Move car seat to front facing?

wilcoxev

My LO seems so scrunched in his car seat now that I think I need to move it to forward facing. I know rear facing is safer but his legs are smashed into the seat and he seems to fuss a lot more in the car than he used to. We have a good quality car seat, britax clicktight advocate, so I think we will be good. Have you ladies turned the car seats around yet?

TabulaRasa25

No way.  My kid's weight is nowhere near the recommendation for for front-facing.  He's long/lanky, but it's not safe for him to be any orientation other than rear-facing.   

Growingapepper

Nope, I haven't even thought about it. It's not even legal in CA to do front facing until they are 2.

dmbfan46835

Scrunched legs here too and going til he's 2, maybe longer. I read now that they are pushing to rear face til 4 because it is just so much safer in case of impact. 

momofsweetps

Nope. He will stay tear facing for awhile.

ForeverEverAfter

They get used to the legs. I RFed DD1 til 3yo, she just crossed her legs or bent her knees. I only switched her because I couldn't fit a RFing seat behind the driver when LO came. LO will be RFing until she is 4yo or 40" tall (my kids are light-they'll never max a seat for weight lol).

LoveLee85

No way! He will be rear facing for years. He is very long(32 inch +) and just crossed his legs. He will just have to deal with it.

mrsmctaggart6

If you read the research it's not so much size as development, their spines are still too flexible to withstand front facing impacts, mind you I was reading it because I have a tiny back seat and I desperately wanted to front face but nope, waiting for at least two... Once I read it for myself I just couldn't ignore it.

anamvicc

Nope! If you do make sure in your state it's not against the law because in nj it is 

jht4

Nope and it's against the law in my state before 2. It's not about size, it's about bone density that comes with age. Under two, kids are 500% safer rearfacing compared to forward facing. It's my job as a parent to do what's best for him whether or not he likes it so rear facing he still stay! To put it in perspective, his 3.5 year old sister is still rearfacing.

https://csftl.org/why-rear-facing-the-science-junkies-guide/

https://csftl.org/rear-facing-car-seat-myths-busted/

missliz53

We're rear facing until she's maxed out on weight which is 40 lbs for our seat

JessicaS0914

Not even close yet, but I'll be the one voice of unsanctimommyness.  My older daughter turned at 20 mos. She was/is 95+ percentile for height.  While she could maybe sit rear facing with her legs crossed, my seat and car leave a very small space to squeeze the child through to get them into the seat. Once she was uncooperative going RF, it was pretty much impossible to get her in there. Her head and torso were longer than the hole she had to go through. So anyway, yeah.  I'm A terrible horrible mom.  But I educated myself and made a calculated decision.  She's now 3.5 and in a high backed harness booster and is fine. 

yellow1daisy

We're going to RF as long as possible here too. But in NJ where we live it's illegal to front face until 2. 

mrsmctaggart6

I'm really not trying to be a sanctimommy, I have a 2 door jeep, it's a nightmare, my state law says 1yo, I was sooo excited the car seat has to go behind the drivers side because I have to put her in to the back seat, climb in after and then stuff her in (she's 95th percentile too and fights tooth and nail) I was soooo over it, (also my DH can't drive it because the seat has to be so far forward) I was really excited and dead convinced people were being over protective sanctimommies, then just to play devils advocate I read the research myself... My DD will rear face until at least two much to my chagrin.. Btw the damn jeep is lifted... Sigh... I'm not saying anyone is a bad parent for ffing early, but at least read the reasons behind it, it starts to make sense...

jht4

With all due respect to a previous poster a few comments above me, I really don't like the term "sanctimommy" used when it pertains to a position on this topic. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children and the science is there to show that rearfacing until age 2 can be a matter of life and death. I don't go preaching about this IRL, but I am happy to share information grounded in scientific facts when in a forum like this with the OP clearly open to learning more about the topic. You are free to make whatever decision you want for your children and I will never berate your or call you names, but I think using terms like sanctimommy can discourage people from sharing information. After all, when you know better you can do better.

wilcoxev

Thanks all. I will be keeping him rear facing after your comments and doing some more research. Im hoping he just gets used to scrunched legs and repositions since we have a 2.5 hour car ride this weekend lol.

momofsweetps

I will say that when we turned my now 7 year old around at around 3, he complained that his legs hurt MORE forward facing. Why? Because he was comfortable rear facing and forward facing, his legs dangled and hurt. My first two were turned at a year because that's when we did that 13/11 years ago.

