how do you decide?

pj2rc

New member
Reading various posts, I have noticed some people ride their kids RF in 1 car, but FF in another, or harness vs. booster. Or I have seen some state they turned their RF child FF for a long trip, then turned them back RF. I am just curious how you decide? I think I get the booster when booster training, for a secondary vehicle. But I guess I figure if I think my child is safe enough to ride FF in any vehicle, then she should be able to ride FF in all , since even though infrequent in some vehicles, I can't plan which vehicle she will be in if an accident should occur. Or that she will be safe for a long trip vs. around town? I'm not trying to judge, just trying to figure things out. DD2 has 7 more months on her RF seat until it expires. I'm trying to decide if I should buy new RF seats at that point for all 3 vehicles she is in, even though I don't think I would RF her too much longer ... not sure. Or buy 1 RF for primary vehicle, and FF for other vehicles ... but again, if ok in those, why not mine? Or just go to FF in all. I know these are decisions only I can make, and I have some time. I'm just looking for some input from you on your thought processes for these situations ..... I would love to turn her FF for long trips to watch the movies that her older sister right next to her is watching ... but don't want to risk safety for convenience and i don't want to appear hypocritical to my mom and DH who already give me a hard time about RF so long (especially my mom ;))
 
ADS

trippsmom

CPST Instructor
I know that some have children that are on the verge of one thing or another.

Some are booster training, but still ride in a harness in the primary vehicle. Children are not just ready for a booster straight from a ff/harness position.

Others who ff and rf chose to do so in the seats they already owned. One seat may be outgrown earlier than some and options are limited. I have a True Fit and a Radian for my son. If he gets heavy before tall, he will forward face in the True Fit before the Radian. At that time it will be safER for him to be rear-facing in the two seater truck my dh drives. He will go ff in my vehicle because while not as safe as rf, in my vehicle the safER option is trumped by the lessER safety in the pickup ffing.
 

AtTheSouthDam

New member
DD2 FF in DH's car and RF in mine. He carpools regularly with friends who are over 6'6" and riding in a Civic. While the RF RN fits, it is not comfortable for his rider (who also gets carsick and likes his seat reclined). The RN was coming out often. At 3y9 months I flipped her. She really doesn't ride that often in DH's car. She likes too, but mostly they are only going to the grocery store a few miles down the road. For 99% of car rides she is in my van and RF. She is at an age that I like her RF for safety but I am not going to panic if she rides FF. She rides FF with Grandma as well and the RN do not fit RF in her Durango (center is not an option, I can't get the belt out).

I'm adding in that this a child who does not deal well with change, especially permanent ones. I am actually having to train her to ride FF. She has phobias and only seems to tolerate it well for short periods. Sooner or later she will have to make the flip permanent. I can't bring myself to buy a 55# RF from Sweden for a 5-6 year old :p

Now for a road trip I totally do NOT understand FF. She will be RF. It is more comfortable to sleep, it gives her lap and angle for playing and it gives the adult next to her more shoulder room. There is no DVD player in my car which may be why I don't get it but I would have DD1 RF for the trip too, if I could. To recline on a 16+hr road trip would be sooooo nice.
 

armywife12

New member
When my husband was home, Caleb ff in my vehicle for about a month while he was rf in my husbands vehicle. He had outgrown the true fit rf in weight and only had one myride. My hubbys car was basically a death trap so we chose to keep him rf in that car until hubby deployed. When he was 30 months old, we bought a graco nautilus for my MIL vehicle since we only make trips to her house a few times a yr. It just made more financial sense to get a other fitting seat for him. He was 37lbs so, if we were to rf him in that vehicle, a radian would have really been our only option and it didn't make sense to spend so much money on a seat that will not be used a lot. With Caleb being almost 3, 37lbs, and about 39 inches, I am totally ok with him ff occasionally in other vehicles when it is easier. If Caleb was under 2.5 and smaller, he would probably rf in all vehicles.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Madeline RF's in my Suburban in the RNXT - her primary seat and my primary vehicle - she also is booster training in the same vehicle (we haven't tried it in awhile, I need to put the booster back in there and get back to it, or take the frontier apart and use it as a HBB which is what I am leaning towards).

