I am going on a road trip with my 3 year old and 7 month old sons. My question is should I switch my baby from his carrier to a rear facing car seat? We are going to be in the car for 4-5 hours (with breaks) but which do you think he would be more comfortable in? We are going to be doing quite a bit of site seeing and the car seat decision will also dictate the. stroller decision. What do you guys think and why?
Thank you for the great advise. I think I am going to leave him in the carrier and bring the snap and go and the sit and stand double stroller. I think that the carrier will allow him to nap more comfortably no matter where we are.
Keep him where he is. They are now recommending children say rear facing till 2 and most carriers will hold a lot of weight. It about safety not convience. Also the carriers lay back more and make it more comfy because head will fall in upright seat.
I would keep him in the carrier/car seat for now since you can plop that into the stroller very easily. Maybe switch later. Have fun!
We took drove with our then 9 month old twins to Florida over Christmas and used the carriers. I realized on that trip that they were really getting snug in the carriers... my guess is that your son is probably the same size since the girls are smallish (twins). I'd switch him. Plus, I know our girls preferred the umbrella stroller we have to the stroller the carrier fit in. Easier to see what's going on!
stick with the carrier that he is used to. it will be easier for you in the long run, easier to get him in and out if he is sleeping and still familiar for him. I rarely did long trips, (usually 3 hours max) but when I did I always liked my infant carrier. and I liked my full size stroller. I could easily let my boys nap in it if they were tired or sit up and enjoy the sights around them. either the full size car seat or the infant carrier should both be safe when used properly so that really isn't an issue for me but I enjoyed the ease of the infant carrier option!
We still had our son in his carrier at 7mos too. Depending on his height and weight, that can help you decide whether or not to switch out at this time. Enjoy your trip! :-D
I would keep him in the one that he and you are familiar with. 4-5 hours with breaks is really not that long. He'll be fine.
If you don't already have a stroller, I would buy the one you would buy if he wasn't in a carrier anymore, since you will probably get more use out of the stroller over the years. Or, borrow one from a friend (or pick up a cheap one at a resale shop) that you can snap the car seat in. Though I rarely did that with mine...my kids liked being able to spread out in the stroller without still being confined to their car seat.
-L.
id do the rear facing IF he meets the hight and weight requirement and can be used as a forward facing for a while as well and you have time to get him used to the new car seat because it would be easier to get him in and out and you can get a double stroller and not have to worry about hooking a carrier up to it and he will be able to sit up a little bit more
Having just returned from a 12 hour (each way) road trip with a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old, I would suggest you leave him in the infant seat as long as he still fulfills the size and weight limits. Since that is the one he is used to he will likely sleep better in it. If he does doze off right before you plan to stop, you can still get him out of the car and let him finish his nap! Although finishing a nap didn't seem to work out for us on our trip!! Have a wonderful, fun, and safe trip!!
