At least 2. I'm still skeptical about her fitting comfortably all the way to the height restriction of the seat. When DD1 was 5 the seat could have technically still fit her RF but her knees would have been in her chest. DD1 turned at 1 (back in the old days this was ok) so the extended RF is new to me. I guess we'll play it by ear after 2.
I plan on turning DD FF when we go on vacation this August. We are going the week before her birthday so technically I am waiting until she is 2. Even though my mom and everyone else comment on how uncomfortable she looks. I have friends that turned their DD FF at about 13 months...Sort of feel like they are judging and told me their doctor said it was okay. To each their own.
we're keeping DS rear-facing as long as possible. we have the chicco nextfit and i know that has one of the taller shells on the market, so we're hoping we can keep him rear-facing for quite a while.
Genuinely curious here...those who plan to turn your LOs before outgrowing the RF limits of their seat: why? Or why does your DH have a problem with it? I promise I'm not trying to be argumentative, I really just don't understand. You have to buckle them in anyway, so what does it matter the direction they're facing? (I could see if it were a matter of convenience or something, but it doesn't seem like much of a difference as far as effort required.) I feel like this last 20 months has flown by, so I could do another 20+ months without a problem.
What are people's reasons for giving you a hard time or judging you? (I'm using the royal "you" here, meaning people in general.)
I absolutely do not understand this. Who cares if you want your kid's car seat backwards until he hits the limit at age 3 or 4? Why does that matter to anyone's friend/mom/sister/neighbor/etc.? I do not understand this.
And what is with husbands?!?! Here's how our conversation went:
DH: "When do you turn a car seat forward?"
Me: "The AAP says after a kid turns two, but it's really best to wait until they hit the height or weight limits for the seat. It's apparently safer."
DH: "Oh. That makes sense."
It wasn't that hard. So, people with husbands who absolutely must have a child who faces forward in a vehicle ASAP, enlighten me: what is up with these dudes?
@binklesss I'm not sure about going up to the limit of a seat. I'm certainly not against it I just am going to have to wait and see how DD2 is fitting. I'm not talking about her legs being bent just a little or anything like that.
I recently put my 6yo in a RF seat out of curiosity. She is just over the height limit. She looked ridiculous in it. With her legs stretched out her knees were in her face and feet up over the head rest. Sitting crossed legged, her legs were in her chest. Sitting with her legs hanging over the side her one leg couldn't even go because of the door.
Maybe it's our seat or maybe the couple inches makes a big difference.
I also don't get why other people care if a child is RF until they are older. With DD1 she was RF until she was 17 months and people thought I was crazy. I'd get comments like "I survived with no car seat when I was little." I really hate that comment.
DS for months has been rf in my car, my main car. And ff in SO car. Reasoning for that is, his car is coupe and the passanger door is broken from the outside. And to ice that cake, he broke his hand right at DS first birthday. Once he was able to use his hand enough to feel save driving stick shift and picking the baby up from daycare, it was just easier to turn him in his car only. But he is only in that car to ride home from day care 4-5 times a week. Everything else, my car. And he hardly fit rf in my car. My passanger seat was right up to the dashboard. It was awful.
Now, with the new car, I just threw the seat in ff. It was late and we were in a rush. It's not even the latch. Just sest belt and teather. :-/ I'll fix it this weekend. I had zero plans of him ever ff in my car until at least two.
We're in the car now, and DD was screaming because she's wearing shoes she can't get off on her own. We had to pull over so I could take them off for her. If that happened often, I'd probably give me thought to turning her at 2...lol. Anyway, kudos to you mamas who are keeping your LO's RF until at least 2! My family and DH's are great about letting us parent our child and not giving us a hard time about our choices, but I'm sure it would be more difficult if that weren't the case. (Although MIL did ask a couple weeks ago if she could drive DD about a mile without her car seat and pouted for half a second when I told her no...haha.)
Oh yes! Did it over a month ago, saves my back! My Kids are in the 99 percentile for height and weights and the sizes of 2.5 yr olds. They love being able to see out the front window!
Oh yes! Did it over a month ago, saves my back! My Kids are in the 99 percentile for height and weights and the sizes of 2.5 yr olds. They love being able to see out the front window!
This is exactly the boat we are in. My boy is big! I have the seat at the highest limit for RF, so I'll see if he makes it to 2 to be turned.
I don't have a set in stone plan. I'm aiming for 2. To turn the question around, I don't understand why anyone cares whether I RF my child til 1.5, 2, 4 or 18. I'm within the law and I make the decision based on all kinds of circumstances in our daily life, our cars, car seats, child's personality, etc. It is safer but internal decapitation is extremely rare. We take all kinds of different risks in life and we have to weigh them against other factors. You can say there is "no good reason" and it's just the easiest thing in the world to RF but you don't have my kid or my life. So you do you and I'll do me. Sorry, rant over . ETA: this isn't directed at anyone in particular.
DH will do whatever I tell him is best for DS but I don't have to tell him, he's all about ERF too. He still goes with me to every MD appointment for DS so he knows our pediatrician recommends it too. Our plan is to ERF for as long as possible.
