S/O Carseats- Let's talk RF

lorist202 · August 2013

Is it just in my area, or does it seem that there is limited acknowledgement about extended RF for kiddos? DS is 28 mos, in a Britax Marathon and will remain rear facing until he reaches the RF height/ weight for that seat. Meanwhile, family members, SAHM friends, and even moms at the daycare have asked why DS is still rear facing. I've never been the type of person to care what others think, but it just takes me by suprise that this isn't more publicized information.

BeanNut · August 2013

Most states' laws have yet to catch up to current guidelines. Apparently public awareness is low, too. We had a lot of slack from friends and family about RF my DD1 until 24 months when you are allowed to turn them at 12 months. Our pediatrician recommended 24 months RF so I would just tell people AAP recommendations. For me, the bigger issue is that I feel bad for the kids whose parents turn them around right at 12 months since it is not nearly as safe. I try to educate people if it comes up in conversation.

lorist202 · August 2013

I definately educate people. I actually suffered a brain injury after a very minor car accident at age 17, and I have Epilepsy to this day as a result, so I don't take auto safety lightly. When people push the issue, I actually offer to email the youtube crash test/ info video, and happily have done so countless times.

PunkyBooster · August 2013

Ds was RF til over 2. Hes well over the height and weight likits now though so i turned him around. Most of my friends turned their kids around at 1!

MrsWindyCity · August 2013

Honestly, I think the bump and similar sites have a lot to do with RF knowledge. I feel like not enough pediatricians address this, and people don't really take the time to read about it on their own. DS is still RFing at 3.5 and I know a lot of people think we're nuts.

Leap08 · August 2013

I'm the only person I know who has RF past 1. If people ask me about it, I tell them why DD2 is still RFing at 20 months and try to educate them a little bit. Our doctor mentioned the recommendation when she turned 1 and I told him that I was aware of it and had no intention of turning her (DD1 was RFing until 2). But I guess other people don't care because it isn't the law.

I don't think it is just extended RFing that people are unaware of. I think people are also unaware about recommendations for boosters vs 5-pt harnesses. This weekend a friend of mine asked if I knew what the recommendation for moving into a booster (her youngest is a little over 3 and my oldest is 3.75). I told her I thought is was at least 4 and 40 lbs. She told me she had no idea how she was going to keep her daughter in a 5pt harness until 4. I was shocked because I have no intention of moving my daughter to a booster when she turns 4 (she won't be 40 lbs anyway). I honestly believe my daughter will go to kindergarten in a 5 pt harness, and I think that's a good thing.

TriciaandSean · August 2013

My son will be 3 in 2 weeks and is still happily rear facing. More and more I've seen extended rear facing closer to 2, but most switch right at 2. I'm probably the only one in town still RFing my almost 3 year old. Everyone asks me how long I plan on RFing him for, I have no idea. My son is small for his age at 28 pounds and 34" so he has a long ways to go before he outgrows the limits on his car seat. I try and educate when I get the side eye and questions.

somewhereincali · August 2013

i really dont understand why more people dont do extended RFing.
I know that awareness of the issue is part of it, from some drs and nurses it almost sounds like you should turn them at one.
but for people that do know its safer and choose not to, i just dont get it. I can understand in some specific situations like kid getting carsick one way and not the other.
Maybe I dont get it since my kids are RFing and there is some great thing about FF that I don't know

but it doesnt seem like its any easier/better/etc so why not go to the limits of your seat RFing? I know its a personal choice, I just dont see the pros in the turning earlier than your seat limits allow.

meg1974 · August 2013

I've found the same thing here. I think most people just look at what others do or listen to the news or whatever and don't do research and read up on it. For a long time, common knowledge was still 1 year/20 lbs. even though the AAP and NHS were saying minimum 2 years. It just took the mainstream media a while to catch up with it. Some pediatricians still aren't up to date.

