So over rear facing!

love-pink

Well-known member
Ugghhh... Every since we sold our 2nd vehicle Ive been at my wits end with rear facing! :(:(

My husband and his other daily riders bump around the seats or were constantly having to un/re-install them every time I need the Envoy. When I ride with a friend she drives a Ford Fusion with leather seats and its either lugging the Radian or Coccoro to install which takes me FOREVER to get good rfing installs. :mad:

DD2 will be 2 in a few weeks and at that point I wish I could just put rfing behind me and never look back. :eek: It would be so much easier to have her ffing and not have to worry about front to back space in other cars. Not having everyone jossel her seat around in the Envoy. Dh wouldnt have to take it out at all. She wouldnt be able to kick at my older children who are ffing. :rolleyes:

I want to ff soooooo bad but I feel like Im being a selfish terrible parent. :(
 
ADS

cmcki737

New member
I know that RF'ing is definitely preferable but I have always heard "a properly installed FF'ing seat as long as the child meets weight requirements is safer then an improperly installed RF'ing".
 

love-pink

Well-known member
That is definitely true. I just feel bad because she will still fit rear facing. Its just so hard now having the one vehicle. :( When the Envoy was mine it was so easy to install and leave it there. I knew who bumped what and I rarely had to un-install (unless it was for fun :p ). I used to also used to be able to split the kids up so no one was riding right next to dd2. We need one of the 3rd row seats down all the time now so its a 3 across in the 2nd row. She kicks the kids on both sides of her and they scream and cry because it understandably hurts.
 

cookie123

New member
How about getting a light weight seat that's also easy to install and isn't gigantic. The Avenue comes to mind. I'd feel terribly guilty about not rfing a 2 year old, but that's just me. Also, maybe install it on the side so she can only kick one kid. Skip shoes!
 

love-pink

Well-known member
I have the Coccoro too but really like to keep that one at home so I have it when riding with other people. I HATE dragging around the Radian. Plus the rn stays in its place alot better than a cco if bumped around.

DD has to be in the middle because the boosters do not fit in that center spot and there is no headrest for my oldest in his Lite Rider. Its pretty much the only way a 3 across will work there because of the small center seat.
 

cmcki737

New member
Forgive me for saying this but it seems you have already reviewed the situation and feel that FF'ing you daughter is the best solution, if I am correct then you need to do what is best for you and your family.
 

love-pink

Well-known member
I have. Ive agonized about this for over a month now and Im just at my wits end with it. But I still have that lingering gilt about ffing her. :crying:
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
Forgive me for saying this but it seems you have already reviewed the situation and feel that FF'ing you daughter is the best solution, if I am correct then you need to do what is best for you and your family.


Well, it is always parental choice in the end. But the reason she's agonizing it so much is the HUGE difference in safety between forward facing and rear facing. She did get her child to 2 rear facing, a lot longer than most people do. But as she said, her child still fits rear facing and could theoretically therefore still have the safety of RF. She's hung out on here long enough to know why it's a biggie and that's we she's made such a pain to herself to do it. :)

And, love-pink, I'm not saying how dare you for even considering it, but I do understand the frustrating. It seems FF is just such an easy fix it's hard to not be tempted. As far as the kicking goes, though, I'd suspect she'd find something else to do FF. :eek: I second maybe selling a seat and getting a lightweight easier to install one, if possible. I'd try that before choosing FF.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
Not having everyone jossel her seat around in the Envoy.(

Can we help you with a configuration that will allow you to leave her seat installed in the Envoy without it getting bumped around by the adults? What about RF tethering the CCO - would that help keep it stabilized enough even with the adults in the car?
 

love-pink

Well-known member
I can have the cco in the Envoy in the center seat rf tethered but DH will still have to remove it to for his work materials. If it was a ffing seat he could just lie his stuff across it. You can also fold down part of the 2nd row bench with the rn but not with the cco there because its so easily bumped out of place (even when tethered).

