How old for using the child seat?

[little miss mac]

Minimac is approaching 10 months. (I know, how quick was that?!).

For a month or so he has been sitting up well for long stretches without toppling over. A bike is lurking in the shed with a kiddie seat already attached. Time to buy a teeny tiny helmet and go for it, do you think?

[clarion]

Minimac is approaching 10 months. (I know, how quick was that?!).

Wha'?!

For a month or so he has been sitting up well for long stretches without toppling over. A bike is lurking in the shed with a kiddie seat already attached. Time to buy a teeny tiny helmet and go for it, do you think?

I'm not sure how big ours was when we sat him in it.  Took a bit of time to persuade all the relevant parties, so it was probably later.  Um, I think I'm a rubbish person to advise, I'm afraid

[vince]

Paul and Frenchie have been through this in the last 6 months or so. The last I saw, young L was thriving on it 

[clarion]

More useful, from the CTC website:

An infant is old enough for a child seat when she can sit up unsupported – like in the middle of the floor – and the journey should not be any longer between stops than the length of time she is happy to sit and play like that at home. Usually that’s about 9 months, but let physical development rather than age be your guide. Seats that have a reclining backrest get you started a bit sooner and are in any case much better, since your little one will nod off sooner or later and a recliner supports their head rather than letting it nod forwards. It’s okay to use a reclining seat as soon as the little ’un can sit with back support only – e.g. in the middle of the sofa without tipping sideways. That’s usually 6 months but don’t just go by age.

PS:  We have a copy of that book you can borrow...

[little miss mac]

Heh heh. Guess what we will be doing next weekend (going away this weekend but I reckon he can wait a week...). What a marvellous excuse for a trip to the LBS.

Clarion, I'd love to borrow the book.

Pics to follow 

[fiendish]

Evening!

I think some people are a bit cautious about the weight of the helmet being too much for a young children, but TBH I've never noticed a problem with M.  She's been in the bike seat since about 9 1/2 months, but was able to sit unaided with no danger of falling very early.

We've got the Hamax Sleepy seat - it reclines a bit, but not loads. No problems at all with it, and LBS were very helpful with the fitting, we needed a strange bracket because of the size/geometry of my frame.

[little miss mac]

but was able to sit unaided with no danger of falling very early.

hello there!

minimac likes to take his time about these things - no signs of crawling let alone walking yet. Immobile bliss 

[Butterfly]

I've used bike seats at 10 months and I've seen them used from 8 or before, so I'm sure Gorgeous Minimac will be fine .

[fiendish]

but was able to sit unaided with no danger of falling very early.

hello there!

minimac likes to take his time about these things - no signs of crawling let alone walking yet. Immobile bliss 

the early sitting was the only early thing!  15 months in and still no crawling, but cruising round the furniture now.

[fiendish]

Also meant to say M falls asleep in the seat quite often now, and got used to the hat very quickly.

[clarion]

Superstoker used to fall asleep within about 30s of setting off in the seat - his helmet was useful for propping his head up

Obviously very comfortable on the back of a bike from an early age.  Shame he didn't pedal his 'turbo-boost' back then...

[Wowbagger]

This thread has given me quite a nice nostalgic evening delving through some old photographs. The earliest I could find was when our oldest two were in seats simultaneously, on two bikes. Ellen was certainly less than 2. I think Dez was probably propped up behind me from about a year onwards. No helmets in those days of course. Dez used to fall asleep in the seat, topple forward and his head used to rest in the small of my back.

I can date those pictures with some certainty because of the bikes we used. Mrs. Wow's Viking was bought with the proceeds from the Southend Borough Council after the Mayor's Daimler knocked me off. Summer of '82, Ellen was born in Jan 81. She must have been about 4 months short of her 2nd birthday.

I'll scan and post them asap.