In my DH's truck, she FF's - she is in that truck maybe once every couple of months. If we go with anyone else, she FF's - usually due to lack of room they have vs the RN, plus I have my DS's seat that HAS to be RF'ing no questions asked.

She's 4 1/2 years old - it is her choice to be RF'ing in the Suburban, and when she hits that 40 lbs mark, she'll have to go FF'ing, but for now, she's happy, I'm happy, I think she will make it to 5 RF'ing though and if she asks to be turned around before then, I'm also comfortable with that, but she prefers RF'ing.
 

Pixels

New member
It could also be about minimizing risk. For example, someone in your situation. Perhaps the parent doesn't want to buy three new seats for a few months of RFing. Or maybe they can't afford three. But the child spends 90% of their time in one vehicle, so they buy one seat for 90% of the time. That way the child is best protected as much as possible.
 

tiggercat

New member
I chose seats based on the best I can do in each situation.
For example, my almost 5 yr old is harnessed in an XTSL our main vehicle, but rides boostered in the car. My reasoning for this is that the only reason she isn't ok in a booster full time is because she can't sit still for long rides or when her siblings are in the car distracting her. She is big enough (44lbs, 44 inches) and fits well in the booster with good belt fit, and can sit correctly for about 20-30 mins before she starts to fidget. So, she is ok in the booster in the car because it is just her in the vehicle, and it is only for short rides in the city. It didn't make sense to purchase another 5 pt for her in this situation. I did buy her a 5 pt for my FIL's car though, because he drives her semi-regularly and I wasn't sure she would sit still for him.
Another example, my 9 yr old is 73ish lbs and is just beginning to pass the 5 step test in small vehicles. He rides in a backless in our van because he doesn't pass the 5 step test yet (good head support and the monterey blocks half of my view in the rearview), in a HBB in the car (because he uses the same booster as our daughter, only one of them rides in the car at a time usually), and no booster in my MIL's protoge because he passes the 5 step test and has no head support with the backless.

There was about a week that Megan was RF in the XTSL in my van, FF in a Nautilus in my FIL's car, and boostered in my hubby's. I found that quite amusing and she didn't seem to mind.
 

canadiangie

New member
Reading various posts, I have noticed some people ride their kids RF in 1 car, but FF in another, or harness vs. booster. Or I have seen some state they turned their RF child FF for a long trip, then turned them back RF. I am just curious how you decide? I think I get the booster when booster training, for a secondary vehicle. But I guess I figure if I think my child is safe enough to ride FF in any vehicle, then she should be able to ride FF in all , since even though infrequent in some vehicles, I can't plan which vehicle she will be in if an accident should occur. Or that she will be safe for a long trip vs. around town? I'm not trying to judge, just trying to figure things out. DD2 has 7 more months on her RF seat until it expires. I'm trying to decide if I should buy new RF seats at that point for all 3 vehicles she is in, even though I don't think I would RF her too much longer ... not sure. Or buy 1 RF for primary vehicle, and FF for other vehicles ... but again, if ok in those, why not mine? Or just go to FF in all. I know these are decisions only I can make, and I have some time. I'm just looking for some input from you on your thought processes for these situations ..... I would love to turn her FF for long trips to watch the movies that her older sister right next to her is watching ... but don't want to risk safety for convenience and i don't want to appear hypocritical to my mom and DH who already give me a hard time about RF so long (especially my mom ;))


I try to look at everyones situation as uniquely theirs. With that in mind, what's most important is the age of your dd, her weight, what you drive, etc.


How old is your dd? ... let's start there...
 

christineka

New member
I let my little dd ride in a booster on occasion. I started letting ds ride in a booster at 40 pounds and 4 years old. In dh's car when he was the only kid, or not sitting right next to another kid, and traveling for only 5-10 minutes he sat perfectly. Drive 30 minutes or more with kids right next to him and he was not likely to sit in place. So far dd3 has only ridden in a booster for shorter trips with few kids, so I don't know how she'd act in a booster for a long trip with all the kiddies in the van. I think she would be safe in the booster, but I have harnessed seats that work, so haven't felt it necessary to move her to a booster full time. As for rear and ffing, there comes a point when the safety benefit of rfing is minimal. While I'll keep the kid rfing in the van because we can, it may be a pain in other vehicles.
 

