# turning the car seat around at 24 lbs? wwyd?



## milkeriffic mama (Aug 31, 2007)

DH and I have britax boulevards in each of our cars. DS is only 24 lbs. I was planning on waiting till 35 lbs to turn the seat around, BUT we live in Phoenix, where it gets really hot, and when he's rearfacing, not only is the sun shining on him from the rear window, but the air doesn't blow on him. especially as it continues to get hotter out, we feel this is VERY unsafe. He just gets too warm. So DS suggested to me today that we turn the seats around. I'm so torn because I know it's safer for him to rearface in terms of the seat, but it's definitely not safe to be sitting in a hot car either. Oh, and the drive to daycare is about 30-45 minutes each way...

wwyd?


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

I would not turn him around. I will freely admit I don't live in your area and don't deal with such extreme heat, but a couple of suggestions that might work:

1. Bring a cool drink in the car that he can sip from while he's back there
2. Put the sticky window shade in the rear window (the kind that sticks directly to the glass)
3. Keep a light colored towel draped over the car seat when not in use.
4. Prior to getting in the car, turn it on and allow it to cool down.


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

I should also point out that the likelihood that he would be truly injured or ill from the warm car is slim to none at all, presuming you do have the air conditioning running. He may get warm, but not dangerously so.

OTOH, the danger of being in an accident is far more likely.


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## Natsuki (May 4, 2004)

Since he is 18 months old I would probably turn him around - the heat in Phoenix is nothing to mess around with, even with air conditioning blasting if you're not in line with getting vents you can overheat too much.

It would be different if you were in someplace like Ohio which has hot summers - but not hot like Phoenix. 85 degrees is a huge difference than 105 degrees when trying to keep a car and child cool.

(I say this as someone whose 2 year old is still rearfacing and is 25 lbs - if we suddenly lived in Phoenix I would turn him).


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## lerlerler (Mar 31, 2004)

http://www.brandsplace.com/0315-cs-100.html

would THIS help?


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
I should also point out that the likelihood that he would be truly injured or ill from the warm car is slim to none at all, presuming you do have the air conditioning running. He may get warm, but not dangerously so.

OTOH, the danger of being in an accident is far more likely.

i agree completely with this. if the car is tolerable for anyone to drive in, he wont suffer injury. OTOH, he is soo small to be FF'ing.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I live in Houston. Serious heat issues here too. I would not even consider turning around an 18 mo old for that reason.

Something like the link posted to cool the seat before you put him in it- sure. Towels to cover it when you get out? Absolutely.

Turn him around? No way. Way too dangerous.

-Angela


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## milkeriffic mama (Aug 31, 2007)

okay, i'm realizing i probably shouldn't have posted in this forum. maybe it would have been better to post in my tribe. the thing is that unless you live or have lived somewhere where 110-115 degrees is the norm during the summer, i think it's impossible to provide advice on this. i used to live in chicago, and when i lived there, i would probably would have provided the same (very good) advice that you all are giving me.

i'm not trying to be argumentative. i would like to keep him rearfacing, but I haven't seen any solutions that will REALLY solve the heat issue (beyond what we already do, which is turn the car on ahead of time to let it cool, crank the air way up, give him a cold drink, and the windows are already tinted, which helps block some sun...we've tried the sunshades before and they didn't make a difference in terms of temperature. we also have a garage and try to do covered parking at work, so that the car is not sitting in direct sunlight before we get in). The only way we're remotely okay during the summer here is if there is an air vent blowing directly on us, but there is not one to blow on DS when he's rearfacing. So any other feedback is much appreciated. Honestly not trying to be a pain- I never would have thought this would be such an issue before living here and having a child, but it really is a serious concern...it's not like he gets just a *little* warm in the car. We really feel it is very unsafe. So maybe I should have framed my question as "I'd like to keep him rearfacing but am at a loss as to how to do that and keep him cool enough with 115 degree temps outside. Does anyone with experience in this type of climate have any suggestions?"

Thanks!


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

http://www.mistcooling.com/windchiller.htm

What about..uh...rigging up this here doohickey? I'm not a big fan of projectiles, but I'd rather see that than your little bitty forward facing...


