When to ff?

Kris0722 · Feb 9, 2011

I am driving myself nuts. My 3 year old weighed in at 34 lbs the other day at the ped. office. I think in reality, he is closer to 33 lbs. (I will check on a 3rd scale to confirm, by at home he weighs in at less)

All of his seats max out rfing at 35 lbs.

He is 90% for height.

I would love him to rf forever, but knowing I probably have a little more time left, should I just let him ride to the 35 lb max and keep a close eye or try to put money aside for a new CA? (Which is a seat I do not particularly like!) I am not interested in a RA and do not think a MR would work due to his height.

I should add, I have a plethora of nautis and both of his seats he is in would fit for a while ff.

Sigh. Help - I am really fixating on this!

Jonah Baby · Feb 9, 2011

First, congratulate yourself for making it to 3 years with the seats (and typical advice) available in the US!
If the weight limit is 35 pounds RF, I would turn AT 35. No sooner, no later. If you are uncomfortable with him RF this close, go ahead and turn him. He will be safe properly harnessed in the Nautilus you already own.

The seat will not spontaneously fail at 35.2 pounds, or even 36 pounds. We know that all seats have a small "margin of error" for the weight limits (we just don't know how big the margin is, which is why we strictly adhere, but do not fear, the limits.)

Kris0722 · Feb 9, 2011

I am definitely comfortable leaving him rfing to the last second!

My mommy guilt is stemming from puting him ff prior to age 4, which was my goal.

Jonah Baby said:
First, congratulate yourself for making it to 3 years with the seats (and typical advice) available in the US!
If the weight limit is 35 pounds RF, I would turn AT 35. No sooner, no later. If you are uncomfortable with him RF this close, go ahead and turn him. He will be safe properly harnessed in the Nautilus you already own.

The seat will not spontaneously fail at 35.2 pounds, or even 36 pounds. We know that all seats have a small "margin of error" for the weight limits (we just don't know how big the margin is, which is why we strictly adhere, but do not fear, the limits.)

andre149 · Feb 9, 2011

Personally, I wouldn't buy a new seat to rf a three year old. I would use what you have right up to 35 lb and then turn him. It may take him months to gain that weight

definitely check him on a different scale too, our pedis is always up about a pound and a half. My dd gets weighed at the vet clinic I work at bc that scale is much better lol.

Kris0722 · Feb 9, 2011

It is reassuring to hear that others would also not save up for a new seat! I'm also glad to hear that someone else's ped scale was off -my jaw dropped when they said 34lbs! LOL!

I will definitely check him on some other scales! Thanks!

andre149 said:
Personally, I wouldn't buy a new seat to rf a three year old. I would use what you have right up to 35 lb and then turn him. It may take him months to gain that weight definitely check him on a different scale too, our pedis is always up about a pound and a half. My dd gets weighed at the vet clinic I work at bc that scale is much better lol.

Mommy2Marcus · Feb 9, 2011

I turned my DS at a little over 3 years & 4 months. My goal was 3, but I was hoping to make it to 3 1/2. I turned him for a few reasons, two of those being 1, I have a bad back & it was killing me to put him RF in my tiny 2 door car, & 2, b/c he had been begging me for about 2 months to go FF. I made sure to properly install his seat FF & use the top tether. I felt safe with him FF, but knew he was safer RF. KWIM?

In the end you have done an awsome job keeping him RF till 3. If you want, I would leave him RF untill he hits 35lbs & then flip him. When you flip him just make sure to use the top tether.

jess71903 · Feb 9, 2011

Just make sure he's not 35lbs+ fully dressed, shoes and all. At 34lbs, I'd turn because I wouldn't want to weigh every day. Three was my goal for RF. Good job getting there, plus some!

Kris0722 · Feb 9, 2011

I will definitely use top tethers for when he must ff.

Thanks for your input!

Mommy2Marcus said:
I turned my DS at a little over 3 years & 4 months. My goal was 3, but I was hoping to make it to 3 1/2. I turned him for a few reasons, two of those being 1, I have a bad back & it was killing me to put him RF in my tiny 2 door car, & 2, b/c he had been begging me for about 2 months to go FF. I made sure to properly install his seat FF & use the top tether. I felt safe with him FF, but knew he was safer RF. KWIM?

In the end you have done an awsome job keeping him RF till 3. If you want, I would leave him RF untill he hits 35lbs & then flip him. When you flip him just make sure to use the top tether.

