Help me decide when to make the switch

When should I turn her? (See first post before voting!)

  • Turn her FF now

    Votes: 31 66.0%
  • Wait until she officially reaches RF weight limit with appropriate attire

    Votes: 16 34.0%

  • Total voters
    47

Mommy0608

New member
Poll to follow.

DD is about 32lbs. With coat and shoes, she's about 33.5lbs. With winter apparel and boots, she's 34.5lbs (though we're not wearing boots just yet). She has a Frontier waiting in the basement, but she doesn't know it's actually here... she just knows it's coming eventually and keeps asking when it'll be here.

Before I even ordered it, she has started asking (just a few times) to ride "this way." She climbs in her RF seat and sits facing front, then fights me getting buckled. Up until recently she was perfectly happy riding RF. However, now that she's in preschool, we always end up parked by one of her friends and of course they are all FF in harnesses or boosters, and she is noticing. Her friends sometimes comment about her riding backwards and she notices the difference.

She's 3 years 4 months, will officially be 3 1/2 years old on December 18. My original intention was to get up to 34.5-35lbs with coat and shoes, or when it's time to wear boots (whichever comes first), then switch her. Boot weather will be here in a month or two, and who knows if she'll gain any more weight by then. For the record, she has gained 5lbs in the past few months! :eek:

When would you turn her around?

ETA: I guess my concern is when do you start taking your kid's wishes into consideration?
 
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Dillipop

Well-known member
I put to turn her now.

My ds was 31 pounds a few months ago when I last weighed him. He was in an EFTA. He turned 3 in July. I haven't weighed him recently, but he has been begging to go ffing, just like his brother. I switched him yesterday, when he peed in his EFTA. We have a 33 pound marathon. I could have weighed him and put it in rfing if he was under the limit, but he has been nicely asking to go forward for a while. He is over my 3 year minimum. Even once I get around to washing the EFTA, I don't anticipate turning him back around if he's under the limit.
 

mkmama

Active member
Is she still growing or does she seem to be through the growth spurt? How hard does she fight you every morning? Do you have a FF seat in the car that she can use, or will you have to install the Frontier?

If she's still growing, I'd probably be tempted to turn her now, especially if you don't already have a FF seat installed that she'd be able to use -- will you have time the morning she's unexpectedly over the weight limit to turn her seat before leaving for pre-school or will it be a big hassle?

If she appears to be done growing, I'd probably wait for boot weather or any weight gain...depending on how much she fights you in the morning and how stressful that is. If she's putting up big fights, your (and her) stress level may not be worth it to keep her RF for the extra month or so.

Tough call though!!
 

cookie123

New member
I'd just wait until you have to put the boots on. After gaining all that weight, she probably won't gain for awhile.
 

menfusse

New member
We've had the same antics here for awhile now. Climbing in the seat and facing the front. "I can see you mommy. I want to ride facing the front." My orginal goal way back when was to the limits of the seat. That was before we knew what we were in for with her health/growth. She's hovering between 25-26lbs now and will be 4 next month. Waiting on her hitting the limits of the seat would put her well into grade school. So, I've said it's time to take her preference into consideration. We're going FF when her MR gets here. We needed the recline FF and I wanted to reserved the RF ability.

Hopefully, I'll get used to it and not stress so much over it. She's excited and every.single.day I buckle her in is now "When my new seat comes, I can face the front, right Mommy?"

Yes...sigh...that's what I said.

So anyway, I would think considering she's getting closer to that limit, and is over 3, *I* personally would take her feelings into consideration.
 

Mommy0608

New member
I think she's still growing, but I can't be sure. She's still eating like a horse, if that's any indication. ;) Her pants are fitting tighter at the waist now also, and her feet have grown.

I don't have an FF seat installed now because she'd certainly put up a fight to ride in the FF seat if she sees the option.

Thanks for the input so far.

ETA: Some days, the fight to get in the van is absolutely dreadful. :( More often than not, she will fight me. However, she doesn't fight DH when he's putting her in the van, so I'm not entirely sure what the real issue is. When we're in the school parking lot though, it's always a fight because she sees her friends.
 

canadiangie

New member
Just turn her.

You're in the "when he/she reaches max rf weight limit" camp in terms of when you're turning ff'ing. Unless you had a goal of age 4 or something there's really nothing significant about keeping her rf for the next 40 ounces or whatever it is.

I'd just take the leap at this point and turn her. You know the risks and how to reduce them... and like you said, she wants to, she's over 3, and you have a seat waiting for her.

Good job on keeping her rf'ing this long. :thumbsup:

Is little man staying in his Signo or moving to the TF rf?
 

kittykate

New member
Just turn her.

You're in the "when he/she reaches max rf weight limit" camp in terms of when you're turning ff'ing. Unless you had a goal of age 4 or something there's really nothing significant about keeping her rf for the next 40 ounces or whatever it is.

I'd just take the leap at this point and turn her. You know the risks and how to reduce them... and like you said, she wants to, she's over 3, and you have a seat waiting for her.

Good job on keeping her rf'ing this long. :thumbsup:

You said it better than I could! :)

I would also turn her. I think that when the time comes that you feel the need to weigh them when adding a winter coat or boots because they are so close to the rear facing limit, that it is time to turn them.
 

Mommy0608

New member
Just turn her.

You're in the "when he/she reaches max rf weight limit" camp in terms of when you're turning ff'ing. Unless you had a goal of age 4 or something there's really nothing significant about keeping her rf for the next 40 ounces or whatever it is.

I'd just take the leap at this point and turn her. You know the risks and how to reduce them... and like you said, she wants to, she's over 3, and you have a seat waiting for her.

