Q: Stay in carseat for holiday lights drive-through show?

InTheWoods

New member
What are your thoughts on kids being in or out of carseats while driving through a holiday lights show?

The scenario is night time, a steady stream of cars going up to 10 MPH, headlights off, for ~2 miles. With stopping to better see some displays, total drive-through time is about 20-30 minutes.

Friends have stated that kids need to be out of seats to see better.
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
My kids would stay in their seats.

My reasoning: I don't think it is an extremely dangerous situation. I am not worried about accidents very much in such a scenario.

However it sets a bad precedent. 2 of my 3 children do not understand "exceptions to the rule." You give them an inch once, they try to take a mile for the rest of the year.

Also, my older two would have the mother of all freak outs if they were not buckled in. They are rear-facing so they all get a panoramic, prolonged view of the scenery anyway. ;)

And there is always the off chance of someone's brakes going out or something. If that happens, do you want your kids in their seats or out of them?

Now, I might let a kid who is usually in a high-backed booster ride in a backless, as a compromise, or move a harnessed child to a seat with a better view, or in my case, if I were in someone else's car, I might put the 5 year old in her RSTV by a window to let her have an unimpeded view, but they would still need to stay seated and buckled for the duration.
 

mom2juliarose

New member
Especially with headlights off, I'd say no way, keep the kids in their seats. I'd say keep the kids in their seats anyway, but ESPECIALLY with headlights off. Why? Everyone is looking and oohing and aaahing at the displays. Even at a slow speed, Driver A hits the back of Driver B's car because he was so busy looking at the displays and didn't see the car in front of him (dark, no tail lights since headlights are off)... Driver B's kid was unrestrained and goes flying into the front seat.

Nope, wouldn't do it. For what it's worth, we've never had issues with DD not being able to see light displays RFing OR FFing.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
If Driver A was behind Driver B, I think Driver B's unrestrained kid would go flying out the back window. Or at least smack into it. ;)
 

LM4M

CPST Instructor
I think the kids actually get a better view in their seats because they sit higher in them. When we go, we let the two littles ride FFing (theyre 3 and 4) in the capt chairs and DD rides in the back by herself... everyone has their own seats, their own space, and a great view! :thumbsup:
 

tarynsmum

Senior Community Member
Last year, when DD was still rear-facing, I did turn her around for the lights display - I installed a Radian RFing next to a Radian FFing. When we got to the place (Hartwood Acres, it's like a park), we pulled over, I moved her to the FFing seat, and then switched her back when it was all over.

If I was a kid, I would rather sit higher up so that I could see better, IMO.
 

jsmom

New member
I would leave DD buckled. At night with no headlights and plenty of distractions. I personally would leave them buckled. Also, my DD wouldnt understand why its okay then and not at other times.
 

scoutingbear

New member
We always leave our kids in their seats for many of the other reasons mentioned. I do make sure that we use the seats with the highest base though depending on what car we are in so they can see the best. And, in the case of the Living Nativity at the church down the street, we swap sides that the kids normally ride on so that C can actually see everything without having to look over his brother.
 

Maedze

New member
We turned around this year (everyone forward facing. I didn't take them out of their seats because they would just fight :rolleyes
 

nmb

New member
Last year, when DD was still rear-facing, I did turn her around for the lights display - I installed a Radian RFing next to a Radian FFing. When we got to the place (Hartwood Acres, it's like a park), we pulled over, I moved her to the FFing seat, and then switched her back when it was all over.

If I was a kid, I would rather sit higher up so that I could see better, IMO.

We've done this since DS was one, just switched his carseat to FF for looking at the lights. But I'm driving a Rondo....in a regular sedan they'd see more out the back window RF....it's kinda more fun having everyone looking the same direction though, looking at the same stuff..... I think anyway.
I was worried that, like someone else said, he would want to ride unbuckled all the time if we let him out one.
 

mommy-medic

New member
Even at low speeds (i.e. creeping along) if you abruptly brake, kiddos will continue the path of forward momentum.

I saw a lady cruising the Target parking lot the other day at about 3-4 mph with a kid about 4 year old standing up in the back seat, leaning up front between the driver and passenger seats. I was walking out and wanted so badly to step in front of her car so she had to brake abruptly and then tell her to buckle her kid in, even in parking lots. Of course I didn't do it, but I wanted to!
 

Jonah Baby

New member
My parents recently had this tiff with me over taking my son to see the lights.

I was freaking out, seriously, 'cause they are the ones who don't want him in a carseat for NORMAL driving!

I tried to comprimise with my stepmom - I installed the Wizard outboard in her car (a Vibe) so that he could have a great view compared to his harnessed crappy booster thing.
I then told her:
"Look how high that seat sits! He won't have any problem seeing the lights from there, so now you won't have to take him out!"

I do not know if they kept him in the seat or not. I'd rather not know.
 

mykidsmylife

Well-known member
We are going to see the lights in MA. We do it every year we are there.

Seth will be FF, Johnathon still boostered and well River can stay in her seat.
 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
I just have to share my story. I had this very same question 2 years ago when DD was 10 months old, and decided that DD would stay buckled into her carseat while RFing for the lights show. No issues about whether or not she could see since her Signo sits up so high, and she could see clearly out the back. I also decided to sit in the back with her (like I normally did) so I could point out the displays to her.

So she fell asleep on the way there, and slept while we waited in a long line of cars. Finally, just as we were starting the tour, she woke up. She quickly got mad and started screaming. I have no idea why, but continued to cry and scream through the entire thing. It was horrible. None of us enjoyed the show, and all I wanted to do was pull over and comfort her, but there was no where to do that.

It was the worst experience ever with her in the car. I doubt we will go to another one of those until the kids are much, much, older.

Here is a short video of it. Please don't think I could think of nothing better to do than video my child while so upset. I did everything I could to comfort her.

 
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