Car Seat Dilemma W/a 1 and 3 Year Old!

I have a 2 1/2 yr old in a convertable car seat & recently had to get a new seat for my now 13 month old. Money was tight, but I wanted them to be safe. Under 4 is legally too young for a booster & unsafe (I was gonna go that route too until I researched this). I am all about Craigslist, but the one thing to not get second hand is a carseat, especially one that has been in an accident. I ended up (& recommend) going to Big Lots. I got a Safety 1st forward facing seat (Summit Deluxe) that will also convert to a booster for $40. It's normally $60, but Big Lots has it on sale a couple times a month. My son & I love it. It's 2/3's a convertable car seat (just w/o the rear facing part). Good luck & let us know what happens!

See if any of these are close enough for you. You can get car seats (convertible,etc) at super prices.

http://www.shandssafekids.org/events.asp

My personal opinion is to keep them in 5 point harness car seats as long as possible. My 4 year old's 5 point harness car seat goes up to 80lbs and my little one's seat goes from 5-65lbs.

Noelia,
I certainly understand your issue with money. But, I dont think carseats should be skimped on. I think a 3 year old is too young for a booster. I think you should save & get your 1 year old a convertible too. Safety for the kids is a must. I know that you know that:)
Good luck!
H.

I know money is always a concern. The approach I have always taken is #1: this is my child's safety and #2 it is better to invest a little more now than pay again later. If your 1 year old is ready for the convertible, I would move him into it and by a new one for your three year old. I know that boosters work great, but you can get a five point harness seat that works for larger/older kids and I believe, by law, they have to be 4 for a booster. The Britax Marathon is actually a convertible that goes to 80 lbs. I have had mine for 3 and a half years and I LOVE it. My husbands car would not fit the Marathon in the rear facing position so we had to go with a Roundabout and replace it when my daughter got bigger. We found the Britax Frontier which will accommodate a child up to 80 lbs in the five point harness and 100 lbs as a booster. I went with that since we are used to our Britax and she likes sitting in the center position in my husbands SMALL SUV, which does not have a sholder strap. Graco has the Nautilus with a five point harnes up to 65lbs and booster up to 100lbs. They are not cheap, but It's an investment in years of safety! I I hope that helps.:)
Please don't buy a used car seat. If you know the source, so you know it has not been in accident, then they are good for 6 years from the manufactured date. I am happy to say my roundabout was passed on and in good use, but you have to be careful. The plastic breaks down and is not as safe after years of being in hot cars.

I'm pretty sure the law is that you cannot use a booster until age 4, but I agree with keeping them in a 5-point harness as long as possible. I know it's expensive--I have children who are 3, 2, and 1 in a week, and just found out that I'm pregnant again!!! But safety is a top priority!!!

Noelia,

I had this dilema with my boys. Even though my boys are very big for their ages I did not switch they to boosters until they were older. My 6 year old did not get into a booster until he was 5 and 55 pounds. I would recommend as a mother to 3 boys and as a safety nut that you invest in another car seat that you leave your son in the seat that he is in as long as his weight allows him to stay in that seat. I would then purchase another seat to for your 11 month old to suit the same purpose. My 3 almost 4 year old is in the same car seat that I bought for him when he was 5 months old. It is rated to 60 pounds and I intend on keeping him in it until he reaches 60 pounds as it is one of the safest car seats on the market. And for me safety for my children comes first and foremost. My year old is too tall to fit into most if not all normal car seats that is why we had to switch him to the booster, but like I said we did not do it until he was 5 and right around 55 pounds.

Good luck.