I intentionally got the Britax Marathon so that DD could RF for as long as possible. Like PPs, we have no plans set in stone. DD RF in both cars. She'll stay RF at least until she's 2 and then we will reasses. I'm in no rush to turn her around. I'm not pressured by anyone to turn her, at least not yet. Although my brother did say to me "she's facing the wrong way". But his LO is 8 so he's got no clue. I just laughed! And, my conversation with DH was similar to the one @piphgirl outlined!
I'd like to keep her RF as long as possible, but like others have mentioned, we've all had the best laid plans that we've changed our minds about once the baby came! She does fight us getting into her carseat. She wants to climb in herself, so I let her. But alot of the time she'll stand in her seat, turned around, looking out the front window. I'll have to say "turn around and sit down. Do you want to do it yourself or do you need mommy to help you?". The threat of mommy having to help is usually enough for her to sit down and do it herself. Usually ... for now ...
She is on the taller side (wearing 3T), so I do worry about her comfort.
One day at a time ... one challange at a time ...
My Journey to Motherhood Me 36, DH 42 7.5 years of TTC ... It never gets any easier.
Baby Girl # 1
TTC Since January 2009
Reproductive Endocrinologist diagnosed us "Unexplained Infertility".
After 3 years . . . 3 IUIs . . . and 3 IVFs . . . our miracle GIRL arrived on August 6, 2012.
Baby Girl # 2 TTC Since June 2013 Got pregnant on our own without Fertility Treatments - January 2016! Thank you snow storm Jonas! EDD 10/15/16 At 20-week anatomy scan found IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), and very low Amniotic Fluid. Now, I'm High Risk and have weekly ultrasounds to monitor fluid and growth. If baby runs out of room or is too growth restricted, they will deliver ASAP. My current goal is to make it to 28 weeks!
stlmomma27
member
Re: Carseat, forward-facing?
When she is too big to rear face then we will switch her.
It's the safest.
DD1 turned at 1 (back in the old days this was ok) so the extended RF is new to me. I guess we'll play it by ear after 2.
I have friends that turned their DD FF at about 13 months...Sort of feel like they are judging and told me their doctor said it was okay. To each their own.
I recently put my 6yo in a RF seat out of curiosity. She is just over the height limit. She looked ridiculous in it. With her legs stretched out her knees were in her face and feet up over the head rest. Sitting crossed legged, her legs were in her chest. Sitting with her legs hanging over the side her one leg couldn't even go because of the door.
Maybe it's our seat or maybe the couple inches makes a big difference.
I also don't get why other people care if a child is RF until they are older. With DD1 she was RF until she was 17 months and people thought I was crazy. I'd get comments like "I survived with no car seat when I was little." I really hate that comment.
Now, with the new car, I just threw the seat in ff. It was late and we were in a rush. It's not even the latch. Just sest belt and teather. :-/ I'll fix it this weekend. I had zero plans of him ever ff in my car until at least two.
ETA: this isn't directed at anyone in particular.
DH will do whatever I tell him is best for DS but I don't have to tell him, he's all about ERF too. He still goes with me to every MD appointment for DS so he knows our pediatrician recommends it too. Our plan is to ERF for as long as possible.
I intentionally got the Britax Marathon so that DD could RF for as long as possible. Like PPs, we have no plans set in stone. DD RF in both cars. She'll stay RF at least until she's 2 and then we will reasses. I'm in no rush to turn her around. I'm not pressured by anyone to turn her, at least not yet. Although my brother did say to me "she's facing the wrong way". But his LO is 8 so he's got no clue. I just laughed! And, my conversation with DH was similar to the one @piphgirl outlined!
I'd like to keep her RF as long as possible, but like others have mentioned, we've all had the best laid plans that we've changed our minds about once the baby came! She does fight us getting into her carseat. She wants to climb in herself, so I let her. But alot of the time she'll stand in her seat, turned around, looking out the front window. I'll have to say "turn around and sit down. Do you want to do it yourself or do you need mommy to help you?". The threat of mommy having to help is usually enough for her to sit down and do it herself. Usually ... for now ...
She is on the taller side (wearing 3T), so I do worry about her comfort.
One day at a time ... one challange at a time ...
My Journey to Motherhood
Me 36, DH 42
7.5 years of TTC ... It never gets any easier.
Baby Girl # 1
TTC Since January 2009
Reproductive Endocrinologist diagnosed us "Unexplained Infertility".
After 3 years . . . 3 IUIs . . . and 3 IVFs . . . our miracle GIRL arrived on August 6, 2012.
Baby Girl # 2
TTC Since June 2013
Got pregnant on our own without Fertility Treatments - January 2016! Thank you snow storm Jonas!
EDD 10/15/16
At 20-week anatomy scan found IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), and very low Amniotic Fluid. Now, I'm High Risk and have weekly ultrasounds to monitor fluid and growth. If baby runs out of room or is too growth restricted, they will deliver ASAP. My current goal is to make it to 28 weeks!