2 years rear facing?

armourall · May 2010

When I went to get my car seat inspected (back in my 3rd tri) the lady told they are now suggesting up to 2 years rear facing... Looking at how long DD is (she has some tall genes!) I'm wondering where will she put her legs?!

jonnygurl76 · May 2010

your convert. car seat will go rear facing

armourall · May 2010

jonnygurl76:
your convert. car seat will go rear facing

Yes, but won't her legs be scrunched up against the seat?

jonnygurl76 · May 2010

armourall:

jonnygurl76:
your convert. car seat will go rear facing

Yes, but won't her legs be scrunched up against the seat?

no, you will see once you get one

ToledoDeux · May 2010

armourall:
jonnygurl76:
your convert. car seat will go rear facing

Yes, but won't her legs be scrunched up against the seat?

Even if they are, it doesn't matter. RF until at least 2 is still worlds safer. My daughter is very tall - always been around 95% height, and we didn't switch her FF until just after her 2nd birthday. Kids can bend.

PrincessShay80 · May 2010

Rear facing as long as possible is best, and safest. The new convertibles have much higher weight limits for rear facing. If her legs are against seat its still okay- I would rather have broken legs then a broken neck. Majority of crashes are front end collisions- your body goes in the direction of the force- so picture a young childs neck being thrown forward- if they are rear facing they are cradled and the force of the impact is much less. Go to youtube and search for rear facing vs. front facing there are so very graphic, yet education videos to watch.

sleepingbeauty825 · May 2010

Better her legs than her neck! But yes, it does start to look a little silly if you ask me.

SamsMom91 · May 2010

Well, call me a bad parent, but I turned my toddler around when his legs scrunched up against the seat. That was at 13 months. My car seat also said it would sit rear-facing up to 35 pounds. Samuel is only 30 pounds right now, and I can't imagine him sitting rear-facing. Personally, I wouldn't want to sit in a car with my legs all scrunched up, especially on a long trip. We're about to buy a minivan. If Eli can sit in the seat rear-facing up to 35 pounds (which, honestly, he might reach by his 1st birthday anyway), we'll do it. If his legs scrunch, I'm turning him around.

JillBMama · May 2010

My sister is still rear facing her 5 year old. She is slightly lighter than average, but of an average height. I think its awesome, she kinda sits cross legged and doesn't seem to mind at all. I'm going to try for well past 2, if possible!

ToledoDeux · May 2010

SamsMom91:
Well, call me a bad parent, but I turned my toddler around when his legs scrunched up against the seat. That was at 13 months. My car seat also said it would sit rear-facing up to 35 pounds. Samuel is only 30 pounds right now, and I can't imagine him sitting rear-facing. Personally, I wouldn't want to sit in a car with my legs all scrunched up, especially on a long trip. We're about to buy a minivan. If Eli can sit in the seat rear-facing up to 35 pounds (which, honestly, he might reach by his 1st birthday anyway), we'll do it. If his legs scrunch, I'm turning him around.

Well, if it were a choice between that and internal decapitation, I'd probably choose being "scrunched."

Stick out tongue

Prinycesa07 · May 2010

I read that they will cross their legs and its perfectly comfortable for them.

madeleines_mommy · May 2010

JillBMama:
My sister is still rear facing her 5 year old. She is slightly lighter than average, but of an average height. I think its awesome, she kinda sits cross legged and doesn't seem to mind at all. I'm going to try for well past 2, if possible!

That seems a little extreme... I couldn't imagine my DD1 rear facing at 5. She is a tall little thing. 2 was the max for us. But, to each their own...

ms_mellor · May 2010

We had DD#1 RF till she was 2. At her 2 year appt., she was off the charts for height, and like me, it's mostly leg. She had no problem RF, and could have cared less that her legs were 'folded' up. My DCP had her FF, so it's not like she didn;t know how the other half lived. I don't think that height should ever be a deterrent to RF.

Shell24 · May 2010

My DD is almost 3 feet tall and is still RF at just past her 2nd birthday. She'll stay RF until she outgrows the RF limits on her carseat.