DahliaRW

New member
For me it's practicality and financials. Since ds2 was over 2 when he outgrew the MA rfing I turned him ffing in dh's vehicle only. Basically buying 2 complete airs would be super expensive for the amount of time he'd actually use it in dh's car and moving his CA for the occassional short trip (especially since dh's vehicle did not have locking belts) just wasn't practical. So he rides ffing in dh's car and rfing in mine. He also rides ffing with his grandparents since they have a scenera that he's outgrown rfing (and almost ffing!). In both of these situations it's short trips and he's not in the cars very often.
 

Mom2FiveGirls

Active member
In my vehicle (which the children ride in 95% of the time, if not more), DD#1 (9 years old) is in a backless booster (unless its a long trip, then she rides in a HBB (her request...its more comfortable in case she falls asleep), DD#2 (8 years old) is in a HBB, DD#3 (6 years old) is harnessed in a GN, DD#4 (4.5 years old) is harnessed in a GN, and DD#5 (3 in less than a month) is RFing in a MR.

Occasionally (once a month or so) they will ride in DH's car. Most of the time its a spur of the moment thing or something like he takes the 3 big girls to school but I still need their seats in my truck to pick them up. In his car, there is a scenera installed FFing, a TurboBooster HBB, and a cosco nbb. If he has the three big girls, DD#1 rides in the front in a nbb (we have an extra either in the back of DH's car or in the house) with the seat all the way back (there are no air bags in his car), DD#2 rides in the back seat in a NBB, and DD#3 rides in the back seat in the HBB. Not as safe as they are in my truck, but still safe (and we really have no other choice on the days he has to take them to school...typically because I have somewhere else I have to be with the younger girls, etc). If he has the two younger girls, DD#4 will ride in the HBB (and if just her and I go somewhere, she'll ride in the HBB in my truck...we've started booster training and she does really well) and DD#5 rides FFing in the Scenera. She still fits RFing in the scenera, but once I was out with DD#1 and DD#5 and DH had the other three. He ended up putting DD#2 in the NBB, DD#3 in the HBB, and DD#4 in the scenera that was installed RFing in his car at the time. She is over both the height and weight limits for RFing! So in order to prevent that from happening again, I installed the scenera FFing and either DD#4 or DD#5 can use it (they are on the same harness setting...although DD#4 will outgrow it soon, so we've got to figure out something else before long).

Anyway, to make a long story short, it depends on the situation for me. Sometimes there aren't seats available for all the girls to be in the safest seat/position and we have to do the best we can with what we have to work with. If I know ahead of time that the girls will be in DH's car and its possible (like last week I had to drive his car into Charlotte (well I didn't have to, but I have a fear of parking decks and driving his car is less scary than driving my Excursion!) so I could put the scenera RFing, and install the nautilus for DD#4 (the three big girls were at school) then I can move seats around, but I don't always know.

And, while you can't predict which vehicle will be in a wreck, if the girls are riding in my vehicle about 95% of the time, then chances are if they are in an accident, it will be while they are in my vehicle.
 

Anne

New member
My DD is still rf in all vehicles, but for when the time comes, she may end up rf in one and ff in another. I feel rf is safest for as long as I can, so I will keep her rf in the primary vehicle for as long as possible because that's where she spends the most time, so that's where she's most likely to be in an accident.

DD will likely outgrow the seat in my mom's car before outgrowing the one in ours. So she'd be ff in my mom's car at that point. As long as she's over 3 years old, I'll leave it at that. If she was under 3 I'd probably get a new seat for my mom's car. But over 3 I'm okay with her being ff, so we'll turn her seats ff as she outgrows rf on each. No sense in having her ff all the time just because she outgrew my mom's seat. She's only in that a couple times a month. Of course it's possible that she'll be in an accident with my mom, which is why we still keep her as safe as possible. But the odds are in favor of being in an accident in my car, which she rides in daily. So I would probably juggle seats to keep her rf in ours the longest. I don't think juggling will be necessary though, because I've planned out what seats go where with growth in mind and I think ours will last her the longest.

