Forward facing Car seat age????

Hattie - posted on 04/08/2010

Some of the previous comments are wrong, it's more important for AGE restrictions. Weight or size of the child has less to to do with it (though a very small child does). All babies still have the same immature skeleton and ligaments.

A rear facing child should have 1" of hard shell above his or her head, and should have the harness straps in the slots at or below their shoulders. The chest clip should be at armpit level and the harness should be snug so that no slack can be pinched at the shoulder. Also, do not let your child wear bulky or thick winter clothing as this can cause a false sense of harness tightness and the clothes would compress in a crash.

Please people, do your research, and don't give advice if you don't know what you're talking about.

Megan - posted on 04/08/2010

Well they say that they recommend rear facing till 2 yrs old because it is safer. If in an accident it cacoons your baby wit the back seat

Bn - posted on 04/08/2010

my doctor just told me the laws have been changed to 2 yrs old! if your thinking my child is too big?... well quoting my doctor "it is better for them to break their leg then their spine or neck!" i agree strongly! it doesn't matter how you raise your child its about safety or "life or death"...

Rebecca - posted on 04/08/2010

i beleive they have to be both 1 year and 25lbs so there bodys are strong enough to stay safe if anything were to happen. i have 4 kind ags 5 3 2 and 7 weeks and i have always fallowed this rule. im kinda old fashend as well but i thank 18 months is kinda to long to wait cause thay would be uncomfterble and cramped with leggs hitting the back of the seat

Angela - posted on 04/08/2010

i think it depends on the car seat so i would suggest reading the manual and seeing what it says. that in mind my son was in a forward facing car seat at about 1yr and my daughter will be too when she reaches 1yr as if she anything like her brother she will be too big for the rear facing seat she currently in. hope that helps.

Lynette - posted on 04/08/2010

my ds was front facing long before this , im not going to say his age at the time we turned him,

the book answer is 9kg and above they can be front facing and they have to be sitting independantly supporting their own head weight,



My son fitted in these guidlines young and his rear facing seat wasnt suitable for him anymore and we had the choice of a front facing seat that could be very securely fixed into our car or a seat that could face either way but would only be held by the seatbelt and didnt have as good safety reviews so we went for the front facing one that is securely fixed and belted into the car and it reclines so he wasnt in a direct upright seated posistion anyway at first,

Ive done the research on the pros of rear facing for longer and know in some countries you can buy seats that allow rearfacing till they are 4+ yrs old but practically speaking we wouldnt fit one in our car with either me or DH driving or sitting in the front seats as we have a hatchback car so its not an option for us although i do think they are probably safer. but nearly impossible to get hold of in the UK at the moment and none of the seats on sale go anywhere near a 40kg weight limit rear facing

I am in the UK and my ds1's carseat only went up to 13kg but his head was right at the top and any flying debris in an accident could have hit his head due to his height so it was advised we turn him around

Schollin - posted on 04/08/2010

According to my aunt who is certified in car seat installation she told me that its okay for them to be in a car seat that's forward facing at 25 lbs but its safest to keep them in a rear facing car seat as long as you can probably about to 1 since most babies tend to be too tall for the rear facing car seat shortly after their first birthday.

Nicole - posted on 04/08/2010

wow! im in aussie and its 6 months or 9kg. my oldest i had him forward facing at 4 months cos he was big and hated driving backwards he just screamed everytime i drove.

my youngest who is 6 months today has been forward facing for a few weeks and his seat reclines.

Emma - posted on 04/08/2010

I found i had to turn my kids ones around as they where being forced to sit with there legs going up the back of the rear car seat, or having to cross there legs, i think you are meant to go on weight as it is a better indicator than age as my daughter weighs less than the little brother as she is pittet where he is like a little rugby player in build

Kelly - posted on 04/08/2010

Both my girls were facing forward by 9months. But i agree it depends what car seat you do get.

