Should I turn DS back to rfing?

[my3fallkiddos]

DS#1 is 23 months old, 24ish pounds, 33" tall and is ffing in a Britax MA. We currently drive (for the next 10 years :)) a 2005 Toyota Sienna LE-8. I also have a soon-to-be 9 year old DD in a bottom-only Graco bpb and DS#2 (7 weeks) in a Graco Snugride (the new one with the higher rfing limits). I was reading online at Jmmatlocks website about extended rearfacing and the benefits of keeping your child rfing as long as possible and with DS#1 being SUCH a lightweight, I'm now seriously contemplating turning him back around.

We just turned him ffing at 18 months because he hated being rfing but he's older now, has matured leaps and bounds and I think we could "reason" with him on the rfing thing. Plus with his brother being rfing, he might be ok with it.

Since we have the 8 passenger Sienna we have a multitude of seating positions. Right now DD is in the middle seat middle row, DS#1 is ffing in the middle passenger side seat and DS#2 is rfing middle row drivers side seat. DD has been asking to now sit in the back (So I'll have to give up all that awesome "trunk" space!) so I was thinking of flipping up the 3rd row and having her sit there, and putting the middle row passenger side seat down or remove it altogether and rfing DS#1 in the middle row middle seat and keep DS#2 where he is.

Is it crazy to turn an almost 2 year old back rfing?? Again, he's so lightweight I'm thinking it's really best...

Also, when DS#2 outgrows his SR he'll ride in a MA as well, Will two MA's fit side by side rfing?

Thanks!

[DebbieJ]

Give it a try! If he's okay with it, then keep him that way.

I have heard of kids FF in one car and RF in another because of car seat weight limits. It doesn't seem to phase them.

My ds is about the same age and size and has been RF in his MA since 3 months.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
Breastfed for 20 months and 6 days

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[kphil]

I turned my first dd ff in her RA at 2.5yrs, then back rf at 3yrs when we got the taller MA. She was actually excited about it at the time--I talked it up as an exciting thing that she'd be able to see behind us, and it worked. Her little sister was rf in a RA next to her, but in Captain's chair, so that doesn't help with that question. (We have a Sienna LE8 now, too :))
Kirsten

[Kidrepair]

Hi, I would give it a try, I also just recently sent out the same question and decided to give it a try to my 26 mo. old, 27 pd. DD. She seemed very receptive until we got on the road and she kept asking to face forward, she seemed a little scared. But all kids are different, I know if I knew then what I know now, she would still be rf. I shudder to think, I couldn't wait to turn her ff at 1 yr. She was just 20 pds. I remember turning her ff in the parking lot of the drs. office after her 1 yr. visit. Give it a try and like you said it might help that the baby is rf. My 6 yr. old kept saying after I tried rf again that she wanted to sit that way LOL.

[kijip]

Go for it! Most kids are not going to mind IME. Some do, but you never know what will happen until it does. I returned Toby to rearfacing after I realized he was lighter than we thought and he was ok with it. Having a rf buddy might be fun too!

[Joolsplus2]

When my DD was three, she *Loved* sitting RF! I told her how great it was so many times, that she started teasing me because I *couldn't* sit that way, and we were both heartbroken when she hit 33 pounds at age 4.5 and had to FF (it's SO not as comfortable FF...their legs only get one basic position: dangling down...no more resting them up on the seatback!).

So, you know what *I* think ;)....try it, you might like it!.

In a Sienna, I *think* you can get two MA RF side by side... I'm not sure exactly, but I don't see why not (You can move the middle seat forward or back, right? That usually gets everything to mesh the way you want it to...)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[my3fallkiddos]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll try it but my next question is:

Where do I put everyone?

I drive an 2005 Toyota Sienna LE-8 so I have several seating options. Here is the current line up of kids and seats:

DD (almost 9) in a Graco Turbo bpb
DS#1 (almost 2) that I'll try rfing again in a Britax MA
DS#2 (7 weeks) rfing in a Graco SR.

I drop off and pick up DD from school in the parents pick up line, so I need for her (and her backpack :)) to be able to easily get in and out on the right side. I'm not too confident about the installation of the Graco SR (we've got the LATCH straps as tight as we can get them plus gripper paper but it still seems loose) so I'm tossing the idea around of getting DS#2 either his Britax MA now.

So I'm thinking, DS#1 in the middle seat, DD in the middle passenger seat and DS#2 staying where he is- middle drivers side seat. Do you think it would be a pain to get DS#1 in and out of the rfing MA?? I guess I'll try it. Or maybe switch and put DS#2 in the middle and DS#1 on the outside seat??

Thanks!!

[kphil]

I haven't tried this yet myself, but I was going to try putting our middle seat (we have the same car) in the "front and center" position, to see if that made arranging 3 car seats any better. Another option would be to put your 9yo in the center rear position, and remove, or flip forward the outboard seat for her to get back there.

When I put a Chicco KeyFit infant seat in an outboard position, my 5 yo was able to scoot past it to her ff seat in the middle, but your 9 yo is probably a good deal bigger, and that might not work.

Kirsten