Real-world advice for transitioning to a convertible?

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
My daughter hasn't officially outgrown her infant seat yet, but as the weather warms up and her head creeps closer to the top of the shell, I decided it was time to try out the Nextfit. I want to take it for a few tries before we *have* to start using it. So I just installed it on the driver's side, with her infant seat base over on the passenger side. A little glimpse of what life will be like when/if we have a second child!

Anyway, my question is, do you have tips for life with a non-walking child in a convertible? Right now, my routine is that I put her in her car seat near the back door, finish getting ready, put the diaper bag on my shoulder and grab the handle of the infant seat with one hand, while the other hand opens, closes, and locks doors, works the garage door keypad (ours is not attached), unlocks and opens the car doors, etc. I sometimes need to set the infant seat down on the concrete, too, if my house door isn't closing properly or for some other reason I need two hands.

So I am a little nervous about the transition to the convertible. Especially since she doesn't walk or stand independently. I know people use convertibles from birth, though, so there must be something I should be doing differently!

Also, later on when she is walking and wearing "outdoor" shoes, what's the best way to deal with the dirt and mud? Do your kids take off their shoes before getting in the car or do you just have kick mats?

Thanks!
 
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TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Since you have a garage, I just go stick kid in seat and buckle and pop back into the house to get the rest of the stuff.

For shoes, I poke two holes though a towel and stick the headrest through to keep it on. So summer shoes can stay on. Boots with snow or mud would be pulled off and set on floor before child is put into rear facing seat.
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
We are still using an infant seat, but leave it in the car. I just get ready, get her ready, then stick the diaper bag over my shoulder and carry her on my hip and open/close/lock door with my free hand and unlock/open van with my free hand and put her in. It's actually easier now because she's not walking, so doesn't want to walk.

If we are going to the park and shoes get muddy, I take them off in the van. For normal walking outside, I don't worry about. (DS is still rfing)
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
It IS a bit more annoying not being able to put baby down in a safe place.

The BEST advice I can give is to get a carrier of some sort. A sling or a mei tai or a buckle carrier. I use mine ALL the time. I have one worn-out spare in each vehicle in case I forget to bring one, and then my nicer ones inside.

Alternatively (or also) get a cheap umbrella stroller that always stays in the car. I always had a stroller along before I discovered carriers.

If you need to load up a bunch of stuff in the car and don't like running back & forth while baby is crawling around in the house, you can set up a playpen as a safe spot while you're carting things out. Or just put baby in the crib while you're doing stuff. My babies have always learned really fast that if I put them in the crib and leave the light on with the door open, that means I'll be back soon to put them in the car. They freak out the first few times because it's NOT nap time and this ISN'T nap routine, but then they figure it out and don't get quite so mad at me LOL.

If you really need two hands to close your door and don't want to put baby down on the porch (like if it's wet or something), you could always put baby in the car and come back for the door. I *personally* don't think things like that are a big deal, but I know it freaks some people out to leave baby in the car even for a minute or two.

You get good at doing stuff with baby in the crook of your arm LOL. But when I somehow end up somewhere without a carrier or stroller, it does make for logistical problems, that's for sure!!

Best way to deal with muddy shoes is just yank them off before you put your toddler in the seat. Hold toddler with one arm under the armpits facing away from you, pull shoes off with other hand LOL. When they're older and more cooperative and won't kick the mud at you, you can sit them sideways on the edge of the front seat to remove shoes. You should have a stash of shopping bags in your vehicle anyways (garbage bags, dirty clothes bags, unloading-random-junk bags ;) ), so you can toss muddy shoes into a bag if they're really bad.
 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Wow! Thank you! These are great tips! I don't worry about leaving my kid in the car for a second, but I definitely have the "child left alone in car!" Alarm going off in my head the whole time. It's good to hear that others are okay with this as a concept, as it feels much safer than putting them down on the ground.
 

SnoGurl

New member
I remove shoes almost all the time, but mostly just because if I don't remove them and put them on the floor, she will take them of and then they end up in all sorts of random places. In cold weather, we have 'car slippers' that she wears to keep her feet warm.

I will also leave her in the car for a moment if i'm bringing things out, or bringing things in. In good weather or in the garage I usually open her door so I can see her better (and remind myself she's in there if she's sleeping and not chatterboxing like usual!).
 

thtr4me

New member
I never used the infant seat to carry baby, so if I needed an extra 'hand' so to speak, I popped baby in a carrier (ring sling, wrap, etc) and used that to hold baby while my hands carried the rest of the stuff. No need to set baby down to deal with fiddly locks, etc. I could also pop baby in when getting out of the car, and carry a gazillion grocery bags in and not have to worry about where to put baby.

As for shoes, I never worried about it. Seats clean.
 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Yeah, this would all probably be easier if I learned how to use our Ergo. So far, only my husband has used it. She didn't like it at the beginning and now that she does, I am too afraid to try it because the sidewalks are so icy and I'm so scared of falling on top of her. Does this happen? Or is it just in my paranoid intrusive thoughts?
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I am too afraid to try it because the sidewalks are so icy and I'm so scared of falling on top of her. Does this happen? Or is it just in my paranoid intrusive thoughts?

