How to keep your child happy when RF?

I

ilo

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #1

DD is 27mo and will be RF for as long as there will be seats to accommodate. She sits in the center position and has to bend forward to see somewhere behind those Boulevard wings. This is the only way she knows so normally we are fine. The problems arise if we go somewhere further than 1hr drive. If FF we could get a car where there would be fixed DVD player, but for ERF it would not help. I'm afraid to let her hold portable DVD player or try to fix it somewhere (it would not stay during crash). IPod touch would be smaller at least but bit extensive for a 2 year old.

Do your ERF kids watch DVDs in car or not, and if they do how do you secure the player? Any other idea's to entertain, she is only child and is alone at the back. We have no problems if we have guest driving there with her.

ETA: DH is starting to comment how she will be happier when we can turn her FF and she can see us and the road... I just try to gently inform that luckily we do not have to do so soon and we can get a new seat when she hits 33lbs. I do agree with him that she would be happier if she coud see something. She is social child and gets lonely back there after a while.

 

S

soccer_widow

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #2

We have a DVD player with two screens that attach to the headrests. It is strapped on and also has a tether cord in case the strap fails. I feel comfortable using it, and they seem very secure to me.

 

I

ilo

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #3

soccer_widow said:

We have a DVD player with two screens that attach to the headrests. It is strapped on and also has a tether cord in case the strap fails. I feel comfortable using it, and they seem very secure to me.

Click to expand...

In our car we do not have headrest at the center position. How can a small thing like DVD player make ERF so difficult

 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #4

My 2.5 year old doesn't watch the dvd, when the other kids do. Only on longer drives. He usually just sleeps most of the time. Have you considered sitting back there with her when taking longer trips?

 

Raegansmom4

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #5

If your outboard positions have a headrest where you can secure a DVD player, I'd move the seat outboard. RFing is side-impact protection in and of itself. Although middle is "safer," if you have more than 1 child, at least one would have to be outboard anyway. If you prefer the middle, you could leave the seat in the middle and move it outboard for longer trips to use the DVD player.

 

Elizabeths_Daddy

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #6

My DD is very happy to RF, she has a small book or small toy usually. She is seated RF in the center position. We also have a DVD player that has 2 screens and they are mounted to the outboard head rests that is used only during long trips. This works really well for us. She is in a Como with large side wings and it does not create any issues. We do plan on moving her over to a TF or a TFP soon wich will give her better side visibility.

 

BookMama

Senior Community Member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #7

We don't have a DVD player in the car (just don't see the need ). Even when she's the only kid in the car for a long drive - which does happen sometimes - DD is perfectly happy looking at books, playing with small toys, etc. I seriously wouldn't stress about being able to provide her with some sort of "screen" entertainment. :twocents:

 

ceruti82

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #8

This is what we do:

We don't use a DVD player for 23 mom old DD. (havent figured out how to RF with a DVD, and also, i dont want her watching TV for hours on end if it is a long trip!) For longer trips (and short too!) , she like to draw with her aquadoodle pen and small book (travel size) She loves it because it has elmo and cookie monster and the fact the she is drawing, and I love that she cant get marker all over the carseat

We also keep a few small toys, and her "lambie" blanket. She does great. We even drove from mass to cali (but it was when she was 15 months) and she did FANTASTIC , no issues. For that, i broke my "no snack in the car" rule, and gave her a few snacks to distract her if she got bored, and it worked wonders I found that when i would go sit in the backseat with her, it was worse, because she would just want to come out of the seat to be with me.. so that did not work for us.
A few times when DH was driving, i reached back to hold her hand, and she was perfectly content with that .. tho, it wasnt very comfortable for me, so i just reclined my seat to do so

HTH

 

Mama!

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #9

I had a bag of soft toys that were only for the van, a mirror up so he could see me, and basically that was it.

 

APmama2MAK

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #10

BookMama said:

We don't have a DVD player in the car (just don't see the need ). Even when she's the only kid in the car for a long drive - which does happen sometimes - DD is perfectly happy looking at books, playing with small toys, etc. I seriously wouldn't stress about being able to provide her with some sort of "screen" entertainment. :twocents:

Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #11

I treasure the memories of long car trips as a kid. We talked about so much, sang songs together, my dad told stories, we listened to books on tape (now CD, back then it was tape!) When we took our oldest on long trips in the car I used to sit back there with her, so I could talk to her and more easily tend to her needs. (Once she had a playmate back there it wasn't as necessary.) The things two year olds will see and talk about while rear-facing in the car are astounding! I love hearing my kids talk and speculate about all they are seeing, and figure out the world as they watch it go by. I sing songs with them, my oldest likes to play "you sing the verse, I sing the chorus" where I sing the verses and she sings the chorus, alternating for the whole song. The younger ones just like to sing with me. We have kids' cds in the car and they sing along with those too. They will play with stuffed animals, my 3 year old will have two and have them act out a complicated story, all by herself, no interference necessary (though sometimes we giggle at it!) I'd also consider some Crayola Color Wonder markers (or whatever they are called...) that only mark on the special paper, and a small coloring pad to go with it. They sell little travel packs with mini markers and a coloring pad for about $7 I think.

 

NannyMom

Well-known member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #12

My daughter is 3 and still rear facing. SHe also sits in the center. I sometimes let her take a small toy or 2. She can also see out the rear window just fine. She has a Boulevard in Grandpa's car where she rides for at least a 1hr trip every week. She looks out the rear window, and I think they have kid CDs for her to listen too. We don't do DVDs in the car for even the older kids.

 

morninglori

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #13

I have 2 RFers outboard. I do have a DVD player for longer trips. It gets mounted in the center and then angled towards DD (DS isn't interested in the DVD). I bet something similar could work for you if you leave LO center and the DVD player outboard off of one of the headreasts.

 

Mommy2Marcus

New member

• Sep 28, 2009

• #14

My son will be 3 in a little over a week. He rides RF in my car & then FF in my DH's car & he sees TONS more RF than he does FF. However he goes back RF in DH's car for long trips. He talks to me, we sing, play games & he also sleeps. Also I let him take small toys in the car. He LOVES it when he has a car or truck along for the ride. He also gets to take his puppy, which is his lovie, which he talks to & plays with puppy alot. He likes to commonly tell me that a dinosaur or monster is chasing us! I just play along.

He does get to get a DVD player when we're on LONG trips, but those are rare. I usually let him hold it. I know bad, but it is usually for short time periods as he gets bored with it quickly.

So know that a DVD player is not nessicary for them. He is perfectly content talking to me as well as watching the world go by. He has never complained about being RF & I honestly believe he is more comfortable RF than he is FF.