RF'ing and snow boots

Tizzy

New member
This is the time of year I dislike RF'ing the most, when it's muddy/slushy outside.
Any suggestions on maintaining my sanity? Taking boots on and on off for every stop gets to be tedious, especially with 3 others waiting on me.

Also please encourage me not to turn the 24lb 31mo old because I do know she's safer RF'ing....but it's so tempting.
 
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YinzerMama

New member
How many stops are you making, does the child really need to walk at each one, etc? I tend to remove shoes both for comfort and the ick factor. I can't even imagine being curled up with snow boots is comfortable. They are so stiff. I just put robeez on my little one in the winter and carry him outside, if we're going to be inside. For shoes, I remove them. No other way, really. You can protect the seats but then it's back to boots being stiff. I'd let him be bootless and wait till you're out to play for good to put the boots on

Maybe easier to remove boots?
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
If it helps, I frequently take my kids boots off even with one boostered and one ff'ing. My dd's legs are long enough now that they hang near the floor, but my son still will pull his legs up and put them on the back of the front seat on long trips. For that matter, he frequently pulls his own shoes off on long trips in the summer.

Do you have boots that are simple to slide on and off? I'd swing my ds sideways so he was half in the carseat still but his legs were facing out the door, push his boots on, and off we'd go. It takes longer to buckle and unbuckle than it did to pull his boots off or push his boots on. :)
 

tiggercat

New member
I find it easiest to remove them.
I just make it part of the routine. Lift, set kid sideways in seat, pull off boots and coat. Boots go under his seat, coat hangs over the headrest for ease of access. Buckle, cover with coat. At the other end, set the boots on the edge of the van floor and lift him out of his seat sliding straight into boots. Put on coat.
It really doesn't take very long.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
My daughter refuses to wear shoes of any kind in the car anyway. :/ With some shoes I leave them on and let her take them off herself, but with boots I just take them off. I have to put them on at every stop anyway, so pulling them off doesn't really make much difference.

Sorry I'm not much help. Since she would probably scream bloody murder if I left her boots on (which she might not be able to get off as well as her shoes), trying to find other solutions hasn't been on my radar. Just thought I'd tell you I sympathize with the annoyance of having to put shoes on at every stop. It is annoying.
 

jacqui276

New member
DS doesn't walk yet so I don't put footwear on him but I frequently have my 5yr old niece riding in his seat RFing and she comes up with her wet muddy boots on. I find it easier to just pull them off, then get her dangle her legs over the side of the seat and slip them back on when it is time to get out. Hers slip on and off nicely and it only takes like an extra 5 seconds.

Otherwise the only option would be a towel or seat protector. Even FFing, I find lots of kids get their muddy boots all over the back of the seat in front of them, so turning won't likely make a huge difference.
 

Athena

Well-known member
You could put a seat protector on the seat back, or a towel.

A thin towel? I was told that was okay to do.

How many stops are you making, does the child really need to walk at each one, etc?

My DD didn't wear shoes most of the time RFing. When it was cold, I'd put her straight into the stroller. Back when it fit, I used a toddler bundle me, so I did'nt have to worry about putting on her coat either. Those were the days. So much easier. Of course, I only had two kids, but still it worked great. Your 31 month old probably still fits if she's not super tall. Mine is (super tall) and made it through her 2.5yo winter in it.
 

cmcki737

New member
My aunt used to have use tie plastic grocery store bags around our ankles covering our feet before getting in her car to avoid getting the light carpet dirty I guess you could do something like that if your tot won't pull them off while your driving
 

bnsnyde

New member
With our four removing boots and coats turns into a nightmare. So usually we go without coats and just scream through our teeth at the cold. Hey, no coats to fuss with and I won't fit in one anyway come winter with baby #5. I finally threw blankets into the car. My kids are always under-dressed. I try to have fleece coats for them to throw on if we need to get out of the car.
If it's below 32 then usually they have ON the fleece in the carseat. We try.

I do remove boots for RF kids and often FF kids too. I have a seat protector. But I hate winter. Hate it.
Good thing is boots are easy on/easy off, unlike shoes.
 

newyorkDOC

New member
I rigged up a ghetto seat protector by cutting a large rectangle of leftover fleece and punching two holes in it for the headrest anchors. It's long... Like I can use it to cover her seat if parked in the sun. She also uses it to cover her legs if she's cold and it's not grimy and her shoes are not wet. Nonetheless the seat (of the car) gets dirty when she climbs into her seat. I should probably rig up something there too... Maybe Velcro a piece of fleece there...
 

cookie123

New member
Just thought I'd point out that the ffers get the seats all dirty too. If you don't believe me, come check out mine.:) I used to remove the boots, but for me I only had the kiddos occasionally so much easier to deal with.
 

CrazyBoysMamma

New member
My RFer is in a captains chair an I have one of DH's old t-shirts pulled over the seat back. We don't have snow here, but lots and lots of mud. I would just put a towel or a kick mat up.
 

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