said her dd is 41" and 42-43 lbs. Unfortunately, no, she's in a Cosco Summit...using the harness...b/c on the box it says for 40-100 lbs. She said she didn't feel like a seat was safe if it wasn't "buckled in", so she was glad she could still use the harness w/this one! I asked her if she was using it as a booster, and she said there was no place/no holders for a seatbelt to go in front of it (that it wasn't intended to be used that way). She did not understand how a booster works, and she hadn't read the instructions on her seat. She also mentioned that she just moved the harness slots up one b/c her dd was complaining that the harness was too tight.

I explained that my dn is the same size and on the top slots of a seat that I know has taller top slots than the Summit (our Fisher Price SVD and our Decathlon when he rides w/us), but that seat is rated to 55 lbs (and 65 lbs), so he can still ride them. I told her the Summit's harness only went to 40 lbs and talked to her about the Graco Nautilus. She was still shocked by it all and said she'd have to check her manual (finally).

I'm just amazed. She did thank me for telling her--she had no idea. She was so nice, so educated, her kids were awesome kids (she's an awesome mom)...but totally clueless on the carseat.

I hate carseat manufacturers and their misleading labeling. If carseats were food brands (or even dog food brands), companies would be suing each other for false advertising!!!

henrietta

Yeah, I had to break that news to a friend using a cosco harnessed booster for her 40+lb son. She, too, thought it went to 100# as a harnessed seat.

I do like how the Radian boxes have "Birth to 80 lbs... In a harness!!" on the box.

I do like how the Radian boxes have "Birth to 80 lbs... In a harness!!" on the box.

Click to expand...

Ah, refreshing honesty! I wish more companies would make it that clear...I also wish that people would read the instructions!

henrietta

henrietta said:

Ah, refreshing honesty! I wish more companies would make it that clear...I also wish that people would read the instructions!

henrietta

Click to expand...

Yep. I wonder what percent of parents read the instructions - not us here, but just the average parent? The number of parents I have coming in to work asking for seatbelt positioners because their kid is in a backless booster and the belt is rubbing their face is scary... and none of them knew about the belt positioner that comes with the seat. One parent had thrown it and the package with the screws and instructions out because she didn't know what it was for.

Of course, most kids won't make it to 80 lbs. in the Radian by height...

I have met a lot of people who knew that their seats were outgrown by weight at 40 lbs., but had NO IDEA about being outgrown by height. That's what I see most-- seats obviously outgrown by height (well, obviously TO ME) being used because "they haven't hit the limit yet."

If people would take the time to actually read the box or car seat this wouldn't even be an issue. LOL.
We got the Cosco Summit for Johnathon and it clearly said harness to 40lbs booster to 100 on the box. But for someone just glancing they wouldn't see that. Which I guess is most people.

I knew someone who was using a summit for a 50 lbs child, she was very smart, well educated, and caring and really thought the seat went to 100 lbs.

emandbri said:

I knew someone who was using a summit for a 50 lbs child, she was very smart, well educated, and caring and really thought the seat went to 100 lbs.

Click to expand...

Me too, I even posted about it a while back. She is a masters educated head of a federal office, so she's no slouch. She swore she read the manual and it said 100lbs.

She fixed the problem, though. She went to a seat check and they recommended a LBB, for her kindergardener.

I don't understand how they can't get it... if people can easily comprehend the Nautilus weight limits (though some seem to think it rearfaces because they call it a 3-in-1), they should be able to see where it says the limits on the Summit

The one that gets me, on not reading instructions, is that ppl can't even figure out where the chest clip goes. Now, I admit I have assembled book shelves by just looking at the diagram, and I make up rules to games sometimes instead of reading, but this is a kid's safety. Take the 5 or 10 minutes to read. I notice on the nautilus the chest clip has an illustration for where to place it on the kid.