GN is driving me bonkers!

Genevieve

CPST Instructor
N rides in a GN in my car, but I'm about at my wits end with all the head slumping. I try not to let it bother me (he doesn't complain) but it really, really does. I just can't see how it could be safe if we get in an accident when his head is already cocked at a weird angle and completely out of the wings. I'm ready to move him out of the seat, but I can't decide if we should just move to a booster (which I already have) or get another 5-point for him.

He's 5y6m and 38-39lbs. He is booster trained and sits great in a booster (old style parkway) and even sleeps great in it with no slumping. The head and torso wings on the parkway cradle him perfectly so he doesn't move out of position even if he falls asleep. I just can't decide if I'm really okay with him in a booster full-time. He seems so small to me. Or am I just blowing this head slump issue out of proportion? Would full-time boostering be appropriate for him? Do you think you would you do it if it were your child?
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I wouldn't move my child for head slump if they weren't complaining. In a frontal collision his head will move forward, so it makes sense that it's safer to have it already on his chest. Less forward movement. Even most side impacts have a frontal aspect, so his head likely won't be contained in the wings anyway. Nor do we know that the wings DO anything even in a side impact collision.

Personally I'd prefer a solid 40 pounds before full time boostering, but the Nautilus starts at 30 pounds and if he sits well at his age it's fine.

Wendy
 

melniemi

New member
I know what you mean. I hated how my daughter slept all cockeyed and slumpy in her radian so I put her back in her marathon. Not sure what I'd do in your situation. My older dd has had zero headslump in her frontier though.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
okay... first... if you have a vehicle that the seats recline on... have you reclined them (VERY SLIGHTLY)

Second... what recline setting is the Nautilus on?

I find that max recline of the Nauti and a 5-10* recline of the vehicle seat usually takes care of almost all slump.
 

Genevieve

CPST Instructor
I have a frontier, if you want to try it out.

I may take you up on that, Judi. I wanted to try a Frontier out before buying one since this kid is noodle-neck. He slumps in everything I've tried so far. I really need to make a road trip down to you!
 

Raegansmom4

New member
I'm always surprised to hear about headslump in a GN. My dd leans her head to the side and uses the wing as a pillow - very comfy. Where she gets headslump is her Regent (sideways slump as it is so far to the edge of the seat).
 

daniele_ut

New member
If your child is still sleeping in the GN often enough for it to bother you, then I would NOT move him to a booster. That would provide even less sleep support.

DS is 5.5 and now only falls asleep in the car very occasionally. He fell asleep on a 1.5 hour drive on Sunday and he never slumped in his GN. He used to all the time, but he has started to just rest his head on the wing.
 

Genevieve

CPST Instructor
If your child is still sleeping in the GN often enough for it to bother you, then I would NOT move him to a booster. That would provide even less sleep support.

Ironically, he sleeps great in his old style parkway. The wings cradle his head perfectly and he doesn't slump at all. If he slumped at all in the booster, I wouldn't move him to it, or let him use it at all.
 

Mingie

CPST Instructor
DD#1 gets head slump also in her GN big time. She rarely sleeps in it but we took a long trip with it recently and I had it installed instead of her Frontier. She kept waking up with her head bobbing. This never happens with the Frontier. Not really a problem since we don't use it for long trips usually but it made me happy I have the FN in the main vehicle.

BTW she likes the feel of the GN better and declares it to be her favourite seat!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I'm always more surprised to hear of kids who's heads DON'T bob in the GN, maybe it has a lot do do with the vehicle seats...?
Never heard of head bobbing in the Parkway. (ok, someone's going to tell me I'm wrong, I'm sure :rolleyes:... I have the same answer, it must have something to do with the design of the vehicle seat it's sitting on :p)
 

Neatfreak

New member
My daughter falls asleep frequently in an upright position. She isn't prone to head-slump when she's in her GN, but she definitely is when she's dozing on our sofa, waiting for me to get the baby settled into bed for the night.
 

Genevieve

CPST Instructor
So, is the consensus that he's still better off in the Nauti because he isn't a solid 40lbs yet? I deal with it around town even though it bugs me, but we have a 12 hour road trip coming up (each way) and I just don't think I'm going to be able to watch his bobble head without going crazy.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
If it doesn't bother him I wouldn't stress over it.

Do you have the Nautilus reclined?

Wendy
 

christineka

New member
If your child is still sleeping in the GN often enough for it to bother you, then I would NOT move him to a booster. That would provide even less sleep support.

This is an incorrect statement. My ds had bad head slump in the nautilus as well. He's fine in the bodyguard while sleeping. My 10 year old falls asleep in the car still. I don't think she needs to stay in a harnessed seat until she's old enough to always stay awake while travelling. I still fall asleep in the car (when I'm not driving) and I don't think I need a 5 point harness.

I don't know that I'd want to vacation with a newly boostered kid, though. My ds was fine around town at 6 years, but he wasn't so good when in the car for long drives. He's much better now that he's 7 and the seat has lockoffs.
 

Evolily

New member
I wouldn't move from the GN to the parkway because of head slump (unless it was bothering the child and he was otherwise booster ready). His head will move in a crash anyway. The 5 point harness likely will keep him more contained in a side impact than the 3 point belt will, and the biggest benefit of head wings is in a side impact crash. Not to say a 5 point harness is safer, I just wouldn't move because of head slump.

I think the head slump issue depends partly on the child and partly on the vehicle- if the seats are naturally reclined it's less likely to happen.

Oh, and I wouldn't move a child under 40 lbs to the parkway barring highly unusual circumstances.
 

chasingboys

New member
Both of my DS's have HORRIBLE headslump in the Nautilus, even with the full recline. They have both pretty much outgrown it anyway, but we most definitely prefer the Frontier!!

DS1 is in a Monterey most of the time and sleeps just fine in it, no head slump. I think it's just poor design on the Nautilus headrest, it pushes the head forward a bit. Maybe Graco will figure it out and do a little redesign. Frontier 85 same vehicle, same vehicle position...NO slump! Gotta be the Nautilus!
 

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