Car seat problem

[chicaguapa]

Hi, I have a Peugeot 306 and I need to fit in a harness seat for DS (2 yo) and 3 highback boosters for when I do the school run. I am happy to have DD in the front in a highback booster as I can turn the airbag off and would rather put the CM kids in the back. But in the middle is a lap belt and to fit everyone in I need to put the harness seat in the middle and the boosters on each side. Unfortunately the Britax seat won't go there according to the Fit Finder.

So I was wondering if it's possible to change the lap belt for a 3-point one so I can fit all the seats in.

Having looked into it a bit more I think it's not just the lack of 3-point seat belt which is preventing the stage 2 seat going in the middle. I have just put the seat in position and the middle seat is raised so the seat rocks slightly from side to side. So even if I had a 3-point seat belt, I don't feel it would fit well enough to consider putting any child in it, my own or someone else's.

Does anyone know if I could get the cost of fitting a seatbelt from the CM set-up grant? And/ or the cost of buying new car seats to fit everyone in?

phone up your local halfords or just go in and ask how much they would charge to fit one
I know it is free if you buy one of theirs
but they might come to some arrangement with you
worth a try

Funny because I heard that Halfords fit them but I've phoned 2 and both said they don't! Will have to go out and investigate. There is a Halfords & Mothercare next door to each other so can speak to both about seats/ options and seat belts. Will let you know how I get on (for purposes of thread).

good luck

Halfords don't do/fit seat belts and had no idea where to get it done. But the lady was quite helpful and fitted a Britax Rennaisance in the middle of the back seat, put DS in it and then put a booster cushion next to it and put DD in that! So at least I know I can fit it all in if I want to spend £150 on a new car seat!

What I wanted to double-check was that she said there was no difference between a booster cushion with a seat-belt guide ie Britax Horizon and a high-back booster seat. I have always had a high-back booster and wouldn't consider putting DD in a booster cushion as I felt it wasn't as safe. But is that unjustified?

One last thing is whether I would be able to claim back the cost of the new car seats from the CM set-up grant?

Hi Chicaguapa, i have copied the following and listed the website at the very bottom.

Hope it helps, sorry can't help re se-up grant query.

Booster seat
Group 2 for children weighing 15 - 25 kgs (33 - 55 lbs) roughly 4 to 6 years.

They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front.

Some Booster seats are designed to be converted into a booster cushion by detaching the back rest

Booster Cushion

Group 3: for children weighing 22 - 36 kgs (48 - 79 lbs) roughly from 6 - 11 years.

They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front.

Booster seats and booster cushions do not have an integral harness to hold the child in place. The adult seat belt goes around the child and the seat. So it is important that the seat belt is correctly adjusted. The basic points to note are:

the belt should be worn as tight as possible
the lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach
the diagonal strap should rest over the shoulder, not the neck

copied from here

Thanks. Bit appalled then that I was advised to buy a booster cushion for DD who's a small nearly 5. Just goes to show that you have to always double-check what you are told.

Totally agree, had to buy booster seat for 6 1/2 year old, its due to new regulations due out in Sept. DS is built like a rugby player and finds the booster too resricting but the laws the laws and hes got 6 more cm to grow till he can just sit on the seat again.

As for the set-up grant you can use that for whatever you need to set up your business, so if you need extra car seats then yes, you can use the grant for that. Have just finished Childminding after 3 years, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

mother care for one, do booster cushion from 15kg, and they conform to all safety standards. my dd had one for minibus ride on hol and when i went in for dd's proper booster a few weeks ago, she said i could still use the cushion for occasional/unexpected journeys(ie grandparents taking children out/chilminders etc) but parents car should be fit with booster seat(high back)

and also how do you get a set up grant?

Hi - not sure if you still need this bit of info but you could try your local mobility centre or the council to find out where they get their cars adapted for people who are disabled - they would definitely be able to modify a seat belt for you but I'm afraid I don't know what they'd charge. hth.

There is BRitax seat that you can fasten with the lap belt. Can't remember what it's called but i use it in my SAxo (Freeway?) They're not too expensive, I got mine for about £55 from Kiddicare. It is very secure and isn't too big either.

Start up Grants are available to newly registered Childminders who have completed the ICP course. Not sure if it varies from area to area but I had my NCMA registration and insurance taken out of mine and I was sent a cheque for the remainder. Best off checking with your local Sure Start team for more info.

In the past i have used Britax customer services phone number The people on the phones are experienced and were very helpful when i had to fit 3 seats in the back of my car.

Have looked at the Freeway on FitFinder which says it might fit in the middle of my car. So have picked one up from ToysRUs for £60 so I can check. Thanks for that tip. Didn't think to check if any of the discontinued seats fit as didn't think you could still get hold of them new. Looks like this one has only just been discontinued.