CARSEATS

Okay, I'm a totally paraniod mom about my kids being safe. I mean, I don't want my kids to live life in a bubble, but if I can do something to protect them, by all means, I am going to do it. So begins my car seat dilemma. After Tay turned one and was heavy enough to do forward facing, I went in search of a carseat. I found one that she could use as a booster after she was grown out of the harness system. Thought I would never have to buy another one for her. Then when Trace came along, I bought the same thing for him also. I was pretty much set in the car seat department. Fast forward four years--
Tay is too small for the seat I bought!!!!! Not in the weight department obviously, but her head was hitting the top of the seat- NOT SAFE!!! How can she use it as a booster seat if her head is poking out?? In addition to that, the buckle that goes between her legs was squishing her you know what so bad, she complained every time she had to get buckled. So after some research, okay A LOT of research, I found that it is best for a child to be in a harness AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. So as I was looking, I found two car seats. One was a booster that she fit the requirements for (which surprised me!) and the other was a carseat with a harness to 65 lbs AND an adjustable head height. Since the booster was $150 cheaper I bought it, brought it home, put it in the car, and Tay climbed in. I stepped back to see how she fit in it and she immediatly started reaching for something on the floor. As soon as I saw that I knew I had to take it back. If she could move that easily on her own, what would happen in a crash??? It was hard, because she met all the requirements and the booster was alot cheaper than the carseat- but I still felt she was not safe. I watched a couple crast test videos online of harness vs. booster in a crash. There was absolutly NO comparison. In fact, it made me sick to my stomach. I even called a couple car seat company's for thier opinions and the response was the same: if they meet the requirements, they should be fine. I struggled over the next couple of days and finally came to the conclusion that if I didn't feel comfortable with the booster, I needed to go get the other one. So I did. I actually bought one for Trace also because he is not far behind Tay. I know alot of people probably think I'm crazy for making such a big a deal out of this, but I want my kids to be as safe as possible. So after hours of research and 400 bucks my kids have new car seats. Even better than that? I have peace of mind.

By the way, the carseat I ended up buying was the GRACO NAUTILUS. After having them for a month, I love them and have no complaints. Easy to install, easy to adjust, and easy to buckle. The only thing that could be considered a downfall by some is that it is HEAVY! But I'm okay with that because it has a steel frame for saftey :)