More rear-facing problems

Some of you might remember a thread I started a couple months back with some rear-facing questions. I had bought two Safety 1st Alpha-Omega convertable seats hoping to use them rear-facing and then discovered my girls were aleady taller than the height restriction. I had a few other seats recommended to me, including the Graco MyRide.

Well, BRU had a huge sale a month or so ago, and I got two Graco MyRides for $114 each, free shipping. Awesome deal, and I had only heard good things about the seats, so I was really excited. Well, we just installed them in the car, and I don't think they're going to work!! They are SO high and the side protection is so wide that I don't even know if I can squeeze the girls in through the door! For sure I will bang their heads every single time. And there is no room at all for me to lean in and do up their straps! And where on earth do their legs go?? These are worse than the infant seats! They will have the knees up over their heads!

I am SO Frustruated!! I've read about the benefits of extended rear-facing, and since I drive a ton with the girls, I really wanted to do it, but I just don't know how!! DH is so mad at me. We've now spent a small fortune and have a little army of carseats, and he thinks it is the stupidest thing to keep them RF. He wants to just turn the seats around and be done with it already.

I just don't know what to do.

 

Wow, that's too bad that the seats don't seem to fit! Are they too big for your vehicle? I mean, would the seats work any better forward-facing? My Britax seats are pretty huge, and I do have to be very careful not to bump the boys' heads on the way in. But I had to install them forward-facing once in a rental, and it really wasn't any easier.

As far as the leg thing, I did freak out when I bought them because I was sure I installed them wrong because their legs were bunched up. I did a lot of research, and even went on some ERF (extended rear facing) forums and found out that this is normal. Most kids don't have an issue with it. THIS picture really stuck with me.

HERE is a video I found about installing the My Ride 65 (is this the one you have?). HERE is another video with a 4 year old rear facing in a My Ride. In that video it actually looks easier to get the child in and out than with my Britax, but I'm sure a lot of this depends upon the car.

I hope you get it figured out!

 

We have those exact seats and they work fine in our car - but we have a Chevy Malibu Maxx, which has a lot of room in the back seat. If you haven't used them yet, can you return them and try to find something else that will fit better in your vehicle? We do have to be careful not to hit the boys' heads when we put them in, but otherwise, they fit great. We are going to keep them rear-facing for awhile still - as long as they don't get too tall so that their feet hit the back seat.

 

I've heard that Babies R Us will let you install the seats in your car before you purchase them to make sure they fit. I would return the seats and then try out several others to see what will work in your car.

We have Evenflo Triumph Advance seats, and I really like them. We had no issue with them rear facing in our Toyota Highlander or Sienna.