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Original poster

Forward or rear facing car seat

25 replies

Underworld345 · 11/04/2018 18:01

So DS is 11 months and hates car journeys.

I know it’s safer to leave child in rear facing for as long as possible but when he’s crying, I gets stressed...surely this is even more dangerous when I’m driving.

Does everyone stick with he rules and keep their child rearward facing.

OP posts:

MonkeyPoke · 11/04/2018 18:06

I thought it was a legal requirement that they rear face until they are 15 months?

LP17 · 11/04/2018 18:08

Best and safest to rear face for as long as possible, you can and ideally should rear face until your child is around 2 years of age. As stressful as you may find it at the moment, you need to find ways to make it work for both of you I'm afraid!

Spam88 · 11/04/2018 18:09

Yeah I'd rather the crying than the alternative if you were in an accident. That said, I'm good at not letting her crying bother me when I'm driving (it's a different story when my DH is driving and I'm trying to keep her quiet so he doesn't get stressed though, aaargh!). Why do you think he'd be happier forward facing? Can you put anything on the back of the seat for him to play with/watch?

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AssassinatedBeauty · 11/04/2018 18:10

Do you know that forward facing would definitely stop the crying? Would getting mirrors help so you can see him whilst he's rear facing?

dementedpixie · 11/04/2018 18:12

Iys only a legal requirement to rear face until 15 months if they ate using an iSize car seat. You also get seats that are weight based and are legal to forwards face from 9kg

SossidgeRoll · 13/04/2018 13:29

mine screamed until they were 13 months EVERY time we went in the car. I had a seat that could be rear or ff. We tried both and: It didn't make a difference. I actually kept them r-facing til they were nearly 3. They just stopped one day - hopefully that will be the case for you as rear facing is safer.

Thiswayorthatway · 13/04/2018 13:33

My DC were much happier forward facing

NameChange30 · 13/04/2018 13:33

Rear facing is much safer, five times safer I believe (plenty of info out there if you Google it)

I am keeping my son rear facing until he’s at least 4 and would continue to do so even if he was unhappy in the car.

Get a mirror so you can see each other. Get one of those things you attach to the seat in front of baby with toys and things on it. Try playing music or nursery rhymes. If all else fails, iPad in a pocket attached to the seat?!

TroubledLichen · 13/04/2018 13:42

My 10 month old has just switched to forward facing, partly because we don’t have our own car so use a car club and she’s in a birth to stage 2 seat that is a nightmare to install rear facing but super simple to install forward facing using the seatbelt. She also used to scream in the car and now we don’t hear a peep out of her. So it’s probably a lot safer as her meltdowns were pretty distracting! She obviously meets to the weight requirement to sit forward too, I wouldn’t have swapped her unless that was the case.

I don’t know anybody in real life that has actually kept their kids rear facing until 4. Everyone I know seemed to swap to forward around 1-2 years old, the vast majority

TroubledLichen · 13/04/2018 13:43

Sorry posted too soon... trying to say the vast majority of people I know swapped or plan to when their babies outgrow the jnfant carrier.

It is less safe though, so only do what you feel comfortable with.

Makingworkwork · 13/04/2018 13:45

I don’t know anyway who has gone from baby carrier to forward facing.

NameChange30 · 13/04/2018 14:08

FF “probably a lot safer” than a baby crying in a RF seat

Despite all the crash test evidence to the contrary

Sure

TroubledLichen · 13/04/2018 14:27

FFS I was saying from my own personal perspective only that I find rear facing probably less safe as I find it very difficult to drive safely in the car when I’m listening to screaming. I have on several occasions nearly crashed the car and DD was always arriving at our destination covered in vomit from all the screaming. Now car journeys are a calm experience so I feel the switch was worth it for us.

At the end of my post I say forward facing is less safe. Because, as you say, crash test evidence. I’m not suggesting for a moment that a I think a rear facing seat is considered less safe, I’m just giving my own personal experience and saying that I found having DD rear facing incredibly distracting.

I thought that was pretty clear from my post but apparently not so apologies there!

beenandgoneandbackagain · 13/04/2018 14:45

As a compromise could you do the rear facing seat in the front seat with you? You would need to ensure the airbag is switched off and that the front seat is pushed back as far as possible.

If there are two adults in the car then one could sit in the back next to the baby?

mrsb06 · 13/04/2018 14:51

DD was in rear facing til about 18m.

Yes, there is lots of evidence to suggest that rear facing for as long as possible is safer. However, my DD was wrestling herself out of her straps in an attempt to reach around and see us sitting in the front, despite having a mirror. So, for us, it was actually safer to switch to front facing from then on.

Thiswayorthatway · 13/04/2018 15:29

Where do the legs go in a rear facing seat? Honestly no-one I know in RL has DC rear facing once out of baby carriers, where are all these parents?!

PurpleSnails · 13/04/2018 15:38

'Car seat advice UK' is a great Facebook page to look at. I was sceptical about extended rear facing however after reading about the test results on there I would keep my daughter rear facing for as long as possible.

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 13/04/2018 15:41

Why is there no momentum to change the law to mandate rear facing til much older, if the evidence is so convincing?

31weeksgone · 13/04/2018 15:51

My daughters nearly 3, and she’s still rear facing. Although I grant you at age 4 when she grows out of her rear facing seat I’m not sure what I’ll do because it seems impossible to find another one after that, but until then she’s RF. her legs are comfortable just resting up on the back seats or she crosses them. It’s one of the things I’m desperate to keep doing for her, she has no problems with it. It’s so much safer. I do think 11 months is too young to be turnt. At least get to 15 months

31weeksgone · 13/04/2018 15:53

Holdmecloser, when I was getting a new car seat mothercare told me it was coming in the next few years but they had to phase out all the old seats hence the new isize. In Sweden I think it’s law to keep RF until 7!

AssassinatedBeauty · 13/04/2018 15:56

@Thiswayorthatway my DS was rear facing until 4 years old, and he is a top centile on height. He has long legs, but they fitted in fine, no problems at all. DS2 is nearly 2 and will be rear facing for as long as possible.

I know lots of people who rear faced for longer than 9 months.

Forward facing seats aren't dangerous or unsafe. Rear facing ones are safer, that's all.

welshweasel · 13/04/2018 15:57

All but one of the 8 kids in my NCT group still forward face aged 2 and most of us plan to continue until at least 4. It’s pretty common amongst my non NCT friends too.

OP I’d try rear facing on the front seat, or a mirror/iPad in the back as a first suggestion. Have you removed the rear headrest so he can see out well? If he’s still in his infant seat he may be happier once he’s in a rear facing toddler seat as they are more upright.

I genuinely have no idea why anyone would choose to turn their hold forward facing before at least the age of 2.

3stonedown · 13/04/2018 16:00

I would keep him rear facing until 15 months at least. Try mirrors and toys etc in the meantime.

NameChange30 · 13/04/2018 17:11

MonkeyPoke · 14/04/2018 11:11

Where do the legs go in a rear facing seat? Honestly no-one I know in RL has DC rear facing once out of baby carriers, where are all these parents?!

My son is nearly 4 and still rear facing. He's a perfectly normal height and has no issues with his legs.

I'm the daughter of a racing driver,accidents can happen to anyone and I want my child as safe as possible.

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