My one year old

amy&girls

New member
Is currently riding in a captains chair in my van, rear-facing in an evenflo triumph advance. I have a cosco scenera as a backup seat for my moms car. Right now she is 23 or 24 pounds and 32 inches tall. Her feet are creeping up the back seat of the captains chair, making it hard for her to sit comfortably in the chair. Which do you guys think would be better, moving the seat to a different location in the van, or putting in the scenera rear-facing. I don't know which one would give a little more leg room, but she's cramped and cries the entire car ride b/c she can't move her legs much. I mean, if moving the seat or using the other one isn't going to help, then I'll just deal with it, but IF there is a better solution, I'd sure like to try it out. Driving down the road with a screaming one year old stinks!!! What do you guys think? Both seats rear-face to 35lbs, so that isn't an issue. I just don't know which one would angle better to give her a little more room, so she's not as bunched up.
 
ADS

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
Ahh, 1 year olds get picky. It will not matter what way the child is facing, it is just an age that babies tend to get mouthy about in car seats. THe feet touching the back is not an issue, at.all. Most older kids sit criss cross in rf seats.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Yep. I advise distraction. A new soft toy ONLY for use in the car. A new CD ONLY to listen to in the car. And just try to tune it out. She'll get over it and the less reinforcement you give, the better. My eldest was quite happy rear-facing at 5 1/2 and yes, her legs were bent. It didn't bug her. On the other hand at between 13 and 17 months every single kid has gone through a "I don't wanna get in the car seat" phase. (And usually again around 2. And often at 7-10 months. And sometimes around 3 1/2. LOL.)
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
I put my almost 4 yo- 35 pounds, 38ish inches? maybe more?- in our EFTA the other day in my dad's truck. He's been ffing for 9 months or so now- since hitting 33-34 pounds and outgrowing our radian/marathon/and the EFTA was getting close. I couldn't put the EFTA in ffing since the tether wouldn't reach, so I weighed him- 35.0 pounds- and put the seat in backwards. He had a little over an inch left. He fit perfectly fine. He was a bit upset about going backwards, but comfortably rode to the dump and back with dh. (He rode fulltime in this seat up to age 3+ and is in it in my siggie.

I'm going to agree with the pp's that it is just an age and lack of freedom thing. My kids always found somewhere to put there feet, even in seat with less leg room. And- the scenera has less leg room than the EFTA, so I wouldn't switch them out.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
The evenflo triumph advance is one of the seats with the most legroom. I'd leave her in that and try distraction.
 

amy&girls

New member
So what would work for a distraction? Anything I give her she usually throws towards the back of our van in the midst of her hissy fit. If there isn't more room with the scenera, then I'm not switching them out. The evenflo seat has a great install, and I'm not about to mess with it. :) I know mirrors and such are not a good idea, and I don't need them anyway, she rides next to my 4yr old and I just ask her what her "what's Grace doing?" (If she's quiet, which is RARE lately) She's almost 18 months, so hopefully she's outgrowing this stage, b/c it stinks! Would small board books be ok you think? She likes books, but rips up the regular kind. I try to limit what is in my car, b/c I'm always afraid of something becoming projectile (plus, when I was pregnant with my oldest, I got into a car accident and the POLICE had to search and dig around in my car for my purse, had a hard time locating it b/c there was so much stuff in it, b/c I was strapped to a stretcher in an ambulance, and couldn't do it myself. Plus it was embarrassing digging through my totaled car at the salvage yard trying to figure out what I wanted VS what was actually needed. Since then, space is limited to pretty much a diaper bag.)
 

jessi f

New member
My DD has some of those bathtub books and a few made out of cloth. They would definately qualify as soft car toys :)
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
What about a soft cloth book? Like a busy book, or those teether books with little push-and-pull activities to do? I don't allow board books in my car because they get chucked at each others' faces. :rolleyes:

If you find a CD she likes, play it over, and over, and over. YOU'LL go insane, but it might work for her...

Talking about what's out the windows and asking if she can see it works for some kids that age, doesn't for others.
 

amy&girls

New member
I do have a few of those books, like a small basket actually, that she does like to look at in the house. *Almost* makes me want to take a car ride to test them out... LOL!
 

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