Where I live it's also super icy sidewalks and broken wrists and arms are really common at this time of year. I'd hazard a guess that the baby wearing population in our cold weather is small enough that most of the people that did fall weren't wearing a baby. But I slipped a couple years ago and injured my wrist and landed with my face in the snow. I'd be freaked that my baby's head would have hit the sidewalk. So when it's icy, I use a stroller when I'm outdoors.
 

1mommy

New member
I just wanted to say that slipping and falling can happen at any time while your holding the baby, not just when baby wearing :(. I fell on some black ice when walking behind my car to get to the other side while holding my son who I didn't want to put down because he only had his jammies on. He fell and got a nasty bruise and scrape on his head while I fell on my knee and hand, giving me a massive case of mommy guilt for letting him fall even if it was an accident. I guess I'm just trying to say be careful in the snow/ice at all times, not just when baby wearing.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
I've had my youngest nanny girl since she was just over a year and never used her infant carrier. I carried her and the diaper bag in one arm and had the other hand for the toddler and the door. If I needed another hand I sometimes set her down sitting as long as it wasn't wet or muddy. And blocked her with my legs so she couldn't crawl away. Then we started using a backpack as a diaper bag and life got a lot easier.

When its icy or snowy outside I always use a stroller or have the kids walk. I'm terrified of dropping a kid on the ice. The youngest, now 3, sometimes cries and whines because I won't carry her but we made it through the worst of the winter!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Heh, I just carried my kid in the infant seat till she could walk, in spring, at 15 months old :D (and we didn't walk in mud on the way to the car, water dries, seats were leather anyway).
Seriously, though, I also had one of these hip 'carriers' and used it tons, because it was so easy, after she outgrew the pouch I carried her in [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Side-Toddler-Child-Carrier-Black/dp/B00DNZ6BVG/ref=pd_cp_ba_0"]Amazon.com: Side Ride Baby Toddler Kid Child Hip Seat Carrier, Black: Baby[/ame] (I'm SURE I didn't pay that much for it, it's just the first one I could find that looks like what I had). (my older kids were in a garage attached to my kitchen, I used a convertible way more for them, but this last baby needed to be in her infant seat for eons longer, for my convenience...)
 

Mom2Connor

New member
I can't tell from your post if you have an attached garage that opens to your house.

We do, so my method is as follows: (with a 3 1/2 yr old and 11 month old non walker).

Get everyone dressed, baby goes in the high chair which is near the door to the garage. Or his big play pen in the living room. I go out and buckle 3 yr old into his seat, I always leave the door open in the house so it's a visual reminder that a kid is in the car YK? Then I either buckle baby in seat or take everything else out first then baby last. I do the 3 yr ok first because otherwise he is underfoot the whole time in trying to get everything out.

I have and love my ergo but I wouldn't go through all that just to go to the car.

At stores I park next to a cart corral, put the cart cover on (usually) , then buckle back into the cart seat and go around for the 3 yr old. Or baby goes in the ergo then I get the 3 yr old. I load in the car first 3 yr old then baby, unless it's bitter cold then baby first. This way wild pre schooler is first in last out.

For unloading at home I unhook the 3 yr old who gets the door open in the house and takes shoes off etc on his own while I get the baby out. Then baby goes in high chair or play pen while I unload stuff.
 

Brianna

New member
Whether you're wearing baby or just carrying her, if you slip on ice your instinct is to protect baby. I slipped while carrying a 2 year old on my hip and somehow managed to position him do he was completely on my stomach as I fell on my back.
 

ebp913

New member
I always load my kids first then go get our stuff. I either leave the doors open or I start the car. I let my oldest stand near me while I strap in the baby since she's a great listener and our driveway is big.
 

JustJack

New member
This is what I do: get all the way ready. Get the kid ready. Pack bag if needed. Grab all the stuff and then grab the kid. Walk out the door. Sling all the stuff in the car and then buckle in the kid. Go! :) you just kind of figure it out and make it work. I think. It is easier to not lug the infant seat. I can carry more without it. I just moved ds2 out of his B-Safe this weekend. He's now in a Blvd.
 

henrietta

Well-known member
I don't have an infant seat this time...but I did with the first two. With all of them, I always load the car with whatever stuff I'm taking w/me first...and start the car if needed to warm it up or cool it down. Then, I run back inside, use the bathroom myself ;), and take baby out and put him or her in the car.

If I'm leaving from a public place, I usually have the baby in an infant carrier or wrap (or in the stroller) and I just take it all out together. I put my purse in the floorboard right at where I'm putting baby in the car (so no one can grab it), buckle baby in, and then unload my stuff from the stroller or cart to put in the car. Again, I don't want my purse or my baby sitting out where someone else can grab them or distract me. I keep both close to me.

hths
 

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