Chynkee - posted on 04/08/2010

My daughter has been sitting forward faced even before 18 mos old. It would now all depend on your own discretion. If u think ur kiddo is doing just fine and is pretty strong for his/her age, then he/she should be alright. Just ensure safe & careful driving :)

Mary - posted on 04/08/2010

Ok not sure where your from but it sounds like we have it good in Aussie. I'm not exactly sure on the weight but from 6months we can turn our car seats around and myself and a few other mothers i know put our cars seats in the middle. I knpow my daughter loved it when she got turned around.



I think weight would be the way to go to be honest only because babies weight are different no two babies weight is really going to change exactly the same so i don't think it should be restricted by age

Jessica - posted on 04/07/2010

hattie looper put it very well. broken legs, cast it. broken neck, casket!! it doesn't matter if you have to fold your baby's legs in order for them to fit, i promise you, you'd rather have your baby break her legs than break her neck!! forward facing should definitely be delayed!

Chelsey - posted on 04/07/2010

Thats just like me and my sisster in law. But my baby is only 11 months so i am waiting til she turns one cause thats what i ahve heard and i cant wait.

Miranda - posted on 04/07/2010

My manual also states that it should be a height and weight, along with a minimum of 1 year in age. I think that you are the parent, and you do have a "larger" child (my son is 14 months, 31 inches tall, and about 30 lbs!) so I would say that if you feel confident in placing your son forward, and neither does your doctor then I wouldn't worry about it.

Stefania - posted on 04/07/2010

I was told no sooner then 1 year & no less then 20lbs (or until they reach the weight limit on their rear-facing seats). My girl just turned 13 months last week & the weight limit on her seat is 21lbs. She was 20lbs 9.6oz at her 12 month check up & her doctor said if her feet are hanging over the seat its ok to put her in the foward-facing chair. I waited about 2 weeks & put her in it. Your son is obviously big for his age but I know that I've heard everywhere to wait until your baby turns 1 year old but really whats a week. They do however suggest to keep them in a rear-facing seat as long as you can & i think the weight on some seat go as far as 35lbs. Your cousin whats to things by the book & thats fine but I've come to realize that you really can't go by the book because every child is different. My husband use to nag me all the time for reading all those baby magazines & being too parinoid! Now I kinda go with the flow but I also still read those baby magazines :) My lil lady loves being in the car but around her 1st B-Day I started to notice that she wasn't as happy in the car. I switched the car seat like I said about 2 weeks after her B-Day & she loves the car rides even more (if thats possible)! You did the right thing for your baby because your baby already reached the approriate weight & your cousin is doing what she thinks is right for her baby because her baby is small & still needs to sit in a rear-facing seat for another pound. Hope that helped.

Hattie - posted on 04/07/2010

Please keep him rear facing for a few more years! Visit car-seat.org for more info, there are lots of techs on there. It's 500% safer!!! There are seats that rf to 45# now. Legs are not an issue, they can fold them. Kids actually prefer it, it supports their legs more and they don't "fall asleep" and ache. I would rather keep my kid safe than turn him because it was "easier" or "more convenient". In Sweden they rf until 5 or 6 and their death rate of young children in car accidents is close to 0. Here in the US it's the #1 cause of death in children.

And for you people turned their kids before a year because they were "big"...it has NOTHING to do with weight or size!!! They still have the same uncalcified bones and immature spinal cord. Hello!!? Think about a crash & your child's body, it's physics!

My son is 14mths and will rear face until 3 or 4.

The AAP recommend rear facing until the limit of the seat (at least 35#).

Jaz - posted on 04/07/2010

When I switched my oldest (now four) he wasnt a year old, but did make the weight requirements.

Jessica - posted on 04/07/2010

just because a baby is one year or more than 20 lbs, doesn't mean that he/she is ready to be forward facing. you should do some research about extended rear facing, you might find some surprising information. keeping your baby rear facing is the best option, i promise. i plan to keep my lulu rear facing until she is at least 4 or 5 years old.

Lindsay - posted on 04/07/2010

They need to be in the 5 point harness until 65 pounds and then the booster til 80 pounds.

