Do your toddlers/preschoolers climb into their carseat? Advice please.

Anitra · Aug 20, 2010

Background: DD is almost 2, a tad over 30lbs, and RFs in our primary car, a Ford Freestyle (crossover/SUV). Her carseat (Graco MyRide) is currently in the passenger-side captain's chair.

I'm pregnant with our second child, who is due when DD will be 27 months old. I assume we'll use our Graco infant seat until the baby is about 6 months old (we grow them big in our family), then switch to a convertible.

It's going to be a hassle trying to keep both kids under control while needing to lift them into their seats (especially in the middle of winter) - the captain's chairs sit pretty high, so I doubt DD will ever be able to climb in on her own while the seat is RF.

My husband's solution is to put our daughter in the third row FF and have her climb in on her own while I get the baby settled. Then I get to climb into the back of the car to get her buckled. Admittedly, this setup means we don't have to move car seats to get additional passengers into the car.

jjordan · Aug 20, 2010

My dd was 27 months when ds as born. She didn't have any trouble climbing into her RF seats (Britax convertibles, so up on a sizeable base) at that point. But, we have smaller cars, and I can see where she might not have been able to climb into a captain's chair.

But what about putting her RF in the back? I bet she could climb up onto the bench and into her seat from there. You could even remove one of the captain's chairs (if they come out) to make it easier to access the back row. Or, can you move the two captain's chairs next to each other? If one were unoccupied (you could put the baby in the back), then she could probably climb onto the unoccupied one and go from there into her seat.

I'd do pretty much anything to keep a young 2 year old rearfacing, especially when you have a nice seat that will keep her rearfacing so long! I'm sure there is a way to work this out!

emtb79 · Aug 20, 2010

How about putting the seat in the back RF then she could just climb into the seat because if I remember correctly it is like a bench seat back there. ALthough my kids climb into their own seats under 2 yrs of age by climbing on the side of the vehicle seat(captain seats) and then dumping them selves over onto their belly and then once in the seat they upright themselves in the seat. Yes that woulsd take time for a little one to do but that would keep her busy while you are trying to buckle up the little one.

My 2yr old that is FF due to Motion sickness issues cant climb into his own seat because he is petite. Usually while im loading other kids the bigger kids (5 yrs) grab him by his pants and pull him into his seat.

bree · Aug 20, 2010

It's easier for younger kids to climb into rear-facing car seats than forward-facing ones, in my experience. When the car seat is rear-facing, they can use both the car seat's shell and the car's seat to brace themselves on when climbing in. When a car seat is forward-facing, it's harder to climb into because they don't have a good spot on either side of their bodies to hold.

I do think a 2 year old will probably be able to handle climbing into a car seat with some practice, but if she can't, there are other solutions besides forward-facing. You could have her sit in the front seat until you have the baby all set. Then you can go get her and put her in her car seat. Can you remove your captain's chairs? You could remove a captain's chair, and have her sit in that spot on the floor of the car while you put the baby in the car, then put her RF in the 3rd row. Or have her sit in an empty captain's chair, then put her RF in the 3rd row if the captain's chairs can't be removed. I wouldn't want to forward-face a 2 year old, and I think you could find a workable solution, plus I think putting her seat FF won't make it any easier for her to get into her seat by herself.

ETA: I'm too slow; it looks like I repeated some suggestions that were already posted while I was typing!

glockchick · Aug 20, 2010

I amazed at all of you that have such cooperative 2 year olds. I more often than not have to wrestle mine in kicking and screaming.

I'd put them both in rear facing. If you can remove a captains chair, I'd put the older child in the back. If not, I'd do one in each captians chair. If the baby is in an infant seat, it's no biggy to snap the seat in while holding older dd or set the baby seat on the ground next to you while strapping the older kid in.

If you're using a convertible, it's a little trickier, but you can just put the 2 year old in the vehicle for containment while you buckle the baby in.

BTDT. It sucks, but it works.

My youngest and oldest two are about 18 months apart. Totally doable.

jess71903 · Aug 20, 2010

Just a "you can do it!" post from me. My son was 2 years 5 months when DD was born, and he has spina bifida, so mobility impaired s well. We drive an SUV and haven't had an issue with 2 RF (side-by-side). I sling DD so she is contained. I either lift DS up and into his seat 1st with DD in the sling, or make him hold on to my leg or the car's door until I plop DD in. I ususally buckle them both after they are both in so neither is hanging out while the other is buckled.

amy&girls · Aug 20, 2010

I think you would be surprised at how well kids adapt. My 20 month old climbs in and out (with help on out) with out a problem. She thinks its funny!

Why not let your DD try climbing in now, while you don't have a baby to worry about yet, that way she can practice.

petriescz · Aug 20, 2010

My son was 22 month when our second son was born. I helped him climb into the back of our svu on the infant seat side. He would scoot under the seat and climb on to the bench and into his RF seat. He is in the 5% and was about 22lbs and 33 inches. Currently at 3.5 he still does the same thing or I load both boys into the back of the car/trunk and load all our junk and both my 3.5 and 20 month old climb over the seats and inot their RF seats. And yes I too have to wrestle my little one into his seat but not because he can't climb in!

bobandjess99 · Aug 20, 2010

MY kids have climbed into their own seats since 2. DD has buckled herself since 3.5 .

coleslawcat · Aug 20, 2010

My daughter has been climbing into her own seat on our captains chairs in our van for a long time, actually my son has been able to climb into his RF Radian installed on a captains chair since about 16 months, but he is really huge and physically active.

What I did when I had a newborn and my daughter wasn't yet climbing into her own seat was to put her in first. I knew my baby wasn't going anywhere strapped into his bucket, so I would set him down right next to me and strap her in so she couldn't run away. Then I'd just pop the bucket in and be ready to go. By the time he was out of the infant seat she was climbing in herself, but if I was ever unsure of her cooperation I'd leave one child strapped into the stroller while I put the other in their seat.

