Time for DD to foward-face

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
Ack! I noticed this weekend that my 4 year old daughter suddenly seemed to have less room above her head in the Marathon. More than an inch, but definitely less then she previously had. Then, she was standing in front of me this evening, and she just somehow looked bigger. I measured her, and she'd grown an inch in the past two weeks. Then, with a sinking feeling in my stomach, I weighed her. Yup. 35.1 pounds. She's gained about a pound and a half in just the past 2 weeks.

I took her Marathon out of my car, and I installed the Frontier. That install was a pain in the butt, by the way. I have been spoiled by the easy LATCH installs and/or nice seatbelt lockoffs on the Marathon/Boulevard, True Fit, and SS1.

Tomorrow will be the first time she has ever ridden forward-facing. I know I should feel good that she made it to just over 4, but I have to admit, I am feeling a little panicky. :eek: I was okay when I was installing the Frontier, probably because I was concentrating on not hating the stupid seat's stupid install quirks, but now, I am feeling nervous. I spend all this time trying to research car seat safety and promote it to other people, and I'm just feeling upset that she's going to be FF.

I tried her in a My Ride on the BRU bench last week, but her head was just over the top of the shell. It was raining, and I didn't feel like swapping out seats in the rain so I haven't tried it in the car yet. I honestly thought we'd have a little more time to contemplate buying the My Ride. I know kids seem to gain more room in the MR when it's installed in the car, but I wonder how much room. I've been scouring all the My Ride threads. I think if she still has a some growing room height-wise RF in the MA, she should have the same in the MR, right?
 
ADS

BW1426

Well-known member
You did good mama! Rearfacing until 4 is a HUGE accomplishment. Don't fret. Pat yourself on the back and turn the page. :)
 

scoutingbear

New member
Good for you (and her) for making it this long! I am the Mommy of a 37# not quite 3 year old (with 33 pound seats)! I wish he could have RF'd longer than he did, but we do what we can but can't control the growth of our lo's.
 

Evolily

New member
There's always importing... :whistle:

No, seriously- you did good! 4 is a HUGE accomplishment. Your daughter is growing up on you :D
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
You did a great job getting to 4yrs! 4 is my goal with RF, but I feel panicky when I think about Sofi FF. And when I think.... 4 is less than 1.5yrs away :eek: So, I deffinetly feel for you.

In my experience, the MR offers the same height room as the MA. So if you think she has enough room above her head in the MA to justify buying a new seat, I wouldn't stop you. But if money is tight, or it may only gain her a few months, I'd stick with FF.
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
Thanks for the reassurances! :love:

She rode forward-facing for the first time today. When I opened the door of the car to let her in, she stopped short. The following conversation ensued:

DD: "Why is my new seat like that?"
Me: "Oh, that's just the way it is."
DD: "Um, I don't know about this."

Ha! My thoughts exactly. She climbed right in the seat, though. I then got to hear the following gems during the ride.

DD: "Mom, I can see your head!"
DD: "Mom, I can still see your head!" This one I heard 5 times on the 5 minute ride to the YMCA for swimming lessons.
DD: "Mom, (Brother) is still in the back with me!"
And then when we pulled into the YMCA parking lot: "Mom, I love my new car seat."

So, today went well. Later this week will be the real test though. She has a physical therapy appointment that is located a little less than an hour away. She usually sleeps on the way there, so I'm hoping she'll be fine sleeping in the Frontier.


There's always importing... :whistle:

Hee! Oh, believe me, I've thought about it! :)
 

jess71903

Ambassador
Thanks for the reassurances! :love:

She rode forward-facing for the first time today. When I opened the door of the car to let her in, she stopped short. The following conversation ensued:

DD: "Why is my new seat like that?"
Me: "Oh, that's just the way it is."
DD: "Um, I don't know about this."

Ha! My thoughts exactly. She climbed right in the seat, though. I then got to hear the following gems during the ride.

