Car Seat Limits

Hand-me-downs are usually quite common in families with multiple children.

But, when it comes to child-restraint car seats, Jersey #5 has been giving us new experiences.

When Jersey #5 was born, he came home from the hospital in a brand new infant car seat...

When we took our former infant car seat out of its place of storage, and prepared to install it in the van, we learned that car seats expire. 5 or 6 years is all ours was meant to last.

I knew that we are suppose to replace the children's car seats, if they are ever involved in a vehicle collision. At the time, I did not realize there is an expiration date as well. It was printed clearly on the manufacturer's label. So, I made a trip to the baby-supply store, and purchased a new infant car seat, for my Jersey #5.

Two years later, Jersey #5 is once again enjoying a brand new car seat. We gave it to him as one of his birthday presents...

This time, the expiration date was not the issue. This time, I learned that car seats also have a weight limit.

Oh my!

The car seat that we were using had a weight limit of 40 pounds.

Jersey #5 weighed 37 pounds on his 2nd birthday. He will not be developmentally ready for a booster seat (that uses the vehicle seat belts to restrain the child) for at least another year or so. I am pretty sure it is safe to assume that he may gain those 3 pounds (or more) in the next year, and bust the weight limit of the car seat.

Thankfully, I am not the only parent with this problem, and the car seat manufacturers have a product to meet my needs...

There are car seats for children who need the 5-point harness restraint, that hold up to 65 pounds.

I had no idea such a product existed, but I am certainly glad it does. None of my other children pushed the weight limit of their car seat. For the most part, my children tend to grow on height/weight curves that run above the average. Usually, my biggest challenge is fitting their seat belts to their great height requirements. This is the first time weight has been an issue too.

Jersey #5 has been larger than each of his siblings at any time point (except birth). He is currently taller and heavier than every single 2-year old we meet. He is actually bigger than most 3-year olds we know too (including being heavier than Jersey #4). Thankfully, he maintains healthy growth proportions. He simply represents the 95th percentile of those childhood growth curves, for all categories...height, weight, and head circumference.

As a result, he gets to enjoy brand new car seats to help keep him safe...