Mingie · Aug 20, 2010

DD#2 has refused to allow us to put her into her seat since about 22 mos. We have a van so captain's chairs and currently she is in a Marathon. It is a bit of a hike. She LOVES getting into her seat. If I dare touch her or assist her we have to start again! She is now 26 mos old. So it is possible for her to do it. I am not sure how we started doing this but maybe you could make it a game.:shrug-shoulders:

TXDani · Aug 20, 2010

What I have always done is load all my kids in the same door (the one the baby is seating at) then once they are contained in the car I strapped baby in. Then walk around the car to the other door where your 2 year old will be sitting and get her in her seat. You can try to train her that when you put her in the car it is her job to climb into her seat while you deal with the baby. Even if she wonders around the car it is better than turning her ff or having her try to stand still outside the car while you deal with getting the baby in.

momto3girls · Aug 20, 2010

DD3 is 20 months old and has been climbing into her rf fspvd for the past month by herself. She refuses to let me help. She's rf in the drivers side captains chair of our ody. She climbs in up through the door, then up the side of the captians chair and belly flops in her seat.

At home in the garage the kids climb in their respective doors. When out and about I have them all climb in the same side to contain them. Buckle the 3 yr old check the 7yr olds seat belt, shut the door and go around to the other side to buckle up the youngest. She's small enough to go under her sisters seat. She manages to squeeze between the seats to the flop in her own. She's my little monkey.

amylynne01 · Aug 20, 2010

My girls are 17 months apart and both still RFing. When we get in the car in a rush, I plop DD1 in her seat, shut the door, run around to the other side, plop DD2 in her seat, buckle her in, run back around, buckle in DD1, and get in. If it's cold or raining, I plop them both in quickly, get in, and turn around from the front to buckle them in. Or DD1 will climb over DD2's seat to her own.

I think it will be easier than you think.

MissAllyLou · Aug 20, 2010

DaniCPST said:
What I have always done is load all my kids in the same door (the one the baby is seating at) then once they are contained in the car I strapped baby in. Then walk around the car to the other door where your 2 year old will be sitting and get her in her seat. You can try to train her that when you put her in the car it is her job to climb into her seat while you deal with the baby. Even if she wonders around the car it is better than turning her ff or having her try to stand still outside the car while you deal with getting the baby in.

This is what I've always done. I always have my child locks on, too, so they couldn't get out without my knowing.

Anne · Aug 21, 2010

DD is 2 and she climbs into her seats by herself. Actually, she INSISTS on climbing in herself. My car is a 2 door with a true fit premier, so that one's easy. But my mom has an SUV and a MyRide. It's outboard, passenger side, and she climbs up into it from the running board on the that side. You have to kind of support her a bit until she gets her feet on the edge of the vehicle seat but she manages. Alternately, you can sometimes place her on the seat on the driver side and she'll go climb in. If it's the side with the seat, she won't tolerate being placed any higher than the vehicle seat. If she is helped in any way, she will back up and start completely over to do it herself. She does up her own chest clip but I don't let her do the crotch buckle yet. "I do it" is the most common phrase heard around here.

So given some time to try it (which will equal major patience on your side!!) I think she'll get it figured out.

mydogteaser · Aug 21, 2010

We do what Danielle does, too. Load the kids on one side and then walk to the other to buckle the other kid in. My two-year-old is like Laura's. Her motto is "I do it myself!" and we can't help or else we have to start over again. She does her buckles and everything. We just tighten the harness and adjust the chest clip. She is short for her age, but can climb into her seat just fine. (She has a My Ride also and it's on a captain's chair.) She puts one foot on the side of the vehicle seat since it is wider than the car seat and then hoists herself in. My almost five-year-old didn't get into his own seat at that age, but that's because he's lazy...and I mean that in the most affectionate way!

flutie128 · Aug 21, 2010

My DD has been climbing into her car seat since she was about 18 months old. She wants to be like her big brother who is 4 years older than her. She could climb in the a Scion xB, a small car and my MIL's van with a little practice.

monstah · Aug 21, 2010

I have a Freestyle. When my third was born, I had a 3.5 year old FF and a 1.5 year old rear facing in a Britax Boulevard. Our setup was a little different because we had a 2nd row bench but I wished every day that I had been smart enough to go with the captains chairs.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised that by 27 months, your oldest will likely have no trouble climbing into her seat. And if she does there are some easy solutions such as popping the baby in first then going around to her side to let her in. Or, letting her climb in on the baby's side, popping baby in, the go around to her side to help her up & buckle. Or, (what I used to do, but I had 3 in car seats) I would place the baby in the front passengers seat during "load up". The rest of us would pile in where the base was (me too & I would shut the door behind me in the winter) I would buckle up the older two, get back out & pop the baby's seat into the base in the 2nd row. Sounds like a pain but it wasn't. It was also awesome in the rain because I could maneuver the infant seat out of the front and into her spot in the back without getting back out of the car so I wouldn't be standing out in the rain.

And Congrats!!

ETA: I wanted to add that it is easier to climb into a rearfacing seat. By the time my daughter was 2, she could easily climb into her RF Boulevard but had a hard time climbing into her brothers Graco Nautilus or Radian because there is nothing grab on to or use for leverage.

lpperry · Aug 21, 2010

One of my daycare kids is 2 months from 2. She has been able to climb into rearfacing seats for months. She can even climb under a rearfacing seat in the third row of the van and into her seat on the passenger side 3rd row.

I don't think you'll have any problem with a 27 month old climbing into a rf seat.

Do your toddlers/preschoolers climb into their carseat? Advice please.

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