EmmaCPST
CPST Instructor
Sam turned 3 last month, he's 30 pounds and 38" tall, but with a tiny torso. He mainly rides in my car, RF in a Radian 65, and he's got probably 4 inches over his head, so he's nowhere near outgrowing it yet.
But my problem is - at least a dozen times in the past month, he's unbuckled the seat belt holding it in (no latch in my car). He's done it before with his feet, I think unknowingly, but now he's figured out how to reach it with his hand.
We've had serious discussions about it every time, every time he understands that if his seat belt isn't buckled, he could get really really hurt and I've used all the language he understands and he tells me he's sorry and he looks really scared but then, a day or two later - he does it again. We've done different distractions, special car toys, velcro on the buckle... and it doesn't bother him. I guess the only thing I haven't done is try to block the buckle with cardboard or something. I already have to do 3 buckle stalk twists, so I can't turn it around or anything.
I'm just frustrated and terrified that the one time I don't hear the click of the buckle and pull over (which is soooooo fun) we're going to get in an accident. Or we'll get in an accident for me constantly feeling the need to turn around and check that it's buckled. I know he would be a thousand times safer FF than RF in an uninstalled seat.
Sigh. My RF goal was always 3, and we're there... my plan now that we're coming into winter was to keep him RF through the winter and then re evaluate in the spring when he's 3 1/2 and see where he's at growth wise, etc.
So, do I just go ahead and turn him? Or MacGyver the buckle? Halp.
But my problem is - at least a dozen times in the past month, he's unbuckled the seat belt holding it in (no latch in my car). He's done it before with his feet, I think unknowingly, but now he's figured out how to reach it with his hand.
We've had serious discussions about it every time, every time he understands that if his seat belt isn't buckled, he could get really really hurt and I've used all the language he understands and he tells me he's sorry and he looks really scared but then, a day or two later - he does it again. We've done different distractions, special car toys, velcro on the buckle... and it doesn't bother him. I guess the only thing I haven't done is try to block the buckle with cardboard or something. I already have to do 3 buckle stalk twists, so I can't turn it around or anything.
I'm just frustrated and terrified that the one time I don't hear the click of the buckle and pull over (which is soooooo fun) we're going to get in an accident. Or we'll get in an accident for me constantly feeling the need to turn around and check that it's buckled. I know he would be a thousand times safer FF than RF in an uninstalled seat.
Sigh. My RF goal was always 3, and we're there... my plan now that we're coming into winter was to keep him RF through the winter and then re evaluate in the spring when he's 3 1/2 and see where he's at growth wise, etc.
So, do I just go ahead and turn him? Or MacGyver the buckle? Halp.