[tiermat]

The CTC advice is probably the line to go with, as with most child related things there is a lot you can do/change once they are able to support the weight of their own head unaided.  If you find Minimac's head wobbles about oo much in the seat then you can get velcro on bumpers from Blooming Marvellous (we have one that TLD used to use in the car seat) that supports the head at either side, I'll see if I can find a link.

[TimO]

I misread the quote that Clarion put up from the CTC website:

...and the journey should not be any longer between stops than the length of time she is happy to sit and play like that at home. Usually that’s about 9 months...

That's a very long journey.

[Ian H]

Our's went in a childseat at 3 months. We bodged one so that it would recline (this is more than twenty years ago), and made a full harness. Daughter slept happily through 40 miles or so. Son, three years later, wasn't so good on longer distances.

[David Martin]

I do believe I have a Hamax child seat that is surplus to requirements should anyone be keen on acquiring such an item..

..d

[hatler]

The previous incumbents of this very seat (mini and mini-miss hatler) were in it from 10 months, and mostly without helmets.

It all depends on Gus's neck muscles I guess.

Plonk him in the seat on the bike and wheel him around a bit. Watch his face light up with glee, then scoot a little way with him. If he's still smiling, try the full cycle.

Avoid bumps to begin with and anything too jerky.

If he doesn't smile at all, wait a couple of weeks and try again.

If you're going to try this one evening I would be delighted to witness it.

[little miss mac]

Hatler, thanks for the tips. I think it will be next weekend after lunch one day, depending on the weather. PM me your mobile no. and I'll give you a shout nearer the time. We might even make it to the park next to us which has a quiet cyclepath all the way to the swings 

[Wowbagger]

Here are a couple of scans of ancient prints.





Dez is in the red child seat / sitting on the wall, the Head of History at Maidstone Girls' Grammar School is in the yellow one.

Mrs. Wow is a hippy.

I think those pictures were taken in the autumn of 1982, just before Shirley Hughes asked us to model for the Alfie / Annie-Rose books  . That would make Ellen about 1¾.

Edit: I've realised I'm wrong. The bike with the red child seat is the same bike (silver in one photo, black in the other) and in the wrapped-up-warm photo, Mrs. Wow is riding her ancient BSA.

The respray / overhaul of my Claud Butler and the purchase of Jan's Viking (from Alf Hetchin!) occurred after I was knocked off my bike by the Southend Mayoral Daimler in July 1982 so that photo must have pre-dated that event. Ellen was born in Jan 1981. There were no leaves on the trees in that picture so it was taken at the earliest in the Autumn of 1981 and the latest, February 1982. Ellen would have been at most 13 months old.

The first picture is taken outside Canewdon church, the second outside Paglesham. It was clearly a lovely warm sunny day in the latter and my bike must have had time for its overhaul. I've forgotten whether we bought Jan's bike before or after the compensation cheque from the Council arrived, but that would almost certainly be August 1982.

[Blah]

I do believe I have a Hamax child seat that is surplus to requirements should anyone be keen on acquiring such an item..

..d

If it's still available, I am keen! I have sent you a PM.

[little miss mac]

Peter, those are lovely pics. Can't wait to post some of our own!

[Frenchie]

Gabrielle was in one at month 8; she still loves it!

That was taken 10 months ago. BTW this seat, a Limo, is excellent; worth every pound.

We got a helmet only recently when we started cycling to school; before G's head was too small and it would have been more dangerous than anything else.

[Wowbagger]

It looks a lot more robust that those we had!

[Butterfly]

I find the Limo is the best seat for up to age 3 or so - really supportive and solid, but older children are cramped by the short footwells. The footstraps are fiddly too - I swap them for toe straps.

[tiermat]

One thing I have found from chaufeurring TLD around in the child seat, make sure they know (if they are old enough to comprehend) NOT to "seat-dance" whilst on the back of the bike.  this can make the handling very very odd(and TLD now knows not to do it, however much she happens to like the music blaring out from the chav's car )