postmodernmommy
03-22-2006, 03:56 PM
Hi!
My DD is 39 inches tall, 39 lbs and is 3 years 10 months old. She has a long torso and will outgrow her Roundabout within a few weeks or the next month. I went down to my local RightStart to look at car seats and my options. I have been blown away at how many parents have put their child into a belt positioning/high back booster so quickly and it just seems too premature for such a seat, especially since I don't think she has the maturity to sit in a booster yet.
I have a really small car (a Toyota Echo) and only one child so putting the seat in the middle is fine, however when a grandparent is in town or we have a passenger (like another little munchkin in their car seat) I'll need to move her over by the window. Our other car is a Toyota Camry and she splits her time 80 Echo/20 Camry. I feel strongly about having a car seat in each car with minimal switching around.
At first I was very excited about the Britax Decathalon (in the pink/yellow Tiffany colors!) until DD sat in it. She would only have ONE set of notches on the shoulder straps to grow into until she outgrows the seat. The woman who helped me seemed to think she had very little growing room. So I'm wondering just how much kids grow between ages 3-5 in their torso? Could an inch take a few years?
Then the woman brought up that with such a small car the Boulevard with the TSIP (side impact protection) might be better, especially when positioned by the window. The Regent just seemed SO HUGE and I don't think I could install it by the door, plus the only color they had was the black and I'm in a super sunny climate- it just seems really hot to me... someone tell me if I'm wrong.... so I'm leaning away from the Regent unless I absolutely have to...
I ended up leaving the store with a Recaro Young Style that I'm thinking about returning. I bought it because at the time it seemed like my only option, or I could keep -it would be nice to have as an "extra" seat" (when traveling (especially when going in taxis), extra kid over, in grandparent's car, etc..) in case I do go back and get a larger Britaxes.
Here are my main questions:
Does anyone have a really small car (like a civic, echo, corolla, focus, etc...) and does your Regent/Husky fit and if so is it only in the middle?
Does anyone have a Decathalon or a Boulevard and if so do you have an older/larger child in the seat?
Anyone have any observations about their child's torso growth?
*silly question* How in the world does the Recaro booster keep from tipping over when you make a sharp turn???? (it just seems like my child might be too light to hold the seat down...) do they kind of move around a lot?
And for those that DO have a Husky/Regent/Decathalon/Boulevard DO YOU HAVE TWO? One in each car? That's such a dilema for us... Which seat to put in which car...
Ok, a LOT of questions, I know. Having a small car means I really want to have the asbolute safest option for my DD yet it still has to work with the car itself...
TIA!
Amy :)
My DD is 39 inches tall, 39 lbs and is 3 years 10 months old. She has a long torso and will outgrow her Roundabout within a few weeks or the next month. I went down to my local RightStart to look at car seats and my options. I have been blown away at how many parents have put their child into a belt positioning/high back booster so quickly and it just seems too premature for such a seat, especially since I don't think she has the maturity to sit in a booster yet.
I have a really small car (a Toyota Echo) and only one child so putting the seat in the middle is fine, however when a grandparent is in town or we have a passenger (like another little munchkin in their car seat) I'll need to move her over by the window. Our other car is a Toyota Camry and she splits her time 80 Echo/20 Camry. I feel strongly about having a car seat in each car with minimal switching around.
At first I was very excited about the Britax Decathalon (in the pink/yellow Tiffany colors!) until DD sat in it. She would only have ONE set of notches on the shoulder straps to grow into until she outgrows the seat. The woman who helped me seemed to think she had very little growing room. So I'm wondering just how much kids grow between ages 3-5 in their torso? Could an inch take a few years?
Then the woman brought up that with such a small car the Boulevard with the TSIP (side impact protection) might be better, especially when positioned by the window. The Regent just seemed SO HUGE and I don't think I could install it by the door, plus the only color they had was the black and I'm in a super sunny climate- it just seems really hot to me... someone tell me if I'm wrong.... so I'm leaning away from the Regent unless I absolutely have to...
I ended up leaving the store with a Recaro Young Style that I'm thinking about returning. I bought it because at the time it seemed like my only option, or I could keep -it would be nice to have as an "extra" seat" (when traveling (especially when going in taxis), extra kid over, in grandparent's car, etc..) in case I do go back and get a larger Britaxes.
Here are my main questions:
Does anyone have a really small car (like a civic, echo, corolla, focus, etc...) and does your Regent/Husky fit and if so is it only in the middle?
Does anyone have a Decathalon or a Boulevard and if so do you have an older/larger child in the seat?
Anyone have any observations about their child's torso growth?
*silly question* How in the world does the Recaro booster keep from tipping over when you make a sharp turn???? (it just seems like my child might be too light to hold the seat down...) do they kind of move around a lot?
And for those that DO have a Husky/Regent/Decathalon/Boulevard DO YOU HAVE TWO? One in each car? That's such a dilema for us... Which seat to put in which car...
Ok, a LOT of questions, I know. Having a small car means I really want to have the asbolute safest option for my DD yet it still has to work with the car itself...
TIA!
Amy :)