Car Seat Questions

It really does not sound like your daughter is ready for a booster, but I am not sure. Your son, though tight in the infant seat, may also not be ready for a front facing carseat. can you move his straps up to a different hole in the back of the infant seat?
Where I live, the fire department are often on site in wal-mart parking lots, or other places inspecting carseats, and the size of the kids in them. Look for a local carseat workshop, or call you local FD for the exact guidelines, I am sure they would gladly tell you to take a drive down for them to see.
Comfort is sometimes comprimized for the childs safety. Especially while they need to remain rear-facing.

Hi H.! I'm a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. Most areas do have CPSTs for parents to visit in person & almost always at no charge. It is very illadvised for any caregiver to receive carseat info from anyone other than a CPST because, sadly, the vast majority of parents misuse their own in various ways (even the well educated, loving parents). 4 out of 5 kids are riding with an average of 3 potentially fatal misuse errors. This is frighteningly serious because crashes are the leading cause of death, seizures, brain damage, paralysis & amputation for kids! Puting a child into a booster before at least 4 years and 40 pounds is a form of misuse in many cases. In part because the brain does not develop the cognitive ability associated with the necessary attention span required to use a booster correctly for the entire length of every ride (including while asleep) until *at least* 4 years old. Please consult the numerous CPSTs @ http://www.car-seat.org for more life saving advice specific to your family's needs. (Include each child's age, weight, eight + the vehicle year, make, model & your budget as well as the current carseat models). My website also explains in more detail @ http://www.freewebs.com/sacredjourneys

Sorry, but I would keep her in the 5-point harness seat for as long as possible. The longer (5 years?) the safer. Definitely no booster at the age of 2. Britax makes great seats that are up to 60 pounds (I think it's Marathon, but I am not sure - you would have to ask in the store. They are pricy but in my opinion it's worth it.

Hi H.,
You can purchase one of the booster seats that start at 20 lbs and 34 inches. Both of my older kids have been in the high back boosters since 2 and 3 years old. You can still use the shoulder straps that are in them and then when your daughter reaches the weight and height to be out of the straps you can use the seat with the seat belt. My son is 6 and is still in his it goes to 100 lbs. I have 2 of the safety 1st deluxe high back boosters. I bought mine at walmart and target. I hope this helps. Last night i purchased the safety 1st alpha omega elite it goes from 5 to 100 lbs. My daughter just turned 1 and she weighs 21 lbs it is the last seat she will need. I bought it at wal mart.
Good Luck,
Sherri K

I think your 2 yr old can move to a booster. Just check the weight requirements on the box, some are 30lbs some are 40lbs. I have to be honest about your 4mth old. NO!!!!!!!!! He needs to stay rear facing for the first year. For reasons other than weight. His bones aren't strong enough and if you get into an accident he could break his spine very easily. Check with your ped. or go to the car seat inspection place. AAA may be able to help or the police station can advise you. Please do not do this without getting a professional opinion. My children were very long and I wanted to change them over early like at 10 mths because there feet were hitting the seat and I was afraid they would break a leg if anything happened. The people at the car seat inspection place told me that it's better to have a broken leg then a broken spine.

Hi H., not sure on the exact answer but I recommend contacting Fairfield County Safe Kids www.fairfieldcountysdafekids.org or your local Police Department. They're the best resource for this type of problem.
Good Luck,
Rhonda

Hi H.-

I had a silmilar question a few weeks ago and brought it up with my doctor, she gave me this info:

New Jersey's car seat law requires that children up to age 8 and 80 pounds ride in an appropriate car seat or child safety booster seat. Additionally, New Jersey car seat law requires that children under age 8 ride in the rear seat of the vehicle, unless the vehicle has no rear seat.

if you go to this link below, it gives you the weight and age requirements for each step of carseat/booster/seatbelt laws in NJ.

Hope this helps & Happy Halloween :-)

http://www.infant-car-seats.com/states/car-seats-laws-New...

M.

I suggest purchasing a seat that converts into a booster. We faced the same predicament with our daughter and son. My husband who runs a performance shop was set on purchasing this carseat that is the safest and most innovative carseat out there. It's made by recaro, a company that makes race car seats. We bought one for our little guy and it is amazing. I know that my son is safe in this unlike the carseat we have for my daughter. i highly recommend purchasing this for your daughter. Check it out at these links or you can also google recaro young sport..

http://www.recaro.com/index.php?id=3515&region=3&L=2

http://www.recarochildseats.com/sportChildSeats.asp

They are expensive but worth every penny.

probably not, but im not sure. i would go strictly by the guidelines for your particular seats, read the manual. if you have lost them like me, check their websites. i would google booster seats and find a site that compares the different brands, so you can check their height/weight limits too. try consumer reports. btw, we have the britax, they are more $$ but have great ratings and a high weight limit, good for a long time.

