Spin off poll: How long did or will your child RF? - Page 3

[eepster]

DS is 2 3/4 yo and is still RF. He's a tiny thing, so he may not hit the hight and weight limits for quite sometime. I voted that I wasn't going to turn him till he hits the hight or weight limit, but I may turn him if he starts complaining about being the only 3rd grader still RF (he really is a tiny guy and if he keeps on his current growth curve he won't hit the weight limit till he's 8 yo.)

[Ubelle]

I voted for at the limits of our seat

we have a recaro (signo / Como) and the weight limit is 35 lbs.

Not sure how long DD will be able to go, at 18 months she is 33.5 in. and just under 26.5 lbs. Last I looked (a week ago) DD was ~ 2-3 inches from the top of the seat, so I am guessing that she will max out the height first.

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by Ubelle

Last I looked (a week ago) DD was ~ 2-3 inches from the top of the seat, so I am guessing that she will max out the height first.

Make sure you measure like this, usually the kids have alot more room than we think they do

[hookahgirl]

I got DDs coat at Target last year. Its a Carter brand canvas coat and keeps DD pretty warm with out any bulk.

[mama_ani]

My oldest three were turned at a year, they weren't yet 20 lbs - this was on the advice of my doctor. I know better now.
My 7 month old and 32 month olds are both RF and will be until they outgrow the limits of their seats. If my 32 month old stays on the same growth curve he will be 4 before he needs to turn FF.

[hannybanany]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

Hannybanany I am sending you labor vibes!!:::

Thanks!

[Llyra]

DD1 I turned at 18 months. She wasn't at the weight or height limit for rear-facing yet. I don't know why I turned her. It just seemed like the "thing to do," and everybody thought I was nuts for keeping her rear-facing.

DD2 is 21 months and still rear-facing. She's a bitty little thing and will probably rear-face a long time still. I'll keep her that way until she's too tall or too heavy.

DS is also 21 months, but he's FF. I turned him because of his motion sickness. He vomits on even fairly short rides, when he's rear-facing. And he doesn't complain or cry before he vomits, so there's no warning it's coming. I often don't even know until I smell it. And I was so tired of cleaning out a stinky smelly car and having our trips short-circuited by DS being sick all the time.

[sapphire_chan]

: If she continues on her growth curve, she'll be able to be RF until 3y8month.

[azmomtoone]

i answered at the limits of the seat... but I'm not so sure about it, lately it's getting hard to get him in & out of the seat (at almost 2) - he either stands up against the back of the car seat, or I bump his head on the roof of the car and feel bad. So I'm not so sure I'd keep him there indefinitely; right now I feel like it's certainly a lot safer and worth the extra hassle.... but at say, 4, if he's still under the limits, I'm not so sure I'd see much added value in it... by then I think a good, properly installed & used see FF is a good safe option; ....

[UptownZoo]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

DS was about 2.5 and just about at the RF height limit of the seat. I probably could have kept him RF another month or two, but I was afraid of keeping him RF too long and him actually outgrowing the seat before I had a chance to switch it, and my pre-Passover car cleaning was a convenient time to make the switch.

My daughters both switched to RF around 14 months/18 lbs because the carseats then were incredibly impractical to RF with toddlers; their shoes got caught on the seatbelt (that went OVER the seat) and there was absolutly no information back then about RF being safer for kids over one. If we'd had "modern" carseats 13 years ago, my daughters would have stayed RF until they got too heavy or tall for the seats, which would probably have been around age 3.5 since they were both very tiny as preschoolers.

Ditto! Isn't it funny how fast things change? My older two kids sat in a 3 pt. harness bucket, then moved to a T-strap style seat that I bet nobody here even remembers. The rec then was 20 lbs., so that's when I turned them, DS at around 8 months, DD at around 10 months. Makes me cringe now, but we didn't know.

My youngest RF till he reached the height limit on his convertible FPSE, shortly after his 3rd birthday. He's a tall skinny chicken, so we've always had to go by height more than weight.

It's hard to believe that I'm not many years away from being done with car seats forever! I've had some combo of RF/FF/boosters in every car for so long, it'll be weird when we're done. Nice, but weird.

[ccohenou]

My first two children were around 30 lbs at one year, and I turned them then. Youngest is lighter and is still rear-facing at 19 months. I imagine we'll keep it that way until she hits the weight limit of 35 lb.

[hollytheteacher]

We just turned ds ff. He is 24 pounds and 15 months old. He is in the britax diplomat and was getting too squished rf, plus i could barely lift him and put him in it that way. he's much happier now being ff as well. Technically he could rf until 30 pounds (i believe), but logistically it works better ff now.

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by hollytheteacher

We just turned ds ff. He is 24 pounds and 15 months old. He is in the britax diplomat and was getting too squished rf, plus i could barely lift him and put him in it that way. he's much happier now being ff as well. Technically he could rf until 30 pounds (i believe), but logistically it works better ff now.

He can RF to 35 lbs in that seat. Please reconsider--15 months is VERY young to FF

[Tofu the Geek]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

He can RF to 35 lbs in that seat. Please reconsider--15 months is VERY young to FF

Just in case Holly is in Canada, the Diplomat RF to only 30 pounds here. But, I agree, 15 months is REALLY early. DD is over 2 now and I can't even imagine having her FF at this point. Their heads are still so large compared to their bodies, and it scares me to imagine that heavy, large head flinging forward in an accident.

[hollytheteacher]

Originally Posted by TechnoGranola

Just in case Holly is in Canada, the Diplomat RF to only 30 pounds here. But, I agree, 15 months is REALLY early. DD is over 2 now and I can't even imagine having her FF at this point. Their heads are still so large compared to their bodies, and it scares me to imagine that heavy, large head flinging forward in an accident.

To be honest, he might be too tall to RF. I'm not sure what the height restriction is, but he is very big for his age. I don't think he is to "young" as technically he can ff at 20 lbs and a year in Vermont...

I do agree it is safer to keep rf if children are less than the max weight and height, but it is also really hard for me to physically get him in that way. I cannot do it without bumping his head on the ceiling, he is very strong and arches his back to avoid getting in, etc. He is much happier being able to see facing forwards too.

Oh, and not to be all "my friends do it so i do it" but i honestly DO NOT KNOW of anyone who kept there lo rf after a year...I waited the longest lol.

[Tofu the Geek]

Originally Posted by hollytheteacher

To be honest, he might be too tall to RF. I'm not sure what the height restriction is, but he is very big for his age. I don't think he is to "young" as technically he can ff at 20 lbs and a year in Vermont...

He can RF until his head is within one inch of the shell. an_aurora posted a link to the proper way to measure that earlier in this thread. That being said, the Diplomat does have a short shell compared to other seats so it is possible he is outgrown it in height.

Originally Posted by hollytheteacher

I do agree it is safer to keep rf if children are less than the max weight and height, but it is also really hard for me to physically get him in that way. I cannot do it without bumping his head on the ceiling, he is very strong and arches his back to avoid getting in, etc. He is much happier being able to see facing forwards too.

Personally, I'd sell your Diplomat and go for a True Fit, which is lower profile (thus more room to get child in and less head bonking on door frames). I hate that back arching as well, good thing is, most kids outgrow it. As well, when they get older, they often climb in their seats themselves. DD hasn't let me put in her seat since she was approx. 18 months old, she's demanded to climb onto the running board and then pulls on her seat cup holder (while I stand behind because I am sure it's going to come off one day!) and gets in herself. Great because I no longer have to worry about bonking her head, not so great while I stand outside in our freezing temps where I live though!

I prefer safety to happiness although my child isn't unhappy RF. She looks out the window and always has a book and soft toys.[/QUOTE]

[hookahgirl]

At 2 I let DD climb in her RF seat herself, SO EASY. She just scrambled up there and was in postion to get buckled in.
Getting her sitting right FF is more of a pain, I actually switched from a Blvd to a Nautillas because it was taking her too long to get in herself and everytime I tired to get her in it was a major project to get the buckle out from under her and get her sitting right int he seat.
I would RF for ever if I could, so much easier!

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by hollytheteacher

I don't think he is to "young" as technically he can ff at 20 lbs and a year in Vermont...

That doesn't make it safe RF is 500% safer than FF for a myriad of reasons. Most importantly, childrens' vertebrae are not hardened and fused until around 3 years of age. Before that, children are susceptible to internal decapitation in a crash.

[BarefootScientist]

I didn't vote because I am not sure how long I will keep DS rear facing. For a while yet, I'm sure. I will need to check what the limits of the seat are, although he is nowhere near them!

DS is 16.5 mo. We had his 15-mo checkup today (yeah, late), and he was 19.25 lbs. And the doctor said that I need to put some quarters in his diaper so I could turn him around. Then he said that I can turn him around anyway even though he's not quite 20 lbs. I must have looked a bit horrified because he added "when you're ready."

But...if it's sooooo much safer, why don't they change the recommendations, or at least make it known that, although it's legal to turn them at one year/20 lbs, it's safer if you don't?

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by BarefootScientist

But...if it's sooooo much safer, why don't they change the recommendations, or at least make it known that, although it's legal to turn them at one year/20 lbs, it's safer if you don't?

It IS so much safer. The laws are 1 yr and 20 pounds because the laws were all made in the 90's when the max RF limit of any seat was 20 pounds. They simply haven't been updated. Several states have changed away from the 1 yr/20 lbs minimum to a proper-use clause in an attempt to get people to ERF, but unfortunately people just say "oh it's not the law anymore, I can turn whenever" :. The reality is that all the manufacturers list minumums (most 20 pounds, some like Dorel & Sunshine kids have a 22 lb FF minimum) but ALL encourage ERF to the limits.

ETA: That' exactly what I and all the rest of the CPSTs and CPS enthusiasts are doing~making it well known that ERF is safer