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| Poll |
| Do you get your carseat installed? |
| yes |
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15% |
[ 8 ] |
| no |
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84% |
[ 43 ] |
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| Total Votes : 51 |
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| seeker |
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 Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:04 am Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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| gp2.0 wrote: | Wow.  I had no idea they had to be so tight. I'll tell DH to try and fix it, though I'll probably get an  | Generally they need to not move more than an inch along the belt path or away from the car's seat. An inch is quite small but it is slightly more than nothing. Do not bring out the power tools to get a rock-hard fit because that will compromise the shock protection! Note that generally not moving refers to along the belt path, that means if the seatbelt is running left to right, your seat should not be moving left to right, but it might still be able to tilt upward, that's normal and is part of how it is SUPPOSED to behave. Unless your manual says otherwise. Just read, every word.
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| gp2.0 |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:13 am Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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| seeker wrote: | | gp2.0 wrote: | | Wow. I had no idea they had to be so tight. I'll tell DH to try and fix it, though I'll probably get an | Generally they need to not move more than an inch along the belt path or away from the car's seat. An inch is quite small but it is slightly more than nothing. Do not bring out the power tools to get a rock-hard fit because that will compromise the shock protection! Note that generally not moving refers to along the belt path, that means if the seatbelt is running left to right, your seat should not be moving left to right, but it might still be able to tilt upward, that's normal and is part of how it is SUPPOSED to behave. Unless your manual says otherwise. Just read, every word. |
How important is the whole LATCH system? Currently we just have the seatbelt running behind the seat.
ETA: OMG, I just watched a couple of installation videos and we've totally been installing it wrong. It seems so simple, too - we just couldn't figure it out from the manual. Will fix it tomorrow iyh!
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| Marion |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 1:19 am Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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I install them myself. I have 3 across in the back, so the 2 on the sides (if you take out the middle one) are "too loose" and would have to be tightened if they were on their own. With all 3 of them in, however, there is NO wiggle room and they're all snug. (The middle seat is belted & tethered to within an inch of its life; the RF seat is latched, and the booster is used with the car belt at this point...it's the one that goes in and out the most.)
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| seeker |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 5:01 am Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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| gp2.0 wrote: | | seeker wrote: | | gp2.0 wrote: | | Wow. I had no idea they had to be so tight. I'll tell DH to try and fix it, though I'll probably get an | Generally they need to not move more than an inch along the belt path or away from the car's seat. An inch is quite small but it is slightly more than nothing. Do not bring out the power tools to get a rock-hard fit because that will compromise the shock protection! Note that generally not moving refers to along the belt path, that means if the seatbelt is running left to right, your seat should not be moving left to right, but it might still be able to tilt upward, that's normal and is part of how it is SUPPOSED to behave. Unless your manual says otherwise. Just read, every word. |
How important is the whole LATCH system? Currently we just have the seatbelt running behind the seat.
ETA: OMG, I just watched a couple of installation videos and we've totally been installing it wrong. It seems so simple, too - we just couldn't figure it out from the manual. Will fix it tomorrow iyh! |
LATCH is optional. AFAIK it's recommended just because it's often easier and has fewer ways of doing it wrong. But most seats are designed to install just as safely with either LATCH or the car belt and you should use whichever method you find is easier and gives you a better fit. With one car/carseat shidduch I found it harder to get it at the right angle using the LATCH, and the car belt worked better for me. But once you get the hang of it, LATCH can be easier. If you have a really old car without any LATCH, or you need more than one seat and only have LATCH in one place, don't sweat it, you're fine. Just read the manual to make sure and check before you buy because it's possible they could make some these days that really do need LATCH. Haven't met it yet but we've only been through 2 so far.
Just curious, what part of the installation did you find out from the video that you hadn't understood in the manual? I just used the manual for mine and felt pretty confident but now you have me wondering... (that's right, despite all my free endorsements, I actually have not gotten around to getting my own install inspected. I still intend to but... The friend car seat tech gives a lot of chat advice but lives in a different city)
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| chatouli |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 6:20 am Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a car seat inspection station locator. http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm
I took my car to the station nearest me and got my seats professionally installed, and I'm so glad I did - the police officer who did it for me was so nice and knowledgeable.
Be aware that not all the technicians on that list that I linked to do it free of charge, so be sure to ask!
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| Hashem_Yaazor |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 9:12 am Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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It can move within an inch. If it's not in tight, your child is losing a lot of protection.
