Going from RF to FF - A timing question

[mg1278]

DD is 2 years 9 months and RF in a Britax Marathon and a Britax Boulevard; both seats have the 35lb RF weight limit. I weighed her today and she was just over 33 lbs fully dressed but without shoes.

Now, I know I don't need to turn her right now because she hasn't reached the weight limit yet. But I need to move her seat from passenger to driver side so that the new baby's Key Fit can be installed on the passenger side. I'm wondering now if I should just change her to FF when I move the seat instead of re-installing it RF and then having to flip it not that long after. I think she's in the middle of a growth spurt because I know I weighed her at 31 sometime not that long ago.

What would the car seat gurus here do? If the answer is to flip her, can you make me feel better about it? I'd been hoping that we'd be able to make it another 2.5 months to reach 3 years RF. My husband is eagerly waiting for me to decide it's time to flip, but it makes me sad.

[HIU8]

Those seats are really easy to uninstall and re-install. I personally would want to continue RF through the winter (or at least most of it). I would just keep it RF for now and turn it when she gets to 35 lbs.

[mg1278]

I have pregnancy brain, so I left out something from my original post as to why I'm thinking about flipping instead of just installing the seat twice.

My primary car does not have LATCH, so I have to install using the seat belt. While it's not difficult, it's not something that I consider easy, and it takes me several tries to get the seat installed correctly due to the seat belt and the shape of the car's seats. I live in Minnesota, with an unheated/non-insulated garage. I'm really dreading fussing with car seats when it's in the single digits, and that's what got me wondering if I should just move it once instead of twice. The Britax in my car has to be moved for the Key Fit to be installed since the KF needs to be behind the passenger.

[newg]

We just went through the same thing with DD1. She was RF behind the passenger and we decided to FF behind the driver and put the Chicco behind the passenger. DD1 was just shy of 2.5yrs. when we did this.
I really didn't want to do it, but DH is 6'5'' and there was no way we could RF behind the driver because he needs to be able to safely put the seat back all the way when driving. DD1 hasn't minded at all and actually loves being able to look out the window better, she discover we have a sunroof (lol!) and she can see baby sister (which seems to be very comforting for her).
I still wish there was a way we could have kept her RF longer, but with an SUV and a DH that is super tall; we just couldn't do it any longer.

My DH was the same way too. He would have flipped her much sooner if I hadn't been so stubborn.....he practically ran out to the car and made the switch.

[jjordan]

I also don't have LATCH. And, while the seatbelt install for the BV is easy when RF, it is SUPER DUPER EASY when FF. So, I agree with Heather that I wouldn't bother to switch it just yet. Weigh her often and wait to switch until you need to.

In the mean time, be sure that you have a top tether anchor in your car in the seating position where the seat will be installed FF. If you don't have LATCH, you may not have top tether anchors either, but it is relatively easy to get them retrofitted. If you're not sure how, post your car make/model/year and I (or someone else with a LATCH manual) can tell you what you need to do to get it taken care of.

[mg1278]

In the mean time, be sure that you have a top tether anchor in your car in the seating position where the seat will be installed FF. If you don't have LATCH, you may not have top tether anchors either, but it is relatively easy to get them retrofitted.

I hadn't even thought about that yet! I downloaded a manual for the car, and then went outside to verify that we do have top tether anchors. I'm not sure why there are 3, though, since the manual specifically says not to install a car seat in the middle seat. How odd.

The weather is supposed to be on the warmer side this weekend, so maybe I'll try to move the seat over but keep it RF. That's reassuring to hear that the re-install FF will be much easier. Or I'll wait a few more weeks since I don't really need to have the Key Fit installed until the end of January. But I probably should weigh DD with her shoes on next time, I didn't think to do that the other night since we don't wear shoes inside.

[Joolsplus2]

Subaru? That's the only car I can think with 3 top tethers and the manual says don't use the middle seat (though it's actually ok, just use the seatbelt, but many seats are just plain incompatible with their weird center humps and belt stalks, so maybe they think it's easier just not to do it). If it's a different car, tell me, so I can add it to the mental databank, lol.

[mg1278]

It's an '02 Chevy Trailblazer.

I moved the seat over today, and for some weird reason it was much easier to install on the driver than it has been to install on the passenger side. My husband thinks it was kind of dumb to keep it RF on a new install when she's so close to the weight limit but he doesn't get a say until he starts doing any car seat research/reading.