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

i lived in Louisiana and it gets really hot and humid there in the summer and i did waht others are suggesting you do.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

OP, I've been to Phoenix when it was 120 degrees and it is unbarable (it's part of the reason we didn't move there!) I would change him forward facing. He needs air on him or else he very easily could overheat on your drive to work. Having cold water to drink and making sure there is a sun shade over him are all very good and well, but it still gets really hot and if he's sweating by the time you get to work, switch him.

Good luck!


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

We lived in Phoenix when DD1 was born. She was born July 1 and the week after she was born it was 118*. Trust me, BTDT. She was ERF no problem. We put her on the side and angled the middle A/C vents straight up at the ceiling, so the air bounces off and goes into the back seat. We never had a problem and I would never turn an 18 month old for that reason. Also, if you don't have tinted windows get window clings.


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## dpoupore (May 14, 2008)

This could be a very impractical suggestion, but... Would getting a different car such as a mini van be an option? Wouldn't have the rear window problem, and they often have backseat blowers. Not sure what i'd do.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I'm having a really hard time imagining why it would make a difference to be FF or RF in terms of cooling off- especially after the first 5 or 10 minutes in the car. I'd imagine that once the car is cooled off, the AC works to maintain the temp, not to lower the temp furthur.

Would a battery powered fan work to help cool him off, if the fans built into the vehicle don't blow directly on him?


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## Justmee (Jun 6, 2005)

I would probably turn him. We get that heat here and I know what you mean about it being scary hot. One of my kids almost passed out from the heat in the car once when she was RF. If you are not right in the line of the vent it's as if the AC is not on at all. I'm not a fan of turning kids under 2, but if the sun is shinning on him in the direction when you are traveling and you don't have the good kind of air vents that blow from the roof or can be angled down, I would consider turning him around.


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## *Aimee* (Jan 8, 2007)

I live in Idaho and it doesn't get Phoenix hot but last summer it was 110 and we were driving home. All of a sudden my son got really quiet then started whimpering. We, of course, had the AC going full blast. Our volvo didn't have rear air conditioning vents. We pulled over to check on him and he was soooo red faced, sweating, and clammy. I turned him right then and there so the air conditioning vents could hit him. When we got home we switched cars so I could have the car with the rear ac vents and DH would drive the volvo so he could stay rf. I totally understand how thats not an option for everyone, but I've been there, and I turned him for that short ride.

I'm freaking out now because our new CRV doesn't have rear ac vents, but it seems that its big enough the ac circulates well.








Mama


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## Kessed (Nov 28, 2007)

Having spent summers in that kind of heat with a mother who refuses to use AC....

I wouldn't turn him around.

Your body adjusts to the heat as the summer goes on. How do you think people survived before they had AC?

I live in a climate with extreme cold in the winter. I know what you mean about not all 'safest' solutions are practical. I will admit that I do put DD in a 'real' snowsuit before leaving the house in the winter. And when it's -22F I don't even think about taking it off in the car. So she does sit with thick padding between her and the car seat straps simply because there isn't a good solution.

But heat is different. And kids react diferently to heat than adults. I remember around the time I was 13 or 14 suddenly thinking that it was REALLY REALLY hot when we'd go on vacation to places like southern Italy (115F). Before that - I never noticed.


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## milkeriffic mama (Aug 31, 2007)

i'm the op...just wanted to add...my car DOES have backseat blowers (it's a honda pilot). the air coming out of them is really cool, but they don't seem to cool him down when he's rearfacing because they just blow on the back of the carseat.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Are they not adjustable? They will help the air circulate either way. I would just crank the A/C and let the car cool down before you get your DS in his seat. Aim the center front vents straight up at the ceiling--the air will bounce of the ceiling and go into the backseat better.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

Phoenix wasn't heavily settled until AFTER the invention of home cooling. Before that there were a few people (mostly TB patients sent for the dry air), but it didn't take off until air conditioning.


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## Kessed (Nov 28, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elmh23* 
Phoenix wasn't heavily settled until AFTER the invention of home cooling. Before that there were a few people (mostly TB patients sent for the dry air), but it didn't take off until air conditioning.

What do you think people who can't afford AC do??? Or people who work outside like in road works, or construction, or landscaping...

I assure you they don't drop dead...


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Take a thermometer with you. Take his temperature (axillary is fine) right after a normal car trip. If it's not elevated, then his body is not suffering any damage from the heat.