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| lst |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 9:38 am Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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| torahtots wrote: | Realeez, the straps need to start BELOW the child's shoulders!!
I live in E"Y and there is no one who does this professionally. I have asked several friends to help me and they did not get the car seats in securely enough. They just buckled them and thought that was fine. I finally found a friend who knows how to do it. I do not trust myself to make it tight enough. Also, my car seats do not have a top tether and they move SO much at the top. My dad, who is an engineer, made tethers out of 4 mm metal cording he bought at the hardware store.
Last time I went to visit family in America, I called the police and fire stations and they said they only do it on the last Saturday of every month. I said I can't come on a Saturday for religious reasons and they said that's the only day they can do it. So my dad and I did the best we could. I did not know they have professionals at Babies R Us! Will be doing that next time iyH!
I did not answer the survey b/c I didn't know what to say - "yes" b/c I would have if I could have or "no" b/c it wasn't possible.
For Israeli moms, I think there should be a survey "do you use a car seat?" I heard that something like 80% of moms take their babies home from the hospital without one. A lot of people don't have cars so they don't bother buying car seats (even though they take their kids in taxis, friends' cars, etc). So disturbing. |
I live in Israel and it drives me crazy when I see not only loosely installed carseats, but kids in carseats/boosters that are inappropriate for their height, weight and age, kids in the front seats, kids in DRIVERS' LAPS!, not enough seats in the car for every passenger, double buckled children, etc etc... I really hope nothing happens to all of these children. My husband can get them in so tightly, its amazing. When I go into America next I plan on taking a course so I can become certified and maybe, maybe, my neighbors will be willing to listen.
Maybe after that we can work on helmets when riding bikes 
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| lst |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 9:45 am Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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A few more things
-with the five point harness, the clip has to be even with your child's armpits, not all the way down at the buckle, that's really important
-infants/toddlers should be RF for as long as possible. At least until they are 2. It doesn't matter if their feet are squished or if they cry. It's so much safer!
-kids should not be moved to a booster until they are AT LEAST 4 AND 40 pounds, but they can stay in a five point harness carseat until they reach the height and weight limits of that carseat. It doesn't matter if none of their friends do it.
-expired car seats are dangerous
I hope every single poster is reading this thread.
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| Hashem_Yaazor |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 10:04 am Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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The reason the chest clip is supposed to be up high is to prevent the internal organs from getting damaged in the even the clip is pressed into the stomach area. But the child is still restrained at least...it's a start
So many mistakes that are easily remedied if there was more education. It shouldn't be so hard: most of the stuff is in the manual of the car seat itself!
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| MrsDash |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 11:09 am Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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| lst wrote: | A few more things
-with the five point harness, the clip has to be even with your child's armpits, not all the way down at the buckle, that's really important
-infants/toddlers should be RF for as long as possible. At least until they are 2. It doesn't matter if their feet are squished or if they cry. It's so much safer!
-kids should not be moved to a booster until they are AT LEAST 4 AND 40 pounds, but they can stay in a five point harness carseat until they reach the height and weight limits of that carseat. It doesn't matter if none of their friends do it.
-expired car seats are dangerous
I hope every single poster is reading this thread. |
That's one of the most common excuses for switching to forward facing. If the accident is powerful enough to break their legs rear facing, forward facing will only cause more harm. Not to their legs, but their chest, and abdomen.
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| seeker |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 11:30 am Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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| Hashem_Yaazor wrote: | The reason the chest clip is supposed to be up high is to prevent the internal organs from getting damaged in the even the clip is pressed into the stomach area. But the child is still restrained at least...it's a start
So many mistakes that are easily remedied if there was more education. It shouldn't be so hard: most of the stuff is in the manual of the car seat itself! |
Well, not entirely. The MAIN point of having a chest clip up high is to keep the straps in the right position over the shoulders so the straps don't slip sideways, allowing the kid to slide up and out if the car flips or if an impact is strong enough to send them flying upward.
So that's why they MAKE the chest clip, but once it's there you then also have the danger that if it's over the stomach it could damage organs even in a lesser accident.
Bottom line is, whichever reason you want to subscribe to, just do it right and put that clip at armpit level.
About legs being squished rear-facing, I think parents imagine that to be a much bigger deal than it actually is for the kids. Most kids are just used to sitting that way and they learn how to arrange themselves comfortably, either draping their legs over the side or putting them up on the seat back... for long trips especially it's better than having them hang down; a child's feet don't reach the floor so they're dangling which could be bad for circulation.
