Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Hi!
    
    My son and I both loved the swing we even traveled with it.
    Adam would spend hours in there from the time when he was 
    first born.  The first swing we had was borrowed and was a crank 
    it was fine for the time being.  Once we got settled in to routine
    and found the swing so helpful I went out and bought a battery 
    operated swing.  My only mistake was not buying the one with
    the craddle for possible future use.  The first swing we used
    had the craddle and that's what we used for the first about 
    2 months.  My son was large and very stong and the highes and faster 
    the better he seemed to like it.
    
    hope this helps
    roseann wright
    costa mesa, ca

Graco -- HANDS DOWN!!!!!!

We had two swings ... a friend loaned us his (older, battery-operated
Graco) and Juli (we!) loved it so much that we went out and got the "new"
top-of-the-line Graco swing (Jim kept one in his WPI office and we kept
one at home).  Juli was in it from 2 weeks of age until 13 MONTHS OF AGE!!!
(She's a peanut, stayed under 20 pounds.)

Jim bought electric adapters at Radio Shaft ($14/each) and we had
"infinite juice"!  (only used the batteries when we took it along to
Grandma's, etc.)

What I really liked about the Graco was:

	.  speed control (Juli was such a peanut that we needed the
		   slow cruise - or she would have been going FULL TILT!)
	.  the snap-up tray (easy exit) WAS SUPER!
	.  the reclining seat was GREAT
	.  the removable (washable) seat cover was comfortable (cool
		in the summer) and easy to clean (although velcro never
		really stuck well)

We returned the loaner and passed on "our" swing to a friend ... we
didn't want any money for it since we got our money's worth out of it
10X over!!!!  (Large market for the top-of-the-line Graco swings ...
we had about 3-4 offers from people willing to pay up to $30 for it!).

We just seemed to have better luck with the Graco products ... we also 
"have" the Pack 'N Go (?) portable crib and "had" the large playpen.
All products were HEAVILY used (and abused) and still held up VERY NICELY
(all of them still looked new when we passed them along).

We bought the Century infant carrier/carseat (and loved it), as well as
the Century 5000 carseat (awwgh!!!).

I favor Graco!!!

Dottie

    re: 941.2
    
    >We bought the Century infant carrier/carseat (and loved it), as well
    >as the Century 5000 carseat (awwgh!!!).
    
    Does this mean you DID or DID NOT like the Century 5000 carseat? 
    Because that is the one we just rec'd also (and wanted, because I had
    heard great things about it)...
    
    Thanks for the information on the swings, looks like Graco is the way!
    
    Betty

    Gee, Gina and Julie seem to have the same love for swings as well as
    the same body size.  Gina is now 12-1/2 months old and is still using
    the Graco Easyentry Swing.  We started using it when she was 3 or 4
    weeks old and found it invaluable.
    
    It works great, is easy to get the baby in and out of, and is easy to
    keep clean.
    
    I highly recommend it.
    
    judy

Moderator:  Am I allowed to say this?  

	I "HATE" Juli's Century 5000 carseat!
	(oops, I'm not supposed to "hate" ... so I DISLIKE it a lot!)

Why?  Mostly because after a friend's child was trapped in a flaming car
because they COULD NOT release the carseat harness, I then "tested" Juli's.
I pray EVERY DAY that we are NEVER in a serious car accident!  Not only
does the latch "stick" (so you have to depress the button real hard AND
wiggle the latch!, the straps and crossbar are positioned such that the
kid gets "hung up" in them ... AND the release button is under the kid's
legs!!!).

It's a great, overstuffed, comfty and protective seat AS LONG AS YOU NEVER 
HAVE TO RELEASE THE KID IMMEDIATELY!  You'll never do it in a Century 5000!
Even cutting the straps won't help, as the crossbar is positioned such
that you couldn't pull the kid out from behind it.  So the carseat would
be great for an "impact" accident, but it would TOTALLY FAIL if you needed
to get the kid out NOW.

And every day I say I must buy a "safer" carseat ... and every day just
passes by!  I wouldn't even give this carseat away for fear someone else's
kid could get trapped.  I really must get a new carseat TONIGHT!

Dottie

PS:  I've heard/seen of more parents who test carseats to make sure it's
     difficult to "release" (so the kid won't let her/himself out of it).
     However, I want a carseat which I can release in a hurry and under
     extreme duress!

     We bought Juli's Century 5000 almost two years ago ... so maybe
     they've redesigned the latch (unlikely they've redesigned the
     crossbar, though ... since it was talked up to us to be a FEATURE!)
     This carseat was not cheap, either! - $150 (?).

     First thing I would do when buying a carseat would be to run up
     to the display and see how quickly I could unlatch and detangle
     the straps of the carseat BEFORE evaluating it's features and price.

We have the GRACO as well and love it.  When we took it out of the box the
seat was cracked and had to be replaced.  GRACO had a new seat out to me
via UPS in a matter of days.  I was impressed!  

						Rich

Our GRACO is on its 2nd kid and both seem happy in it!

FWIW,
		Kristen

    Did anyone see the cartoon earlier this week "for better or worse"?
    
    It was a frame about the woman (mother) running helter skelter around
    the house doing this chore and that, running back and winding up the
    swing, and repeating the same thing, chores at frantic pace, the last
    frame she was looking terribly exhausted, and she comments something
    like "it's amazing what you can accomplish in the 8 minutes it takes
    for the wind up swing to wind DOWN!".
    
    I too felt that way too with ours......
    Yet I've got some of the cutest pictures of AJ slumped over the little
    tray asleep in his swing..... I say swings are the next  best thing to
    a grandma to rock him to sleep!!
    
    Lyn