weekend seat in dad's car...

Okay, I hope people won't just think I'm stirring the pot. I've recently found this board, so I'm full of questions. In case you didn't read my other thread I'll recap. I originally bought my 3 1/2 year old a Britax booster because it says that it can be used at three years old an over 30 pounds. I have recently realized that the standard is at least 4 and 40 pounds, so I'm shopping for a new harness seat. Anyway, I have noticed many people state that they have a Regent or a Radian in their car but a Parkway or a Safeguard GO in their husband's car. I've been told NOT to use a booster even on a 4 year old and I've seen several people on here say that they wouldn't use a GO as their primary car seat. So, if it's not good enough for everyday use, then why would you allow your child to ride in it with their husband at night or on the weekends? I mean, wrecks can happen at any time, so if the seat isn't what you want your child riding in then why allow it?

I'm not trying to criticize parenting...it's just that I see people say the GO is not a primary seat. WHY? Why would you let your child ever ride in it if it's not safe enough to use all the time? It's either safe or it's not safe, right?

I'm just trying to sort all this out before I make my purchase. I am going out to look at seats on Thursday and plan to come home and order one that night. I just am trying to figure out everyone's reasoning for their decisions so that maybe it'll help me make mine! =)

Thanks!

You're right, of course.

Just because a child only rides once in a while does not reduce the chances of a crash when the child is in THAT car. Many people can put the good seat in the main car and the not so good seat in the secondary car. Crashes do not care if you are in the primary or secondary car.

Two points though. One is that many people spend more money on one seat, so that is the "good" seat. They may not have have the money to spend on two "good" seats.

The other is that all seats should meet the same federal safety standards, so there aren't really any good and bad seats. People often think that when buying a carseat, the more you spend, the safer seat you get. This isn't true. You may get a nicer, more padded, easier to use seat with more features, but it still meets the same safety standards as the less expensive ones.

The good and bad seat idea has bugged me for a long time. Fortunately, the whole idea doesn't hold up as all seats, used correctly every time, should meet the same federal standards.

Thanks! That's exactly what I thought, but I just wanted clarification. I guess rather than the GOOD and BAD seat it would be more like the MORE PREFERRED and the LESS PREFERRED??? =)

I'll see all the seats on Thursday...they all meet the proper requirements, so I'll just go with my gut and my bank accounts says I should spend. =)

The Go does not have the ease of use of other seats. It is more difficult to adjust than others and is not as comfy. It does not have SIP, either, like other harnessed seats, since there is no shell. It could become a pain to use over time. For a car that's not used often, it can be a great seat, though. Installed in the center, it will keep a kid harnessed who might not have been.

Having a booster in another car for a child who is over 4 and 40, is ok, too. Most kids are only in dad or grandma's car rarely and when they are it is for short periods of time. If the child can sit correctly for the short rides, a booster is very safe. I think a lot of people decide to harness in the primary car, because the child is in that car 90% of the time or more and for long trips. Harnessing guarantees the child will sit correctly and not move around. But again, if the child can sit correctly in a booster all the time, a booster is a very safe option.

I only have a spare for DH's car and other people's cars because while I LOVE my Husky and would prefer that he always be in it, it's not always feasible to install it in other cars. In some cars, it wouldn't be possible at all. But I also just hate having to move it. I prefer that it stay put in my van. I sometimes do take it out to put the booster into my van. Like a few weeks ago when the IL's were here and we wanted to all fit in one vehicle. With his Husky in there, we can't fit 7 people. With his Parkway, we can. But that also meant I was always in the back seat to reinforce the directions on using it properly. He's 6 and 52 lbs. My dd is 4 and 42 lbs and she is in the Marathon, no matter what. I haven't let her ride in a booster yet, and don't plan to any time son. As long as she fits in the MA, that's where she'll be. It's easy enough to move from car to car, so I"m fine with doing that.

Also, my deicision is based a lot on which adult will be with kiddo -- *I* would take the cheaper, less comfy, more difficult to use seat in our "everyday car" rather than try to get my clumbsy SO or parents to figure out how to use it correctly just because I want the prettier, more expensive seat

I think a lot of people let their older children ride in boosters in secondary/other people's cars because boosters offer significant protection when used properly. Parents can teach their children to properly use boosters more easily than they can prevent misuse of larger, sometimes complicated, harnessed seats. Everyone also must find some kind of balance between following the absolute safest possible practice and living/enjoying life. It would be safer never to ride anywhere in a car. It is reasonable to always have your child in a restraint appropriate for their age, weight, height, and maturity level, but sometimes use a restraint isn't your first choice.

So, if I'm not misunderstanding, the seats that have been chosen as secondary seats are so because of "ease of use" rather than inferior safety, right? So, if I don't ever have to take my seat out of the car, then the GO would be a fine option??? My daughter doesn't ride in my husband's car. If I go somewhere without the kids then I leave my car at home with him. If my daughter goes to Grandma, my mom already has a 5 point harness high back booster installed in her car. So, I will almost NEVER have to take the seat out and reinstall.

Thanks! It's all confusing, but letting me ask these questions is REALLY helping me out.

The "best" carseat:

• fits the child
• fits the vehicle
• is always used correctly

The best for one person within the same immediate family might be different than the best of another -- we each have preferences for different ease of use features ... the high $ carseats usually have more ease of use features that more people like, but even a seat that has no added features can perform perfectly in a crash is the adult using it knows what they're doing & does it well Also, the newer carseats that offer safety features that offer extended RF ability or extended FF harnessability generally cost more than the "traditional" carseats -- some of these safety features aren't necessary for all kids ... some of them are vitally necessary for a relative few kids.

We like to stay away from "nevers & alwayses" etc. when discussing the installation of carseats because there are almost no carseats & vehicles that are exactly the same, especially when combining the two together -- the only ALWAYS is to: thoroughly read both vehicle + carseat manuals.... This is why it's so important to visit a CPST in person even though this place is a great added source of information

I recently took a trip to NYC and took my son's infant seat for the trip instead of his big bulky Britax Boulevards. Although he is just about too big for it, I weighed the option of the EXTREME ease of use difference against the risks that him being close to the limits would pose on two plane rides and 2-3 short car trips. As it turned out, when we went from cloth to paper diapers for the trip, he went from being 1/2 inch from the top of the seat to close to three inches! So it didn't matter.
If I were to buy him another seat right now for another car, I would take into account the person using it, the length/distance traveled, the vehicle it was going in, etc. For instance, if I had to buy a seat for my dad's car (pickup with no airbag off switch and jumpseats in the back), well, I wouldn't because I would not let Charlie ride in that on a planned basis. But dad is buying a new car now, and I would probably buy a Graco CarGo or Graco SafeSeat2, both which are forward facing only seats for a rear facing child. Reason number one being that I am confident my father will better use a FF seat than a RF seat, reason two being that Charlie is close to 30 pounds and won't be RF for longer than another 8 months or so probably, and one or two trips a MONTH with my dad three miles away on a back road in a very safe car, well, it just makes more sense to get a seat that can be used for a long time.
For our vehicles, he has two boulevards and he rides in my car pretty occasionally. BUT I wanted him to have the very safest and most comfortable seat that each driver was capable of using correctly, and that was Boulevards. Money didn't enter into the equation.
And if Charlie was with my dad on a very regular basis (which he probably will be at this time next year) I would buy him a Safeguard Child Seat. They're $450, but they're practically idiot proof.