Car seats

alioli123 · Mar 28, 2008 5:33PM

In brief, our garage was broken into a few weeks ago and the kind thief took my hubby's bike (not used in years!) and his beloved golf clubs (boo hoo cries Chez!). Anyway, we've been given a voucher for Halfords to replace the bike, but we can spend it on anything in store....
Gracie's car seat at the mo is a small Britax one for her travel system, which she's rapidly outgrowing!
Do any of you have a fixed rear/forward 0+/1 car seat, which is suitable from birth to 4 years? They have a Britax 1st plus si in store but want to know how im/practical it would be not being able to carry her round in her portable one...
Any experiences of these types of car seats greatly received!
x

-kia- · Mar 24, 2008 8:32AM

We are still using the seat that goes with Coles travel system.. I guess we'll have to look at bigger seats soon too. I'll be watching this thread too

Jolli · Mar 24, 2008 3:35PM

Hi - my older son has a britax forward facing car seat which will be suitable until he is 4. We also only had a car seat for him which was part of a travel system and he grew out of it fairly quickly. The seat became to heavy to lift with him in it - I gave up lugging him and the car seat long before we traded up to the next one!! I kept the baby one as long as possible as it's so expensive to buy new one. I would definately take advantage of the half price sale - I think its on til wednesday and if you know anyone who reads the mirror they had a 10% voucher in conjunction with the sale so half price plus another 10% off is a real bargain.
Having the seat that stays in the car is wierd but it is easy to swop if you need to switch cars. We got used to it pretty quickly. It is a shame if he's asleep to have to lift him out. The seat itself, that we have, has a seatbelt tensioner so it feels a lot more secure than the babyseat which just has the strap over and under.
I guess it depends on whether you always lift your lo out in her car seat or whether you just lift her and carry her, also how often you use your car and how likely it is that she will be asleep at the end of the journey! I will say that I find unstrapping my baby and lifting him out around the seat belt is much more fiddly and awqward than just releasing the straps and getting my 21/2 year old out(even when he's asleep and actually needs to be lifted out!)
I guess also it won't be that long before they can toddle out themselves and they won't fall asleep on every journey. (how scary is that!!)
hope this helps? sorry If a bit long-winded!
julesy

alioli123 · Mar 24, 2008 4:25PM

Thanks that's great julesy - esp the half price ones! My 2 1/2 yr old has a Britax forward facer too but was in it from 9mth so had him in carrier til then. Not sure how i'd get on with a fixed one as she's a sleepy one in the car! Will need to think and get the vouchers spent b4 they run out!
When was your 2 1/2 yr old born? Alfie's birthday is 3rd Oct 05 so nearly 2 1/2. How old's your lo? How are you finding it? x

Emandbabiesx2 · Mar 24, 2008 4:55PM

Hi girls, just wanted to say that I've had Henry in the 0-4 bigger car seat for a few weeks and it's much easier just to undo him rather than the whole seat just to put him into his pram/trolley etc! He loves it cos he can see more - out the window, but still has to be rear facing til he's 9kg so it takes up quite a lot of room in the front of my car and I can't see the wing mirror! Also is ok in the back but I don't like not being able to see him and the mirror I bought to see him keeps falling off the rear windscreen!

Only downside is cos he's so small still when he falls asleep his poor little head falls forward -he can't hold it up on his own even though I have a head support!

Just looking forward to when he can start facing forwards so can leave the car seat in the same place in the back!!

xxx

Jolli · Mar 24, 2008 5:23PM

Hi - yeah eldest is June '05 and yeah its hard work with 2 - eldest decided he didn't want to wear nappies to bed anymore and actually he's doing ok but pain being up in night with him aswell as the baby if he does wet bed!
He goes a day and half to childminder which I kept going as he loves. its expensive but I'm glad I did. He's starting pre-school a couple of sessions after easter so that will be good. He is really sweet (so far) with baby so thats good!
Sorry waffling now! The car seat we got is adjustable so you can tilt it back if they want to sleep or sit them up. he still has a sleep if its a long journey so its worth considering - especially as you say your lo likes her sleep!
julesy xx

alioli123 · Mar 24, 2008 6:28PM

Ah bless! We kept ds2 on at c/m p/t and he goes to nursery 2 mornings too. Keeping things the same for him helped him and us! I'm reducing his hours at c/m and increasing them by a session at nursery after our school hols in 2 weeks.
He's really good with Gracie, getting nappies etc and is such a sweetie giving her kisses and covering her with a blanket when she really doesn't need it - how can you say no tho?!