Samantha - posted on 04/07/2010

The law depens on the state. Most states are similar and say 1 year AND 20 lbs. Not OR, AND. Then, after that, the carseat he/she is in needs to have a 5-point-harness untill they're 3 years old.

Crystal - posted on 04/07/2010

the forward facing carseat say 30lbs or 1 yrs my daughter was a yr old when i turned her around and she only weighed 16 lbs we just got her a new booster seat its weight is 30lbs & over she weighs 27 and just turned 3yrs old so we dont use it very much

Shanna - posted on 04/07/2010

most carseats go up to atleast 36" so if your saying your baby is tall than i hope your meaning they are over 36 " and meet the weight requirement and your state regulations. :)

Danni - posted on 04/07/2010

my friend has a forward facing baby and he is only 7months. i think that it is a personal thing, depending on when the child can sit up by themselves enough to be safe in a front ways seat.

Cristi - posted on 04/07/2010

both my children were 10months when I put them in forward faceing seats

BreAnne - posted on 04/07/2010

I turned my daughter's around when her legs started getting scrunched up at the seat. She was about 10 1/2 months and well over 20 lbs. I asked her pedi before we did it and he said it was perfectly fine since she is so tall and over 20 lbs...

Lyza-anne - posted on 04/07/2010

my doc told me they had to be at least 20 lbs and at least a year old.... go with what you feel like doing your little one sounds like i would have done the same thing you did so it all goes by the parents....

Angela - posted on 04/07/2010

in ohio i do believe its 1yr old but you can go online to check it out on line in your state

Noel - posted on 04/07/2010

I just went through a car seat class just before my baby was born. The law is that your baby must be 1 year old AND over 20 lbs. It's not either/or. Your baby is fine to be face forward now.

Lisa - posted on 04/07/2010

My little girl was put in a front facing seat at 10 months old because she was over 20 lbs and 29 inches long. Her infant seat was for up to 22 lbs and under 29 inches so she was put in a front facing seat

Shanna - posted on 04/07/2010

Where you live it is 1 yr AND 20#



most carseats go up to 36" and 35-40#

Please read your manual for your carseat also! good luck

Dara - posted on 04/07/2010

I know in Arizona it's 1 year or 22 lbs...you should be able to call your local police station, non emergency line and find out. I'm sure they would be more than happy to advise you on this. :) I actually started my daughter a bit early cause like your boy she was nearly 30lbs at 1 year, but only a couple weeks early. Because here in AZ regardless of the weight if they aren't a year old you can be ticketed.

Tiffany - posted on 04/07/2010

It really depends on your state. Each state has they're own laws. FL is a year old and 22 pounds. CO is a year old and 20 pounds... I'm pretty sure the minimum age is a year old and its just the weight that varies from state to state. I could be wrong though. Check with your local law enforcement and they can tell you for sure or you can search it online and should be able to find it.

Rebecca - posted on 04/07/2010

So my husbands nephew who at 6 months weighed 26lbs should be forward facing at that age? NO!!!
My lord people!!! They need to start giving a course on how to be a smart and safe parent!

Stephanie - posted on 04/07/2010

My doctor said to only go by the weight, because not all babies are developed the same at any age.

Kathryn - posted on 04/07/2010

I was told to keep your baby in the rear faceing carseat for as long as possable because it is safer for them. They Reccomend that your baby be atleast 20lbs before putting them into the forward faceing. Although they are able to stay in the rearfacing as long as there head is lower than to top., My daughter is 27lbs almost a year and almost 3ft tall so she has been in the forward faceing for awhile. Although even when he legs were needing to be bent to fit into the rearfacing they still said she was better in that. hope this wasnt too confusing :)

Stevie - posted on 04/07/2010

haha do what your seat says we however didnt otherwise my son would just be getting into it but there is no way we could have kept him in his rear facing car seat until he was 22lbs thats what our seat said i cant remember how big he was but we put him in it before he was even one and he has done just fine in it do it your own way

Deborah - posted on 04/07/2010

I was told 20 lbs or a year old! But they have convertable car seats that gets them ready to face forward! My daughter is 17lbs and in her converable one! And she sits just fine and loves it! It just don't sit straight up it leans back some!

