New recommendation to keep rear facing until age 2

PAAZwife

The AAP now recommends keeping toddlers rear facing until 2! 

spunkielexis196

Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seatuntil they have reached the maximum height and weight recommendedfor the model, or at least the age of 2.

^{I was planning on doing this anyway, and since Gunnar is only 13lbs he will probably be rear facing until he is five.  Hope he enjoys seeing where he's been vs where he is going.  Whatever is safest for my baby I will do it.}

holly9599

I understand, but to each their own.  My child is a little person now and I prefer to have her front facing to see what she's doing.  Plus I feel she's earned the privilege to look out the windows facing forward where we're going and not where we've been. You try watching out the back of the car while someone else is driving...it makes me dizzy.

I'm not questioning the new recommendation, but I'll disregard it.  Thank you though.

rsweethart

I agree with you Holly...Sierra use to scream and cry when she was rear facing, I think she was getting motion sickness.  Plus she has long legs and hated having them crossed.  We switched to front facing at 15 months and we had a whole new little girl, she was so much happier. 

PAAZwife

holly9599:

I understand, but to each their own.  My child is a little person now and I prefer to have her front facing to see what she's doing.  Plus I feel she's earned the privilege to look out the windows facing forward where we're going and not where we've been. You try watching out the back of the car while someone else is driving...it makes me dizzy.

I'm not questioning the new recommendation, but I'll disregard it.  Thank you though.

holly9599:

I agree with you Holly...Sierra use to scream and cry when she was rear facing, I think she was getting motion sickness.  Plus she has long legs and hated having them crossed.  We switched to front facing at 15 months and we had a whole new little girl, she was so much happier. 

I honestly was thinking the same thing when I posted this link.  I can't even imagine how you'd get a two year old to sit rear facing without screaming his/her head off.  I just wanted to post the link in case people hadn't seen it.  I've heard people say to keep them rear facing for as long as possible, but now the recommendation is apparently official.  I still think I'll turn DS around sometime shortly after 1 year.

summerbridesara

We're going to try to keep Sophia rear facing as long as possible.  If she starts to scream and carry on rear facing (after 1 year old) then we'll probably switch her.  I want to keep her rear facing until she is at least 18 months, but she is tall, so it may not work.

Cortney81

We switched Natalie at around 11 months only because she is sooo tall that she was MISERABLE being rear facing because she was so uncomfortable.  I think each child is their own as the other ladies have stated....I understand the importance but I wasn't going to make car rides miserable for her either

KellyND04

I hope maybe this prompts manufacturers to come up with car seats that are more comfortable for long-legged children between one and two in a rear-facing position!  Since about 16 months, there is just no way Susanna can sit like that with our car seat. She's taller than most two year olds.  I was kind of anal about keeping her rear-facing as long as possible before, but I just don't see how we could go back now, let alone for four more months!