LoveLee85

wilcoxev said:

Thanks all. I will be keeping him rear facing after your comments and doing some more research. Im hoping he just gets used to scrunched legs and repositions since we have a 2.5 hour car ride this weekend lol.

Might I suggest a toy he only gets on car rides? Distraction is key for us with LO! Haha I also don't put him in denim material pants, or shoes when in car seat. I just feel as if it would be more comfortable. 

jen83mn

LoveLee85 said:

wilcoxev said:

Thanks all. I will be keeping him rear facing after your comments and doing some more research. Im hoping he just gets used to scrunched legs and repositions since we have a 2.5 hour car ride this weekend lol.

Might I suggest a toy he only gets on car rides? Distraction is key for us with LO! Haha I also don't put him in denim material pants, or shoes when in car seat. I just feel as if it would be more comfortable. 

Yes, this is a great idea! We have a few of those light-up "phones" that play music and beep and have a display from Target. I leave them in the car and that's the only place LO gets to play with them. He loves it!

BabyBugutsky

JessicaS0914 said:

Not even close yet, but I'll be the one voice of unsanctimommyness.  My older daughter turned at 20 mos. She was/is 95+ percentile for height.  While she could maybe sit rear facing with her legs crossed, my seat and car leave a very small space to squeeze the child through to get them into the seat. Once she was uncooperative going RF, it was pretty much impossible to get her in there. Her head and torso were longer than the hole she had to go through. So anyway, yeah.  I'm A terrible horrible mom.  But I educated myself and made a calculated decision.  She's now 3.5 and in a high backed harness booster and is fine. 

We are forward facing for the same reason. My LO is over the 100 percentile for height. Once he started fighting it was impossible and everyone would end up crying. He also has some motion sickness (got that from me) and hasn't been sick once since going forward facing. He's also well above the weight restrictions. I did alot of research before we turned him forward facing and DH and I made the decision. We bought a high rated car seat as well. So I guess I'm a bad mom but its what works for us.

vibarra27

BabyBugutsky said:

JessicaS0914 said:

Not even close yet, but I'll be the one voice of unsanctimommyness.  My older daughter turned at 20 mos. She was/is 95+ percentile for height.  While she could maybe sit rear facing with her legs crossed, my seat and car leave a very small space to squeeze the child through to get them into the seat. Once she was uncooperative going RF, it was pretty much impossible to get her in there. Her head and torso were longer than the hole she had to go through. So anyway, yeah.  I'm A terrible horrible mom.  But I educated myself and made a calculated decision.  She's now 3.5 and in a high backed harness booster and is fine. 

We are forward facing for the same reason. My LO is over the 100 percentile for height. Once he started fighting it was impossible and everyone would end up crying. He also has some motion sickness (got that from me) and hasn't been sick once since going forward facing. He's also well above the weight restrictions. I did alot of research before we turned him forward facing and DH and I made the decision. We bought a high rated car seat as well. So I guess I'm a bad mom but its what works for us.

You're not a bad mom! We all do what we think is right for our kids. With DD we switched her to forward facing once she turned 1. Here in Colorado its recommended to do rear facing till 2 but not required. The only reason my boys arent facing forward yet is because they are small for their age due to being preemie twins and i still have them in their infant carrier because they still fit without a problem and havent passed the weight limit(their about 30in and about 20 pounds). Ive always found that no matter what i do no-one is ever satisfied. If forward facing is what your child needs and works for him, Kudos to you for giving him what he needs.

shelbydd

My seat will rear face up to 40lbs (my kid is definitely going to meet the weight requirement before height) I'm a believer in rear facing as long as humanly possible. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances and I get that but as a whole I think always going to safer route when possible is the way to go.