What did you do last summer? Why isn't that an option this summer?


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## JessicaTX (Jul 9, 2006)

I had something like this when my kids were small. I live in Texas and understand the heat problem. The fan I had had vinyl blades that kids could stick their fingers in with no injury. Actually that was one of their favorite car games







: But I clipped it to the side of the car seat and had it plugged in while we were driving to cool off the wee ones.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ironica* 
What did you do last summer? Why isn't that an option this summer?

ITA. When DH started giving me a hard time for ERF for this same reason, I brought this up: we made it through a whole summer as new paranoid parents with DD, and never considered once turning her FF, so we can make it through another summer. And we did


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## goodheartedmama (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kessed* 
What do you think people who can't afford AC do??? Or people who work outside like in road works, or construction, or landscaping...

I assure you they don't drop dead...

They most certainly do. There have been 300 heat related deaths in the US so far this year, mainly people in large cities who do not have air conditionings, others have been laborers who work outside.

And to the OP: I would not turn him.


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## jillmamma (Apr 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ironica* 

What did you do last summer? Why isn't that an option this summer?

That is my question too.

I live in Houston where we get lots of heat with extreme humidity, and DD is still RF at almost 3 because she is so little at 22 lb. I have thought about and been concerned about this too, but I still feel the benefits of RF outweigh any problems of being really hot. I think if you keep some cool water in a cup, have shades on the windows, and try to aim some of the vents back there it will be fine. Also, a trick my DH does sometimes to help get rid of hot air faster is to open the rear windows a crack when the car is first going, then close them once it cools down...the wind sucks the hot air out faster that way.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kessed* 
What do you think people who can't afford AC do??? Or people who work outside like in road works, or construction, or landscaping...

I assure you they don't drop dead...

Yes they do. I live in New Mexico where we get HOT but not has extreme as Phoenix and we have people who die every summer from the lack of AC or swamp coolers (our version, they don't work at all in humidity but we rarely have that.)

And construction crews, at least in my city, tend to start at 6am and be done by 11, so they don't work in the heat of the day. And we still have lots of instances of heat stroke from these folks going into ER's.


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## Aries1985 (Feb 29, 2008)

I live in Phoenix too and I've defintely thought about this with my baby due any day now.

Are your car windows tinted? I got mine extra tinted that that helps a ton with keeping the heat out. Also, I've found that whoever is sitting on the sides in a rear-facing seat will get FAR more air than someone sitting in middle in a rear-facing seat.

And most landscapers/home builders work from 4-5 am until 9ish out here. It's just too hot. I think Phoenix is the only place I've ever been where children don't ever play on playgrounds in the summer.

I'm from Chicago too and this heat is bad out here, it's very different.


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## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

I agree that it's hard. I stopped putting the kids in DH's car because the heat was in the 90's and the blowers don't work well, my 17 mo old DS was soaked and flushed and unhappy. But I think the OP's have some good suggestions and considerations, if you made it through last summer wit a newborn, you shold be OK. What about moving seated positions? More air in one than another perhaps? Pre-cooling the car like we do on those bitter cold days we get (and you don't, LOL!) I would try everything to keep him rear facing.


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## milkeriffic mama (Aug 31, 2007)

to all those that asked about last summer- we had a bucket car seat (graco snugride) which did not come up nearly as high in back as the car seat we now have, so the air circulated better around DS instead of getting blocked by the carseat.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *milkeriffic mama* 
to all those that asked about last summer- we had a bucket car seat (graco snugride) which did not come up nearly as high in back as the car seat we now have, so the air circulated better around DS instead of getting blocked by the carseat.

Hmmm, perhaps you could recline the seat further then?

-Angela


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## queenjane (May 17, 2004)

Quote:

How do you think people survived before they had AC?
There is a big difference in being in a large open space in the heat, and being contained in a small enclosed space made out of metal and glass, with the sun beating down on you. And as others have pointed out, people die due to heat *all the time*, esp young children and the elderly. Its a very real danger.