Ida - posted on 04/07/2010

i think it would be uncomfortable if the kids legs are long or the kid is tall when facing rear you only get so much room for your legs we forward faced when we ran out of room which was around 10 months and 1 year

Ida - posted on 04/07/2010

our manual says 1 year or 22 pounds we put ours at 10 months they got big fast

Ashley - posted on 04/07/2010

You should check with your state requirements and laws. You cannot go by what the carseat manual says. Every state and every country is different. Even if you are going by the guidelines in your manual, you could be breaking the law and that one is something the law enforcement takes incredibly seriously.Your local pediatrician should be able to tell you what the guidelines are in your area or be able to point you in the direction. In our area a child has to be at least one year old and over 25 lbs in order to be forward facing but the laws are different everywhere you go.

Betty - posted on 04/07/2010

I'm in Australia and here, all the seats have the options based on weight. It is really up to you by looking at the guide. My daughter is 6 months now and I've changed her convertible car seat to foward seating. This is because the rear facing means she has to lay back as it's like a capsule and she wants to seat up now. In Australia, you can change the seat to forward facing by the time they're 8 kgs and the maximum to keep them rear facing is 12kgs. So in between this stage is really up to you which way best suit your baby. I don't think based on age is a good measure as babies arn't the same. Some are taller than average, some are heavier etc. It's better to decide based on your baby's stature. For Example my daughter is tall for her age. She's 6 months and already approx 72-73cms. She's average weight however so with her clothes, it's usuallly short but if she wears a bigger size it's swimming on her.



At the end of the day. You know your baby best and it's all entirely up to you.

Tessa - posted on 04/07/2010

It is stupid to say a child might break their legs in an accident. There has never been a documented case of a child breaking their legs in a rear facing carseat. Also, It is BETTER TO BREAK THEIR LEGS THAN THEIR NECK!!! Think about it. Legs can be repaired and healed. A broken neck/snapped spinal cord, well.. you'll be lucky if your child lives. Sorry, I'll take the broken legs!

Tessa - posted on 04/07/2010

The longer you keep your baby rear facing, the safer he is. It is illegal to turn him around before he is 1 year AND 20 lbs. It isn't about following the book or old fashioned, your child's life could depend on it. Turn him back around in a convertible seat andleave him rear facing for as long as you possibly can (until he reaches the carseats height and weight limit for rear facing).

Christine - posted on 04/07/2010

Actually, it depends on the state you are in. For instance, Washington State says it is 1 year AND 20 pounds, were-as Oregon State says it is 1 year OR 25 lbs, whichever is later. Look it up on google for your particular state - basic search for "forward facing car seat, STATE NAME" should yeild you the result you need. The information should also be available through your local fire department.

FYI - My Dr and I decided my youngest needed to be forward sooner than one year, as he was WAY too long - if we had gotten in an accident he would have gotten broken legs rear-facing. So, follow your instincts Mommy!

Danielle - posted on 04/07/2010

my daughter was 6 months old when she went in a front facin car seat as she realy tall for her age and was sqashed in a rear facing they say from 20lds if the seat has more than one postion so the baby can sleep still or from 9 months but its really up to u and wat u belive is rite as my daughter was nether and was still in a front facer as she was just to long for rear facer x

Anna - posted on 04/06/2010

one year

Pooja - posted on 04/06/2010

My son refused to sit in the back facing car seat when he was just 9 months old.. we somehow managed to make him sit in that till his first b'day and gave him a front facing car seat as a gift... he loves his car rides now

Farah - posted on 04/06/2010

i heard that it was best to keep them in the rear facing as long as possible and mine is up to 35lbs but you should look at your car seat all of them are different.

Annie - posted on 04/06/2010

1 year and 20 lbs