Jolli · Mar 24, 2008 6:31PM

sweet! I just sent a friend request your way on facebook as i saw you were on that other thread in the baby forum,
julesy xx

alioli123 · Mar 24, 2008 6:38PM

Will add you on as got 2 tabs running!

Emalenna · Mar 25, 2008 5:10AM

Fee kisses Bryn loads too - and she 'helps' out - its really sweet isn't it..... I've just signed up to facebook as a friend bullied me into it - is it any good? I haven't actually ventured onto the site yet - bit of a coward when it comes to trying new things!

alioli123 · Mar 25, 2008 6:45AM

I'm not really into yet Em - just went on it to see/display pics from/for friends from Uni mainly. Can't get all this sheep chucking and wall writing etc but as a`messaging tool it's great! What's your name? I'll add you, or you can find me Alison Owen - i'm on the BE group now so easier to find!
I love it when I bring Gracie down in a morning, the boys both have to wave at her and give her a kiss with their milky mouths whilst eating breaky!

Emalenna · Mar 25, 2008 8:30AM

I'm still trying to figure out how to use it - completely useless at stuff like this! I'm Emma Preece (plymouth network)... I'll have a look on there in the next couple of days and try and put a pic on there and some info and work it all out! x

IFindHope · Mar 25, 2008 8:45AM

think i found u em, im just doin it to put faces to names but noones got pics!!
xxx

-kia- · Mar 25, 2008 9:30AM

Facebook is like a disease...it spreads about that quickly! lol! I don't have it - I don't like putting my real name up online... people can find you that way!! Hubby has a facebook and the amount of silly games he gets sent is crazy!

alioli123 · Mar 25, 2008 1:32PM

Soz holly! I really don't have a pic yet but will strike a pose n get hubby to take one n put it on (when we buy a lead for camera!) so you can see my ugly mush!
Kia - you on the run?!!
Em - will find you when next on!

-kia- · Mar 25, 2008 5:25PM

nope...not on the run - i just have a thing about not putting my name or personal info online - here is the only place i will even put coles name in a public site - everything i post on my lj is friends-only. you post your name online and people can find you! maybe i'm just paranoid

Pootle_OB · Mar 25, 2008 5:50PM

I won a Concord Ultima car seat on this wonderful website many months ago which is a birth to 4yrs seat, although i'm not using it at the moment! mainly because of the amount of times i am in and out of the car during the day and didn't want to try and lift a floppy new born over or under the seat belt so using the travel system one at the moment but that isn't going to last long as his feet are almost hanging out but still have the pad under his bum to remove to make it last a bit longer! I am planning on using the Concord from beginning of may when we go on holiday as i'm buying a new pushchair too so may as well sell the travel system then , how daft is that a travel system pushchair is not suitable from birth but from 6 months? i don't want to always have him in the car seat to go for a walk.

A friend has the Britax 1-2-3 something or other which is suitable from 9kg, she has found this to be brilliant and also means she doens't have to buy another as it lasts till 11yrs, although expensive up-front it's cheaper in the long run, and i;m sure she bought this from Halfords in the sale last year.

Jolli · Mar 26, 2008 12:11PM

Hi Kia - facebook is pretty good for security settings - you can set your own privacy levels so only people you allow to look at your stuff can look at your stuff. and you can set different levels for different things so if you wanted your friends to see your profile but not your personal photos you can do that. besides why don't you register under a different name? There are loads of people who do it. i once saw somone who was called something like holly hgvhgvjmnjmn. thats never gonna be traceable is it!!! i think the only accurate information you have to give is your e-mail address but you don't have to display it.
the applications you get sent are pretty daft - i like a couple of games but mostly i delete them!

-kia- · Mar 26, 2008 1:25PM

yeah I know hte facebook settings aren't bad - I prefer livejournal for my pictures and stuff. I don't like facebooks annoying ability to let people put your rl name on pictures. If I was gonna get a facebook I wouldn't put my surname on anyway - my friend has done hers with just her first and middle name. If I ever did though it would have to be untracable otherwise my f-i-l would be trying to friend me - no chance..my internet life is not for family..especially parents!!

I think the people who like the games best are those with nothing much to do at work!!!

Jolli · Mar 26, 2008 6:11PM

ha ha yes i do spend far too much time sat on my arse at the moment but thats what cuddling sleeping babies or waiting up for their night feed does. i think i might actually be glad to go back to work for a few shifts when he's a bit older!
take care xx

[Modified by: julesy on March 26, 2008 10:18 PM]

Jolli · Mar 26, 2008 6:11PM

By the way Ali - did you get a new car seat in the end??!!

[Modified by: julesy on March 26, 2008 10:17 PM]

Car seats

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