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| devo1982 |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:01 pm Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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This is an old article, but since some people might not be aware, I'll post it here. The recommendations for rear-facing, car seat use, and boosters have all changed (even if the laws haven't).
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenti.....66904.html
To summarize:
Rear-facing until 2 years old or the maximum height and weight in the manual.
Booster seats (belt positioning booster with high back) until AT LEAST 4'9" and 8-12 years old.
No riding in the front seat until age 13.
There are few things that I really get up on a soapbox about, but car seat safety is one of them. Ever since I heard the phrase "internal decapitation" in relation to an insecure car seat, I've been vigilant about making sure seats are properly installed by experts. It's free, it makes sure my kids are safe - it's a win/win.
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| Hashem_Yaazor |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:01 pm Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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Yup, definitely less complaining when my kids are RF than FF with feet dangling (we usually have something to rest their feet on when FF, but it's not the same...and when boostered, they can't cross their legs...)
I have the cutest pictures of my kids arranging their legs when RF...and it's the same positions they sometimes take when sleeping in terms of dangling, legs crossed over another, etc.
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| Hashem_Yaazor |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
| |
| devo1982 wrote: | This is an old article, but since some people might not be aware, I'll post it here. The recommendations for rear-facing, car seat use, and boosters have all changed (even if the laws haven't).
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenti.....66904.html
To summarize:
Rear-facing until 2 years old or the maximum height and weight in the manual.
Booster seats (belt positioning booster with high back) until AT LEAST 4'9" and 8-12 years old.
No riding in the front seat until age 13.
There are few things that I really get up on a soapbox about, but car seat safety is one of them. Ever since I heard the phrase "internal decapitation" in relation to an insecure car seat, I've been vigilant about making sure seats are properly installed by experts. It's free, it makes sure my kids are safe - it's a win/win. | The height thing for boosters while nice in theory is hard to put into practice. My sister is 4' 9". And the mother of 3. My mother in law is even shorter.
My son is on target to be like 5' 1". He won't be 4' 9" for a long, long, long time. I don't think it's feasible to expect a 14 year old to sit in a booster.
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| DrMom |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
| |
| Hashem_Yaazor wrote: | | devo1982 wrote: | This is an old article, but since some people might not be aware, I'll post it here. The recommendations for rear-facing, car seat use, and boosters have all changed (even if the laws haven't).
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenti.....66904.html
To summarize:
Rear-facing until 2 years old or the maximum height and weight in the manual.
Booster seats (belt positioning booster with high back) until AT LEAST 4'9" and 8-12 years old.
No riding in the front seat until age 13.
There are few things that I really get up on a soapbox about, but car seat safety is one of them. Ever since I heard the phrase "internal decapitation" in relation to an insecure car seat, I've been vigilant about making sure seats are properly installed by experts. It's free, it makes sure my kids are safe - it's a win/win. | The height thing for boosters while nice in theory is hard to put into practice. My sister is 4' 9". And the mother of 3. My mother in law is even shorter.
My son is on target to be like 5' 1". He won't be 4' 9" for a long, long, long time. I don't think it's feasible to expect a 14 year old to sit in a booster. |
As a short woman, I agree that this is ridiculous. I would hae had to sit in a booster seat well past by bat mitzvah. My grandmother (z"l) was very short. I would never ask her to sit in a booster seat.
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| chaylizi |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:15 pm Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
| |
| Hashem_Yaazor wrote: | | devo1982 wrote: | This is an old article, but since some people might not be aware, I'll post it here. The recommendations for rear-facing, car seat use, and boosters have all changed (even if the laws haven't).
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenti.....66904.html
To summarize:
Rear-facing until 2 years old or the maximum height and weight in the manual.
Booster seats (belt positioning booster with high back) until AT LEAST 4'9" and 8-12 years old.
No riding in the front seat until age 13.
There are few things that I really get up on a soapbox about, but car seat safety is one of them. Ever since I heard the phrase "internal decapitation" in relation to an insecure car seat, I've been vigilant about making sure seats are properly installed by experts. It's free, it makes sure my kids are safe - it's a win/win. | The height thing for boosters while nice in theory is hard to put into practice. My sister is 4' 9". And the mother of 3. My mother in law is even shorter.
