Would you let your child...

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #1

out of her carseat while you drive through a 'drive through christmas light display'? PLEASE don't jump on me...

My DH really wants to take DD. He asked if it would be safe to let her out of her seat for this. She is rear-facing and I don't know how much she could see.

What would you do?

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #2

Oh HELL no.

Just seems like a nightmare to me--everyone is looking at lights and not at the road.

FWIW, DD can see lights just fine RF. I just tell her to look and she can see them out her side window.

 

J

jen_nah

CPST Instructor

• Dec 12, 2007

• #3

Nope, But I must say my girls are older and ff'ing so looking at lights are a lot easier now days. But, Even when they were still rear facing they stayed in their seats the whole time.

 

Mattkarn

Member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #4

At only 10 months, no I wouldn't. But if she were older I would probrally drive there with her RF, then turn her FF after we get there, and the RF again before we leave. Just my opinion.

 

M

Mama2J

Member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #5

No I would not let J out of his seat at all while the car is moving. I found out that someone who used to watch him let him out of the seat in a drive-through safari and I was not happy.

 

natysr

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #6

Not jumping on you at all. You had the courage to ask before doing, so I completely respect that. It also shows, since you asked that you are not 100% comfortable with the idea.

So, to answer your question:

No I would not. I would turn MY child forwardfacing for the event, BUT my son is 3 years old. So, he is already in the 2-6 year age range when the vertebrea begin to fuse.

I would not turn my 10 month old forwardfacing for it.

 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus

• Dec 12, 2007

• #7

Is this one of those things where the traffic is heavily monitored and everyone goes about 5mph? Or are we talking just driving around through subdivisions?

 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

• Dec 12, 2007

• #8

I turned Nadia front facing for a limo ride looking at lights when she was 2.5 years. She hated it because there was no where to rest her feet.

I would NOT let my child unbuckle, and frankly, at 10 mo, she's not going to get much out of watching the lights anyway, no matter which direction she's facing.

 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #9

No I wouldn't. At 10 months old, she would remain in her RFing seat.

If she's in a convertible with a base, they generally sit up high enough that she will be able to see out... especially if there is a head rest that can be removed for better viewing.

You will just hear her oohs and aahs moments after yours.

Quite honestly, she's pretty young and definitely won't remember this year's lights, so I don't see it as a huge deal if she misses out on some of the display... she will still be able to see portions of it from her RFing carseat.

 

D

dd9736

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #10

DS sees plenty out the side window, i know, if she's gonna get anything out of it, at her age, she'll get it rfing too

 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #11

natysr said:

Not jumping on you at all. You had the courage to ask before doing, so I completely respect that. It also shows, since you asked that you are not 100% comfortable with the idea.

So, to answer your question:

No I would not. I would turn MY child forwardfacing for the event, BUT my son is 3 years old. So, he is already in the 2-6 year age range when the vertebrea begin to fuse.

I would not turn my 10 month old forwardfacing for it.

Click to expand...

Thank you.

Even at 'only 10 months' she really likes the lights she sees as we drive through our neighborhood. Unfortunately, in her new Signo, she strains to pull her head up enough to see out each side. The sides are very deep.

I don't think we will go at all. And yes, I wasn't 100% comfortable with it. I do care more about her safety than her viewing some pretty lights!

 

Namegirl

Senior Community Member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #12

Nope, no way.

 

Jewels

Senior Community Member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #13

Nope.

If the car is moving all seatbelts have to be on, including mom's, dad's and ds's.

 

natysr

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #14

JerseyGirl'sMama said:

Thank you.

Even at 'only 10 months' she really likes the lights she sees as we drive through our neighborhood. Unfortunately, in her new Signo, she strains to pull her head up enough to see out each side. The sides are very deep.

I don't think we will go at all. And yes, I wasn't 100% comfortable with it. I do care more about her safety than her viewing some pretty lights!

Click to expand...

Maybe you could find a nice residential neighborhood and dress her warmly and go for a walk to see them. Some cities also have special walk through parks that they set up.

 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #15

We have ZooLights in Calgary that are quite spectacular. Maybe your zoo (if you have a zoo?) has something similar?

 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #16

natysr said:

Maybe you could find a nice residential neighborhood and dress her warmly and go for a walk to see them. Some cities also have special walk through parks that they set up.

Click to expand...

That is a GREAT idea! I think we will do that. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

laurenrachey

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #17

I pondered the same question last year, but we didn't end up going. This year, I have an extra carseat that I'll install FF by the window (his first time FF), and I'll move him when we get there, and back to his center RF seat before we leave. But like a PP said, my son will be 3 in March.

Do you have a backup seat? Or possibly her infant seat? She may or may not be able to see better from an infant seat, it looks like she would probably still "fit." If you planned on getting a backup or secondary seat that you think she would be able to see out of better, you could try that?

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Dec 12, 2007

• #18

No, I would not take a child out of her seat.

I would consider temporarily forward-facing a child who met the seat's minimum requirements but not MY regular minimum requirements.

 

SPJ&E

New member

• Dec 12, 2007

• #19

Nope, when the car is moving, they're buckled into their seats no matter what. We took them last year and Pacey could see just fine (he was/is RF). He could see every single thing there, but he could see enough. Joshua couldn't see because he was still in the infant carseat, which sat lower. I think this year, they'll both be able to see just fine.

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Dec 13, 2007

• #20

If you want to go, put a mirror on the headrest. The lights reflect in the mirror and she can watch the lights on the mirror while you go through.

We went through a drive thru lights display that the city sets up in a park every year. Most of the lights were angled so that you had to be looking forward at them to see them, but ds apparently saw more then we realized because he was calm through the lights display and as soon as we left the park he started fussing. He's 14mos old, certainly not old enough to enjoy the pictures and recognize what the lights are, but he definitely got some enjoyment from it.

My 3yr old dd did just fine as well although she's ff'ing, and she's in a Radian so lower profile... we told her ahead of time which side of the truck to look out so that as we came up on each new display she was looking the right direction.

I say if you guys want to go, go for it. She might enjoy it a little, and you guys will enjoy it. And no, I wouldn't take her out of her car seat, but I'm sure she'll be able to see the lights even being rf'ing.