Kris0722 · Feb 9, 2011

Yes - we definitely weigh him fully clothed and with shoes. We live in S. FL, so there are rarely many layers (or extra bulk/weight) due to that fact!

jess71903 said:
Just make sure he's not 35lbs+ fully dressed, shoes and all. At 34lbs, I'd turn because I wouldn't want to weigh every day. Three was my goal for RF. Good job getting there, plus some!

abigaylebelle · Feb 9, 2011

I would just keep weighing him regularly until he hits 35lbs. Last year when my ds turned 3 he weighed 32lbs dressed and one of his seats had a 33lb limit. So I turned him in that car rather than keep weighing him, and sure enough he was still 32lbs at 4. Ugh. At least his other seats are 35lb+ so he rfed in his other ones.
Anyway if your ds recently gained the weight then he might level off for a while.

lovemybabies924 · Feb 9, 2011

i would also weigh somewhere else to double check

Kris0722 · Feb 14, 2011

Thank you ovemybabies924 and abigaylebelle.

Sounds like a plan - and I feel a bit better about riding it out until 35 lbs and then flipping him. Hope it takes a while!

momtotwogirls · Feb 14, 2011

I am in a similar boat. My almost 4 yr old was weighed at the doctors in December and was 34lbs since then she has lost a few lbs weighing in at 32lbs now but her seat goes to 35lbs rf so I jsut weigh her about once a week and once she hits and hold 35lbs then I will turn her. Im ordering her a frontier 85 for when that dreadful day comes

Im still coming to terms with having her forward facing.

TechnoGranola · Feb 14, 2011

From the other side of the fence, I can say I would buy a new seat to RF a 3 year old. I can say this because I *did* buy a new seat at 3 years 3 months to RF longer. It was winter and with extra winter clothing (fleece jacket, mittens, toque, heavier clothing) she was 34.5# in her RF. I bought the My Ride and she had about 1.75" growing room in it. She's now has about .5" growing room and she's weighing 39# with winter clothing. I am considering flipping her FF now as the only other legal seat we could buy to RF longer, the Radian, I can't install properly in our vehicle (as well it reclines too much and takes up too much space). The My Ride got us an extra year and 4 months of RF so I am glad I made the purchase.

The My Ride is a great seat but as you said, might not work for your DS due to his height. Do you know his torso height? or actually seat height to top of head? I can compare with my little one to give you an idea of how much room he might have. If his height is all in his legs, you may get lucky!

So, personally, I'd sell the convertibles I had now and purchase a seat to RF longer. And then I wouldn't have to worry about saving anything.

I sold both of my True Fits to buy 2 My Rides.

Now, if selling current seats is not a possibility and saving would be a financial hardship, then I'd put him in one of those gorgeous, safe Nautis and not look back. But, if it's decently easy to get a new seat (by selling others that won't be needed), then go for it!

Kris0722 · Feb 14, 2011

LOL - you sound like the little car seat devil on my shoulder saying "get him a new one, get him a new one!" LOL!

I will check out his torso height.

I would probably only be able to sell one seat at this time, b/c I plan on him using the other seat for ffing. (Ds1 is currently using one of the nauti's and the other is in my mom's car for the RARE times she has him, so at this moment, we only have one extra lying around... Ds1 is 6 and is in a booster in one of our vehicles, but I have not purchased him additional ones yet!) My luck, if I steal it back from her, she'll start actually wanting to take him places! LOL!

He is still coming up at most 33 on my scale at home, and I have not gotten him over the store that has the other scale I planned on using!

TechnoGranola said:
From the other side of the fence, I can say I would buy a new seat to RF a 3 year old. I can say this because I *did* buy a new seat at 3 years 3 months to RF longer. It was winter and with extra winter clothing (fleece jacket, mittens, toque, heavier clothing) she was 34.5# in her RF. I bought the My Ride and she had about 1.75" growing room in it. She's now has about .5" growing room and she's weighing 39# with winter clothing. I am considering flipping her FF now as the only other legal seat we could buy to RF longer, the Radian, I can't install properly in our vehicle (as well it reclines too much and takes up too much space). The My Ride got us an extra year and 4 months of RF so I am glad I made the purchase.

The My Ride is a great seat but as you said, might not work for your DS due to his height. Do you know his torso height? or actually seat height to top of head? I can compare with my little one to give you an idea of how much room he might have. If his height is all in his legs, you may get lucky!

So, personally, I'd sell the convertibles I had now and purchase a seat to RF longer. And then I wouldn't have to worry about saving anything. I sold both of my True Fits to buy 2 My Rides.

Now, if selling current seats is not a possibility and saving would be a financial hardship, then I'd put him in one of those gorgeous, safe Nautis and not look back. But, if it's decently easy to get a new seat (by selling others that won't be needed), then go for it!

TechnoGranola · Feb 14, 2011

Kris0722 said:
LOL - you sound like the little car seat devil on my shoulder saying "get him a new one, get him a new one!" LOL!

Yes, I am a bad influence in a lot of regards. I probably should change my screen name to TechnoDevil. :ROTFLMAO:

Kris0722 · Feb 14, 2011

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TechnoGranola said:
Yes, I am a bad influence in a lot of regards. I probably should change my screen name to TechnoDevil. :ROTFLMAO:

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