Car seat help

coryandamanda

Let me preface this with necessary info....
A: 5 years old, forward facing, approx 43" and 39-40 lbs. Can buckle and unbuckle herself. Currently in Britax Marathon, will be getting Brtitax Frontier 85 next Fall 2013 when current car seat expires.
H: 3.5 years old, forward facing, approx 40" and 32 lbs. Can only buckle chest strap on her own and not interested in trying to do more! In Britax Marathon and may possibly move to Frontier as well this year.
M: 14 months old, rear facing, approx 31" and 21-22 lbs. In Britax Marathon.
Infant due March 2013 and will obviously be RF in an infant seat.

We have a minivan and we had A in the back seat with M. She is awesome with taking care of him and she loves it. H is in captain chair on passenger side. We had planned to keep it this way and add the baby to the other captain chair OR move M to a captain chair RF until at least age 2 and put new baby in the back with A. Problem is that I was just informed that the back seat of a minivan is dangerous for a RF seat in a rear collision. So for now we moved M to a captain's chair (A was REALLY upset about this but what can you do?) I really wanted the new baby to sit with A because she is a HUGE help while driving with giving the binky, etc but I guess it's a bad idea. The other issue is that if we move H to the back seat(in addition to the fact that A and H sitting next to each other is a nightmare) there is only one tether back there so one seat would be latched and tethered and the other is secured only by the seat belt. Is not having the tether a huge deal with a 5 point harness booster?? Both captain's chairs have a tether.

Any thoughts or insight on the whole situation?? Thanks in advance.

TheOtherLovingMoms

Just thought I would chime in and let you know that I read somewhere that it is a big NO NO to use both your cars seatbelt to hold a carseat in and a cars latch system. You are only supposed to use one or the other not both. Goobie can really help you here, maybe send her a pm or forum email.

ETA this article

Question: Can I Use LATCH and a Seat Belt to Install a Car Seat?

Answer: Lots of parents want an extra measure of security when it comes to their baby's protection on the road. This leads
many parents to install car seats with both a vehicle seat belt and the LATCH system. Using two installation methods is not as safe as it sounds, though.

You should choose the installation method that allows you to get the best fit in your vehicle. The car seat is installed correctly when you can't move it more than an inch in any direction when you grab the car seat at the belt path, and when the car seat is at the proper angle, such as when rear-facing.

Car seats are designed to handle crash forces in specific ways. While we know, thanks to federally mandated crash testing, that baby's car seat will withstand crash forces when installed with the seat belt, or with the LATCH system, we do not know if the same car seat will withstand crash forces when both systems are used at the same time. Putting two installation belts through the same belt path could put stress on the car seat shell from two different angles during a crash, causing breakage. Using two installation belts could also concentrate more crash force on a small area of the car seat.

The rule of thumb to follow with installation is to never use your baby's car seat in a way that was not intended by the manufacturer. When you install the car seat using methods not outlined in the instruction manual, you are, in essence, using your child as the crash test dummy. We cannot be sure of what will happen when car seats are used in ways that have not been crash tested and approved. Read your car seat instructions and your vehicle owner's manual to find out how your car seat can be installed. If you cannot get the car seat installed tightly using either the vehicle seat belt or the LATCH system, find a certified child passenger safety technician or a car seat inspection station by visiting Safe Kids USA.

Heather Corley is a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

K&H

The rear seat doesn't have more than one latch? Weird.
It seems like you have no choice but to have the girls next to each other. I would probably latch and tether H because she's younger and this has a less mature bone structure. But I would feel like crap for having to choose!

TheOtherLovingMoms

Also, I thought I would show you this since you have the Britax car seats

http://www.britaxusa.com/learning-center/car-seats-101/about-latch

coryandamanda

Just wanted to add that I do get a very secure fit with the seatbelt. I just kinda wish there was a latch with it. I think it doesn't have it because it is a split seat 1/3, 2/3 and the 1/3 seat doesn't have the latch.

fisch

We have an Acadia with the captain's seats, it's set up just like the interior of your mini van, including the single latch for the 3rd row. I didn't realize that when we bought it. My thought was, when we need to use our car to pick up grandparents from the airport, or travel with other adults, is that we would put the kids in the 3rd row...I, like you, have a bit of discomfort regarding the use of the seatbelt only, which we have had to do plenty of times in cabs, rental cars, etc. It's not my number one choice just because I can't seem to get as secure a fit (it takes some muscle!). It sounds like your issue is more pairing personalities...How soon before you forward face M? We just turn Emerson - I know on this board that is a big no no, but we made the decision to do it, and I don't plan on looking back. She's 31.5 in and 25 lbs. Seems to me that M may be ready to forward face in the back with new baby whatever captain's chair you can reach best from the driver seat!

Shanny

The lack of anchors and no rear facing in the 3rd row were big factors in my decision not to get a new car/minivan/suv recently and stick it out with my car. And just really wouldn't have solved all of my problems in the way one would hope when making such a purchase.

I'd say be happy there is at least a little space in between those captains chairs. I now have to deal with a 20 month old pinching a 4 and 5 year old on nearly every car ride.

So let me get this right on the back - there is one seat with latches and that also has a FF tether but the other has neither (just want to make sure I am picturing it right!). I'm able to get a great seatbelt only install with all of my seats (they are all also tethered) because using the seat belt versus latch helps with the spacing issue of 3 across, but it did take me some time to get really good at it and had them professionally installed the first time.

TheOtherLovingMoms - I wanted to point out that she isn't saying she uses the seatbelt and the latch anchors at the same time.

I really just don't see any other way than the girls in the front and the boys in the back. How could you drive around now knowing of the potential danger? And of course I'm a big believer in extended rf-ing so I'd never turn someone around prematurely.

One last thought as far as buckling/unbuckling. I'm sure it is similar in your house but everything A does at a certain age K does almost a full year younger. So after A was able to undo her chest clip it was only a few weeks before Kate did it. Same with completely buckling themselves in. A can now sometimes undo the bottom buckles but it is really hard in our seats. So that may all change soon and especially with a new seat, it may be harder for A or easier for H to catch up.

Why can't we just toss em all in the back like our parents did

coryandamanda

Shanny - yes one has latch and tether and other side of the bench has neither. Just seatbelt. I can use the tether for the seatbelt seat even though it isn't directly behind it and I can also fit both tethers on it at once....not sure if that is a good idea or not??
And u meant both girls in back and boys in front right?

Shanny

I don't know about using the same tether. Definitely a good question for our car seat techs. My instinct would be no because it would pull it off center but I've never heard it asked and answered before. Yes, I meant girls in back boys in front!

TheOtherLovingMoms

Thanks Shanny. I thought she meant she was using both the cars seat belt and the latch system together on the same car seat.

Sorry if I misunderstood.

Zen

If I understand what you've written, RF in the back is just not an option. So you have just 2 choices.

1. Girls in back, boys in middle.
2. 1 girl in back with Max FF, infant and 1 girl in middle.

The real question here ... is Max. Assuming you want to keep him RF until 2, can you live with the girls squabbling for 6 months? Or would it be simpler to have Max FF in the back once the new baby comes?

There's no question that RF is safest for as long as possible -- in a collision. But the reality is that if you're constantly listening to and being stressed by a cacophony of screaming kids while you're driving, safety takes a nose dive!

michgirl

You can only use one latch tether per seat. It puts to much force on it in a collision to have two hooked to it. It is completely fine (safe and legal) to only secure with a seatbelt as long as you get a good tight install. Beyond that, Zen is correct. It is now time to decide what you want to go with squabbles and headaches or turn M early.