I need advice for ds3

momtoo3 · Sep 12, 2011

Ds3 will be 3 in 6 days. He is ERF in my van and our truck. He is ff in dh's car because dh will not leave his seat in rf because it hits his arm/shoulder and bugs him

. I need his seat to be installed in dh's car at all times since ds3 has ended up at my inlaws or a friends many times without notice when I have had to deal with other things (usually ds1's issues at school or an emergency dr appt) and dh picks him up after work those days. Dh has no desire to learn the proper way to install his carseat so ff it is in his car.

Anyways, my issue is I need to have 6 car seats for my kids and my daycare kids. The ONLY way they fit with ds3 rf is him in his MA70 rf outboard pass side, rf tribute in the middle, ff CarGo drivers side. I have tried the MR, CA, Scenera, EFTA and TFP in that spot and various other spots in my van (03 caravan with 2 3rd row benches.) The only one that fits and allows me to get the CarGo in on the drivers side is the MA70. Ds3 has been really complaining/screaming for the past few weeks about his legs cramping, to the point of me having to pull over and let him stretch on a 30 minute drive. He does sometimes put his feet up on the seat back/headrest to stretch but is still not happy. He can't hang his feet over the sides comfortably. The picture in my siggy is a few months old and he had a growth spurt-all in his legs. I have continually said that I will not turn him until next March when he is 3.5 and the winter is over. Now I am not sure what to do. The seats I have are in my siggy plus a tribute and scenera for 2 of my daycare kids. I have tried every combo in every position and nothing fits. So do I turn him so he is not in pain or keep him ERF with him screaming in pain? I feel like I am in a no win situation

.

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

Anyone have any thoughts? I'm really struggling with this. We went to the preschool this morning that is less than 10 minutes away and he was already crying when we got there. Is there any option besides turning him?

lpperry · Sep 13, 2011

Are you talking about the 2nd row or third row three across? What 3 seats do you have in the other row?

Does he fit RF in the Scenera or the Tribute? Do those give him more legroom?

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

He does not fit rf in the Tribute. He would in the Scenera for a few months but I can't get it rf at 45* in my van without moving the front pass seat all the way up. It doesn't really give him more leg room and I need the Scenera FF in the 3rd row. The MA70 doesn't work there. Ds3 is pass side 2nd row. My set up is:
Driver/middle/pass
2nd row
FF CarGo/RF Tribute/RF MA70
3rd row
Big Kid nbb/FF Scenera/PWSG

lpperry · Sep 13, 2011

Gotta go now, but I'll reply more later. One question--why does the Scenera have to be at 45 degree recline?

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

Well going by the manual, it has to have the line level to the ground. I have tried it more upright but it still doesn't fit behind the passenger seat without touching it and then it doesn't work 3 across there either.

bobandjess99 · Sep 13, 2011

Well, i'm definitely in the "I use my dorel seats at 30 degrees and feel fine about it" camp, but I'm not sure that would actually give you more room. I do feel strongly that HURTING your child is not ok. If he is in actual pain, then thats not ok. I can think of few reasons, mostly all having to do with urgent, lifesaving medical procedures, where I can ever thing that would be okay. So yes, I think you have to do something. If you are okay with FFing at age 3, i think that is a completely valid and safe choice. If not, then I think there are potentially other seats which might allow him to RF while having more room, perhaps the EFTA, TF or RN? I'm not sure how any of those would puzzle though.

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

My feelings exactly but I can't find a seat that works. I have tried the EFTA, MR, TFP and MA70. I got rid of the Radian because of harness issues but there is no way I could get it upright enough to fit behind the passenger seat. When I have all of my daycare kids ds1 (age 11) rides in the front seat in a nbb. I don't want him eating the dash and I don't like being that close either on the weekends when dh is driving. I don't want to turn him but think I may have to :crying:

hrice · Sep 13, 2011

There is a wedge being re;eased for the Radian soon that will aid in making RF installations more upright if you want to try that.

Kat_Momof3 · Sep 13, 2011

when he's 3, I'd go ahead and turn him since at his age, he's old enough to verbalize complaints to where I'm sure you know what he's complaining about AND age 3 is where I'm fine with them going ff.

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

I did read about the toddler wedge but really need to do something now. I hated the RN ff when we had one but would try it again if it wasn't so expensive. Ds3 is our last one so nobody to pass it down to and it is just so much money to spend on a seat that I won't use ff. I do daycare for 2 families who don't car about car safety. One demands their just turned 2 yr old be ff. The other turned their just turned 1 yr old ff at 11 months and 18 pounds, their just turned 3 yr old is in a nbb with the shoulder belt behind her. It really frustrates me but they won't listen. The mom of the 1 yr old wants me to ff the baby but I refuse because he is not even 20 pounds. The 3 yr old is in the CarGo in my van. I told her that I will do what she wants as long as I can make them fit when it is legal. It is not legal to ff a baby under 20 pounds so I am safe for a little while. Even though it makes me crazy, they treat me well otherwise and I need the paycheck.

mkmama · Sep 13, 2011

Does his seat fit FF in your current configuration? Or are you going to have to completely re-configure seats when you move him FF? If his seat will FF where he's at, I'd probably do that.

