My sis and I spent almost an hour arranging car seats today!

My niece will be 5 in October, but is VERY small. She's about 37 inches, and weighs only 32 lbs. My aunt will be baby sitting one day a week, and needs a seat for her. My mom has an Evenflo Chase that is about to expire. We sat down and listed all the seats that we have for her, the cars and how often the driver would have her and had to decide how to best divie up the seats. My sister will be starting a new job that will have her out of the house around 6:00 am and back anywhere between 4-6 pm. 2 nights a week she will be in class until 10. So, we had to decide how to spread out the seats so whomever was getting niece would have a seat, AND that they would use it right.

She is less than 1/2 inch away from out growing a Scenera so we decided to take that seat out of the equation. We need a situation that will last until December at the earliest, can't rely on her not growing so that one is out. In my car she has a FPSVD, and my sister has an extra FPSVD. In sis's car she has a GN. Right now my mom has the Chase, and my dad the Scenera but it doesn't install well on the seat in his truck (extended cab). Auntie had the FPSVD but she can't install the thing worth a crap and won't leave it in her car. We have a hb Turbo and a backless turbo also available, but need the backless for H.

Since auntie can't install the seat worth a crap, and doesn't use the harness correctly, we decided to put my peanut of a niece in a hb turbo in auntie's car. She fits, but she's so small. We decided that since the chances of auntie using the booster correctly were better, that would be the best option. Not our first choice, but the crazy lady "thinks" she's doing it right and each time it's horrible. It's better to have her in a booster correctly than a harness incorrectly.

So, my mom will have the FPSVD, Dad the Chase until it expires, then sis will get another Turbo (pink, which he'll just be so happy about), I have a FPSVD, sis has the GN, and depending on how often she's with my DH, probably another turbo. I just took the back off of H's Monterey, because she was about to outgrow it, but she needs it backless still.

My mom and aunt thought we were crazy the way we were writing stuff down and crossing stuff out. 3 years ago, my sis was a horrible car seat user, but something made her see the light and she's been coming to me for advice since. It was so fun to plan all of this out though!

Now I have a Scenera to figure out what to do with since it's mine.

If she is 1/2 and inch from out growing the scenera are you talking FF as her shoulders are 1/2" from the top slots. If so at her weight and height she still most likely should and could be still RF in her scenera as she is still under 35lbs. It is safer. As long as her head is more then one inch from the top of the shell. I know she is 5 but as long as she is under 35lbs and more then an inch from the stop of the hard plastic shell there is no reason she can not RF. Just remember since she would be RF in it, the slots would be at or below her shoulders. This would buy you a little more time in the scenera.

swtgi1982 said:

If she is 1/2 and inch from out growing the scenera are you talking FF as her shoulders are 1/2" from the top slots. If so at her weight and height she still most likely should and could be still RF in her scenera as she is still under 35lbs. It is safer. As long as her head is more then one inch from the top of the shell. I know she is 5 but as long as she is under 35lbs and more then an inch from the stop of the hard plastic shell there is no reason she can not RF. Just remember since she would be RF in it, the slots would be at or below her shoulders. This would buy you a little more time in the scenera.

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The OP is a CPST and well aware of rear facing and how it works

At five years of age, any benefit gained by being a rearfacing seat would be fairly minimal. A forward facing harness with top tether in use is perfectly safe.

Maedze said:

The OP is a CPST and well aware of rear facing and how it works

At five years of age, any benefit gained by being a rearfacing seat would be fairly minimal. A forward facing harness with top tether in use is perfectly safe.

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Thanks, I got a little chuckle from the 1st poster to respond. My niece's head is less than an inch from the top of the Scenera, in fact, she has about an inch in the FPSVD above her head.

SWTGI1982 I appreciate the advise. It's especially effective when you have a child of the same stats, FF in a GN.

Sounds like a fun afternoon

I am glad you got your niece all set.

My sister wants to keep her harnessed until at least 5, but until she starts kindergarten is the ultimate goal. I'm pretty sure she'll make it in most of the seats. She's such a tiny squirt, but she can't stay harnessed forever. I'm proud of my sister though, for buying the GN when my niece started to get close to the top of her Scenera. She easily could have bought her a booster then, but listened to me. I bought her a FPSVD a couple of years ago when BBC had them for $80, as well as buying myself one, to keep her harnessed longer. Now she's planning on keeping her harnessed in the cars she's in the most often. That's a big leap for a person who turned her baby around at 12 months, 15 lbs. It took her a couple of years to listen, but she finally did.

Sounds like fun! I wish I had someone to play musical car seats with.

Glad you got it all worked out. Like you said, a properly used booster is better than an improperly used harnessed seat. That's so great that your sister has come around and seeks your advice with car seat use. :thumbsup:

Gosh, I am tired just thinking of all the thinking and arranging you guys had to do! LOL!

cpsaddict said:

Gosh, I am tired just thinking of all the thinking and arranging you guys had to do! LOL!

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Here's the deal, we didn't actually touch a seat yet! It was just the planning. Tomorrow we do the big seat seat shuffle. The good thing is my sis has gotten great at tight installs so I won't be doing it all by myself, and the seats in my truck and hers don't need to be switched.

Stretchy Glue said:

Here's the deal, we didn't actually touch a seat yet! It was just the planning. Tomorrow we do the big seat seat shuffle. The good thing is my sis has gotten great at tight installs so I won't be doing it all by myself, and the seats in my truck and hers don't need to be switched.

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Uhh, is it as hot there as it is here? Installing carseats in 92degree heat SUCKS. Good luck!

would the chase (since it is an evenflo) have until December before expiration?

KaceyLynn said:

would the chase (since it is an evenflo) have until December before expiration?

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Yep. It actually has a Nov manu. date, but it says Dec 31, 2009. It's the 1st seat I've ever had through the expiration!

And yes, it's hot. Today was 80 something, we didn't look, and tomorrow is supposed to be warmer yet.