Bracing

Can someone explain this to me. I know it's when the carseat is against the front seats when rear-facing, but can you tell me a little more?

The reason I ask is because when Joshua outgrows his Snugride, he'll be going into his rear-facing Decathlon. So I'll have to install the Marathon on one side and the Decathlon on the other. My car is small, as some of you may remember.

The Snugride is behind my seat (driver's seat) right now barely touching (no pressure or anything, the fabric is just touching). The Marathon is in the center (rear-facing obviously) and doesn't mess with the front seats at all, but the top does come between them a little bit, if that makes sense.

I don't know how well the Britax's are going to fit behind the seats and am actually quite nervous about it. I know they're not going to fit rear-facing without touching the front seats, which I know is okay...but what is too much? What I mean is, when bracing, is it just okay for them to touch or can there be pressure or what? How exactly do I go about doing this? I'll have to sit the Britax's way upright...how much is okay? The picture in my signature makes the MA look a little more reclined than it is right now. Here's a picture of the MA now...not the greatest, but with a 2-door car, I can't get a good shot from the side...


The other option I'll have is turning Pacey forward-facing when Joshua moves into the Decathlon. Joshua is just 17 lbs. now and has plenty of height room in the Snugride, so it'll still be a few months. By that time, Pacey will be over 2 years old (he will be 2 in just a few days )...he's 25 lbs. now and about 33.5 in...so he'll meet the requirements...but I still would like to avoid that for as long as I can. Anyway, that option would be to turn Pacey forward-facing and put him behind my seat (driver's seat) and put Joshua rear-facing behind the passenger seat and let the passenger be squished, lol. Ideally, when I turn Pacey around, he'd be in the middle, but 2 Britax's will not fit next to each other in my car.

Okay, I've rambled enough! If someone could help me out, that'd be great!

Sorry...that's an awfully long story just to ask that, lol, but I thought I'd tell you why I'm asking!

There can be quite a bit of pressure, so long as the seat is securely installed without bracing....

I was taught to recline 30-45 degrees, no more no less: 30* is pretty straightbacked, though

Have fun getting to 2 kids in RF Britaxes in that vehicle (Ah, I tease )

Oooh yeah, I'm dreading that BIG time! I'd love to have Joshua in his Decathlon now, but how on earth I am going to get them in their seats when they're both outboard, I do not know! That's exactly why I'm putting it off for as long as possible. A lot of times, we leave the Snugride in the car when we go places...I just carry him in the Hip Hammock, so it's not like I'm using it for that reason, lol.

When I do it that way, it's easy to just slip him in over the top of his seat (Joshua, that is) and buckle him in...because the Snugride sits lower. The Britax's are taller and sit higher, so getting them in over the seats isn't an option, lol. I guess I'm just going to have to sit them in the car and then get in the back and put them in their seats...sit in the middle to buckle them in...LOL, what fun!!

Heheh, I can just imagine

Oh & I suggest installing, then bracing, tethering last (to help with the closer to 30* recline)....

And it IS okay to install the seats in the upright mode, right? Right now, Pacey's is installed in the recline mode and it's as upright as it will get that way...and I know they're going to have to be more upright than that outboard.

Okay, with bracing...the front seat should NOT push the carseat up off of the seat or anything, I'm sure...right? If it does, the front seats need to be moved up more...right? So install the seats, then push the seats back where they need to be and then tether them...right?

I'm sure I'll be asking again once I get them installed and think they're in their wrong...I have those moments, lol.

Sam & Pacey said:

And it IS okay to install the seats in the upright mode, right?

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Apparantly, although I haven't heard it from Britax myself....

front seat should NOT push the carseat up off of the seat or anything, I'm sure

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Right, you got it.

I dont have a 2 door but I have a corolla and tall relatives. When I would put 2 marathons in my car RFing I would install them in the recline mode, hook the tether, then move the the front seats back and then tighten the tether. Do you think they would fit this way?
Also remember that if your vehicle has airbags you yourself needs to be at least 10" if not more from them and as straight up sitting as possibly.

I have to ask out of pure curiosity. How are you going to strap them in when they are both outboard? in britaxes? Im trying to picture it and maybe Im just too big of a person but I could only think of dropping them down from above and strapping them in upside down(you upside down not them, lol!).

I am going to try to install them in recline mode first...I would be more comfortable knowing I am going by the manual. If they won't fit that way, I'll go from there.

Getting them into their seats is going to be a challeng, but my "plan" is to get into the backseat in order to do it. I'm pretty small I guess...5'7, 125-130 lbs...so it won't be too horrible, just a hassle. I'll probably just take them out to the car and let Pacey climb in the car and help him climb into his seat, then get in with Joshua, sit in the middle, and buckle them both in. Are you picturing how hilarious that is going to look?

That actually isn't going to be THAT much different than what I do now. Since it's cold here now, Pacey walks out to the car while I carry Joshua out in his Snugride. I snap Joshua's carseat in and push on the bottom to make sure he's in good, then I take Pacey around to the passenger side of the car and lift him into the backseat and hold his hand to help him into his seat, then I sit down in the backseat and buckle him in.

If it's NOT cold, I take them out and I sit Joshua's seat on the ground, lift Pacey over the Snugride base and into his seat, turn him around so he's sitting in it right and then buckle him in and tighten if necessary...then I put Joshua's seat in.

