RF Overkill?

Brigala · Sep 21, 2013

Is this overkill? Be honest with me.

My daughter (3 years, 1 month old) is too big to RF in most car seats on the market. Her main ride is the Radian, RF. My adult kids are out for the day in one vehicle with one of her Radians. My husband took her to the store in the other vehicle with the other Radian in it today and she fell asleep and had a MAJOR pee accident. Soaked right through the "Dry Seat." Soaked through the entire car seat, down to the vehicle seat. I had to hose off the seat belt. Cover is in the wash and the harness straps are soaked... since they were already soaked with pee anyway I went ahead and hosed them down. It's all drying off in the garage. I don't have a spare cover for that seat but even if I did the straps all need to dry before she can use it again, so it's going to be a day or two I think.

So... I went ahead and installed a FF seat in the car I've got here. I really really was looking forward to taking her to the bakery for a muffin but now I don't want to go because she can't RF in any of the seats I have available this afternoon. The non-wet Radian won't be back home until after the bakery closes.

Am I being ridiculous postponing a non-essential outing so I don't have to forward face my 3 year old? Be honest. Does it make a difference that the vehicle I have available is a Suburban and the FF seat is a Frontier 85 (SBP, tethered)? On the other hand, I have not mentioned this trip to her so it's not like I'm breaking a promise to her. And I can stay home and bake muffins instead.

I even weighed her since her weight fluctuates between 38 and 41 lbs, hoping I could get away with using the CA65 RF for the rest of the day, but she came in at 39 lbs 14 oz without her shoes on.

I might have been able to get away with it on the way to the bakery if I had her not wear shoes, but what do I do after she eats a muffin? LOL.

Jessica61624 · Sep 21, 2013

Bring the muffins home

jjordan · Sep 21, 2013

I wouldn't say you're being ridiculous, but at the same time I wouldn't hesitate to take her on the outing in a FF seat.

tiggercat · Sep 21, 2013

I would take her to the bakery in the FF seat, and put the Radian back in RF when it is dry.

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Suzibeck · Sep 21, 2013

I totally understand your hesitation and I'd probably feel the same, but I'd probably force myself to take her anyway. She is 3, she isn't a tiny little thing, she will be very safe in a properly installed and top tethered seat.

Brigala · Sep 21, 2013

Jessica61624 said:
Bring the muffins home

Heehee. That wouldn't solve my problem, though, because right now it's just me, her, one vehicle, and a FF seat. The boys are off at some Magic the Gathering thing and my husband ran off to go check his game trail camera in preparation for deer season. I'm having some much needed Mommy & Daughter time after a long and busy seat check event today.

I think I'd be fine if I actually *needed* to go somewhere. To the doctor. Or even to pick up one of the boys somewhere. Or if we needed something at the store. But I think we'll have at least as much fun together making muffins so I think that's what I'll do.

Brigala · Sep 21, 2013

I know I'm going overboard, but darnit, I want to RF her forever. LOL.

thepote · Sep 21, 2013

Your DD is only a little older than mine and I'm so not ready to FF her (2y10.5m). She also had a pee accident last week and I put in an Uptown RF even though she's over 36" (still under weight limit and has 3-4" of shell). I just couldn't put her in the Nautilus.

For me, I don't think at that point I could have forgiven myself if something happened. At some point I know I'll have to say to myself that FF is ok, even if something happens. I'm just not ready to say that now.

kater-tot82 · Sep 21, 2013

Well my 3 yo is FF full time so I'm obviously ok with it

and would go to the bakery. Your dd is not tiny and you've done a great job keeping her RF for so long

LISmama810 · Sep 21, 2013

Bakery trumps RFing, IMO.

No, really, in all seriousness, she's 3 and it's one trip. Go ahead and do it. Unless you're truly not comfortable with it, but I'd be fine with it. Three is my "occasional FFing is ok" age.

BookMama · Sep 21, 2013

I don't think you're going overboard.

As a tech, I would have no problem whatsoever with your DD being FF in a properly used seat, particularly at her weight.

On the other hand, my DD2 rides RF. If we were home without an available RF seat and there was an emergency, I'd use a FF seat for her. However, unless it was an emergency, I'd just look at is at though we didn't have a seat for her because she rides RF.

(That said, my DD2 will probably turn FF when she turns four in late October, so at this point I'd probably FF her in this situation. But we haven't yet.)

carseatcoach · Sep 21, 2013

jjordan said:
I wouldn't say you're being ridiculous, but at the same time I wouldn't hesitate to take her on the outing in a FF seat.

This.