chelseajeanene

My son is well over 100+ on the height chart. We have the Graco Contender 65 Covertible Car seat and it's rear racing until 40lbs. We have no issue with his legs being too long and the seat leans back in case that happens. I'd get a new car seat before I put him at risk for front facing. It's illegal in most states. 

thinkpink101

LO is very tall, off the charts. He's been wearing 2T pants for a couple of months, but he's in a Chicco Nextfit zip and his legs are straight. If it's a possibility, rather than FF before it's safe, maybe consider a different car seat? 

djf911

My older son now 18 went forward facing after one year - but that was the standard then. My plan with Greyson is to keep him rear facing as long as we can. Currently researching convertible car seats now as he is still in his infant car seat (30in and 20lbs). You need to make decisions based on what's right for your family. 

BabyBugutsky

thinkpink101 said:

LO is very tall, off the charts. He's been wearing 2T pants for a couple of months, but he's in a Chicco Nextfit zip and his legs are straight. If it's a possibility, rather than FF before it's safe, maybe consider a different car seat? 

And for those who can't afford a different car seat? I think it's a mommy judgement call. I have a Evenflo Platinum Protection Series car seat. It was expensive and it's one of the top rated. Not everyone has the ability to just drop 400 to 600 on a car seat. If it works for a child to be forward facing before 2 years old, where state law allows it, then that's a parent judgement call. It may not be your ideal but it's what works for them. 

thinkpink101

BabyBugutsky said:

thinkpink101 said:

LO is very tall, off the charts. He's been wearing 2T pants for a couple of months, but he's in a Chicco Nextfit zip and his legs are straight. If it's a possibility, rather than FF before it's safe, maybe consider a different car seat? 

And for those who can't afford a different car seat? I think it's a mommy judgement call. I have a Evenflo Platinum Protection Series car seat. It was expensive and it's one of the top rated. Not everyone has the ability to just drop 400 to 600 on a car seat. If it works for a child to be forward facing before 2 years old, where state law allows it, then that's a parent judgement call. It may not be your ideal but it's what works for them. 

Hence the "if". I never said "you need to go buy a new car seat right now or you're a terrible mother"! We sold our infant seat for just about what we paid for it (I bought it on sale, it was pristine and used only a few months) and spent that money on LO's current seat. We bought the current car seat on sale too, it was the top rated one when we purchased it and we only paid around $225. It was just an idea, obviously it makes it very tough to go on car rides if LO is uncomfortable. We FF DS1 12 years ago the day after he turned 1 because he was over 25lbs and very tall and at the time that was the recommendation, and we didn't know any better. He's fine, but we were never in an accident. 

LoveLee85

thinkpink101 said:

LO is very tall, off the charts. He's been wearing 2T pants for a couple of months, but he's in a Chicco Nextfit zip and his legs are straight. If it's a possibility, rather than FF before it's safe, maybe consider a different car seat? 

We have this car seat and it's worth it's weight in GOLD!!!!!!! The recline ability is epic. LO is never upset going into it. It's so comfy looking. Also, I scooped mine up for 20% off on Buy-Buy-Baby online with free shipping. It helped shave some bucks off the top. Lol. 

jen83mn

LoveLee85 said:

thinkpink101 said:

LO is very tall, off the charts. He's been wearing 2T pants for a couple of months, but he's in a Chicco Nextfit zip and his legs are straight. If it's a possibility, rather than FF before it's safe, maybe consider a different car seat? 

We have this car seat and it's worth it's weight in GOLD!!!!!!! The recline ability is epic. LO is never upset going into it. It's so comfy looking. Also, I scooped mine up for 20% off on Buy-Buy-Baby online with free shipping. It helped shave some bucks off the top. Lol. 

We also have this car seat and LOVE it! LO has plenty of room and is rear-facing, and is in the 86th percentile for height. I love the ability to recline up to 9 different positions without needing to use rolled up towels or pool noodles underneath.

