mirrors to see RF children

[michelle_mg]

how safe is it to have those mirrors in the head rest, so that we can see the kids RF? any brand or model recommended more than others?

**not sure if this is the right place for this post**

[Melanie]

I'm not a tech...but have asked this question myself. Technically it is a no-no. It could come off in a crash and become a projectile. If the car seat rebounds into the back of the seat, the child's face could hit the mirror. That said, some people (myself included) have made the parental decision to use it anyway. I used a mirror when DD was very new and her head would flop over...I was concerned about her being able to breath.

IF you were to use a mirror, I'd recommend a very soft one. Don't get the cute ones with lights, etc because they also have hard plastic parts. I think mine was a Safety First brand. Plastic mirror and fabric covering.

[CRS]

I'm not a tech...but have asked this question myself. Technically it is a no-no. It could come off in a crash and become a projectile. If the car seat rebounds into the back of the seat, the child's face could hit the mirror. That said, some people (myself included) have made the parental decision to use it anyway. I used a mirror when DD was very new and her head would flop over...I was concerned about her being able to breath.

IF you were to use a mirror, I'd recommend a very soft one. Don't get the cute ones with lights, etc because they also have hard plastic parts. I think mine was a Safety First brand. Plastic mirror and fabric covering.
Great post! Definitely agree. Yes, technically it is a "no-no" but if a mirror is what it takes to keep a kid rear-facing because a parent is worried about not being able to see them, then that is what may be best. Surely it is better then turning around all the time while you're driving to look at bubs. But definitely as Melanie suggested, something soft and light is good.

[southpawboston]

i use one, i think it is a fisher price. it has a soft round mylar mirror and padding around the side. it has a nylon strap that can either hook onto the top tether or if you don't have a tether, it can wrap tightly around the headrest. i weighed mine and it was a few ounces, so i'm not worried at all about it becoming a projectile.

i think someone on here got into an accident while trying to reach back to see why her DD was screaming. i use the mirror so that i don't have to contort my body unsafely (and take my eyes off the road) while driving to see what's happening with my kiddo, so i consider it a safety enhancement. :twocents:

[Synchro246]

I think southpaw and I have the same mirror (does it have a monkey and a zebra on it?). I feel totally 100% ok with it. There are many other things in my car that could be far worse in a crash -- like the shoes my toddler kicks off every time he's in the car. My padded, plastic, strapped-down mirror is small stuff, though, as the PP said-- a technical no-no.

[Auntie2Avi]

I agree with everyone who posted already. We used a mirror when Avi was RF. The mirror that I had/have was very light and had soft fabric around it. It also had a strap which i wrapped around the headrest. Once Avi moved to a convertible seat they were always tethered RF so I was not really worried about rebounding too much. I am personally less concerned about the mirror than I am about the many other projectiles in my car, because even though they are in my "trunk" I have no real way to stop things from flying forward and hitting avi in my minivan. I do recline the 3rd row seatback, however, so the stuff would have to fly up and over the seat to be an issue.

Sorry that was a long post, I went off on a slight tangent. Basically, the official reccomendation is not to use a mirror, but it is up to your parental descretion IMHO.

[Namegirl]

I never used one and they are technically a no-no. But if a parent will be driving dangerously because they're so worried about their kid, it's not a huge deal to me.

I'm usually a nervous nelly, but for some reason I never felt an urge to check on baby much in the car.

[singingpond]

I've been meaning to get a mirror (one of those soft light ones) after reading posts like this, and starting a thread myself a while ago on this same question. I was sure, back when I started thinking about it, that I saw two different light-weight tetherable mirrors at BRU. Then, when I actually decided to go back to buy one, all they had were those monstrosities with attached toys and blinking lights and battery compartments, LOL -- who would think that's a good idea?? Oh well, off to search for a better source...

Katrin

[mykidsmylife]

I am glad I read this post..

I also have a small very soft and light mirror wrapped around the headrest.

I WILL NOT go w/o a mirror. Mainly b/c I want os see my baby is okay but also b/c I have a 4 yr old who likes to sometimes be mean to his brother. With the mirror I can see all.

The mirror I have cant possibly hurt. I got it at BRU on sale for $4..

[Karen]

DS is in a tethered RFing seat. I have a mirror. I would worry more if he could recoil into it, but with the tether that can't happen. And it is strapped to the headrest, so unless the whole headrest comes off, it isn't going to be a projectile. I use mine all the time.