We are going through this right now...we just drove from MI to OH (about five hours in the car), the baby is in a Boulevard. My A/C is pretty crappy, the air doesnt blow "cold" but its all i've got....i realized the baby is getting almost NO cool air back there. It has to do, i think, with how "insulated" the seat is, the sides come all the way around him, its very padded. The poor kid is just red and sweaty and miserable. We brought our infant seat with us as well (to use in restaurants, since he can't sit up yet), we've been using that when we go with our relative in her car (since i dont want to mess with the install on the Boul. in my car), and he is simply much cooler in the baby bucket. Its not as hot here as in Phx (80-90 degrees and humid)...but i lived in Phx one spring years ago....and found it miserably hot.

Katherine


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *goodheartedmama* 
They most certainly do. There have been 300 heat related deaths in the US so far this year, mainly people in large cities who do not have air conditionings, others have been laborers who work outside.

Ok, so maybe 1000 people will die this year due to excessive heat.

Over 40,000 will die in car crashes.

That does put it in perspective...


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## queenjane (May 17, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ironica* 
Ok, so maybe 1000 people will die this year due to excessive heat.

Over 40,000 will die in car crashes.

That does put it in perspective...


But how many of those 40,000 were properly restrained children who were FF instead of RF? Probably not too many.

Thats the problem i see when people throw around stats on this forum...its almost comparing apples and oranges.

Do they actually break down statistics into exact circumstances to determine what caused the death? What i mean is, are children who are restrained and children not restrained lumped into the same catagory? I would imagine the leading cause of car related deaths in children would be children who are not restrained at all, followed by those restrained improperly (adult seat belt for a small child or baby, etc)...

Just curious.

Katherine


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## Jes'sBeth (Aug 30, 2004)

Yeah, I think I spend half my summer trying to keep the car as cool as possible. We have a navy blue car and no air conditioning. Our 3 yr old complains bitterly about her shirt sticking to her back while driving on hot days. We do our best not to drive in the heat of the day but this isn't always an option. We fight it out with our neighbours for the 2 shady parking spots on the street. We have a window cling on the baby's window. We have 2 light coloured fitted sheets in the car that we drap the carseats with when we're not in the car. This year we added solar fans to the car that hook onto the window and have weatherstripping to keep them in place and the car sealed. The fans do a really good job of keeping the car cooler when it's hot out. We have on on each side of the car so that one fan is going at all times to push hot air out of the car. We religiously put the sun shade in the front of the car and we have a shade in the back that stays there all the time (yes I know, projectile... however it's super lightweight material and it's flexible... here's hoping the suction cups keep it on)

It sounds like you already have the car cooled prior to putting your child in the car. I'd try to play with the vents myself and look at getting a fan that plugs into the cigarette lighter to try to circulate cold air to your son. I really like the look of the seat freezer things someone posted to earlier (though on a long trip that's not going to help because it's going to thaw)

With our daughter in the winter we use a hot water bottle in her stroller to keep her feet warm. Perhaps a lightweight sheet soaked in cold water and then wrung out and placed over your child with a fan going in the back would help to cool him in a similar way...


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *queenjane* 
But how many of those 40,000 were properly restrained children who were FF instead of RF? Probably not too many.

Thats the problem i see when people throw around stats on this forum...its almost comparing apples and oranges.

OTOH, I'm willing to bet NONE of the ~300 heat-related deaths so far this year were children seated rear-facing in an operating vehicle. The stat about heat-related death was a general-population statistic; I also gave the general-population statistic for car crash deaths. *Neither* are particularly prevalent among children in car seats, but generally speaking, one does happen 40 times as often as the other.

So, apples, apples.


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## Shelsi (Apr 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
We lived in Phoenix when DD1 was born. She was born July 1 and the week after she was born it was 118*. Trust me, BTDT. She was ERF no problem. We put her on the side and angled the middle A/C vents straight up at the ceiling, so the air bounces off and goes into the back seat. We never had a problem and I would never turn an 18 month old for that reason. Also, if you don't have tinted windows get window clings.









:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla* 
I'm having a really hard time imagining why it would make a difference to be FF or RF in terms of cooling off- especially after the first 5 or 10 minutes in the car. I'd imagine that once the car is cooled off, the AC works to maintain the temp, not to lower the temp furthur.