DD: "Mom, I can see your head!"
DD: "Mom, I can still see your head!" This one I heard 5 times on the 5 minute ride to the YMCA for swimming lessons.
DD: "Mom, (Brother) is still in the back with me!"
And then when we pulled into the YMCA parking lot: "Mom, I love my new car seat."

So, today went well. Later this week will be the real test though. She has a physical therapy appointment that is located a little less than an hour away. She usually sleeps on the way there, so I'm hoping she'll be fine sleeping in the Frontier.

Just think of all the fun conversations like this parents of 1 year old FFers miss! Too cute!
 

mom2juliarose

New member
You did a great job! You know how jealous I've been ever since Julia outgrew her seat RFing by weight at not even 3!

Let the fun conversations begin!

(I can't tell you how many times Julia says, "Hey mom, look at this!" and I have to remind her for the seventy-bajillionth time that I CAN'T look when driving and she needs to wait.)
 

zeo2ski

Well-known member
That conversation is hilarious! Today I got (from my RFer): "Mom are you going to drive so you can sit behind me?" Huh, never thought of it that way! But I'm not looking forward to turning that one--panicky of course, but also he's already SUCH a backseat driver. Mommy, what are you doing? EVERY time I so much as decelerate. Turns? Forget it, I have to tell him the name of the road we're turning onto. And apparently he memorizes what routes take us where and any detours warrant a panic attack.

Don't even bother with the My Ride. My guy doesn't wind up with too much if any more room in the MR than the BLVD. I'd stick with FFing...until a 40+ lb TF or RN come out!

I totally understand the sudden growth spurts. I picked up the MR a couple weeks ago, sat him in it in the car, measured, etc. and decided to hold onto it in case my then 33 lber hit 35. So I weighed him at his brother's Dr. appt and yep, 35.4 so I took off his shoes on the way home. Get home and install the MR and wouldn't you know, he has 1.25" total over his head. :mad: So now I'm in limbo--checking the scale before every ride and not feeding him while we're out! And it's a race between the 1-2 lbs he's back and forthing on, and that 1/4 inch. I could just return the MR and save myself $150, but that would mean any day now I'd have to FF my baby. Oiy oiy oiy what to do. Sorry to whine on your thread...just saying I understand where you are right now!
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
Just think of all the fun conversations like this parents of 1 year old FFers miss! Too cute!
Hee! So true!

You did a great job! You know how jealous I've been ever since Julia outgrew her seat RFing by weight at not even 3!

Let the fun conversations begin!

(I can't tell you how many times Julia says, "Hey mom, look at this!" and I have to remind her for the seventy-bajillionth time that I CAN'T look when driving and she needs to wait.)
:ROTFLMAO: Seventy-bajillionth! Why do I get the feeling I'm quickly going to learn to count that high?

That conversation is hilarious! Today I got (from my RFer): "Mom are you going to drive so you can sit behind me?" Huh, never thought of it that way! But I'm not looking forward to turning that one--panicky of course, but also he's already SUCH a backseat driver. Mommy, what are you doing? EVERY time I so much as decelerate. Turns? Forget it, I have to tell him the name of the road we're turning onto. And apparently he memorizes what routes take us where and any detours warrant a panic attack.

Don't even bother with the My Ride. My guy doesn't wind up with too much if any more room in the MR than the BLVD. I'd stick with FFing...until a 40+ lb TF or RN come out!

I totally understand the sudden growth spurts. I picked up the MR a couple weeks ago, sat him in it in the car, measured, etc. and decided to hold onto it in case my then 33 lber hit 35. So I weighed him at his brother's Dr. appt and yep, 35.4 so I took off his shoes on the way home. Get home and install the MR and wouldn't you know, he has 1.25" total over his head. :mad: So now I'm in limbo--checking the scale before every ride and not feeding him while we're out! And it's a race between the 1-2 lbs he's back and forthing on, and that 1/4 inch. I could just return the MR and save myself $150, but that would mean any day now I'd have to FF my baby. Oiy oiy oiy what to do. Sorry to whine on your thread...just saying I understand where you are right now!