S.
36 y/o SAHM of 3 boys
14, 6 and 3

Both of my children were/are extremely tall but very underweight. At 11 months we had both kids in the convertible seats and turned them forward as the pediatrician said it was safer because of the way that their legs were bent when they were backwards. By age 3 both had moved into a full back booster seat. Again this was because of their height. Many booster seats proclaim that they are for either 30-60 pounds or 40-70 pounds. Today my kids are 6 and almost 8 and they are in the backless booster seats. My almost 8 year old is only 48 pounds and my 6 year old is 38 pounds. I believe the maximum height for these seats is 54 or 56 inches and I will not take them out until they reach either the height or weight top points. Recently my older child was in a car that was rear ended. Because of the fact she was in the booster seat, she had no bruises. That speaks for itself.

I would get a booster seat for the oldest one but first check what the requirements are for 3 year old children. Legally they may need to still be in a car seat but as I said, check with the registry or licensing place to find out the laws in your area. Also, you can usually find car seats and booster seats at yard sales which is a lot cheaper than buying a new one.

I invite all of you posting about 3 year olds and booster seats to please RESEARCH all you can...just because the LAW says something does not make it the SAFEST option- in fact, the law is usually the MINIMUM when it comes to safety! think about motorcyclists. they are not require to wear a helmet. this is CRAZY, but it's the law...

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
the American Association of Pediatrics even says something about this! http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/ped...

Try Once upon a Child resale shop, there is one in Ocoee & one near Fashion Square Mall. They check for recalls on all items brought in. You should be able to get another convertable car seat/booster there for a reasonable price. And if you have items to sell they will buy it on the spot if it is good condition & use that as credit toward anything you buy in the store. That sounds like a sales pitch but I don't work there, just really like the store.

Buy a booster seat for the 3yr and move the amlost 1 year to the convertible but face it backwards. Safety is more important than money. Check the wieght on the convertible car seat.

As for the booster, thats the stage i am at right now. 3yr and another baby due in a few months. I have to wait a bit to more my 3yr cause she doesnt weight enough now. Target has Graco booster seats on sale til today for $39. Otherwise check online at Kmart for the Evenflo ones. Both are excellent rated boosters.

My 2 are the same age as yours. I just put the 3 year old into the booster and let the one year old have the convertible. But, I did get the booster with the 5 point harness. It's not the $30 kind but was much cheaper than buying another convertible. I think I spent $115.

unfortunately i don't have any car seat advice,but wanted to remind you of looking on craiglist for the car seats. you might be able to buy what you really want if you start looking there.

i had the same probs with my 2 kids and car seats. i got them both convertible carseats that go to boosters with the back. i think they are evenflo. the have the 5 point harness until the are 40lbs adn then after that you use the seat belt in the car. they have to be strapped up in a carseat until the are 40lbs and 4yo. the carseats were only about $45 i think a piece. also got good reviews when i checked

From the info you have given (the booster still fits your 3 yr old, right?), I would shop for a new seat for the baby and let your 3 yr old stay in the one he has for now. In 6 months, or a year, if you think the 3 yr old is ready to move up, the booster seats are a lot less expensive to buy than a new convertible seat, so it will be easier (and less financial stress/strain) to find a good one (or a good used one); but your baby, in the meantime, will have a new seat (with all the latest safety features/improvements) that he can use for a long time still. When you are ready to move the 3 yr old up, try shopping Craigslist or Freecycle in your area... Just be careful about how OLD they are, because the requirements change and things get recall notices, etc...
Just my opinion... do

Forget about age, go by weight only and look for a used booster seat for the three year old. Just make sure it fits properly. My cousin had his son in a booster and the strap did not fit right. They had an accident and his liver was perforated. Its over a year later and the poor kid is still going to the hospital for tests to see if it healed. Just make sure his weight is correct and it fits properly. Visit your local fire house or police station if you are unsure about the fit. They can help.

I gave my 3 yr old son a booster seat at like 3 and a half. and I moved Both mt children into the covertable front facing chair at about 10 months old . as long as your kids are in the wight/ height limints . your good to go . The booster seat I got was at walmart it has a back that you can remove one the child is tall enough. It was 26.00 i think about 2 years ago . hope this helps ..
Christy