I even got into an argument about it with a previous caregiver, and it's one of the reasons I left her. I just felt that as a professional child caregiver, she should do the research and have the latest information on things like that.

chardonnay24 · August 2013

I know a couple people who still RF at 2, but it's not very common. It's just more common in my group of friends because we are all like minded in our parenting.

sucredee · August 2013

I guess I don't know anyone that is still RF. DD turned 3 in May and still RF but I think we will have to turn her around in the next 3 months or so. I'm gonna have to move the buckle forward and I won't be able to keep her RF once that is needed. She is also very close to outgrowing the RF limits for her height. But I figure 3.5 is pretty good. My two best friends FF their kids before 18 months. I did tell them about the latest recommendation but didn't push it after that. They are also bad about buckling them very well. Their straps are very loose. I don't do a ton of well child checks anymore but I tell all my patients about the new recommendation, stating at their newborn visit. I'm probably the only one in our office though.

EDWHIP · August 2013

Unfortunately, being the only one with knowledge about ERF it's an upward battle. I get flack from DH, MIL, DC, EVERYONE! I'm the crazy one. People think I am a debbie downer know it all. Until it becomes more normal, you won't see many people RFing.

TeacherVicky · August 2013

I experience the same thing here. I am the only person/mother I know who has RF'ed past the 22lbs/1yr law (I'm in Canada). Everyone else has been eager to jump ship to FF.

My dr mentioned at DS's 12m appt that recommendations were now to RF until 2 years, but didn't go in much more detail than that.

Public awareness is extremely low I find.

boogerbearoriginal · August 2013

Most my friends still RF, minus one who turned her kid at 1yr as if it were some milestone despite me telling her the 2yr recommendation. She claimed her convertible seat didn't feel secure RFing, but the biggest reason I side-eyed it was her kid was less than 20lbs so he really didn't meet the actual law, but she didn't care. After the seat was inspected, so she took that as "official" blessing. I just didn't bring it up anymore.

At DC, every kid I see at dropoff/pickup is FFing. Granted his place doesn't take kids until 18m, but I'm willing to bet they didn't recently get flipped but were switched at 1yr. However, no one has ever said anything to me about it.

No mention of carseat at 1yr appt., at new pedi for 2yr the nurse asked if LO was in a "safe, properly installed carseat". It made me laugh, because I am willing to bet tons of people say yes and have no clue what that even means. They never asked which direction he faced.

One of H's friends tried to tell H LO was UNSAFE RFing this old....I was like WTF? WHere do people get this information?? So I may have posted something on FB about AAP recs for RFing (we're both FB friends with this guy). I didn't tag him or anything, just posted it. I have no idea whether he saw it or not, but it made me feel better lol. Outside of that no one has mentioned it directly to us. BIL has his kid FFing since 12m, I haven't said anything to them. Quite frankly, BIL/SIL are kind of a know-it-alls so sometimes it's just not worth the discussion (and eye-rolling from them). These people tried to convince me their kid's 102 fever was from teething...

jllmb79 · August 2013

lrachelle80 what car seat do you have? My Evenflo only goes to 37in rear facing. We are still RF but my DD#1 is almost 37in.

memali26 · August 2013

jllmb79 said:

lrachelle80 what car seat do you have? My Evenflo only goes to 37in rear facing. We are still RF but my DD#1 is almost 37in.

Do you have a Triumph? We were able to keep DD1 RFing in the Evenflo Triumph until she was over 39 inches. Most RFing seats aren't outgrown by height until they have less than an inch of shell left above their head.

jllmb79 · August 2013

memali26 We have the Evenflo Symphony DLX Hamilton and up until the other day I thought that it only mattered how far the top of her head was from the shell but their website says "

For Use Rear-Facing Child Must Meet All These Requirements

Weight: 5 – 40 lbs (2.3 – 18kg)
Height: 19 - 37 inches (48 - 94 cm)
Top of child’s head is at least 1 inch (25 mm) below the top of the child restraint seat back.

TriciaandSean · August 2013

fredalina said:

I actually had a CPST tell me to turn my then 3 year old FF. It was a free event at the end of a CPST course, so he was brand new, but I was shocked. I told him it is 5 times safer and he said, "Up to age 2. She is 3." I was NOT happy about it. When his teacher/senior came by I brought it up and she backed me up then made an announcement to everyone. I felt vindicated but not thrilled that it had apparently not been taught right in the first place.