ElleMF728

jht4 said:

With all due respect to a previous poster a few comments above me, I really don't like the term "sanctimommy" used when it pertains to a position on this topic. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children and the science is there to show that rearfacing until age 2 can be a matter of life and death. I don't go preaching about this IRL, but I am happy to share information grounded in scientific facts when in a forum like this with the OP clearly open to learning more about the topic. You are free to make whatever decision you want for your children and I will never berate your or call you names, but I think using terms like sanctimommy can discourage people from sharing information. After all, when you know better you can do better.

FTFY #knowbetterdobetter is basically the sanctimommy motto lol. That phrase makes me die a little bit inside each time I hear it lol. 

LoveLee85

jen83mn said:

LoveLee85 said:

thinkpink101 said:

LO is very tall, off the charts. He's been wearing 2T pants for a couple of months, but he's in a Chicco Nextfit zip and his legs are straight. If it's a possibility, rather than FF before it's safe, maybe consider a different car seat? 

We have this car seat and it's worth it's weight in GOLD!!!!!!! The recline ability is epic. LO is never upset going into it. It's so comfy looking. Also, I scooped mine up for 20% off on Buy-Buy-Baby online with free shipping. It helped shave some bucks off the top. Lol. 

We also have this car seat and LOVE it! LO has plenty of room and is rear-facing, and is in the 86th percentile for height. I love the ability to recline up to 9 different positions without needing to use rolled up towels or pool noodles underneath.

SAME! And it switches out and into my moms car in one minute. It's soooooo easy. My mom is always impressed withy how far baby stuff has come. Haha My LO is always between 85% and 93% for height, also. I don't think he's big until he's around other older toddlers and he's bigger or the same size. 

jht4

BabyBugutsky said:

thinkpink101 said:

LO is very tall, off the charts. He's been wearing 2T pants for a couple of months, but he's in a Chicco Nextfit zip and his legs are straight. If it's a possibility, rather than FF before it's safe, maybe consider a different car seat? 

And for those who can't afford a different car seat? I think it's a mommy judgement call. I have a Evenflo Platinum Protection Series car seat. It was expensive and it's one of the top rated. Not everyone has the ability to just drop 400 to 600 on a car seat. If it works for a child to be forward facing before 2 years old, where state law allows it, then that's a parent judgement call. It may not be your ideal but it's what works for them. 

There are no safety ratings for car seats. All car seats pass the same tests and individual results aren't published. There are "ease of use" ratings, but no safety ratings.

I agree, it's not fair to ask someone to pay $400-600 to keep their child safe. There are some very affordable seats that will rearface most children until at least age two. For example, the Cosco Senera Next is $45 and is a great rearfacing seat. 

This is link has other recommended seats in each category:
https://csftl.org/recommended-seats/

jht4

ElleMF728 said:

jht4 said:

With all due respect to a previous poster a few comments above me, I really don't like the term "sanctimommy" used when it pertains to a position on this topic. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children and the science is there to show that rearfacing until age 2 can be a matter of life and death. I don't go preaching about this IRL, but I am happy to share information grounded in scientific facts when in a forum like this with the OP clearly open to learning more about the topic. You are free to make whatever decision you want for your children and I will never berate your or call you names, but I think using terms like sanctimommy can discourage people from sharing information. After all, when you know better you can do better.

FTFY #knowbetterdobetter is basically the sanctimommy motto lol. That phrase makes me die a little bit inside each time I hear it lol. 

To each their own. I was uneducated about car seat safety when my first was born and I'm so glad I was referred to the car seats for the littles Facebook group. I learned so much and was able to base my decisions in this area on science. Everyone thinks it will never happen to them but I see the horrible consequences of injury daily at work. I guess that experience gives me a different perspective and makes me a bit more passionate about this subject.

I don't see people who have turned their children forward facing before two years getting attacked or called names on this thread. What I do see is people who have knowledge in this area sharing the information in an effort to help others, if they are open to it, learn about it. 

I don't know anyone here and I don't have any vested interest in other's decisions. I try to provide accurate information so people who want to learn more can use it to make their decision. If it helps keep some children safe, then I am so glad! If that makes me a "sanctimommy" and causes you to "die a little inside"... So be it.

