Before you understand how exciting this is, you need to know that I am a car seat freak. I am beyond anal when it comes to car seat safety. I cannot help it, I just am. There are worse things to be obsessive about.
So, the girl (who was rear-facing until she was almost 2) is still in a harnessed car seat. I know, she is 5. I know, every other 5 year old in the world is in a booster seat. Oh well. At 34lbs and 40 inches, she is still too small for a booster seat. Besides that, she is safer in a harness for even longer than the minimum of 40lbs…and I intend to keep her harnessed as long as possible. Her current car-seat will keep her harnessed to 48lb and 43 inches, so she has a while to go, but the car-seat in the man’s car is pretty well done, so I need to move my car-seat to his car (that she is in to go to or from school, less than a km away, about 3 times a week) and get a new seat for my car. Yeah, shopping!
So, I present, the girl’s new car seat:
The Sunshine kids Radian has the highest weight and height limits in Canada. If I was in the States, I’d be buying a Nautilusor the Gold Standard of Big Kid Car seats, the Regent (drool). But in Canada I am, so the Radian it is. Ok, weirdness of buying a new harnessed car-seat for a 5 year-old aside, is it pretty or what (obviously, the infant inserts will be removed)?
P.S. I strongly recommend all parents consider keeping their babies and young toddlers rear-facing as long as possible, and their preschoolers harnessed as long possible. I don’t wanna get preachy on you all, just sayin’ (and providing the links).
Remember, the bare minimum for turning to forward-facing is 1 year AND 20lbs, the bare minimum for going to a booster seat is 4 years AND 40lbs, and the bare minimum for sitting in a regular seat-belt is 8 years OR 80lbs (in Canada).
Wendy said,
February 23, 2008 @ 2:36 am
My daughter is 5 years old, will be 6 yrs old in June, and still in a Marthon. The scale in our house says 40lbs, but I don’t trust it. We will see how much she weights in June when she gets her check up. The Marathon goes up to 60lbs and I know she is no where near that.
Amber keeps asking me when she will get out of her baby seat and into the regular seat. I hate to tell her that because of her size she will probably be in this seat for a little while longer. I am just happy that she has learned to belt herself in. Now, if I can get her to open the car door from the inside.
The Blogger said,
February 23, 2008 @ 2:51 am
Way to go Wendy!!!
They just started carrying the Marathon in Canada a year ago (we still dont have the Regent). If they’ed had it here when the girl moved into a convertable, I totally would have gotten it and I am sure she’d still be in it. As it was, car-seats only went up to 40lbs then. I bought her current 48lb one about 2 years ago, and at that time that was a high as they went in Canada (and only my Cargo and the Radian went that high at the time). I am so happywie finally have some higher weight car seats available here. The Radian, Marathon and Apex 65 all go to over 6olbs!!!
The girl has not yet noticed that she is in a harness and her friends are all in boosters, even though we have been in cars together. She is so excited to get her new seat, and it is so pretty, I am hoping she’ll not complain for a while. She has only gained 2lbs since she was 4, so I don’t see her hitting 40lbs anytime soon, and really want to keep her harnessed past then!
Leslie said,
February 23, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
Oh Jill! I love that seat. I’m considering buying it for Zara. I’m just torn. I have a 5 yr old Alpha Omega that doesn’t expire for a year that she could use rear facing. I could then see what the “new best thing” is at that time. Or could buy a Radian right now. Its a tough choice. Paige is still in a 5pt harness at 42lbs. She has about an inch to grow before she is too tall for her seat & I’ll finally have to succumb to booster seats. It really irks me when people move their kids too soon. My partner at work just moved her son to a booster & he won’t be 3 until May! She just doesn’t care. Anyways enjoy the new seat!
PS I saw a Safety 1st seat at Walmart the other day that went to 65lbs. It was only forward facing though.
The Blogger said,
February 23, 2008 @ 6:31 pm
OK, here is what I would do Leslie:
1) Skip the Safety First Apex, unless Paige is much shorter than my girl (40″). The weight limit is good, but the top slots are 17″, the same as most of the lower weight seats. I put the girl in it, and there was the same amount of room to grow up as in her current seat.
2) Buy the Radian for Paige. It is really safest for her to stay harnessed a bit longer, and since you have a RF seat that you can use for Zara for the next year, I would take adavantage of having a seat Paige will fit in until then. In a year when the AO expires, move Paige to a booster and then Zara will have the Radian until she is readyf or a booster.
That is IF you decide to buy the Radian now, and not wait a year. If you decide to wait the year, Paige can go into a high back booster now (the Graco Turbo Booster is highly reccommended). But, it just seems to me that if you are going to buy a seat now with limits Paige will still fit into, and already have a seat Zara can use…then you should take advantage of being able to keep Paige harnessed longer.
My Daycare is an abyss of poor car seat decisions. I cannot even look at people’s cars anymore, I am scared I will start a scene.
P.S. I don’t think turning/moving kids at the minimum requirement is a poor car seat decision. It is not my choice, but is perfectly acceptable. I am talking about people with 8 month olds forward facing, 3 year olds in booster seats and 4 year olds hopping around the back seat.
Leslie said,
February 23, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
Jill I think when I bought Paige’s Evenflo Generations (48lbs) that the shoulder height was the same as a Radian. I had considered a Radian then. If its shoulder slots are indeed higher then that would work out perfectly. Would you mind measuring yours? Paige probably won’t hit the top of hers for several months still. Zara is definitely going to stay rear facing longer now that I know more about it than I did 5 yrs ago. I totally agree with you on the minimum standards. My co-worker does the 8mth old forward facing as well as 2.5 yr old in a booster. I just have to let it go.
The Blogger said,
February 23, 2008 @ 8:47 pm
Leslie we had to order the Princess Radian, so we don’t have it yet. When I ordered the site said it was in stock, but then after I had put the order through they said it is out and will be 2-3 weeks :(. I will measure for you when we get it.
I read on the car safety board that the top slots for the Radian are 18 inches, and evenflo Generations are 17…but that could be wrong or a different model.
CuriosityKiller said,
March 2, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
Now that’s a really pretty child-seater… I can see it matching a pink convertible. :)
Danielle said,
June 15, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
Hi – that is a lovely carseat! Where did you purchase it? I’m in Canada too but there were no dealers near me. Thanks!