It’s no secret that I am a new Mom. Even though my daughter is 17 months old, it still feels like I am learning something new everyday.   As a Mother, we all want what is best for our children, including keeping them safe. It seems everyone has their opinions when it comes to Parenting (which can be frustrating at times) but we all have our children’s best interest at heart, and that’s what matters.
My daughter stopped using her infant carrier quite some time ago and is now using a Convertible Car Seat. It feels like I’ve purchased so many car seats. We are just throwing money away because I buy one, and something about it makes me angry.  I tried going the cheap route by purchasing a car seat that was not only very affordable, but the safety ratings on it were high.   What most of those ratings didn’t tell you is what a pain in the butt it is to get the child in and out of that seat. The latch is so hard to press open, at times I thought I was going to break my fingers.  Needless to say, I sent that one to my Mother In Law’s house since she rarely goes anywhere with her.  Another convertible car seat I bought is a pretty decent car seat.  It’s soft and comfy for the baby, easy to take her out of, has two cup holders built in for easy toy storage, best of all the safety ratings are fantastic. I’ve purchased a couple of other car seats that aren’t worth mentioning as they got taken back to the store quickly. After time has gone on, my daughter has grown, as children do, and her legs are so long, rear facing has become impossible. She doesn’t even like riding in the car because she’s so uncomfortable.  This leaves us in quite the pickle.  I’ve read of techniques that parents have tried to keep their children comfortable, but my daughter just isn’t happy with it.  We live in Kansas City, Missouri. This City is HUGE. An average car ride for us to get anywhere (one way) is 15-30 minutes.  She literally cries the whole time. I don’t want to break down and face her front facing just yet, but the crying gets frustrating.
What would you do?
2 Responses to Car Seat Frustrations
Hey Jennifer,
If you dont want to move your child forward facing, what about trying a portable DVD player? I know its not the best habit to get into, however, i was having the same issues as you and i caved and now i can drive for an hour with Barney on and he doesnt make a sound!!!! Just a thought!!
Fantastic idea, Terri! I’ll try it out. Thanks! =)