Safe Way for Rear-Facing Child to Watch DVDs?

[stonecali]

I tried to search using "DVD" but the word was too short, so sorry if this has been answered before....

I am a huge advocate for extended rear-facing and am the "carseat guru" for my large mom's club so they always come to me for advice. I am stumped though...

A few of the moms say that their children scream the whole time rearfacing and if they could just put a movie on everyone would be happy. I had no idea how to answer them because I certainly could not advise someone to strap a portable DVD player to the headrest since it would become a projectile in a collision.

DS was rearfacing until 3.5 or so, but I never had this problem because our Odyssey had a built in DVD player in the ceiling between the drivers and the captains chairs (the normal built in place) and if he turned his head to the left and looked up a bit he just watched the DVD that way. At first I thought he was hurting his neck, but then I tried it and it was actually very comfortable, like laying on a pillow with your head turned to the left to watch TV.

What should I advise my friends who do not have the built-in-turn-your-head option in their car? Is there any solution to this? Do they make a "soft" screen that straps onto the headrest with the DVD player on the ground or something?

[Melbel]

We strapped a portable DVD player to the headrest in front of DD2 when she was rear facing (very securely and checked regularly). It worked great and was out of reach of DD2. She had severe reflux and hated the car, so we started early. With as much running around we did for the big kids and their activities, it truly was a sanity saver.

[Indianamom2]

We strapped a portable DVD player to the headrest in front of DD2 when she was rear facing (very securely and checked regularly). It worked great and was out of reach of DD2. She had severe reflux and hated the car, so we started early. With as much running around we did for the big kids and their activities, it truly was a sanity saver.

Yep, we have a Phillips portable dual screen (not soft) Dvd player and we had one screen for DD who was forward and one for Ds who was, at the time, rear facing. It is very secure and I'm not worried at all about it becoming a projectile. Maybe I should be, but it really doesn't move.

[newg]

Yep, we have a Phillips portable dual screen (not soft) Dvd player and we had one screen for DD who was forward and one for Ds who was, at the time, rear facing. It is very secure and I'm not worried at all about it becoming a projectile. Maybe I should be, but it really doesn't move.

We have a dual screen....philips I believe. It is strapped to the headrest for both girls. It is tight, tight, tight; though I guess it's could become a projectile like other things in my car..........but I guess it's a risk I am willing to take vs. screaming kids in a car for 6+hrs while we travel; which could also be a risk to DH, who has to concentrate while driving on the highway.

[stonecali]

I guess I just assumed anything that had straps would snap in a crash and become a projectile?

I saw a video of a crash test dummy in the backseat with a baby in the bjorn and the baby flew out of that thing so fast.... the clips just broke. This is the video I watched.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONRUpvbM2yc

Maybe a portable DVD player strapped on there wouldn't cause the straps to break because it is not as heavy as a baby?

[TwinFoxes]

We have a dual screen....philips I believe. It is strapped to the headrest for both girls. It is tight, tight, tight; though I guess it's could become a projectile like other things in my car..........but I guess it's a risk I am willing to take vs. screaming kids in a car for 6+hrs while we travel; which could also be a risk to DH, who has to concentrate while driving on the highway.

Except we used our iPad.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i'm another one that straps DVDs to the headrest. I only do it for portions of a long trip. Otherwise, we just use the built in DVD player in our Ody (the RES) and kiddos can crane their necks to see

[HIU8]

We did the dual screen DVD strapped to the headrest as well. We don't have a built in DVD so we do the same for FF (only on long trips). There is a strap system you can purchase that works well.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

we had a screen professionally installed at the dealer on the headrest posts of our van, hooked to the overhead DVD player. It swivels to the front for the rear-facing child to watch it or to the rear for the third row passengers to watch it.

[wendibird22]

Yep, we have a Phillips portable dual screen (not soft) Dvd player and we had one screen for DD who was forward and one for Ds who was, at the time, rear facing. It is very secure and I'm not worried at all about it becoming a projectile. Maybe I should be, but it really doesn't move.