I'll do the same when it comes to harness to booster. Though in that case we may convert the one in DH's car to booster before the harness is outgrown to begin booster training. I wouldn't want to be surprised by suddenly outgrowing one and having to go full time booster in that car. I'd rather control when she's in the booster vs harness for training.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
We only have one vehicle, but there are other peoples' to consider as well. My mom's car can only fit 1 RF seat, and it has to be a pretty small or upright one, at that. So in her car, my second child was FF even when she was RF in my car. (My eldest too for that matter.) Because that one seat HAD to go to the youngest child.

I let my eldest daughter use a booster around town unless she asks for a harness; on long trips when I know she'll sleep, I put her in a harness.

My third is finally at an age and size where soon I won't have more than one seat she can RF in, and I'm okay with her FF once in a while if necessary. So she'll RF in my car, but when I can't remove her seat and reinstall, in someone else's car she'll be FF.

It usually seems pretty straightforward for me. What's the easiest way to make everyone safe in this situation? Sometimes they can't all be safEST in every situation, but I can make them all safe ENOUGH (or they don't ride in that car!)
 

rodentranger

New member
For us, it depends on the vehicle and how each of the seats I own fits. In my Pilot, I'm okay with ODS riding ff in the Frontier because I am able to install it in the center next to the rf Marathon. In my Altima, I have the same child rf in teh Complete Air because I must put him outboard. SInce it is a less protected seating position, I prefer to have him in a more protective seat (ie rf rather than ff).
I typically provide my Nautilus for other people transporting him because it is the easiest to install out of the seats I own and I'm confident that it will fit in the vehicles my son is likely to be in. A ff seat is easier for other people to do with a leggy 3 yo.
At this point, YDS is always in a rf Marathon and I don't even suggest that he can be in anything else to anyone who may be transporting him.
I actually made a pictorial guide to the seats I have and taped it to the back of my front door for the occasions DH or my mom will need to install a seat for the kids. It has a picture of each seat (including various covers for the MAs), and it lists who sits in it, which direction, where to find the manual and installation tips (ie Frontier will be easiest for non-seat nerds to install in a LATCH position.)
 

pj2rc

New member
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I know I have time to think about it ... but I'm a planner! Rodentranger -- you made a good point ... while most PP and myself would assume put the RF in the seat of most use, you said about where they are positioned in each vehicle. I keep seats in my 05 Sienna -- 2nd row captains, but the seats are positioned center and driver side; my moms Equinox is probably the next most used - they both sit outboard; and DH's Silverado (extended cab) -- probably least often, but still about 1-2x / week,usually short trips (or when he takes them looking for deer out in the country.. lol). in DH they sit center and passenger side. DD2 sits center in the truck and Sienna ... I guess I'd have to play w/ my mom's car to see if DD2's seat fits center -- I was thinking it didn't, otherwise I can't think why I didn't put it there .. lol. However ----IF it doesn't fit center, DD2 would then be in the worst position in my mom's car. They do ride in her car quite a bit too. Overall most of the driving any of us do is short trips anyway - so that's a wash. when we do go on long trips, it is the Sienna. ... I have to do some thinking. Right now DD1 I don't have any concerns w/ she just turned 4 and is HWH in Maestro's in all cars. DD2 is about to turn 2 - RF in Titan's that go to 30 lbs but expire end of this year. realistically, I don't see myself RF as long as some of you. I would really be fine w/ 2.5 which she will be when the seats expire, except I wish it wasn't middle of winter in central PA when that happens. I would feel much better if it were spring. I have always tried to wait until spring to make seat changes. But I am not sure it is reasonable economically to buy another RF seat to get her through 6 more months. In short, after these seats expire, I have other seats to move DD2 into, but not sure I am overly happy w/ them and may want to buy 1 new seat for either my car or as above the least protected. But at 2.5 not sure I want to put money into another GOOD seat that RF due to expense & not getting a lot of RF use out of it & don't want to buy a Scenera to RF longer and not get a much better seat for FF than what I have to use now. ..... plus eventually I will buy DD1 booster only's and move DD2 to DD1's Maestro's .. just trying to figure out the best transition
 