It's a different sort of hot here. Even with the AC blasting and the vents blowing straight on me I am sweating. Your car doesn't just cool down and then stay cool like it does if it's 80 degrees outside. Instead you are constantly fighting it, you have to keep the AC at the full blast your entire trip and chances are you are still going to feel hot.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

OP, I live in Tucson and I have for the past 6 years. I have a 4 yr old and an almost 1 yr old. I know the heat you are talking about. That being said we kept our kids rear facing. My 4 yr old remained rfing in his Britax marathon until he was 3 yrs old and hit the weight limit. My dd is of course still rfing and probably will be for an eternity because she's teeny tiny.

Yeah the kids are hot and sweaty sometimes but then again so am I! It's just part of living here, kwim? What I do is we have our windows tinted the darkest they can be in the back (in AZ you only have to have your front windows to legal limits, the other windows can be darker). We have those roller shade things stuck on the back windows as well as well as one of those long ones for the back window. We cover their car seats with a towel to try to keep the buckles from getting insanely hot although my ds still got burned with one once...of course that doesn't matter if they are rfing or ffing. Also we point the vents in front straight up. This moves the air up along the roof and over the back of the car seat to the rfing child. And actually it's the best way to get air to anyone sitting back there, rfing or not. We don't have any air vents in the back at all. We've been doing this for 4 yrs now since my ds was born and have never had either of our kids get over heated or even close to it.


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## want2bmoms (Feb 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *queenjane* 
But how many of those 40,000 were properly restrained children who were FF instead of RF? Probably not too many.

Thats the problem i see when people throw around stats on this forum...its almost comparing apples and oranges.

Do they actually break down statistics into exact circumstances to determine what caused the death? What i mean is, are children who are restrained and children not restrained lumped into the same catagory? I would imagine the leading cause of car related deaths in children would be children who are not restrained at all, followed by those restrained improperly (adult seat belt for a small child or baby, etc)...

Just curious.

Katherine

More notably, that stat says "people" not _children_ and many "people" will not restrain themselves, but MAY restrain their children, FF or RF, who very well may have survived the crash. and RF and FF children HAVE died in (and because of) the heat, even in operating vehicles.
---------------------------------------------------
OP

Depending on your car (I'm from the central valley in CA and 103-107 is the norm from april/may-sept/oct, and yes, I have ALWAYS noticed the heat, even as an infant, I would get UPset!), the A/C on it's highest, and, last summer, we went into walmart on a hot day, and found this mister, that I can't find now, of course, but you put REALLY cold water in it, and then pump it, and then turn the mist thing on and off, and it's WONDERFUL when your a/c goes out and it's 101 in the car!
I also think, and I know it sounds super silly, BUT, could you...
get some light flannel,
sew pockets into it, slightly larger than an ice pack
get some ice packs
and load it when you are ready to get in the car (or even designate a drawer of your fridge as the blanket drawer and just throw it in, pre-loaded)
... and make a blanket with a bunch of pockets, in which you can put refridgerated iced packs? At walgreens last week, I saw this:http://www.walgreens.com/store/produ...id=prod2337906, i'm thinking the same concept on a bigger scale? Maybe even something that would hold four or six of those in a blanket, say 24or36"X36", maybe with a button or zipper to hold the packs in place?
I like the carseat cooling blanket, but again, I think you could make it at home, but I really like the idea of something you could put on your LO after they are buckled in, and would keep them VERY cool...
They also sell neck wraps, which are filled with *evaporative cooling crystals* so you soak it in cold water for a few minutes, it swells up like a sausage, and put it on...
(again, I think you could make one at home by:
sewing a 4"x18-24" peice of fabric into a tube,
sewing one end of the tube shut,
turning it right side out,
getting a disposale diaper-I'm sure most any woman in the store would be able to help you out with a spare for a quarter-
putting a little diaper filling in the tube, and
sewing the other end shut)
...there's also a bunch of stuff here:http://industrialsavings.com/Merchan...de=heat_stress for more ideas.
I HATE the heat & am so happy to be out of CA!!! Even now, when I get too hot here, I will pull an ice pack from the fridge and drop it behind my back or on my neck when I go out in the car, I've even been known to set it on top of my head at the stop light!

sorry for having the whole links displayed, but I don't know how to hide them under a word or two...


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla* 
I'm having a really hard time imagining why it would make a difference to be FF or RF in terms of cooling off

It really depends on the car. We do not have extreme temps here (BC) but even when it's warm here, it really does make a difference where you sit in my friend's van -- several degrees of difference. Her (FF) babe was freezing from the AC the same time mine (RF) was sweating and hot. I did not move my babe as it wasn't TOO hot, but I can see why a person would.