Brigala · Sep 21, 2013

BookMama said:
As a tech, I would have no problem whatsoever with your DD being FF in a properly used seat, particularly at her weight.

I wouldn't either, as a tech. If someone showed up at a car seat clinic with a 40 lb 3 year old I wouldn't even talk to them about RFing. (And with a lightweight 3 year old I would only mention it in passing if they were still under the limits of their seat). I took a little more time to mention that there were other options when I had to help a family turn their 40 lb 22 month old FF today in his MyRide, but even then I didn't push it and spent more time discussing the idea of getting the kid a Frontier later because he wasn't even 2 yet and already on the top slots of the MR.

It's as a parent that I'm having a hard time.

I opted for home-baked muffins. The FF seat isn't the only factor. There's also the $$ of it.

Plus, I was able to make muffin tops instead of regular muffins. And they're pumpkin!

Keeanh · Sep 21, 2013

You know, when I first read your post I thought "3y1m? Sure, I'd be okay with it." And then realized Rebekah, who still fits RF in a CCO, is 3y1m. (Yes, I have so many children that I lose track of how old they are LOL) Granted, she is only 26lbs, but there's no way I would be okay with her FF for anything but an emergency trip to the hospital LOL. Even though 3yo seems plenty old enough when it's a number in my head, Rebekah just seems waaayyyy too tiny, so I totally get where you're coming from. It's different when it's your own child.

thepote · Sep 21, 2013

Keeanh said:
You know, when I first read your post I thought "3y1m? Sure, I'd be okay with it." And then realized Rebekah, who still fits RF in a CCO, is 3y1m. (Yes, I have so many children that I lose track of how old they are LOL) Granted, she is only 26lbs, but there's no way I would be okay with her FF for anything but an emergency trip to the hospital LOL. Even though 3yo seems plenty old enough when it's a number in my head, Rebekah just seems waaayyyy too tiny, so I totally get where you're coming from. It's different when it's your own child.

Yes! Like a pp said I probably wouldn't even mention rf if someone came here looking for a ff seat for their 3yo.

When I put the Uptown in for DD I mentioned to DH that I was using it past the height limit and she should be ff in that or the Nautilus in the attic and he said "but she's so little, she's too young for that!"

I have trained him well, lol.

monica-m · Sep 21, 2013

Keeanh said:
It's different when it's your own child.

This hits the nail right on the head. I am constantly reassuring people that their 3 year old is perfectly safe in a properly installed, properly used FF seat. Which I know is correct. It was a whole different ballgame when it was MY 3 year old riding FF in our Go because he had puked in his Radian and I had no other seat that he could RF in and I had an appointment with the chiropractor. The chiropractor is across the street from our subdivision. I was in a panic because he seemed too small and too young to be forward facing.

I'm working hard on being okay with DS FF. I bought a ProSport and he's going to be riding in it soon in DH's car. If it was me, I would make myself take that outing because sooner rather than later, FF is going to be how it is so I might as well start getting used to the idea.

trippsmom · Sep 21, 2013

It is different when it is your own child. I don't think I could do it for an elective outing. Dd1 still hasn't ever ridden forward facing. Ds was too tall and ff by her age. She is just so tiny! Today I let two girls leave the check forward facing and they were the same age as dd2!! I sent a 60#4yo home in a booster!!!! My own kids? When h*ll freezes over.

scoutingbear · Sep 22, 2013

I have slowly started turning DD FF in some vehicles. She fits in the Radian RF and the Graco clones RF; we have a Size4Me, but it is out on loan with a friend.

One of the radians is a 35 RF model, so she just turned FF in dh's car. She isn't in there a lot, but sometimes it is more convienent to take his vehicle. She is also FF in the grandparent's car right now. Sure, I could switch vehicles with whoever has her, but that gets old, really fast. DD is 3, weighs 35lbs and is 39" tall. She certainly isn't tiny anymore. I will keep her RF in the main vehicles but if at this point, I am okay (sorta) with FF her for the occassional trip.

Kobain's Mommy · Sep 22, 2013

My son turned 3 in May. He's around 40lbs and ffing full time. I have no issues ffing a 3 year old. Heck a properly used ffing seat at 3 excites me since most are in boosters at 3.

Genevieve · Sep 22, 2013

Kobain's Mommy said:
My son turned 3 in May. He's around 40lbs and ffing full time. I have no issues ffing a 3 year old. Heck a properly used ffing seat at 3 excites me since most are in boosters at 3.

Mine turned 3 in May as well and I agree. To answer the question, I would not think twice about putting a 3 year old FF'ing for a fun outing and I certainly would not skip said outing just because I can't RF the child. I do get the hesitation, though.

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