Sending an extra booster to Dad's house- WWYD

Phineasmama · Jan 7, 2013

Here's the deal- my DD is turning 6 in a couple weeks. Every summer she goes to her dad's house (8 hours away) for the whole summer. Up until now I've sent her Frontier 85 with her. Last time I asked him if he needed an extra car seat for his car, since after he drives home with her he always puts the FR85 in his fiancee's SUV. She has a daughter a little younger than Aden.

But DD told me recently that she was at her friend's house and XH came to pick her up after work "Daddy didn't have the car seat so I had to sit on his lap and he held me".

He's not negligent, really. He can be an idiot sometimes though. This year I am sending her with her Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro, and I want to leave another booster with him too. It has to be easy to move around from car to car, and I'm not sure if I should send the Monterey (our extra) because even though it has the new belt guide, I am not 100% on it working well in all vehicles. And he's not going to check for fit like I would, so I want it to be something really easy to use. The back might also fall off the Monterey if he's moving it around a lot, and it's not extremely heavy but a little bulky I guess.

So should I just send a backless Turbo with her? Backless Monterey? Or maybe think about getting a Vivo? I know those are all one piece so it wouldn't fall apart. Are they light? Fit well in most cars?

ETA: her stats are 44" tall, 44 lbs currently, she is very skinny, wears a 5 slim in pants but a 6 in shirts.

NVMBR02 · Jan 7, 2013

Provided you feel she would sit okay in one, I would send he with an extra backless. One of the Harmony boosters, backless turbo or and Amp would all work well.

My oldest was about the same age when she started riding in a backless occasionally. I don't remember her exact stats but she has always been tall and thin (she is 54 inches and 51 pounds now at 9). It seems like your ex would be most likely to use a backless correctly.

Phineasmama · Jan 7, 2013

Yeah I think she would be okay in a backless for these purposes. Because if they drove for any length of time they would be taking her vehicle. If she used the backup it would either be in dad's car or a friend's car and just around town.

skaterbabs · Jan 7, 2013

The Vivo would be a good choice, I think.

canadiangie · Jan 7, 2013

The new Connext by Graco. $18 or something super awesome like that.

Now, the bigger question, you must go through dd withdrawal. She goes for the entire summer and its 8 hours away. Hugs, mama.

Phineasmama · Jan 7, 2013

Yeah it is hard to have her away for so long. We used to live in the same town so she just did weekends there, but he got stationed at another base and then my DH got out of the Air Force and we moved too. But it helps that we are on friendly terms and his fiancee is super sweet and I don't have any issues with her. At least I have two other kids to annoy me while she is gone

Mercuria · Jan 7, 2013

Not to be a Pollyanna, but I think it's so great that you have an ex and an ex's next that you can get along with. I've seen and heard so many horror stories about that, I really take note when it's not that way.

Not that it'll make you miss her any less, but at least she's with good (if sometimes idiotic

) people.

Phineasmama · Jan 7, 2013

Yeah, I've heard some horror stories too so I consider myself very lucky

And I think DD is lucky to have so many family members who love her.

Shaunam · Jan 7, 2013

Mercuria said:
Not to be a Pollyanna, but I think it's so great that you have an ex and an ex's next that you can get along with. I've seen and heard so many horror stories about that, I really take note when it's not that way.

Not that it'll make you miss her any less, but at least she's with good (if sometimes idiotic ) people.

I thought the same thing when I read that. Brought a smile to my face.

I would go with a backless as well.

HappyHoo · Jan 7, 2013

One day I really need to try my DD in a nbb b/c she's 49", 58 lbs and 6.75 yo and I have a hard time thinking about her in a nbb yet - so I would find a way to send a hbb.

We have the Evenflo Big Kid Sport after having to replace a TB and the back does not come off which is nice b/c we do move that one between rows in DH's car pretty frequently.

tiggercat · Jan 7, 2013

Are you sure there is adequate head support in all vehicles he might use the backless in, and/or are you sure he will make sure to check for vehicle head restraints?
Personally, I'd prefer to send a one piece HBB, if possible.

