Rear facing until 2YRS OLD! And Booster seats until 4'9"! Please read.

Amanda - posted on 03/28/2011

both my kids were miserable and obviously uncomfortable rear facing. My son was the size of a 2 and a half year old by his first birthday. moving his legs after he would cry because they hurt. My daughter would cry from the moment you put her in the car until you took her out. but i waited until she was 16 months before switching it around.

I'm not gonna make them miserable when i feel they're safe the way they are. just like i let them roll and sleep on their tummies, and fed my son baby cerial at 4 months. they keep changing their regulations and its too late now to change habits.

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/28/2011

Depending on your country there's seats quite big enough. Australia does not have big enough seats, but most everywhere else does. Here in USA we have seats rearfacing up to 45lbs, in sweeden they have them up to 55 lbs!

Tasha - posted on 03/27/2011

if they are wanting kids rear facing untill two, then they really need to make much bigger car seats. my son grew out of his rear facing car seat when he was 6 months old.

Brandee - posted on 03/27/2011

No see, Ton is the example of the only reason a child could be flipped over. If your child MEETS the requirements like weight or height or age, and they CAN be foward facing, then do so ONLY IF the child is uncomfortable and CLEARLY uncomfortable. I mean, protection is great and everything, but dont make your child suffer for it. thats just mean =[


Yesterday my friend and i went to the mall ad her car seat WOULD NOT fit rear facing, and i cried. He thought i was being ridiculous, of course, but the whole time he was driving (in a tiny car no less, so all the more worry) I was freaking out saying IF YOU EVEN GET IN A FENDER BENDER MY CHILD MIGHT DIE SO YOU BETTER FUCKING NOT! I know thats being dramatic, but thats exactly how i feel about FF. My child will get hurt and seriously injured. so yesterday = not so fun.

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/27/2011

That may be true he could hate it, but he might like a 'new seat' with a new view. Idk, my son is also 2 and he is quite content rear facing. But he also has never been frontward. Maybe I'm a worrier by nature but every time I strap him in I wonder if this could be the trip where we are in a crash, it always makes me motivated to get all the straps and buckles in perfect position, just cuz I imagine rolling the car over and knowing I want him as perfectly strapped in as possible!
I bet most moms don't think that every time, but as I said, I think I'm a worrier by nature :). Sometimes it's a good thing, but other times worrying just doesn't do any good right!

Toni - posted on 03/27/2011

My son sleeps with his legs straight. He is over 2 years old now. Most of the time he sits with his legs straight too.
And the view from the front window and the back window are very different.
I am not saying that safety is not important. All im saying is that if i switched my son now, there would be nothing but screaming and complaining the whole time I am driving.

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/26/2011

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http...

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/26/2011

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http...
Toni, your son can look out the front window or the back window what does it matter? And as for being cramped up, does he usually sleep with straight knees? Does he not sit on the floor with his legs bent? Even forward facing the legs have to be bent off the edge of the seat, and dangling in mid air often causes kids legs to fall asleep. Having something to rest his feet on, ie the back seat, is actually more comfortable. We as adults don't like our legs hanging in mid air. Why would little kids like that?

And it comes done to this, rear facing he is 70 % less likely to break his neck in a crash. Comfort really is a non issue when it comes to the life of your child right?
Rear facing protects s neck and spine, that's like one of the most important and vulnerable body parts. There's NO way I'd risk my child's neck in the car, for any reason.

Above is a link to a picture of a toddler comfortably rear facing.

Toni - posted on 03/26/2011

My son has been forward facing since he was about 9 months old. If I made him rear facing again he would crack the shits real hard. He likes seeing out the front window, and being able to see me and his daddy. He would be all cramped up and would not be comfortable.

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/26/2011

And honestly, Eric is 2 and he still doesn't know the word cramp! I wouldn't know if he did have a cramp in his legs. If he's upset in the car it's just as likely he just doesn't feel like sitting, or his tag is poking his neck, or his pants bunched up, or he's hungry or tired etc!
I wouldn't assume his legs hurt until he's old enough to say so.

Brandee - posted on 03/26/2011

His legs being cramped is often a reason mothers flip their car seat around, but as long as HE didnt mind it its still safer for your boy to be rear facing.