Then Im also left with the rn to drag around in my gma's Impala and my friends Fusion. Its extremely heavy and takes alot longer to install and take out than the cco does. :mad:

Ive had more seats than I can count and thought of everything I could come up with. I really do feel like ffing her is what is going to work best for use until we get a 2nd vehicle. Its hard because its not that Im having to install and reinstall once or twice a week, its more like 5-6 times. Sometimes more than once a day. It really makes me miserable to take dd2 anywhere so I try not to. :(:(:(
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
You said one third row seat needs to be folded down - could she rf in the other one?

I just would hate to see her turned if there were any other option. What are her stats?
 

love-pink

Well-known member
The problem is no one else can sit in the center 2nd row seat where I have dd2. There is no headrest and the boosters are too wide to fit there. You can sort of see how small it is in my siggy ;) If I put dd2 in the 3rd row someone would be without a booster and with out a headrest, which Im NOT okay with.
 

melniemi

New member
If you really think ffing is the answer, I would wait for the kiddy seat and use the with the shield. Otherwise, I'd leave her rfing if it was me. Was your ra55 easier to use? Considering the multiple installations? How many kids do you have total?
 

christineka

New member
Forgive me please because I haven't got all your kids and seats memorized. It sounds like you have at least 3 kids, though. One is 2 and rfing and one is older in a backless booster. How about the other child? Could that one ride in an rstv in the middle and have enough head support? (My kids are so short that they don't need headrests when sitting on the vehicle seat.)
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
The problem is no one else can sit in the center 2nd row seat where I have dd2. There is no headrest and the boosters are too wide to fit there. You can sort of see how small it is in my siggy ;) If I put dd2 in the 3rd row someone would be without a booster and with out a headrest, which Im NOT okay with.

Do you have three kids, or four? I was thinking you had three, but I might be wrong.

What I was thinking that DD2 could ride in the third row, and you could hatch-load her. Then your older kids could ride outboard in the second row, so they'd have space and headrests.

If you have four, nevermind that idea. How wide (in inches) is that center spot?

She wouldn't still fit in one of the large infant seats, like the OB35, would she? I'm thinking the seat could easily be pulled out when DH needs the space, with the base left in... that's getting a bit desperate, though.
 

cupcakepirate11

Active member
I guess I haven't installed a seat forward facing before so I can't say in my experience if it is easier or not. I would try and find a seat that would work, it sounds like you can't RF the little one in back with one of the boosters and but the booster where she is now?

It may be a pain in the rear to install a seat more often then not but if she still fits I'd keep her rear facing even if is wasn't convenient. However in the end you should do what works for you.
 

love-pink

Well-known member
I have 4 children they are 9, 6 1/2, 5 1/2 and almost 2. Im limited to seats that fit in that center spot as far as convertibles. We have the rn and cco for dd2 right now and they work the best and are the easiest to install in that spot. The are also the ones that make it possible for my older children to buckle their booster seats when doing the 3 across.
 

SeattleRain

New member
So which seat does she ride in all the time? It sounds like both of the seats that you have her in are kind of finicky seats. I love my CCO because it's so easy to cart around with me (we're also a 1 car family), but it does get tipped and knocked more easily than other seats, so if that's an issue for you because you're loading and unloading then it might not be right seat for you. I don't have any experience with the Radian other than what I've heard here, but I know people don't seem to love it for frequent installations. It's also quite heavy so I can't imagine lugging that around. It sounds like your daughter isn't so big that she needs the extra height and weight the Radian provides.

I'd look into getting other seats. Preferably, I'd designate one seat to stay in the car, or at least be the one she uses all the time, and one as the traveling seat. I'd keep the CCO as the traveling seat and sell the Radian to buy something that fits your lifestyle better. Is there ANY other seat that will fit in that center spot? Can you get new boosters for the other kids in order to make a different seat fit? I know Britax seats are easy to install frequently, and I've heard good things about the Evenflo seats.
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
If you're open to it, I know me and some of the others would like to help. So do you have 3 kids in boosters or 2 kids in boosters? I assume the 9 and 6 1/2 year old, but what about the 5 year old? I'm wondering if you could put the 5 1/2 year old in FF radian in that center slot, a booster next to it or a RF seat next to it. And then have whichever two seats are left in the back seat. Maybe draw us a picture of what set up you have now? I see the two boosters in the back, presumably for 6 and 9 year old, and your youngest in the center 2nd row rf, where's the other kid at in what seat?
 

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