I turned Charlie around today :(

I turned Charlie around today. He is 17.5 months and 30ish pounds. The reason I turned him around is because he has figured out how to loosen his straps, and twice in the past two days I've gotten him out of the car to find him with his straps completely hanging off of him. Obviously he is safer FF with tight straps than RF with no straps!
I've been hating him RF in my car lately, for a variety of reasons, but I had no intention of turning him around until today. I don't want him FF, but it might be the best/only option.
I can't sew the flap closed, because I need to reach it. I can't close all but the bottom because of the angle it hits the back of the seat, I would not be able to reach it. I could pull off the bottom of the cover completely, and just go underneath the cover to tighten and loosen, and might try that.
He hasn't tried it in the van, he never messes with anything. But in my car he can't really see out, so he gets bored, and he's more upright so he's better able to reach the lever. I would trade his BV for a Roundabout from my friend, but he's too tall for a RA RF.
I put him in the center and it's a very solid install. He didn't seem to care either way. I wonder if I should just leave it like that. And I wonder if I just leave it that way for a bit if he will just forget about it. I'm not turning him in the van unless it becomes necessary for the same reason, but I think in the van we won't have the problems we have in my car. He's in my car a few times a week.
Any advice on how to make it inaccessible to him while still letting me get to it? Or should I just give up. I prefer him FF in my car, but I WANT him RF. It's just that in my car, it's very hard to get him in to the seat because of the angle of the back windows (getting around the wings) and I almost always bump his head. Plus it has to be super upright and even then the front passenger is eating the dashboard. And he has to be outboard RF but can be center FF. Plus it is SO HOT (yes, even now, still in the 80s during the day) and he gets so sweaty in it RF. FF the air can hit him.
I'm not trying to make excuses to leave him FF, just saying that there are benefits to FF as well at this point in my car, unfortunately. There are absolutely no benefits for him to FF in the van though.

I'm sorry you had to turn him around. You did well keeping him RF to 17.5 months, though! Good for you!!

Well I don't want this to be permanent. I just need to figure out some way for him to not open that lever. I can't stop him, because I can't SEE him. If he does it FF, I'll know he's doing it. If I can figure out some way to keep him from loosening the straps, he's getting turned back ASAP.

could you sew a button on the cover and create a button hole on the flap? then button the flap down after tightening him in. but it may take two buttons side by side to really keep that flap closed and his finger away from the release.

Can you not get to the lever because the flap is pushed up against the back seat?

I don't know if it would work or not, but how about stitching the flap closed (or safety pinning it with a large safety pin) and then pulling the cover slightly off the bottom of the seat? You could then stuff the cover back down after you get Charlie in the seat and could pull it up when you need to loosen it. I don't know if that would work or not.

Will Charlie respond at all to redirection? Does he understand that the harness is "off limits"?

SOrry I don't have any good advice!

southpawboston said:

could you sew a button on the cover and create a button hole on the flap? then button the flap down after tightening him in. but it may take two buttons side by side to really keep that flap closed and his finger away from the release.

Click to expand...

That's a great idea!!!

I may not be thinking right here....but Peyton and Camden (I'm pretty sure) can't reach the harness adjust when they are strapped in.

Could you rig it (sewing or thin cardboard under the cover) somehow and then just not mess with the adjuster for a week or so? Maybe he'll forget about it?

I rarely ever mess with the adjuster. I just get 'em where I want them and muscle the buckle closed. I know most people prefer to adjust each time though. I remember Julie saying something like, "you can't put shoes on without untying them each time". Well, that's exactly why I wear slides.

I'm sorry, Splash. My only advice, since sewing the cover shut is not an option due to how the adjuster fits against your vehicle seat, would be to try a Decathlon because of the push-button adjuster and tall seat shell.

Aw, sorry you had to. Maybe he will forget about it in a few weeks, so there is always hope for that.

