some rear-facing questions from a newbie

[tzs]

ok...so we just installed our new True Fit and took it for an inaugural run. i want to stay rear facing as long as possible but have a couple questions that came from this short little jaunt.

first of all....am i not supposed to be able to tighten and loosen the straps? the thingee is so far down and pushed up against the seat back. maybe i'm not doing it right and should find the manual. i know the triumph has a side strap adjuster knob. is this a feature that alot of seats have and i'm just missing or are most like mine? what am i supposed to do about adjusting? i mean, it's winter and most of the time dd wears a coat (i know you;re not supposed to but we live in wisconsin, it's in the teens weatherwise and we street park so we have a cold walk to a cold car) but sometimes not. am i just supposed to adjust once and go with that?

secondly, dd is all of 15 months and pretty petite and her feet are touching the seat. i know it won't be a huge deal for a long time but when she's bigger where are her feet going to go. these 3 and 4 year-olds riding rear facing.....do they sit there with their legs all scrunched up against their chests????

i'm sure more will come up but that's what left me confused for tonight. 

[Twinklefae]

Hi!  I'm so glad to hear that you plan to keep your daughter rear facing!

About the adjuster - yes the buried adjusted on the True Fit is a flaw.  However, with a thin coat (and I get cold, I'm Canadian) you should be able to use the continuous harness to get her in without needing to adjust everytime.  The harness is all one piece, it comes from the top of one shoulder, down under her bum and back up.  You can slide the slack to one side to get her in and out.  To tighten, pull the strap AND push the splitter plate (where both the straps attach in the back) at the same time.  To loosen, you have to jam your hand back there.

As for legs, most kids sit cross legged, or with their legs straight up the seat behind them.

Here are some pics to give you an idea:

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum.aspx

[TheGirls]

I have a TrueFit, and only rarely adjust the straps. It is a PITA for that seat in many cars, unfortunately, but with the continuous harness it isn't a big deal for us.  We do not wear heavy coats in the car.  Yes, I live in a cold climate (currently in the 20's, will spend much of the winter hovering around zero, and extremely windy), and no, we don't pre-heat the car. 

DD is 2.5 and VERY tall.  She crosses her legs or props them on the seatback.  Some kids stick their legs over the side.  

[tzs]

thanks...i didn;t know that about the harness. i'll give it a look when it's light out and tighten it.

[lifeguard]

Reaching behind as twinklefae says makes adjusting the harness straps much easier. We're in Canada as well - I have a car jacket & a proper winter jacket. I make sure to dress him in layers & I keep a blanket in the car. If we had to walk to the car (or were somewhere we were doing an outdoor activity I would have him in his winter jacket - & then take him out of it when we got to the car - quickly buckle up & then put the blanket on.

[mama2soren]

http://www.justmommies.com/blog/2010/11/im-guilty/  Here's a great post about car seat safety and winter coats, with lots of good pictures.  There are many ways to keep your little one warm, even in the coldest of winters, without compromising safety.

[mum2many]

Its so great that you are rearfacing!! excellent stuff...forward facing kids have more than a 75% chance of spinal/neck/head injuries in almost ALL types of accidents.

Rearfacing are 5x safer as there is absolutly no force put on the spine whatsoever..these are the facts.End of story.

I have a 4yr old in a sunshine kids radian and a 2 yr old in a brio zento...and they will stay that way untill the absolute weight limits of the seats,which I estiamte to be around 5 or 6 yrs :)

The leg room is not an issue for little ones...especially preeschoolers who are MORE comfortable that way as they get pins and needles from the legs hanging down for so long.

There have been a few cases of broken legs in forward facing kids in crashes...not one single case has ever been reported rearfacing,it really is more comfortable and safer too!

Never ever wear a coat under the harness...it has proven fatal over and over again,it is easy to get clothes on and off compared with living with regret,keep a blanket in the car :)

Honestly I think if your seat is hard to use go to a carseat tech or get a new one!! it is SO important to use them as the manufacturer intended.

I would rather make the investment for a good safe and thoroughly tested seat than any other purchase for my children.

Keep them rearfacing and give your little people the best chance!! :)

[just_lily]

I have a True Fit as well and agree that the adjust is a PITA.  We just try our best to not have to use it very often, and find that it actually helps us to be consistent about taking off DD's winter coat.  Even when I am tempted to just leave it on for a short trip I can't get the straps done up without loosening them.... and it is a lot easier to just take the coat off than to try to wedge my hand down there!! 

I have been known to use a bent coat hanger to grab onto the adjuster from time to time. 

When we had DD in a bucket seat I was very used to hugely loosening the straps to get her in and out and then tightening her in after buckling.  It was a bit of an adjustment to not do that with the True Fit, but with the continuous harness it actually works very well. 

As for leg placement, DD is now 2.5 and although not very big, she usually sits with her legs crossed.  This time of year we usually just take her boots off as well to prevent wet pants and a yucky back of the seat.