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## nevaehsmommy (Aug 6, 2007)

four options

1) get a bucket seat that goes to 30 pound provided he is not to tall.
2) get another convertible seat with a lower top height
3) turn him around for the summer, turn him back when it cools down
4) get some small fans from target and jimy rigg them to the two sides of the car facing on him.

What do your friends and neighbors do who have rear facing kids? Per haps you can limit your excursions to early in the morning and later at night. I know it would still be hot but not deadly
My daughter makes the transition from rear facing to forward facing and back to rear facing pretty well. She prefers to be rear facing but can not do that in some cars with long legged people driving and no middle belt.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

want2bmoms said:


> More notably, that stat says "people" not _children_ and many "people" will not restrain themselves, but MAY restrain their children, FF or RF, who very well may have survived the crash. and RF and FF children HAVE died in (and because of) the heat, even in operating vehicles.
> ---------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> > ive never heard of this before. do you have resources? links? news articles?


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## keriberry (May 27, 2007)

You would HAVE to keep a newborn RFing and they're so tiny and vulnerable. I'm sure a toddler will tolerate the heat better than a newborn.


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## queenjane (May 17, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *keriberry* 
You would HAVE to keep a newborn RFing and they're so tiny and vulnerable. I'm sure a toddler will tolerate the heat better than a newborn.


As was mentioned, a bucket seat allows the child to be much more cool than a convertible....I have a Boulevard, as does the OP, and the baby gets MUCH less air/circulation than in the infant seat. He has large padded "wings" practically surrounding him, he is more upright and is directly behind my seat, the whole seat is just much more padded and insulated than his bucket. Even the straps are more heavy duty, and have this leathery piece that covers a large part of his chest. We are currently traveling, and are using his infant seat when we are going in other cars (so i dont have to reinstall the britax), and i'm amazed at how open it is, how air can go right over him...but in the boulevard he is hot and sweaty. Again, i'm not saying "turn" or "dont turn" but i dont think its fair to discount the difference in the seat designs.

Katherine


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## Debstmomy (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lerlerler* 
http://www.brandsplace.com/0315-cs-100.html

would THIS help?

This is a after market item, therefore not safety tested!

It is a good idea. What I would do, is take damp towels & freeze them. Then when we left, I would tuck them around baby after securely put into the car seat. hmm....I may just do that myself!


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## JessicaTX (Jul 9, 2006)

That cold seat idea is intriguing! I don't see how it would be a problem since the child never sits on it, it's just used to cool down the seat. I don't see that it would be a longish term solution though..the seat would be cool for a few minutes tops...unless you pulled over every 10-15 minutes to cool the seat down then go again.

My kids used to love carrying around a wet washcloth when they were little. It helped keep them cool. A damp rag and a clip on fan might help keep your kiddo rear-facing longer.


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## jwpsgurl (Apr 28, 2007)

Well, I live in Yuma,AZ and it was 114 yesterday and I turned my LO around and she is only 21 lbs. I am just not putting her in the car with no airflow at all. You have to do what you think is right...and no, when it is that hot letting your car sit with the air on before you drive it does not cool it down, at all...


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## hipmummy (May 25, 2007)

I feel the OP's Pain. We have the Decathalon and DS has been roasting in the Back seat of our Matrix. I live In Ma and we just had a really bad heatwave. DS did not do well. Last summer was bad as well. There are no vents in the back and any air that does go back misses the seat. Ds is 33 inches tall and a whopping 23 pounds. This week he is turned around in his FF roundabout while i clean the decathalon and degrime it. Next week he will go back in the Decathalon RF. He doe snot mind RF but I too have had concerns about the heat. We are going to tint the windows and see if it helps with some of the heat. We used the stick ons last year and they did nothing and ds ripped them all down. Plus we could not open the windows with the stick ons and that was hard on the milder days and since we live right onthe ocean I wante dto let in th ecool breeze when I can. A new car is NOT an option for us as we can barely afford to have teh car we have. I will not use anyhthing after market as it could post safety hazards. A hat has helped with the sunlight but ds gets warmer. I am subbing for options as well.