The law states that they need to be 4 yrs old before they are able to sit in a booster seat. So I don't recommend the booster seat for your daughter!

Hi H.,
I had my daughter sit in my other daughters booster seat because I didn't want to buy another one either. The law says 40 pounds for a booster seat so you are only 8 pounds shy. I would use it.
Hope this helps,
Take care, Jen

you should check the state requirements regarding booster seats, but I believe a child needs to be 40 lbs and 4 years old to go into a booster. You should go online to see the state requirements. However, when I had the same situation, I actually invested in one of those 5-point harness seats that turn into a high-back booster seat, so when my daughter was ready for the booster, I just took the buckles off the car seat and used it with the car seat belts. I used it till she was about 6 years and then switched her to one of the small seats without the highback. Your daughter is still pretty young to be in a booster. Good Luck!

Wow, H., I have a two year old girl and a five month old boy and both are tall for their age as well! I wouldn't recommend the booster seat just yet. I had also considered the booster seat until I carted around my friends three year old daughter for a couple of days in her booster seat. The regular seat belt just crosses over their chest so when they fall asleep, they tend to slump over, bending in half. A lot of them also don't have sufficient wings on the headrests for when they fall asleep. The booster seats are better for when they don't fall asleep in the car so easily and will listen when you tell them to sit up. You will get, at minimum, another 1 1/2 years out of your daughters carseat so I'd recommend buying your son his own carseat. Sorry, I know it's easier to buy the booster, but you'll end up wasting your money right now!

No!! Your daughter is too young. That is very dangerous. Look at the instructions on the infant seat, I believe that he can be in it until 20 lbs. But either way, Buy another car seat.You can not be frugal on safety items for your children. A safe good car seat can cost $80.

I just faced this same dilemma. I have a large 5 month old and we just switched him into my daughter's seat and bought her a car seat that switches into a booster seat once they're 40 lbs. That way, we won't have to switch her again. It's an Eddie Bauer model that they sell at Babies R Us. I think it starts at 20 lbs, so your daughter should be able to fit into one like that. You can still use the harness on her until she reaches 40 lbs.

I would say no... but follow the guidelines on the individual seats. I do know your son still has to be rear facing until he is 1 year old and 20 pounds.

Just keep in mind... spending the money on another car seat could save your children's lives. It's not worth it to save money. Follow the seat's guidelines!!!

Please don't do anything until you consult the height and weight requirements on your seats!! a child up to 20 lbs, and at least one year of age (to ensure good neck control/support) should remain in a rear-facing carseat. After which you may put them in a front-facing seat until they reach 40lbs. Children 40lbs and above (plus certain height requirements) can move to a booster seat, but not before then (usually by the age of 7 until the age of 9) although your kids do seem bigger than average for those numbers.

And I may be wrong on numbers here, but you definitely cannot move your 2 year old to a booster yet - she'w way too young. There are plenty of affordable (and safety regulated) carseats available at walmart and costco. I'd do some research and price compare different models. You could also get a second-hand carseat through craigslist.com/kizoodle.com (just be sure to ask if the seat has been in an accident and check the manufacturer's date for the most recently made seats). Good luck with finding an alternative and take care :)

No. Do not risk it. Sorry it will not save you any money. At her age and wieght, she's a little light and a little young for a booster seat. they say 30 pound minimum, but most guidelines say to keep them in a regular car seat until they are 40 lbs. Personally, I kept my son in a toddler size car seat (safe up to 80 lbs, with a 5 point harness) until he was almost 5, when he reached 40 lbs. And he was about 41 inches when I switched. My nieces mother switched her daughter into a booster car seat at three (and she was no bigger than your daughter, cause she's a bit on the small side) and the lowest setting still put the upper strap right around her neck. It was also easy for her to wiggle out of when her mother was not looking, and it was a problem to keep her in her seat and properly buckled in. All it would have taken is just one hard stop and I hate to think what could have happened.

I read other responses. My son was switched to the Britax Marathon at about 5 months. REAR-FACING. People are telling you no cause should be rear facing, but my full size does go rear facing?? I agree.. the carrier was way to heavy. You are fine to do that as long as you keep rear facing for 1 year,which I think you know. The 2 yr old.. NO.. must stay in full-size. There have been so many news reports,etc about this. Keep them in a 5 pt harness as long you can. My marathon goes up to 60 or 80 pounds? I forget.. my son only 16 months, so not there yet. But the Marathon ranks pretty high for safety. I did my research before buying. Best of luck!