She crosses her legs normally and has zero issues with her legs being cramped due to space.

grapeape73 · May 2010

My DD would sit cross legged and it never bothered her. She reached the weight limit and we had to get a new seat that wasn't convertible.

Shell24 · May 2010

SamsMom91:
Well, call me a bad parent, but I turned my toddler around when his legs scrunched up against the seat. That was at 13 months. My car seat also said it would sit rear-facing up to 35 pounds. Samuel is only 30 pounds right now, and I can't imagine him sitting rear-facing. Personally, I wouldn't want to sit in a car with my legs all scrunched up, especially on a long trip. We're about to buy a minivan. If Eli can sit in the seat rear-facing up to 35 pounds (which, honestly, he might reach by his 1st birthday anyway), we'll do it. If his legs scrunch, I'm turning him around.

This is ridiculous. What if his legs "scrunched" before his 1st birthday. Would you turn him around before he even reached 1?

Since it's not the law *yet* you're well within your right to turn your kids around after 1 yr and 20 pounds but I'm sorry, I think that's a very stupid reason.

dionnemd10 · May 2010

we turned our daughter around at around 11.5 months or so. i couldn't imagine driving and not being able to have a conversation with her. she gets carsick so i would think riding backwards would make that even worse? our son will turn around when he is one as well. he'll be at the 20lb mark way before that, but as long as he fits in the infant seat he'll stay there--by the time he is near one our daughter will be ready for a booster seat. (by the way booster seat regs bug me--i wouldn't have met their weight/height limit until i was in jr. high and no way would i have ridden in a booster seat-but that is an entirely different post and board topic)

monkeyqueen · May 2010

dionnemd10:
we turned our daughter around at around 11.5 months or so. i couldn't imagine driving and not being able to have a conversation with her. she gets carsick so i would think riding backwards would make that even worse? our son will turn around when he is one as well. he'll be at the 20lb mark way before that, but as long as he fits in the infant seat he'll stay there--by the time he is near one our daughter will be ready for a booster seat. (by the way booster seat regs bug me--i wouldn't have met their weight/height limit until i was in jr. high and no way would i have ridden in a booster seat-but that is an entirely different post and board topic)

This makes me giggle because the Britax Frontier 85 would fit me prepregnancy! But.... it's not just weight/height regulations/recommendations, but also age is in considerations due to development. In Ontario, it's until 8 years old. Unfortunately, here, in Saskatchewan, there are no booster seat regulations.

SamsMom91 · May 2010

Shell24:
SamsMom91:
Well, call me a bad parent, but I turned my toddler around when his legs scrunched up against the seat. That was at 13 months. My car seat also said it would sit rear-facing up to 35 pounds. Samuel is only 30 pounds right now, and I can't imagine him sitting rear-facing. Personally, I wouldn't want to sit in a car with my legs all scrunched up, especially on a long trip. We're about to buy a minivan. If Eli can sit in the seat rear-facing up to 35 pounds (which, honestly, he might reach by his 1st birthday anyway), we'll do it. If his legs scrunch, I'm turning him around.

This is ridiculous. What if his legs "scrunched" before his 1st birthday. Would you turn him around before he even reached 1?

Since it's not the law *yet* you're well within your right to turn your kids around after 1 yr and 20 pounds but I'm sorry, I think that's a very stupid reason.

No, I did not say I would turn my child before the law allows. But after, sure. It's called PARENTING DECISIONS. My child, not yours. Back off.

Shell24 · May 2010

SamsMom91:
Shell24:

SamsMom91:
Well, call me a bad parent, but I turned my toddler around when his legs scrunched up against the seat. That was at 13 months. My car seat also said it would sit rear-facing up to 35 pounds. Samuel is only 30 pounds right now, and I can't imagine him sitting rear-facing. Personally, I wouldn't want to sit in a car with my legs all scrunched up, especially on a long trip. We're about to buy a minivan. If Eli can sit in the seat rear-facing up to 35 pounds (which, honestly, he might reach by his 1st birthday anyway), we'll do it. If his legs scrunch, I'm turning him around.

This is ridiculous. What if his legs "scrunched" before his 1st birthday. Would you turn him around before he even reached 1?

Since it's not the law *yet* you're well within your right to turn your kids around after 1 yr and 20 pounds but I'm sorry, I think that's a very stupid reason.