There's no way I'd be able to lift them over the seats to get them in...I MIGHT could manage to buckle them over the top, but that's iffy...and if I have to get in the backseat to get them in anyway, I might as well just buckle them while I'm there, lol. As you might can tell, I am determined, no matter how much trouble it is, to keep my boys as safe as I can! I guess that's why I get SO irked when people say "Well I turned him forward-facing at 9 months (or whatever age that's WAY too early) because it was just too much trouble". If they only knew!

gosh I know. There are many times when I get in the back seat with DS, either because it is raining, cold, or we are watching a movie together(we do all our errands during one day and make a day of it, so we grab some lunch and watch a movie during lunchtime if it isnt a nice day for the park). When I get in the back seat with DS and buckle him in, I always forget I have the child locks on and have to climb into the front seat. I am 5'10 and big built and climbing between the 2 seats into the front over the console is definitely a funny site! But whatever its life and it always makes him laugh!

When you install them, if you want them pretty upright, pull them away from the seat, so just the front of the seating area touches the seat back, but the base is a few inches back. Press down really hard on the seat and install it. It will be nearly ninety degrees upright. This is the only way I can get my lockoffs to work, otherwise the belts go over the lockoff release. I hook the tether then, push the front seat back, and then tighten the tether to where I want it. I'd put your older son behind the taller person, because he'll probably be more comfy with the upright install. Then put your younger against the shorter person's seat. As for the bracing, I figure it's just that, bracing. I don't care how much pressure it puts on the seat infront of it. As long as your vehicle's manuel doesnt' prohibit it, you're fine. (some do by the way, so you should look.)

Now as for putting your sons in, I guess you could put your older one in the car first so he can get in his seat himself, while you buckle your baby, then go around and buckle your oldest.

LuvBug03 said:

When I get in the back seat with DS and buckle him in, I always forget I have the child locks on and have to climb into the front seat. I am 5'10 and big built and climbing between the 2 seats into the front over the console is definitely a funny site! But whatever its life and it always makes him laugh!

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LOL Yesterday we needed to stop by Kroger after leavingthe Tree farm,so dh lets me off at the door before parking. Except, the way he'd tied the tree on the roof of the car I couldn't open my door! I had to climb over thr stick shift and parking break of his Saturn. lol Now THAT was a sight....

LOL, I can just picture you all climbing over seats...too funny!!

Thank you all for your tips!

Cam and I were both LOL.

Just a quick question, how do you manage to get him in and out of the snugride; leaving the snugride in the car? With my two door car, that would be great if I could do that because I am worried by the time she is over 20 lbs, I will be breaking my arms carrying her in the carrier in and out of the daycare.

I put him in his Snugride in the house and then snap it into the car when we're ready to leave. When we get out, I get the whole seat out and take it in the house to get him out.

A lot of the times now, when we go out shopping or whatever, I will just get him out of the Snugride (leaving the seat snapped into the base) and take him in, then put him in over the top of the seat and buckle him from there when we get back to the car.

It's fine to leave the carseat snapped in there car...there's no rule that says you HAVE to carry baby in it.

How sturdy/secure is your package shelf? Is it actually built in to the vehicle, or is it just a flimsy flap there to hold Beanie Babies? If it's flimsy and useless, could you remove that and buckle them in from the trunk?
Not sure it would be any easier (unless you have a coupe or hatchback) but might be something worth looking into.
Otherwise, and I super hate to suggest this (and you'll probably not even consider it, I doubt I would!) what about an OHS? No real buckling, just snap and you're done. Since they're RF, an OHS is not as bad as it would be FF, and might be light years easier.

Splash said:

How sturdy/secure is your package shelf? Is it actually built in to the vehicle, or is it just a flimsy flap there to hold Beanie Babies? If it's flimsy and useless, could you remove that and buckle them in from the trunk?
Not sure it would be any easier (unless you have a coupe or hatchback) but might be something worth looking into.
Otherwise, and I super hate to suggest this (and you'll probably not even consider it, I doubt I would!) what about an OHS? No real buckling, just snap and you're done. Since they're RF, an OHS is not as bad as it would be FF, and might be light years easier.

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I assume this is for me?

I am fine buckling them in the way I do...it's really no problem at all. You can't get into my backseat through the trunk unless you lay the backseat down anyway. It's annoying sometimes when I'm in a hurry, but it's no big deal for me! Usually there's 2 of us anyway...one of use gets Joshua in his seat in the house while the others gets Pacey in and by the time Pacey's in, Joshua's usually in the car and we're ready!

And I think I'd rather eat dirt than use an overhead shield seat, LOL!

skaterbabscpst said:

LOL Yesterday we needed to stop by Kroger after leavingthe Tree farm,so dh lets me off at the door before parking. Except, the way he'd tied the tree on the roof of the car I couldn't open my door! I had to climb over thr stick shift and parking break of his Saturn. lol Now THAT was a sight....

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Been there - done that.

I was working in MA when one of their infamous ice storms hit. The driver's side was SOLID ice, so I had to climb in the passenger side and over the stick shift of my '91 Civic. Oh, yeah, I was in a skirt. . .

When I arrived as school, I found my co worker had an even BETTER story. BOTH her doors were stuck tight. She went through the HATCH of her VW GOLF.

flipper68 said:

Been there - done that.

I was working in MA when one of their infamous ice storms hit. The driver's side was SOLID ice, so I had to climb in the passenger side and over the stick shift of my '91 Civic. Oh, yeah, I was in a skirt. . .

When I arrived as school, I found my co worker had an even BETTER story. BOTH her doors were stuck tight. She went through the HATCH of her VW GOLF.

Click to expand...

We had an ice storm the day before my best friend's wedding and I had to climb over the stickshift of my 85 civic in my bridesmaid dress numerous times because the drivers door was frozen shut!