If you're going to have to re-configure anyways...

Any chance one of the daycare families would let you put one of their children RF'ing (assuming that would allow you to configure a different seat for him that he's happy to RF in) if you told them it was the only way you could most safely get them all in?

Also, is it only in this seat that he complains? Or all seats? I'm wondering if FF will help at all...it might just be growing pains, especially if he's gone through a big growth spurt in his legs. I noticed that when my 6 year old went through growth spurts like that, he'd mostly complain in the car (even though he was FF)...I'm guessing either because it was more pronounced in the car, or he had little else to distract him so he noticed it more in the car.

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

He only complains in the MA70. He is ERF in our truck in the TFP and is fine. I wish the TFP fit in my van with the 3 across.
I have tried to get the 2 yr olds mom to let me rf him and she would not go for it. The 3 yr old I watch is about 35 pounds and taller than ds3. She would not fot RF in the seats I have. I still have the 1 yr old RF. I think the MA70 will fit ff because the base is the pretty much the same shape either direction and it is next to the Tribute which is pretty flat on the side. I haven't tried it yet though. Nothing is puzzling/fitting right for me rf but I think things might puzzle better ff if I need a different configuration. Ugh! I hate this.

mkmama · Sep 13, 2011

I know you said you've tried every combo, but just throwing this out there, as I feel your pain of not wanting to have to FF right before winter...

Would he RF in the MyRide? Is it possible to switch seats around and let someone else have his current seat and give him the MR RF? I ask, because I noticed one of the seats you're working with is a Nautilus...in my 3rd row bench seat (only when it was put in the middle) of my 2000 Ford Windstar, I was able to get a Nautilus outboard next to a RF'ing MyRide center...it was definitely tight, and the MyRide had a bit more movement than I like when the Nauti was taken out, but the MyRide was still within the 1 inch of movement rule when the Nauti was taken out.

Not sure what, if anything you have you'd be able to get on the other side of that MyRide though, as Im not familiar at all with your other seats. Are you using a TFP in the van? Maybe it would fit RF'ing next to the MyRide in this scenario? Not sure you'd be able to get any FF seat on the other side of the MyRide because of those cup holders.

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

I can't get the MR rf in the 3rd row. I can get it rf in the second row but not 3 across. It doesn't puzzle well with the Tribute or Scenera when outboard. It doesn't fit 3 across in the middle when next to the CarGo. I really need to keep ds3 in the second row. I can't load through the hatch without taking both strollers out, which is not something I can do while trying to get everyone in the van. Since I have 2 3rd row benches, there is just a little space to squeeze through to get to the 3rd row and I can barely get to the 1 ff back there. There is no way I could get to a rf seat.

I really appreciate all of the ideas so far!

mkmama · Sep 13, 2011

Back to the drawing board then...is it ONLY his current seat that he complains in? All of the other RF'ing seats he's OK with?

I'll keep thinking....

mkmama · Sep 13, 2011

Also, the seats the daycare kiddos ride in...the Tribute and Scenera...are those yours or are those the parents' seats that need to be uninstalled/reinstalled frequently?

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

All seats are mine

.

mkmama · Sep 13, 2011

K....I've looked at pics online of all the seats (granted, thats nothing close to real life experience...but at least I have a general idea now of what we're working with LOL)...

Could you possibly get a FF Cargo/FF Tribute/PWSG in the back seat, or is that too wide? Im thinking, IF whichever children are in the Tribute and Scenera could trade, you MIGHT be able to do:

NBB/RF Scenera/RF MR
FF Cargo/FF Tribute/PWSG

I dont have a Scenera, but I do have an Avenue, I know they are similar, but not sure how similar, but the Avenue RF puzzles well with the MR RF, so maybe the Scenera would to? I'm thinking if you have a NBB in that second row, you'd have one more to buckle in back row, but could move the NBB out of the way to have more room to lean over seat to reach the FF in the back row.

Possible, or is it back to drawing board?

momtoo3 · Sep 13, 2011

The Scenera has to stay ff in the 3rd row. It is the only seat that allows you to buckle the boosters. There is no room to buckle with the Tribute just because of the design. Ds2 is not coordinated enough to slip under a buckled booster either.
I can't fit a booster of any kind in the second row with 2 rf car seats. I've tried the PWSG, big kid, literider, and cosco ambassador/hi rise.

I need advice for ds3

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Senior Community Member

Well-known member

New member

New member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Active member

Active member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics