When did you switch to forward-facing? - Page 3

[rightkindofme]

With my older child she rear faced exclusively till she was 19 months then she did about 25% of her time forward facing. Around 3.5 we put her forward facing in both vehicles. My younger child started having about the same percentage of forward facing time starting right around 24 months and she isn't going to be forward facing for more time for a long time.

I have them forward face in my husband's car on road trips because that way I can hand them things and interact and get through the experience without completely freaking out. My kids like to scream while rear facing. I deal with that in my van most of the time because the screaming is far enough away from my head that I can handle it. When we are in the smaller vehicle I can't handle it. I get horrible headaches that make it so I can barely see. I have cracked teeth gritting my jaw trying to have enough self control to not beat the ever loving tar out of my kids. I just can't handle being stuck in a small enclosed space with that much screaming. I can't handle it. 

I am well aware that in the opinions of some of the folks here that means I don't care enough about my kids but I think going through childhood without ever having mom lose it and beat the children is worth the risk. I understand that it would be preferable if I had more self control but I don't. I have what I have. Am I taking a risk? Yes. All of life is a risk. If I didn't want to take any risks I never should have had kids and I should definitely never leave my house.

Yes, it is an increased risk. I know that. But the risk of me beating my children is much more certain and immediate. I don't want to beat my children. I have limited self control. I'm sorry for that. I just can't handle that much screaming.

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by rightkindofme 
Yes, it is an increased risk. I know that. But the risk of me beating my children is much more certain and immediate. I don't want to beat my children. I have limited self control. I'm sorry for that. I just can't handle that much screaming.

I would say you made the best choice you felt like you could make under the situation you had. Owned the risk, addressed the most realistic one and didn't make excused for yourself and understand the consequence. with that being that, you'll hear nothing but acceptance from me. 

[erigeron]

My daughter (18 months) is still RF and we plan to have her remain that way for a while. She is fairly average-sized and we have an Evenflo Triumph 65 in which she has plenty of room to grow. The alternate seat is an Alpha Omega Elite (which I hate and wish I'd never bought) and I may change that out later for one with a higher RF limit. We don't use that seat that much.

I have heard from moms who say FF>RF for avoiding car sickness. A mom in my DDC turned her son for this reason and it helped. They also drive about once a month which I think factored into her decision. I don't get it personally, as I myself get carsick in the back seat, and before we had kids when we used to carpool with my husband's brothers on family vacations, I would typically have to request the front seat or else I'd start to feel queasy on long drives (and not even on particularly windy roads, either). Go figure.  

[rightkindofme]

Thanks. I'm a whiny, Insecure baby.

[akcowgirl]

My dd is 22 months and rf in a britax advocate and a britax boulevard. She will be rf for a long time as she is tiny. She weights 22 pounds and has a seated height of about 13 inches. Even if she out grows the britax's rf we will get her a new seat for longer rf. she is so tiny I won't be comfortable with her ff for a long time.

[marsupial-mom]

My son is 3 and rides RF most of the time. He rides FF in our 2nd car or grandmas car because it's easier to install the seat correctly that way in those cars.

[MichelleZB]

I'm glad to read this thread. I was wondering whether I should switch my 14-month-old to forward facing. He HATES the carseat and screams while I drive him, and it's getting kind of hard to drive. But this has given me pause.

Whoever asked the silly question about school buses clearly hasn't thought anything through. Impact patterns from a crash in a schoolbus are much different since it's a much bigger vehicle. It doesn't compare to a car.

[Chloe'sMama]

DD2 is almost 2.5 and is still RF.  I switched my gigantic DD1 at almost 3.5 years old.  She is now 4.5 years old and really could be RFing still in the complete air (based on height of head, not the 40 inch requirement.... she is way too tall for that).  

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by MichelleZB 

I'm glad to read this thread. I was wondering whether I should switch my 14-month-old to forward facing. He HATES the carseat and screams while I drive him, and it's getting kind of hard to drive. But this has given me pause.

Whoever asked the silly question about school buses clearly hasn't thought anything through. Impact patterns from a crash in a schoolbus are much different since it's a much bigger vehicle. It doesn't compare to a car.

it makes me so so thrilled when i hear folks learning and making better choices, just so thrilled!  i lady my kids go to school with just had a chat with me  and got the info i always share and decided to stall rear facing for as long as she can, she was shocked how little folks know and felt this was a no brainer!

i have a few big soap boxes about how we keep our kids safe, they are all no brainers, this is one of them (circ and 2nd hand smoke are two other biggies for me)

[skycheattraffic]

Adorkable, I was just rereading this thread and I came upon your post about the foonf seats. I would absolutely consider one (despite the cost) except in Canada they are only rated for 40lb RF at the moment. There is some confusion as to why it's rated differently - probably has to do with different testing protocols between the US and Canada. I keep hoping to find an update that they've revised the limit but I don't think it will happen in time for DD. So as far as I can tell my only choice is a radian to get the longest RF life

[~Adorkable~]

yeah i have been following the CA weight issue and just feel awful for folks up there that were really looking forward to them. really frustrating.  

frankly, and i know i would get pummeled to death on some websites for saying this, but seeing as they passed US standards, if i lived in canada i would consider using them till 50lbs. cause I mean, if i a US driver, drive to Toronto in the spring, which i may actually, my seats just dont suddenly become different seats, capable of less, the second i cross the border. its all pretty strange. same as how we cant have a handful of great super high RF seats, because they have floor braces and the only reason they are not ok here is that the testing sled does not have a floor to use in the tests! So a better seat is not sold. i have a friend that had one when she was living in England two years ago and brought it home with her, its amazing and a tank!

[skycheattraffic]

Yeah, practically I agree, it's the same seat so if it's rated to 50, it should be good. There are few things I'm a real stickler for though and this is one of them. I'd love the foonf but they will simply miss me as a customer (along with a bunch of other toddler mamas I'm sure) unless they change their rating. I'd just sleep a lot better with DD FF at 46 lb in a seat that's rated for it than to keep her RF 10 lb past the stated limit in the foonf. I might have considered it if it was rated to 45 lbs though, hoping the update would come by the time DD hits 45lbs. I don't know, I'd just lose sleep over it.

[~Adorkable~]

totally understand that. not sure if i would actually do it , but i would want too.  have you checked out car-seat.org I assume, they cover canada seats and issues super well. i cant stand the radians i had bought and used for about 2.5 months, really wanted to love them, dh and i both really hated them.  now that hte kids are a year older and we dont adgut the harness so often, maybe i could like them more, but im glad i dont have to. sorry to sound like im rubbing it in, but i  my Foonfi

[skycheattraffic]

Lol no need to apologize! Love your Foonfs, you're not rubbing it in! I LOVE my truefit, wish it RF longer. Adjusting the harness without rethreading is awesome. I'll just keep stalking the foonf . What was it about the radian you hated?

[greenemami]

I only RF dd until she was 18 months old or so-and that was waaaay longer than most other people I knew at the time, sadly! Lots of people changed to FF either on the baby's first bday or even before. She also hated the car seat and I hoped that flipping her would help-it didn't.  It may help some kids, but NOT her, so don't count on that if that is your main reason for turning!

Ds is almost 3 and still RF.  We may switch him FF for vacation late this summer, only because we have 3 across and he likes to get his closest sister's attention by kicking her or pulling her hair, which will be less convenient for him facing forward (hopefully!) Makes for a long car ride.  He will be nearly 3.5 and I feel comfortable with that at that point, but if he outgrows the kicking by then I will happily leave him RF longer.  He is about 36" tall and 30something pounds, so we have a long time to fit RF (we have a 45 lb limit Radian). 

[~Adorkable~]

tightening the harness, it has this yucky tug tug tug action and i swear the angle you have to tug to tighten when RF is the same angle that automatically looses it a little! and i always felt i had to grab and work at the straps from behind. now what would you do when FF?! (of course when i had them i still thought i would FF at 2-3 i bet, not!)

i also felt like it is was not well padded, padding too crushable, i would not like thinking of my kids sitting strapped into them for 5 hour drives and such.

[Fulhouse]

Just my personal perspective from having babies for the past 20 years (4 total): 20 years ago we bought a lie down car bassinet. It locked in like a carseat and had a 5 point harness for the baby but it reclined all the way and the baby was lying down head to toe sideways on the seat. He was in that til he outgrew it and then he was a toddler facing forward like all carseats. Then 5 years later came my next child and it was super hard to find that lie down carseat, it was sold for infants with disabilities, but I bought it again. Then when he finally outgrew it, he was in a britax facing forward. Then 9 years ago my next little boy was in the typical carry car seat, faint backward. He didnt seem to like it, so on his first birthday even though he was tiny, we switched him round and he enjoyed the car from then on. Now my baby was rear facing until last month, at 17 months old, when we switched her around. To me, she was rear facing far longer than any of my kids, none of which were in an accident,thank goodness. She is happy and can watch her videos now. I know the risks but its hard with my history not to say "the other kids were fine," you knw? Me, my mom just had me on her freaking lap, no seatbelts, back in the day! Wonder how our grandchildren will be secured.

[MadelynMc]

Several of you have mentioned rearfacing seats up to 50 pounds. Are these US seats? Which ones? I am desperately trying to find a bigger seat to rearface my 3 year old who Is almost 40 pounds and within a couple inches of the top of her MyRide 65 (rearfacing).

[skycheattraffic]

I only know of the foonf that rf to 50 lbs in the US and it's pricey (in Canada it's only rated to 40lbs so it's not viable for me). The radian rf to 45lbs but i couldn't justify a new seat for 5lbs

[~Adorkable~]

http://clekinc.com/foonf/

highest rear facing limit of any seat sold in the us, also as narrow as they come in outside dimensions, but wider inside at the hip than others the same size 

Greengaurd certified fabric, reallly amazing fabric actually, that was one of the big selling points for me