I have a 99 Explorer with 2 Radians. I have 2 kids. A 3 year old, 36", 29lbs, rearfacing behind the passenger seat (at about a 30 degree angle). An 8 month old, 12lbs, rearfacing in the center at a 45 degree angle.
I will be babysitting my niece and nephew 3 days a week for the summer (actually starting this month) and will need to be driving them from place to place. My nephew is 4 1/2, 40+ lbs, and we're getting an Evenflo Chase seat which harnesses to 47lbs front facing, and this will go behind the driver seat.
The problem comes in with my niece... she's 7 years old, also just over 40lbs (she's a stringbean like her mom). She will be using a backless booster, and will obviously have to sit in the front (unfortunately), since there are no other seats. The problem is, I have driver and passenger airbags, with no on/off switch. The recommended solution for a child having to ride in the front, is to have the seat all the way back. But with my 3 year old rearfacing behind her, (even at only 30 degrees), the seat doesn't go all the way back. Probably only about halfway
The only solution I can think of is to turn my 3 year old forward facing so that I can put the passenger seat all the way back. Is this the safest solution, or is there something I haven't thought of?
I know it seems like such a tiny deal since his seat "technically" only goes to 30lbs rearfacing anyways, (in Canada), but I (like other Canadians I've seen on here), planned on using it rearfacing to the "off-label" 33lbs that it's safe to in the States. Which, for him, would be quite awhile still, as he's small, skinny and on a slow growth curve. I thought of just doing it for the summer and then just putting him back, but, he's already been asking to turn around, since he's turned around in his Cosco AlphaOmega in Daddy's truck. (That one only goes to 30lbs RF, and last month he was a hair over 30, so we turned that seat). I'm afraid if he's FF in both vehicles for the whole summer, there's no way he'll want to turn back around. But, all I can do, (aside from buying a minivan, lol), is choose the lesser of two evils. And, it seems to me that having my in airbag range is FAR more dangerous than switching my 3 year old to FF status, right???
I will be babysitting my niece and nephew 3 days a week for the summer (actually starting this month) and will need to be driving them from place to place. My nephew is 4 1/2, 40+ lbs, and we're getting an Evenflo Chase seat which harnesses to 47lbs front facing, and this will go behind the driver seat.
The problem comes in with my niece... she's 7 years old, also just over 40lbs (she's a stringbean like her mom). She will be using a backless booster, and will obviously have to sit in the front (unfortunately), since there are no other seats. The problem is, I have driver and passenger airbags, with no on/off switch. The recommended solution for a child having to ride in the front, is to have the seat all the way back. But with my 3 year old rearfacing behind her, (even at only 30 degrees), the seat doesn't go all the way back. Probably only about halfway
The only solution I can think of is to turn my 3 year old forward facing so that I can put the passenger seat all the way back. Is this the safest solution, or is there something I haven't thought of?
I know it seems like such a tiny deal since his seat "technically" only goes to 30lbs rearfacing anyways, (in Canada), but I (like other Canadians I've seen on here), planned on using it rearfacing to the "off-label" 33lbs that it's safe to in the States. Which, for him, would be quite awhile still, as he's small, skinny and on a slow growth curve. I thought of just doing it for the summer and then just putting him back, but, he's already been asking to turn around, since he's turned around in his Cosco AlphaOmega in Daddy's truck. (That one only goes to 30lbs RF, and last month he was a hair over 30, so we turned that seat). I'm afraid if he's FF in both vehicles for the whole summer, there's no way he'll want to turn back around. But, all I can do, (aside from buying a minivan, lol), is choose the lesser of two evils. And, it seems to me that having my in airbag range is FAR more dangerous than switching my 3 year old to FF status, right???