No, I did not say I would turn my child before the law allows. But after, sure. It's called PARENTING DECISIONS. My child, not yours. Back off.

Oooohh, back off. I'm quivering in my boots.

I never said you would turn him before a year, I was ASKING. Hence the "what if" and the question mark. And if you think it's such a great decision, why are you so defensive?

I'm not going to back off of my opinion, which I am entitled to freely express here. So hey, you're right...your kid your decision so if you'd rather disregard what is safer for what I consider a dumb reason, all the more power to you.

SamsMom91 · May 2010

Shell24:
SamsMom91:
Shell24:

SamsMom91:
Well, call me a bad parent, but I turned my toddler around when his legs scrunched up against the seat. That was at 13 months. My car seat also said it would sit rear-facing up to 35 pounds. Samuel is only 30 pounds right now, and I can't imagine him sitting rear-facing. Personally, I wouldn't want to sit in a car with my legs all scrunched up, especially on a long trip. We're about to buy a minivan. If Eli can sit in the seat rear-facing up to 35 pounds (which, honestly, he might reach by his 1st birthday anyway), we'll do it. If his legs scrunch, I'm turning him around.

This is ridiculous. What if his legs "scrunched" before his 1st birthday. Would you turn him around before he even reached 1?

Since it's not the law *yet* you're well within your right to turn your kids around after 1 yr and 20 pounds but I'm sorry, I think that's a very stupid reason.

No, I did not say I would turn my child before the law allows. But after, sure. It's called PARENTING DECISIONS. My child, not yours. Back off.

Oooohh, back off. I'm quivering in my boots.

I never said you would turn him before a year, I was ASKING. Hence the "what if" and the question mark. And if you think it's such a great decision, why are you so defensive?

I'm not going to back off of my opinion, which I am entitled to freely express here. So hey, you're right...your kid your decision so if you'd rather disregard what is safer for what I consider a dumb reason, all the more power to you.

If I come off defensive, it's in response to you calling my reasons "stupid" and "dumb," and my post "ridiculous." If you were truly trying to make a point, don't you think there is a better way you could have worded it? You're extremely rude.

I'm not one bit defensive about turning my child around to face forward when THE LAW says I can. You ladies are honestly arguing semantics here. There are plenty of issues in parenting to start a war over. Knowing your child and making the decision to turn their car seat around when the law in your state says it's okay is not one of them, IMO.

Alex17 · May 2010

SamsMom - i am not at all being snarky here, but have you watched the You Tube video showing the difference of impact on Rear facing vs forward?

I was all for FF at 1 year and 20 pounds until I saw that video. It, along with some other research, totally changed my mind.

Again, I'm not trying to suggest you haven't done your research, etc. Just curious.

ToledoDeux · May 2010

SamsMom91:
I'm not one bit defensive about turning my child around to face forward when THE LAW says I can. You ladies are honestly arguing semantics here. There are plenty of issues in parenting to start a war over. Knowing your child and making the decision to turn their car seat around when the law in your state says it's okay is not one of them, IMO.

This is not semantics. Not in the least. It's proven that RF as long as possible is much MUCH safer for your kid - and it's also true that the law always lags behind safety recommendations. That's great that you are following the law - but I personally don't understand why someone would limit themselves to only the letter of the law when it comes to their child's life.

And it's not a "parenting war;' it's a debate, like everything else on here.

SamsMom91 · May 2010

Alex17:
SamsMom - i am not at all being snarky here, but have you watched the You Tube video showing the difference of impact on Rear facing vs forward?

I was all for FF at 1 year and 20 pounds until I saw that video. It, along with some other research, totally changed my mind.

Again, I'm not trying to suggest you haven't done your research, etc. Just curious.

I've seen a few videos....I think that was one of them.

We'll be purchasing a minivan in the next few weeks. If our car seat works better rear-facing in the van than they do in our current car (Ford Focus), I'll rear-face my 6 month old as long as I can. Keep in mind, he's a huge boy--already over 24 pounds. My seat rear-faces until 35 pounds. He won't be much older than one when he reaches the weight limit. My 2 year old's car seat is forward facing only.

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