pj2rc

New member
I think I'm going to get a Radian XTSL using some of the great discounts mentioned recently on other posts .... I don't really need the Super Latch since none of our vehicles were made after 09/05 (unless maybee my mom, I'lll have to check?) but want the SIP. I just weighed DD2 yesterday and she is 27.5 -- so I'm not convinced she'll make it 7 months in her 30 lb seat. I can get the XTSL for about $165 .. figure I'll spend that on pretty much anything else anyway ... so ... this way, I don't have to panic about winter seat changes! Plus DD2 has a pretty big head -- 97th% - so I should keep her RF a bit longer and a long torso. I just cross my fingers it will fit in my Sienna .... I think some people have had issues.
 

scoutingbear

New member
We also have kids doing different things in different vehicles. In my car A is in a booster full time. In dh's car (he is in both about the same) he is still harnessed in his GN. There is something about that car that gives him more room whereas in my car he has no room left in the harness and has outgrown it. He was in a booster in my parents car long before he was in mine because my mom was transporting him a lot and she can use the booster but not install the harnessed seat and A was not distracted by his brother and could sit properly when he was the only passenger.

This summer, after his birthday, C will start booster training in my car :crying: so there is a safe way of picking him up from daycamp if my dad or dh or I can't when I go in to have elephant. Many of my friends can remember to put the "seatbelt in the red" but not properly install a carseat.
 

momto3girls

Senior Community Member
My kids ride differently also. DD1 rides in a booster in dh's car and a harness in mine. It worked nicely for booster training. DD2 is ff in dh's car and rf in mine. Dh drives a 2 door civic. It's hard to put a rf 3yr old in there. She's old enough to ff, so I'm ok with it.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
It could also be about minimizing risk. For example, someone in your situation. Perhaps the parent doesn't want to buy three new seats for a few months of RFing. Or maybe they can't afford three. But the child spends 90% of their time in one vehicle, so they buy one seat for 90% of the time. That way the child is best protected as much as possible.

Mine is similar to this. My DD will not ride FF before I am comfortable with it, in anyone's car (save, a true emergency). I am comfortable with my DD FF at age 4. SHe has seats in 4 cars, other than mine. She is in my car several times a day, every day. To minimize her risk, I might keep her RF beyond 4 in my van. However, I know at least 1 person is anxious to turn her FF because she finds it difficult to have her RF (she had difficulty pulling the harness adjuster, which will get easier when FF). She's just dealing with the difficulty for now, but when Sofi's 4, she can have her FF if desired. I've told both of my parents they can ahve her FF if they want at 4. They have said they'll do whatever I want (which may mean RF :whistle:). In DH's car, there are only tether anchors outboard. DD will have to be outboard in an older-ish truck (think roll overs, no side air bags....etc). I'd rather keep her RF center there.

For the older kids.... A was in a backless booster in her Dad's car wheile still in a HBB in mine and her Mom's. Her HBB broke in Dad's car, and she rides infrequently enough, and is old enough (9) that we decided backless was fine. If the car didn't have side air bags, I may have reconsidered and pushed for another HBB. J was in a HBB at age 5 with his Dad because Dad refused to use a harness seat (and J is my charge, not my child). He had a harness with me and Mom. He went to HBB in my car before Mom's because I knew I could train him better ;)

BabyS may end up being RF in my car longer than her Mom and Dad. It will not be before age 2 or 3. But if she can make it to 3 in her current seat, Mom may not want to buy another.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
It could also be about minimizing risk. For example, someone in your situation. Perhaps the parent doesn't want to buy three new seats for a few months of RFing. Or maybe they can't afford three. But the child spends 90% of their time in one vehicle, so they buy one seat for 90% of the time. That way the child is best protected as much as possible.

Yeah, this was us. My dd's FF in DH's car much younger (around age 2, or a bit before then) than in my van because they were barely in it and also because it was easier to get them and their seats in and out of his car (smaller car, more carpooling with tall coworkers). I figured for the very limited time they are in the car, FF is a small risk compared to the inconvenience of RF. In the van it was nothing to keep them RF to the limits of their seats (age 4.5 and 33lbs for dd1, age 3 and 33lbs for dd2).
 

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