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## Kessed (Nov 28, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jwpsgurl* 
Well, I live in Yuma,AZ and it was 114 yesterday and I turned my LO around and she is only 21 lbs. I am just not putting her in the car with no airflow at all. You have to do what you think is right...and no, when it is that hot letting your car sit with the air on before you drive it does not cool it down, at all...

As long as you're fine with the fact that your child has a 5 times greater chance of dieing is a crash...


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Debstmomy* 
This is a after market item, therefore not safety tested!
!

It cools the seat, and then you pull it back to put the child in


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## Debstmomy (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
It cools the seat, and then you pull it back to put the child in









Gotcha!


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## hipmummy (May 25, 2007)

an_aurora said:


> It cools the seat, and then you pull it back to put the child in
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## jwpsgurl (Apr 28, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kessed* 
As long as you're fine with the fact that your child has a 5 times greater chance of dieing is a crash...

I'd like to see your source on that statistic. Everything that I have read says it is safe to turn a child around at 1yr and 20 lbs, just not as safe as having them rearfacing. If there were no other factors involved she would still be RF. The fact that she can't even straighten her legs and almost passes out from sitting RF'ing when the inside of the car is that hot were factors in my decision. But, I appreciate your sarcasm!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jwpsgurl* 
I'd like to see your source on that statistic. Everything that I have read says it is safe to turn a child around at 1yr and 20 lbs, just not as safe as having them rearfacing. If there were no other factors involved she would still be RF. The fact that she can't even straighten her legs and almost passes out from sitting RF'ing when the inside of the car is that hot were factors in my decision. But, I appreciate your sarcasm!

It's a valid stat. I'm sure someone will be by with a link for you.

It is NOT "safe" to turn a child at 1 yr and 20lbs. Sadly, the minimums in the US are very low.

Straightening their legs is not a factor at all. My dd was rf until 3.5yrs and 38in.

-Angela


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jwpsgurl* 
Well, I live in Yuma,AZ and it was 114 yesterday and I turned my LO around and she is only 21 lbs. I am just not putting her in the car with no airflow at all. You have to do what you think is right...and no, when it is that hot letting your car sit with the air on before you drive it does not cool it down, at all...

i am just wondering...from you siggy, it looks like your dd isnt even a year old?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jwpsgurl* 
I'd like to see your source on that statistic. Everything that I have read says it is safe to turn a child around at 1yr and 20 lbs, just not as safe as having them rearfacing. If there were no other factors involved she would still be RF. The fact that she can't even straighten her legs and almost passes out from sitting RF'ing when the inside of the car is that hot were factors in my decision. But, I appreciate your sarcasm!

its NOT safe to turn a child at 1 and 20 lbs. its just LEGAL in most states.

my son cant straighten his legs either but thats not an issue for him...or any other children i have ever heard of.


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

My two cents...

I have lived in NV and AZ and it is freaking hot, but no way would I turn a baby that young FFing! The dry heat there is MUCH more bearable than the humidity we have in NC, VA, MD (other places I've lived). Yes, I know it's hot, but he's not going to overheat in an AC'd car. It's just too dangerous to have them FFing before age 2.

I also drive an Acura MDX, which is nothing more than a spiffied up Honda Pilot and it does not get that hot in the back seat. I have rode in the third row on trips down in GA and FL w/o any trouble. There is plenty of circulation in the back.


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## Shelsi (Apr 4, 2005)

Some links for rfing:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868

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


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## sunnymw (Feb 28, 2007)

Just wanted to add...

I live in South GA... not the nice, cool coastal side, either. Last year I had DS rear facing in a Graco ComfortSport (not as big of wings as the Boulevard we have now, but still big). We have NO A/C IN OUR CAR. Period. Air flow is hotter than the air outside. We had a 110+ degree heat wave and when we went anywhere, DS would literally be covered head to toe in HEAT RASH. His head all the way to his toes would be soaked, blotchy, and red, even with all windows down and plenty of moving (hot) air. ETA: wearing ONLY a diaper and t-shirt or onesie.

We'll be repeating that this summer, and he's 20 months old. We will also have a newborn.

Both will stay rear facing.

Sweat isn't an issue for us, it's just a fact of life... you can see your DC passing out or fainting, you can see early signs of heat stroke and pull over/get out. You can't see an accident coming until it's already past too late.

Just my .02







I freeze water bottles and let DS play with them in the car.


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