To be shocked people are actually rear-facing their primary age kids

I had no idea about this to be honest! I thought rear facing was until 18 months onward so my 1.5 year old has been switched to forward facing. Should I put it back? Sorry if this is ignorant, I hadn't heard of this until now

As long as the kids are within the maximum dimensions allowable for the seat I don’t see the issue

I do think it sounds uncomfortable for most though

I have to say that rear facing beyond maybe 1yo was not a thing when mine were little )in 20s now) but it sounds really sensible and hardly shocking OP. I think you must lead a very sheltered life!

It’s bullshit like this that I can’t stand.

Instead of sneering, if it’s something you feel strongly about, try to share information with someone to educate them.

Honestly, the preachy posts on here rival the BF/FF threads on here.

I know plenty of people who don’t use a car seat at all for their 7 year olds, but that doesn’t mean it is safe!

I’ve never seen a child over 16 months rear facing. I have a small car so couldn’t fit a bigger rear facing car seat. I wouldn’t have chosen one anyway as my daughter was car sick. Moved dd to forward facing at 15-16 months because of both the above reasons. It’s not safe to drive with a car sick screaming toddler.

My daughter is 6 in December. She still rear faces.

For everyone saying their children are moaning, or kicking the seat, because their legs are dangling, put a box or small step on the floor of the car for them - it's much more comfortable

Not convinced of this, I had one in the 70s

My child will rear face until they grow out of their ERF seat so 125cm tall/36kg

Not sure why parents going above crappy uk gov standards is surprising

I was more shocked at the idiot grandparents ignoring the toddler's car seat and driving off with the toddler on the front passenger's lap. I did have a word with them about it at the first chance I got. It wasn't the first time they'd done it.

ERF at school age hasn't caught on around here yet, and I'm still more likely to have to insist that an under-height 9-10 yo is not going in my car without a booster regardless of what they do in their own cars. My car, my legal responsibility.

ERF was very new and very niche when my 14 & 12 yo were born. Very expensive, online only. They had a 0+ car seat. I kept DS2 in it for longer as his square build fitted the harnesses better and he was happy. DS1 became too long, and also at around 12-13m began screaming relentlessly and it was far too distracting to be able to drive safely in that condition. While RF has benefits in some types of impact, it's better to drive safely with full concentration and avoid all impacts.

DS1's lean (long backed) proprortions didn't fit car seat law. When he outgrew one car seat out- growing the head support and harnesses being behind his shoulders, he ended up in a stupid gap where he was too light for the HBB with harnesses which was the next stage.

Most people will do what is legal, avaliable, affordable, fits the car and is comfortable for the child (including issues like travel sickness). The outcome of that is variable.

The decisions I made a decade ago would be different today because cars and seats have changed (hopefully DS would have been happier for longer...)
But the safety benefits of ERF do have diminishing returns as the child gets older and stronger.

Same here.

We did exactly the same. He then started enjoying car journeys so much more. My older two were facing forward from much younger than that! I only know one person whose 5 year old still faced backwards in a car.

I don’t think it’s reasonable to be shocked. Advice changes and people respond to this. Advice can change quite quickly… my eldest now 24 years was in an approved rear facing car seat until he was about 9 months old! It wasn’t even anchored or had a base, it seems madness now. My younger child now 21 had a larger, fixed rear facing until about 18 months of age as this had appeared as a safer option. Given the information available now I absolutely would have kept them rear facing for much longer!

We have a Skoda Octavia and Axkid minikid was fine in there for our 90th centile 6yo. We only moved him out as his 4yo sister had outgrown her car seat and needed the Axkid.

I kept my eldest rear facing till he outgrew his rear facing seat. He was 2 months short of his 5th birthday and weighed around 17.5kg. I then forward faced him. My youngest is 2.5 and I have no plans to forward face until he too has outgrown the rear facing seat, so likely also close to 5.
Rear facing is 5 times safer so I do understand parents who rear face for longer, including up to 7. It's a personal choice. And not something I'd judge other parents for. (Whether forward or rear facing)

Fab thank you! Will have a look at it. 😊 xx

I don't know why you're so shocked when yours rear faced almost as long.
My middle rear faced until gone 5, when he started to complain his legs hurt and was getting travel sick. Will do the same with littlest. We have an axkid Move.
I don't know anyone else who rear faces beyond about 2 though.
I'm honestly not sure how anyone uses them until 6 or 7 though, even if the kid would fit, the seat wouldn't fit in the car on those settings. And we don't have a small car.

Everyone is safer rear facing but children under age 6 still have a head that's proportionally bigger so are still particularly vulnerable faced forward. Ideally kids should be rf until 6 as before that they are more vulnerable to severe neck injury.

I’ve never seen a rear facing seat for an older dc. How do they get in? I’m struggling to visualise it.
I can see how the view might be better, less need to stretch and turn to see out.

The Axkid movekid or minikid both go up quite high. I can't remember the minikid weight, but the movekid goes upto 36kg RF. My son has it, and its pretty roomy!

Maybe it’s because everyone at my kids’ school (in London) walks to school, but I have no idea what people’s car seat set ups are. I don’t tend to look in the windows of random cars I see out and about either so I find it odd that so many can confidently say that no one in their local area does it.

My 90th centile 7yo was rear facing until he was 6.5 in an Axkid Minikid and very comfortable. My almost 5yo is in it now and will be until she outgrows it.

Like a pp my in laws have been weird about it - constantly asking if their legs are squished/uncomfortable. I think some people take these kind of things as criticisms of their parenting and get very defensive about it.

Same with my DC, and me on trains.

Over the years we have thankfully learnt more about road safely and how to ensure children are safe travelling.

DS is 15, when he was little I was thought mad for keeping him rear facing until 18 months. Now that would be deemed the very minimum for many and we know that ERF is shown to be significantly safer.

Look at Axkid,BeSafe or britax they are 3 of the extended rear facing brands. There’s a few others but I can’t remember.