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For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

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For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Parenting

When did your child move to a forward facing car seat?

108 replies

Alb1 · 04/02/2016 18:46

Just that really, I no rear facing for as long as possible is the best thing. DS is 17 months, 10kg (car seat says minimum of 9kg for forward facing, his feet are slightly cramped now rear facing so I'm debating turning the seat but not sure if he's too young so thought I'd see if I can find out what the average sort of age is?

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Sirzy · 04/02/2016 18:49

I would wait a bit longer or look for a seat which allows them to remain rear facing for longer. The longer they can rear face the better.

My nephew is in the joie stages seat, he is the same age and similar Wright to your son and has so much space he won't need to move for sges

stargirl1701 · 04/02/2016 18:51

DD1 rear facing at 3.4 years in a Klippan Triofix Recline and DD2 rear facing at 17 months in a Cybex Sirona.

squeezed · 04/02/2016 18:53

Planning on keeping dd rear facing until 4 years. Really looking at doing it as long as possible. Although I think they look more uncomfortable than they actually are when they get older.

GruffalosDad · 04/02/2016 18:54

DCs age 3 & 5 are rear facing. Expect DS will forward face in another 6 months or so as he is starting to grow towards being too tall for seat (britax elite)

fastingmum123 · 04/02/2016 18:55

About a year but we had a tiny car that could only for a tiny basic mother are seat. Think it was an old fiat plus we had two other children in the car too. Getting the seat in with no backdoors was a nightmare

Florin · 04/02/2016 18:59

Age 3 when he grew out of his car seat (he is extremely tall). They are safer in rear facing seats so the longer the better.

AndNowItsSeven · 04/02/2016 19:00

Age three , would have preferred it to be longer.

AndNowItsSeven · 04/02/2016 19:00

His feet can just hang over the side.

poocatcherchampion · 04/02/2016 19:02

3, 2 and 0 all rear facing. 3yo is nearly 4.
Will remain like this until baby grows out his infant carrier/she gets too tall for seat. So probably 5.

The mum of a 19mo I know turned her this week and I couldn't believe how small she is.

I am one of the lucky ones whose babies lives were probably saved by rear facing.

goodbyeyellowbrickroad · 04/02/2016 19:03

DS is 3.5 and still rear facing. Will keep him rear facing as long as possible

TheClacksAreDown · 04/02/2016 19:05

Shortly before age 4 when it was a struggle to get dc into the extended rear facing car seat no they weren't far off the weight limit.

WhatTheActualFugg · 04/02/2016 19:08

I'm so pleased to read these answers. My DD is 6 now and she was rear facing until just before she was 4. Even just a couple of years ago this was a completely alien concept to most people and we got a lot of looks.

We couldn't even find one in a shop to look at so had to buy one 'blind' online.

With DS we did move him to face forwards earlier. Probably just after he turned 3. It wasn't an easy decision. But he was falling asleep most of the time and having his head hanging down and bouncing around all over the place. I thought that was probably really not very good for him. The seat facing forwards just seems to work better for his head.

fastingmum123 · 04/02/2016 19:12

Never heard of children staying in them that long then again my three are 11, 8 and 5

Emus · 04/02/2016 19:13

Ds1 was just over 2. Should have done it for longer even though he hated it. Ds2 will be rear facing for as long as possible. Don't worry about their legs. They might look cramped but it's perfectly OK for them. They will find ways to get comfy.

Pawpatroller · 04/02/2016 19:14

DS was 3.6 when we turned him ff, and only then because DD had grown out of her infant carrier at 20 months so needed his rf seat! She will stay in it now until she's about 4 I guess, as that's when it's recommended to keep them rf until. Have a look at //www.rearfacing.org (I think that's the site) Look at the head to body ratios.

PennyHasNoSurname · 04/02/2016 19:14

We turned dds seat forward just before she turned four. Her head was too far over the top for rear facing - no trouble with her legs even though shes over 105cm

Ds will stay rearward til at least the same age.

Chrisinthemorning · 04/02/2016 19:15

3.6, when he hit 18kg. Our RF seat only went to 18kg.

MigGril · 04/02/2016 19:17

DS almost 5 years only turned him round as I could no longer tighten the tethers tight enough in the car due to a problem I started having in my hand (we move it between cars). He's not actually outgrown his seat and is in it forward facing in the five points harness.

But I figured he's over the toddler stage where is most dangerous lucky.

HeadDreamer · 04/02/2016 19:18

17mo and still rear facing. I think the new i-size guideline is rear facing till 15mo. So he is definitely not too young to be turned to forward facing.

Moln · 04/02/2016 19:20

Similar to fastingmum123, I'd never heard of them when mine (youngest is 9) were in car seats, so they were forward facing once they out grew the baby seat. Talk of extended rear facing seats came into my group of friends over 5, maybe 6 or 7 years ago.

HeadDreamer · 04/02/2016 19:21

See Q3 here.
www.i-size.org.uk/faqs-child-dev.html

HeadDreamer · 04/02/2016 19:23

I have a maxi cosi Milofix and I will keep DD rear facing as long as she fits. I don't think it's a ERF seat. Just one of those newer I size seat.

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WhirlwindHugs · 04/02/2016 19:24

Have a look at his head height. Mine went front facing at 9mo (years ago, when baby car seats were much smaller) and little two both coming up to 18mo.

Extended rear facing is a massive thing online, but I know only 1 parent in RL who does this - the kids do look prefectly fine and comfortable, but it doesn't suit us as I am deaf and need to see their faces to talk to them.

Eminybob · 04/02/2016 19:30

I was just debating this with myself today actually.

DS is nearly 19 months and in the joie stages so should be able to rear face until he's roughly 4, but I've been finding it increasingly difficult to get him in the seat and he's a bit cramped.

Today we went out with a friend and put the car seat in her car, and I struggled getting it in rear facing (it's a bit tight with the seat belts even in our car) so I gave up and secured it forward facing. It so much easier to get him in and out and DS seemed to really enjoy. BUT I do really want to keep him rear facing for as long as possible because it is safer. Hence me buying the joie in the first place.

So the seat is not strapped in either way at the moment, waiting for me to make a decision tomorrow.

fastingmum123 · 04/02/2016 19:33

Oh I didn't realise you where talking about actual seats we went from infant carrier to normal car seat never heard of anything else

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