Question Rf or ff in secondary vehicle?

[mommabritt]

Dh drives a new to us '13 Dodge Journey. It is our family car whenever possible but he takes it to work so this is just weeknights and weekends (when we actually go somewhere...lol). Dd is turning three in three weeks. Dh is requesting dd seat ff in his car now that she is going to be three. Seat is a radian and we have to be able to tumble one of the second row seats to allow siblings into the third row. He would prefer her ff behind the driver since he is tallish and sits far back. I'm iffy on the ff, she is still rf in my car. I want to hear his requests- he's knows the benefits of rf/ff and he's always been supportive of this and is a good dad, and this is a reasonable request.

I'm just wondering if it would be better to put her rf behind the passenger with the aa. The only issues with rf her is that she is a kicker if her brothers sit directly next to her and that a passenger may have little to no room in the front (a fellow marine he's carpooling with or me, and I'm nearly 5'10).

I haven't tried the seat in any other location besides ff behind the driver and that installed beautifully with LATCH and top tether, using the safe stop of course.

Insight please? And thank you.

 

[henrietta]

Could she be ff'ing in the center? Personally, I'd be more comfortable with the center if it were available. Will one side tumble that way to let her brothers in the back seat? Or do you prefer one brother in the second row with her?

I can see him wanting to have enough room to drive and enough room for his coworkers who ride in the front seat with him. That's reasonable. A forward facing 3 year old is safe in a properly installed and used seat. Rear facing is a bit safer for her, but she is 3 (not 1). I had to turn my second son forward facing at not even 2.5, b/c I couldn't afford another seat and he was really long in the torso and tall. Not my favorite, esp since ds1 was turned at 3.5, but he was safe.

I think that whatever you decide will be okay. You've kept her rear facing to 3 and you intend to keep her rear facing in your car that she usually rides in. It sounds like this is a once a week family outing car for you all...dh uses it daily with other adult passengers...and she will be riding with you the most. If you take the car on a long trip, you could turn her back rear facing behind you on the passenger side.

hths

 

[aeormsby]

At age 3 I'm OK with FF if that's easier, especially for a secondary vehicle.

 

[mommabritt]

So I tried the radian out in the center ff and wasn't able to tumble the side seat to let the bigger kids pass and there wasn't enough room for a backless booster on her other side. I can't have my oldest (and only 5stepper) sit there because my middle boys have to be separated (they bicker horribly). So I tried it rf in the outboard passenger seat with the aa and it is nice and upright!! Dh checked it out and was very impressed and said it was good enough for him! The only I couldn't find was a rf tether location... I prefer to rf tether if possible (one of the reasons I bought Britaxes and radians..) but Dh doesn't want me popping anything off to expose a track. Again, understandable. So anyone know where a
tether spot is for a rf seat there?

So I guess the rf'ing continues on!! Yay!