Also, I admire your civility. I hope to one day get there, trying my best! Right now 5 day stretches away from my kiddos just kills me :/ At least he is good about carseats/boosters, still lets me install and keeps our 3.5 yr old RF.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

Phineasmama · Jan 7, 2013

tiggercat said:
Are you sure there is adequate head support in all vehicles he might use the backless in, and/or are you sure he will make sure to check for vehicle head restraints?
Personally, I'd prefer to send a one piece HBB, if possible.

Also, I admire your civility. I hope to one day get there, trying my best! Right now 5 day stretches away from my kiddos just kills me :/ At least he is good about carseats/boosters, still lets me install and keeps our 3.5 yr old RF.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

Yeah, he drives a newer 2 door Nissan something or other, and she drives a newer SUV which I can't remember the brand/model of. He doesn't have a car seat for the fiancee's daughter in his car, and in her car they have the girls riding in the outboard positions in the 2nd row.
I am thinking more and more that it might be better to send a high back, in case she falls asleep. She can sleep fine in a high back but I don't even want to think about how she's be positioned if she fell asleep in a low back

I will have to look at the Big Kid too.

momtoo3 · Jan 7, 2013

We love the Vivo! It seems to fit all kids well unless they are very husky. Ds3 fits at 33 pounds and 40 inches and ds2 fits at 57 pounds and 51 inches. It is great for sleeping. It does lack a little in leg support but ds2 is really leggy and finds it comfy. I told him that in the fall when ds3 turns 5 that he would go into a nbb so ds3 could have the Vivo and he threw a fit. He will be 8 then and I just can't see getting another hbb. He has about 2 clicks to grow so I think it would be a waste.

Phineasmama · Jan 7, 2013

momtoo3 said:
We love the Vivo! It seems to fit all kids well unless they are very husky. Ds3 fits at 33 pounds and 40 inches and ds2 fits at 57 pounds and 51 inches. It is great for sleeping. It does lack a little in leg support but ds2 is really leggy and finds it comfy. I told him that in the fall when ds3 turns 5 that he would go into a nbb so ds3 could have the Vivo and he threw a fit. He will be 8 then and I just can't see getting another hbb. He has about 2 clicks to grow so I think it would be a waste.

Good to know, thank you!! My older two are both very slender. Now DD2 I have no idea what she's going to end up like lol, but we have a ways to go since she's only 1. She might thin out yet.

NVMBR02 · Jan 8, 2013

If you think she will sleep in the car I would send a HB for sure. I have a Vivo, that now lives at my sisters house and I really liked it. I haven't used any of the evenflo HBBs but I have heard good things about them.

Phineasmama said:
Good to know, thank you!! My older two are both very slender. Now DD2 I have no idea what she's going to end up like lol, but we have a ways to go since she's only 1. She might thin out yet.

All three of my kids are slim. My oldest has always been tall and thin. My youngest is short and thin. Ds was solid as a baby, over 30 pounds by a year and 34 at 15 months.

He was pretty long too. Now at 7 he is a fairly average height and thin.

Phineasmama · Jan 8, 2013

Yeah we just took DD2 to the doctor and she is 30 lbs at 15 months :0 my 4 year old is 35 lbs!! I just hope she slows down a little otherwise she might not even get to 3 RFing. She's tall too.

Kat_Momof3 · Jan 8, 2013

I'd either give him a backless for the 2nd seat and tell him that is for short/extra trips and the highback is for long trips/main seat

that way he can decide which car for which seat more easily.

heck, if she is in his/his next's car really regularly, I would probably GIVE him a vivo and a backless booster to keep for when she's with him.

I mean, you could make him provide them himself... but why mess with an amicable relationship?

Phineasmama · Jan 8, 2013

Yeah I'm totally fine with buying them myself, I mean he does pay child support every month!

Unfortunately since we live so far away she doesn't get to spend much time with him, usually a little over the holidays and then the summer.

Phineasmama · Jan 8, 2013

I might order a Vivo on Amazon so I can try her out in it, I just wonder if it would bother her with not enough leg support because we had that problem with the Oobr.

momtoo3 · Jan 8, 2013

The front edge of the Vivo is more tapered than the Oobr so I think that is why ds2 finds it comfortable even though he is leggy. I tried to attach a picture of it but cso says I am out of space. I will try to get it to photobucket and post it later.

Sending an extra booster to Dad's house- WWYD

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