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/26/2011

Brittany, my sons seat allows rear facing until 53inches! If you buy a seat that has a higher back you don't have to turn them forward until the top of their head is at the top of the seat back. Leg length actually has nothing to do with when they turn forward. That's why legs bend etc, kids sit with bent legs all day long, they sleep with bent legs too! Eric is 35 inches and happily rearfacing, with his legs bent :)

Brittany - posted on 03/26/2011

I turned my son's seat around recently (he's 18 months) Because I couldn't keep him that way any longer, he's a big boy, his legs were too cramped. being rear-facing.

Sarh - posted on 03/25/2011

Pia, I have a friend who lives in Australia and she told me that you guys can't even have on of our car seats that rear face longer shipped there... she said they are illegal! Just like we can't use car seat from Australia here in the USA, but they are clearly not up to our regulations(lack of a better word).
I know here in the US car accidents is the number ONE cause for childrens (birth up) deaths and serious injury! Maybe it's not that same over there...?

On a better note, you guys have car seats that turn towards the door so you can put baby in easier! Our car seats don't do that!! :(

Pia - posted on 03/25/2011

In Australia we can legally turn them around at six months. How shocking is that!! We can't even buy rear facing seats for toddlers. We have to order them online and get them shipped over. Parents here don't even have to think of a ridiculous excuse for turning their child around. They're allowed to and I've never seen anything in the media to educate parents ptherwise. Ridiculous.

Claire - posted on 03/24/2011

http://www.parenting.com/gallery/car-sea...

Sarh - posted on 03/24/2011

I know it is ridiculous! And I feel so bad for those children.

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/24/2011

I hate excuses like, I want to be able to see him!
Or he didn't like it rear facing, like your one year old can honestly want to ride forward when they have never experienced it before???
Or I needed to be able to hand him snacks
Or he was getting leg cramps from bending his legs, I mean seriously don't all kids bend their legs to sit?

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/24/2011

Sunshine kids radian 80sl or sunshine kids radian xtsl both go to 80 lbs in a 5 point harness.
http://www.skjp.com/en-US/products/97556...

Sarh - posted on 03/24/2011

Where did you find a car seat that 5pt harness FF til 80lbs?! All I have seen are till 65lbs, that is what Cade's is.
Laura, on facebook I joined this group Milwaukee Area Moms and I posted this in there as well and moms are refusing to place their child rear facing past a yr old, making up stupid excuses and my favorite was that they weren't going to allow the government to force them to follow their rules and they were going to just ignore the recommendations pretty much. Makes me sick to my stomach to think that parents are forward facing as a control thing against the government! They said they don't care about the statistics or any of that. :(

Laura Zoey - posted on 03/24/2011

Yay! Just bought erics new seat! He will now be rear facing until 45lbs or approx 4-5 years ok'd. And then he will be in a 5 point harness front facing until 80 lbs which should be approx 8-9 years old!
Rearfacing is such an important topic to be educated on. What's more important then our children's lives right ;)

Brandee - posted on 03/24/2011

Rear facing is BEYOND important, I dont understand the need people feel to flip their babies forward as soon as they possibly can. Aurora only can be in her carseat RF for a little longer cause shes only 6 lbs under the limit and im TERRIFIED!

Sarh - posted on 03/23/2011

Claire, rear-facing is safest for everyone, even us adults, but that is obviously impossible as we can not drive while sitting back wards. haha! Your welcome! I wish they made car seats big enough for bigger babies! My daughter is 60lbs and 4ft tall, BUT she is ONLY 5yrs 1.5ms! Scares me sometimes! She only have 20lbs to go before she will be past the law for booster seats. She only has 5lbs for a 5pt harness, which I am ashamed to say she has not been in a 5pt harness for at least a yr now. I was not nearly this educated on car seat safety and that before, I honestly relied on my mother to help me keep safe... my mom is paranoid when it comes to being safe in the car.

But you are very welcome, I apologize for rambling. haha.

Claire - posted on 03/23/2011

I've heard that the safest position for children is rear-facing until they don't need a car seat anymore! Works for me... I'm going to put my daughter in the safest way I know! Thanks for the link.

Sarh - posted on 03/21/2011

Sorry, it shortened the link for whatever reason. However, if you click on the link it will be posted "New child safety seat recommendations"