I've had the local fire department and a safe kids event car seat technician both tell me they never heard of such a thing as extended RFing and the benefits. The fire fighter actually started questioning me and asking how his legs were when he sat in the seat and pulled the whole he could hit his face with his knees in an accident...blah blah blah. It frustrated me because there are lots of people in town that go to these places for guidance and they are giving them outdated and bad information.

memali26 · August 2013

jllmb79 said:

memali26 We have the Evenflo Symphony DLX Hamilton and up until the other day I thought that it only mattered how far the top of her head was from the shell but their website says "
For Use Rear-Facing Child Must Meet All These Requirements
Weight: 5 – 40 lbs (2.3 – 18kg)
Height: 19 - 37 inches (48 - 94 cm)
Top of child’s head is at least 1 inch (25 mm) below the top of the child restraint seat back.

Ah, bummer

Our Triumph follows the 1in rule, and even with the shorter shell I was surprised how long we could keep DD1 RFing because she's so tall.

alake · August 2013

My youngest three are RF. Two and a half, one and 6 months. We adopted the two and a half year old and the six month old. My older two are harnessed at six and 7 and a half. They both ride in booster seats when we travel. We spent the summer in Canada, with a two week side trip to Italy. The six year old, is going back rear facing at her request. We just bought a 12 passenger van, as I couldn't imagine them in a 8 passenger. We have been working with it, but are switching the youngest two into convertible car seats tomorrow. We pick it up tomorrow. She will RF until she outgrows the Foonf. She has 10 pounds and 3 inches or so. She should fit until at least seven, or she decides she wants to forward face.
I rear face until a minimum of four, and at that age, they get the option to forward face or not. Leah RF until February, at her request, but we turned her FF upon the adoption of the other two. With the new van and new room, she is going RF again!! I am excited to have four RF. Summer is wanting to booster full time. I am going to get her a new booster and move her into it.

izziebee · August 2013

I think that all around, people generally don't know the benefits of RF'ing. Those of us that come on here are highly exposed to best practices when it comes to all sorts of childcare (safety, feeding, diapering etc....) Most parents I know don't have the time or desire to spend a lot of time on the internet researching / educating themselves on this sort of thing and from what I'm reading from all of you, not many people that are supposed to be 'in the know' out there (Firefighters, Doctors etc... ) are educating parents either. Plus, add in the fact that I can bet that there are a lot of those non extended RF'ing parents on TB that choose not to post reponses in anything regarding this topic for fear of backlash as this is a very hot topic so when you read posts on this topic here you are seeing a very small sampling of the true public opinion. So it might feel like more people should know the benefits, most probably do not.

somewhereincali · August 2013

izziebee said:

I think that all around, people generally don't know the benefits of RF'ing. Those of us that come on here are highly exposed to best practices when it comes to all sorts of childcare (safety, feeding, diapering etc....) Most parents I know don't have the time or desire to spend a lot of time on the internet researching / educating themselves on this sort of thing and from what I'm reading from all of you, not many people that are supposed to be 'in the know' out there (Firefighters, Doctors etc... ) are educating parents either. Plus, add in the fact that I can bet that there are a lot of those non extended RF'ing parents on TB that choose not to post reponses in anything regarding this topic for fear of backlash as this is a very hot topic so when you read posts on this topic here you are seeing a very small sampling of the true public opinion. So it might feel like more people should know the benefits, most probably do not.

But I feel like so many people on tb will say, I know it's safer but it's not the law and its our personal family choice. Or something about how it would be safer to wrap your kids in bubble wrap but we don't do that. I just can't wrap my head around why you would choose to do something less safe that doesn't seem any better or easier. I don't wrap my kid in bubble wrap because that would keep them from being able to do things in life. But rf doesn't seem like it has any downsides (aside from the carsickness or freaking out or something). If anything I remember loving to get to face backwards as a kid in those rear facing extra seats some cars used to have!

doublefiesta · August 2013

I just turned my 2.5yo back to RF after turning her at 14mo, in a Radian. She had outgrown her infant seat, and we got a much better install FF w/her new seat (Coccoro). I tried to find a tech to show us how to properly RF, but no one ever called us back.

I don't know anyone else who is still RFing their toddlers, and I'm not going to push the issue beyond leading by example. I think the worst thing you can do when trying to convince people is make them feel defensive and ignorant.

All I know is I could never live with myself if we were in an accident and there was something I could have done to prevent serious injury or death to my children. Luckily DH agrees after seeing this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sssIsceKd6U

(It's short, to the point...DH did not want to sit thru Joel's Journey.)

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