ElleMF728

@jht4 Sharing relevant information doesn't make me "die a little bit inside" using the phrase "know better do better" does. Which is why I specifically wrote "That phrase makes me die a little bit inside each time I hear it". It was just a joke....

PinkPrincessPiper

Wow, hot topic apparently!

The new law in my state is rear facing until the age of 2. Piper will remain rear facing until then, if not longer since she's a petite little thing. Obviously research has shown it's safer, and it's also required by state law, so that's our plan. 

However...

Ten years ago when I had my first kiddo, I switched him to forward facing at one, since that was the law then. He was/is also off the charts in the height department. But times have changed, and so have safety standards, and car seats. 

I think it's important to do your research, know your state laws, and then make an informed decision that works best for you and your child, whatever that may be. 

ems028

My LO is facing forward. She hated rear facing. Like hated it. She would cry/scream within 5 mins of every car journey. So for us, FF has worked out. I know about the safety concerns. But I couldn't hear her crying like that for every single car journey.

booksandcleverness81

I just got the Graco extend2fit because my LO is very tall but I want to keep him rear facing for as long as possible. It's rear facing to 50lbs, has several recline positions, and has a foot extension for those long legged babies. It's only $200 and with a 20% off coupon from buy buy baby it's only $160. Maybe an option for those whose kids are unhappy in rear facing seats. Personally, I totally get that a screaming kid in your car is a nightmare, but physiologically their bodies face much more risk in an accident when forward facing at this age. I would consider finding another option if it was feasible for you financially. Not trying to judge, just considering what other ways you might deal with this problem. Should you have an accident I would never want anyone to face the reality of knowing they might have prevented injury by doing something different...

LoveLee85

Just like a zillion other parent choices you make for your child, this is another. Just like bed sharing, breast feeding, you do what works for your family. Great example, wearing a helmet while riding bike. 

sidenote: my mom thinks I'm crazy because I didn't immediately forward face on his first birthday. Lol. I get, in a joking way, made fun of by my family and friends for babying my baby. I let it all slide off, on great days. On bad days it annoys me! The main issue is im not passing judgement on them for a thing, and yet they all pile on me. Moral of the story, you do what works for your family. Every single S15 mom is awesome.  

ems028

booksandcleverness81 said:

Not trying to judge, just considering what other ways you might deal with this problem. Should you have an accident I would never want anyone to face the reality of knowing they might have prevented injury by doing something different...

Wow.

BabyBugutsky

booksandcleverness81 said:

I just got the Graco extend2fit because my LO is very tall but I want to keep him rear facing for as long as possible. It's rear facing to 50lbs, has several recline positions, and has a foot extension for those long legged babies. It's only $200 and with a 20% off coupon from buy buy baby it's only $160. Maybe an option for those whose kids are unhappy in rear facing seats. Personally, I totally get that a screaming kid in your car is a nightmare, but physiologically their bodies face much more risk in an accident when forward facing at this age. I would consider finding another option if it was feasible for you financially. Not trying to judge, just considering what other ways you might deal with this problem. Should you have an accident I would never want anyone to face the reality of knowing they might have prevented injury by doing something different...

I'm sorry but your entire post sounds very judgemental.

JessicaS0914

jht4 said:

With all due respect to a previous poster a few comments above me, I really don't like the term "sanctimommy" used when it pertains to a position on this topic. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children and the science is there to show that rearfacing until age 2 can be a matter of life and death. I don't go preaching about this IRL, but I am happy to share information grounded in scientific facts when in a forum like this with the OP clearly open to learning more about the topic. You are free to make whatever decision you want for your children and I will never berate your or call you names, but I think using terms like sanctimommy can discourage people from sharing information. After all, when you know better you can do better.

There's also scientific fact that it is ridiculously unsafe to fly with a lap infant, too.. However, I'd bet that the vast majority of those preaching about rear facing who have flown with their infant did it as a lap child in the interest of saving money. That is also a matter of life and death. Many simple decisions we make every day can be a matter of life and death.  A child properly strapped in a properly installed, approved car seat should be the least of everyone's concerns, regardless of the way they face. You'd be shocked how many parents don't even get that far.