Whine away! I totally understand. Plus, your kiddo is younger than mine, so I definitely get it! :)

I swear I'm trying not to get my hopes up for a 40 pound RN or TF, but it would be nice if something like that came out! I was thinking recently that when I bought my Boulevard, Britax and SK seats only went to 33 pounds RF, and I'm pretty all of the 35 pound seats at that time had shorter shells. It wasn't until seats like the EFTA (that had a high enough shell to make a 35 pound limit matter for a lot of kids) came out that Britax and SK upped their limits. So I just can't help but hope that the My Ride will light a fire under other manufacturers the way the EFTA did with a 35 pound limit.
 

jujumum

Well-known member
It is awesome that you made it till she was 4!! Perhaps she will fit in a MR if you get one home & try it out. I'm going to hopefully try Bartlett or Flair.

I know how you feel.:( A few weeks ago we turned dd rf, just to test out the BV and to see if she liked it in preparation for a MR. She absolutely loves it, even with hardly any leg room, but only has 2lb left in the BV and is about 2" from the top of the shell (it looks less in my siggy but she has a ponytail on her head). I was really disappointed with the fit of the MR installed in the BRU bench - she seemed to have only about 2" in it to the top, too. The dreary Spiral cover put me off, too, and I ended up giving the seat a harsh review.

Then, dh & I watched some rf vs. ff youtube videos :)eek:) and spent some time researching Adventuredad's seats and European car testing standards. I ended up getting pretty irritated.:mad:

When all of the statistics point to extended rf as the safest way for dcs to travel, why can't we have an option for erf 4 & 5 year olds? It isn't fair, and doesn't make any sense. The data says one thing, yet we are prohibited from implementing the recommendations for erf due to the lack of seats.:confused:

Why does it take massive public support or a law to get manufacturers to offer more options? Why can't the government agency that develops and managed US car seat testing to ensure that they are 'federally approved' review the European testing standards and make a finding that those standards are as good or exceed US standards (which I hope they are), and therefore, if it meets ECE R44/04 certification then it is ok here?

http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/standards/r4403.htm
http://www.britax-roemer.com/safety-center/regulations/

These are rhetorical questions, of course. Hopefully the MR will initiate change in the industry. It could be the Beatles or Nirvana of the carseat world.:whistle:

Untill then, our only options are to starve our kids and put weights on their heads.;)
 

twinsmom

New member
I totally understand the sudden growth spurts. I picked up the MR a couple weeks ago, sat him in it in the car, measured, etc. and decided to hold onto it in case my then 33 lber hit 35. So I weighed him at his brother's Dr. appt and yep, 35.4 so I took off his shoes on the way home. Get home and install the MR and wouldn't you know, he has 1.25" total over his head. :mad: So now I'm in limbo--checking the scale before every ride and not feeding him while we're out! And it's a race between the 1-2 lbs he's back and forthing on, and that 1/4 inch. I could just return the MR and save myself $150, but that would mean any day now I'd have to FF my baby. Oiy oiy oiy what to do. Sorry to whine on your thread...just saying I understand where you are right now!

:(Can you keep to MR to use later for your younger DS?
 

zeo2ski

Well-known member
:(Can you keep to MR to use later for your younger DS?

Yeah I would except he just made it back (up) onto the growth charts weight wise...so I'm thinking he'll never need 40 lbs. But it's done now, I tried DS1 in it one more time and he didn't even have an inch, so I returned it tonight:(
 

twinsmom

New member
Yeah I would except he just made it back (up) onto the growth charts weight wise...so I'm thinking he'll never need 40 lbs. But it's done now, I tried DS1 in it one more time and he didn't even have an inch, so I returned it tonight:(

Oh, sorry. I know you were waiting for that seat for a long time.:(
 

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