My son is on target to be like 5' 1". He won't be 4' 9" for a long, long, long time. I don't think it's feasible to expect a 14 year old to sit in a booster. |
I was talking to a few CPSTs who said that if a child is 12 and they are not 4'9" yet, they do not have to sit in a booster anymore. A definite part of the booster safety is the age of the child.
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| Hashem_Yaazor |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:24 pm Post subject: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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I think it should be written as 4' 9" or 12, whichever comes first.
Not "and".
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| chaylizi |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
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| Hashem_Yaazor wrote: | I think it should be written as 4' 9" or 12, whichever comes first.
Not "and". |
I don't think they would write it that way, because the guidelines are using the minimums. It's usually written 8 years old or 4'9". I would think you want to use the later guideline. I still have my oldest daughter in a booster. She's 9 years old and 4'10".
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| gp2.0 |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
| |
| seeker wrote: | | gp2.0 wrote: | | seeker wrote: | | gp2.0 wrote: | | Wow. I had no idea they had to be so tight. I'll tell DH to try and fix it, though I'll probably get an | Generally they need to not move more than an inch along the belt path or away from the car's seat. An inch is quite small but it is slightly more than nothing. Do not bring out the power tools to get a rock-hard fit because that will compromise the shock protection! Note that generally not moving refers to along the belt path, that means if the seatbelt is running left to right, your seat should not be moving left to right, but it might still be able to tilt upward, that's normal and is part of how it is SUPPOSED to behave. Unless your manual says otherwise. Just read, every word. |
How important is the whole LATCH system? Currently we just have the seatbelt running behind the seat.
ETA: OMG, I just watched a couple of installation videos and we've totally been installing it wrong. It seems so simple, too - we just couldn't figure it out from the manual. Will fix it tomorrow iyh! |
LATCH is optional. AFAIK it's recommended just because it's often easier and has fewer ways of doing it wrong. But most seats are designed to install just as safely with either LATCH or the car belt and you should use whichever method you find is easier and gives you a better fit. With one car/carseat shidduch I found it harder to get it at the right angle using the LATCH, and the car belt worked better for me. But once you get the hang of it, LATCH can be easier. If you have a really old car without any LATCH, or you need more than one seat and only have LATCH in one place, don't sweat it, you're fine. Just read the manual to make sure and check before you buy because it's possible they could make some these days that really do need LATCH. Haven't met it yet but we've only been through 2 so far.
Just curious, what part of the installation did you find out from the video that you hadn't understood in the manual? I just used the manual for mine and felt pretty confident but now you have me wondering... (that's right, despite all my free endorsements, I actually have not gotten around to getting my own install inspected. I still intend to but... The friend car seat tech gives a lot of chat advice but lives in a different city) |
Basically, we have the seat belt threaded through the right place, but I saw in the video that I'm supposed to take the seat padding off and there are red clips beneath that really secure the belt tightly. We could never figure out why we couldn't get it tight enough. It can move a lot now, probably six inches in any direction.
I also discovered that I can lengthen the middle button buckle which is nice because it is a little short.
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| devo1982 |
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| Posted: Wed, May 09 2012, 5:03 pm Post subject: Re: re: Do you get your carseat professionally installed? |
| |
| Hashem_Yaazor wrote: | | devo1982 wrote: | This is an old article, but since some people might not be aware, I'll post it here. The recommendations for rear-facing, car seat use, and boosters have all changed (even if the laws haven't).
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenti.....66904.html
To summarize:
Rear-facing until 2 years old or the maximum height and weight in the manual.
Booster seats (belt positioning booster with high back) until AT LEAST 4'9" and 8-12 years old.
No riding in the front seat until age 13.
There are few things that I really get up on a soapbox about, but car seat safety is one of them. Ever since I heard the phrase "internal decapitation" in relation to an insecure car seat, I've been vigilant about making sure seats are properly installed by experts. It's free, it makes sure my kids are safe - it's a win/win. | The height thing for boosters while nice in theory is hard to put into practice. My sister is 4' 9". And the mother of 3. My mother in law is even shorter.
My son is on target to be like 5' 1". He won't be 4' 9" for a long, long, long time. I don't think it's feasible to expect a 14 year old to sit in a booster. |
I can see how the wording is imprecise. I took it to mean they were saying that it was only until the child was 12 years old max (and had reached the height of 4'9"), but presumably if the kid is older, then they don't need it anymore. I agree that it's unrealistic to expect a 14 year old to still use a booster, and I don't think they mean adults should have booster seats, otherwise I'm in trouble if I ever shrink due to age!
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