What about a sleeve over the flap that you seal with heavy duty Velcro, or just sewing on a heavy duty Velcro strip to the flap? The Velcro should be too tough for his tiny fingers to get undone, and a lot faster than a button for you to get it open.

Wineaux said:

What about a sleeve over the flap that you seal with heavy duty Velcro, or just sewing on a heavy duty Velcro strip to the flap? The Velcro should be too tough for his tiny fingers to get undone, and a lot faster than a button for you to get it open.

Click to expand...

There is already velcro on the flap.

Hmmm... You could possibly look at a heavier duty Velcro. It is available in different strengths that are harder to pull apart than others.

A non car-seat approach:

Maybe a set of car-only toys/books that are intriguing enough that he'll be preoccupied with playing with them to remember to fidget with the lever?

I think the heavy duty velcro that some posters have already suggested might be the cheapest and fastest thing to try (also you should be able to hear the velcro separating and catch him in time to redirect...with a song or funny voice). Or maybe slipping a piece of cardboard or upholstery fabric under the cover and over the adjuster (I think someone suggested this, I'm rambling, lol) for a few weeks until he forgets about it. Wonder if he will do the same trick FF? It might also just take a few weeks for him to forget about it and then you can turn him back around.

Jacqui

Nolan did that for awhile but then forgot about it once he got bored with it. But, he was already FF b/c I didn't know any better so I could see him doing it... Maybe Charlie will outgrow it once it's no longer a new trick but good luck finding a solution in the mean time. Hmmm... How tall is he? I know someone else mentioned a different seat - how about the Triumph? It adjusts from the side... Just a thought

Maria

Do you think you could do the adjusting it to the correct tightness then leaving it thing? I hardly ever adjusted the straps unless it was to snug them up a tad during the summer and loosen slightly during the winter(or when he got bigger).
If you can swing that you could then put a piece of cardboard down there and leave it until he got frustrated and left it alone.

I like the idea of stronger velcro, because it would also give you the audible tipoff that he's messing with it. Pulling over as quickly as is feasible, and having a verbal conniption fit might deter him. I make sure to put on a good show when I've done this to keep my toddlers buckled safely.

But at 17 months, he's just as likely to forget all about it in a week or two, as others have mentioned. So if you can find a way to distract his attention from it long enough, you probably wouldn't even need to resort to the panic attack approach. Singing or other verbal games might do the trick if he's the conversational type. Special car-only toys are an easy option, and if they don't work you're not inconvenienced in the slightest (except for carrying the toys back inside).

Good luck! Personally I would keep him RF for the time being, though, and see if you can't make progress teaching him not to mess with it, or distracting him from it altogether. **smooches for the adorable Houdini**

I was thinking of taping a piece or stretchy fabric over the lever. Then I can just push through the fabric to adjust it, but he wouldn't be able to.
He has plenty of toys and books to play with, so more toys won't do it. And I can't really tell him no, since i can't see him.
I think I'll go ahead and try a piece of cardboard over it though, great idea! Then I can just move it when I need to get to it.
He's too tall to RF in any other seat really. I thought about getting an Uptown for him, but he is already close to the top of the shell, and besides I just don't want a non tethered seat.
Thanks for all the ideas. Do you think I could put a snap on the flap? How do snaps go on? Is sewing required? If I could put a snap on it, that would take care of it. Otherwise I am not averse to removing the bottom of the cover and leaving it bunched up, and just going completely under the cover to adjust it. I only turned him yesterday because I couldn't figure out what else to do, and I knew he was far safer FF than RF with no straps!
I can't just set the tightness and not adjust it further. He needs it tighter or looser on any given day, depending on his clothes, his diaper, etc.

Splash said:

He has plenty of toys and books to play with, so more toys won't do it. And I can't really tell him no, since i can't see him.

Click to expand...

You might want to look at this if you want to be able to keep an eye on Charlie while he's rear-facing.
http://www.avtechsolutions.com/v09090.htm