Indiana Babies
just have to share with someone
I have a friend on FB who is going on a road trip now, so she's updating with pictures of her kids in the car. Well, she has twin 2.5 year olds, and they are forward facing and in a booster seat--so, they are using a seat belt. I want to yell at her!! Ugh, makes me sad.
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Re: just have to share with someone
I believe that it's 4 yo and 40 lbs to get to use a booster in IN.
BUT I have a FB friend and yeah they've had their LO FF for at least 3 months... he just turned one last week!
In Indiana, there isn't a law about booster seats in particular. It's just in a booster until age 8 (or so many lbs/inches). However, 2.5 is VERY young. That is really sad.
My SIL/BIL drove overnight on a 14 hr drive (6 or so hours of that through the mountains and heavy fog) and her kids (5 & 3 at the time) were both in boosters, but both weight less than my 35 lb 3yo. Those kids weren't forced to wear their seat belts even. BIL/SIL allowed the kids to take their seat belts off so they could lay down on the floor of their mini-van to sleep. There is nothing I can do. But I feel so bad for the kids! If they were in appropriate seats, they would have slept in their car seats like our kids did on the same drive.
ETA: Since your friends are on a road trip, I wonder what will happen if they get pulled over in a state that does have booster seat requirements of 4 yrs/40lbs?
It's hard not to say anything isn't it?
A friend of mine on FB has been posting pictures of her child forward facing for a couple months now. I think he's 10 months now, so she's had him forward facing for quite some time. I keep wanting to say something, but I'm not sure what to say since I don't know her super well.
I don't know if I totally understand your dilemma, but, the new AAP rec will be to keep rear facing until age 2. I would keep it that way as long as you can get away with it - if you have to turn it around because it won't fit in your car, then I guess you do!
The guideline is 1 year AND 22 lbs. So if he's 1 and not 22 lbs yet, he needs to still be rear facing and if he's 22 pounds and not 1 yet, he needs to still be rear facing. It has to be both. That being said, the AAP is now recommending rear facing as long as your seat will tolerate, at least until 2. There are a lot of good seats for extended rear facing if you look around. We turned Maddy around 14 months, though.
Our pedi says RF as long as the child will tolerate, with evidence that 2 is much better. We made it to 15 months. We needed to not be distracted while driving, she just became very uncomfortable and agitated RF.
Our pedi also says at least 4 and 40 before leaving a 5 pt harness, I assumed that was the law.
This spring I saw a maybe 2 yo riding totally unrestrained in the front seat of a van with the window all the way down!