Good job on keeping her rf'ing this long. :thumbsup:

Is little man staying in his Signo or moving to the TF rf?

Well, I did have a goal of age 4, until this recent massive growth spurt. I've tried and ruled out all of the current 40+lb RF seats for a variety of reasons, and I'm not satisfied with the FF installation of either of the seats I have in my van, hence the Frontier. :eek:

DS will stay in the Signo. Originally I had planned to put him RF in the True Fit and DD FF in the Signo, but I am really not comfortable with the Signo's FF installation in this vehicle. DS still sleeps all the time in the car, even on short trips, and his head would flop to the side horribly in the True Fit. He's so cozy in his Signo, so he'll stay there until the leg room becomes an issue, then he'll move to the True Fit. He's rather short-legged, so he'll be fine in the Signo for a while yet (wears 2T tops but only 12-18 month pants).

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm trying to wrap my mind around the fact that she is having this absurd growth spurt so suddenly, and the prospect of turning her forward earlier than I had hoped. DH is on the side of just turning her now (even though he's pro-ERF). I have to be comfortable with the decision, and not have any regrets later should something horrible happen... and that's where I'm getting hung up. If she were perfectly happy RF still, like she was until she started preschool, this wouldn't be an issue at all. She's just so darn tall and stubborn that it's getting difficult. If she were only 1 or 2 years old, it would be completely different, but she is nearing 3.5 so the decision isn't as clear-cut.
 

Heather86

Member
:( It's really hard to know what to do and I think we get so caught up in the fact the erf is so much safer and we advocate that so hard with such ferocity that we forget that a harnessed and top tethered seat is very very safe for a child of that weight and size and age. We've drilled into our heads all the statistics and watched all the videos that when the time comes for the next step we are upset and nervous because we've seen what can happen.

I think that you've done a great job and that at this point to turn her isn't doing her any injustice. You are very educated when it comes to installing and proper use. So it's not like she's going from completely safe to a backless booster ya know ?

I also think that it's something you need to be okay with yourself. If you are worrying and out of sorts then no one in the car is safe, If you aren't ready then keep weighing her and flip her when boot weather starts. But just remember what ever you decide to do that you are taking everything into consideration and in doing so you ARE doing whats best for her,you and everyone else that is riding in your car :twocents:
 

Mommy0608

New member
Thank you so much for this post! I think you're absolutely right. I've gotten so caught up in ERF to the max that I've sort of overlooked the fact that she would still be safe FF in a properly installed seat.

I do know we'd all be safer RF, but it's inevitable that she will have to turn FF soon... if not now, then in another month or so when the snow flies. Of course we can't predict when we might be involved in a crash. Perhaps we'll never be in a crash and turning her now won't matter, but on the other hand we might be in one tomorrow.

Sorry, I know there's no definite answer to this. Just curious what the rest of you would do in this situation. Thank you so much to those who've answered already, and thanks in advance for any others who care to share their opinion. I really appreciate it!
 

swtgi1982

New member
I know how you feel, I am starting to get the fight about getting into her seat from my 3.5yr old too. Even though she hates FF in DH vehicle because "it makes her legs hurt" she still is fighting getting into her seat. I dunno if mine has to do with her recently being moved to the third row or not. So far she has not actually asked to ride FF yet, but the battle is starting with her too I fear. Mine is almost 3yrs 9months old almost.

But I would say if she is fighting and is so close to the weight limit I would turn her.
 

ginny4

New member
i said to turn her now. i mean you could wait til its boot time (mini goal) but if you're just sick & tired of the fighting & it would mean for more peaceful ride time then i'd turn her. she's plenty old enough & close enough to weight that i wouldn't worry about it. you've done fantastic!
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
Jenny,
I've been thinking about this all day. Everything in me screams "she's too young". Joel'sJourney is killing me :rolleyes: But.... I know it will be soon. Never having 'been there', it's easy for me to day wait until she's exactly 35 with appropriate attire. I don't think it'll horribly fail at 35.01 pounds. And I've decided..... I can't answer for you. I'd like to say I'd wait until she was 35. But, in the end, you have to do whatever you are comfortable with :)

Sorry, I know I wasn't much help.
 

Mommy0608

New member
Thanks for the input, it really is helpful.

Tonight, I spent about an hour out in my garage with the TF and Frontier, just staring at them and thinking, trying to decide which one to put back in the van. When I came back inside, there were two rear-facing seats in my vehicle. I packed the Frontier back in the box to hide it from DD, who still doesn't know it's here.

I don't know when I'll switch, but I realized that I'm not ready just yet.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
Thanks for the input, it really is helpful.

Tonight, I spent about an hour out in my garage with the TF and Frontier, just staring at them and thinking, trying to decide which one to put back in the van. When I came back in, there were two rear-facing seats in my vehicle. I packed the Frontier back in the box to hide it from DD, who still doesn't know it's here.

I don't know when I'll switch, but I realized that I'm not ready just yet.

You do have to be ready. :thumbsup:
 

morninglori

New member
We are in the same situation as you are with DD. hovering in that 34 lb range.

We have decided to weigh her weekly and turn her when she is 35lbs because she prefers to ride RF...

I do agree that you have to be ready.
 

Raegansmom4

New member
You guys are all lucky to have smaller kids! I had the agony of turning my oldest at 22.5 months b/c she hit the 33 lb limit of her MA. That was terrifying for me. I was so excited to get the MR for my youngest (who is 30 lbs at 19 mon) so she could maybe make it to 3 rfing (her sis was 39 lbs at 3). Good job making it this far rfing!
 

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