to want not want to fork out 350 quid for a rear facing toddler seat

[chairmanofthebored]

I have looked at the scare mongering youtube videos about the dangers of internal decapitation, resulting from car crashes where the toddler was in a standard forward facing care seat. I then did a quick bit of research into the cost of the recommended rear facing seats. IT turns out they are bulky, difficult to fit in smaller cars, and also around the 350 quid mark.
Does anyone know of one that might be a bit cheaper? I am in danger of being either an over protective parent or a skinflint and I have to decide which!

[pigletmania]

Erm not a fair comparison bagofholly.

[DoodleAlley]

You mean you're not meant to let them sit in the front seat, in-seatbelted, half hanging out of the window?

< bangs head that I've got it wrong again>!!

[DoodleAlley]

Un-seatbelted. Even my phone is ashamed of me!!!!

[pigletmania]

Oooh I remember those days windw wide open, hanging out of it feeling the wind on my face

[bagofholly]

Pigletmania my three year old would tell you it's perfectly fair to let him drive. Thankfully I can barely hear him over the back of his giant rf seat.

[bagofholly]

Or rolling around completely untethered in the boot...

[DoodleAlley]

Oh he would love to go in the boot...

And then I could put my shopping in pride of place.

[AThingInYourLife]

I think the child's preference is a reasonable argument giving the level of risk involved.

My children were much happier in the car once they were facing forward. It wasn't a consideration in not choosing a rear-facing seat, but it was one of the things that made me happy with the choice.

[pigletmania]

Bagofholly lol. I used to like curling up on the parcel rack as a kid

[pigletmania]

That's why I don't agree with all this scaremongering and guilt tripping on here. My friends dh s a traffick policeman and non of his children has ever been rearfacing past babyhood, does not think its necessary

[IneedAsockamnesty]

i cant even find any without isofix youngblowfish do you by any chance have a product code or a link to the none isofix version?

[EasilyBored]

The only place local to us that stocks RFing seats other than the baby bucket style ones (which DS is very close to growing out of at 9 months ) only had two kinds, and both were only RF to 13kg anyway (about the same as the bucket seats), they also fitted really really weirdly - the belt seemed to have to go round the top of the seat, which meant when you opened the door you kind of had to either limbo the baby underneath it, or try and go in from the other side. They were also MASSIVE and woul have to behind the front passenger, who would have to have their knees touching the dashboard. Bit of a nightmare really.

I'm in two minds about the whole thing - I want to keep him RF as long as possible, but we can't really afford £200+ for a car seat, and we would have to drive a very long wat to somewhere that stocks more than 2 kinds. So am a bit stuck. DS is over 10kg at 9 months, so I hope we'll be able to get to at least January before he's too heavy (though he might be too tall sooner than that), but then I think we may have to get a FF seat.

[pigletmania]

Surely if it was that important there would be far more promotion about it from police and it would be made mandatory in law for a child to be rf until tey are 18kg. I have only heard about rf past babyhood on Mumsnet

[pigletmania]

It's more difficult to find rf tan ff carseats

[IneedAsockamnesty]

piglet, apparently the uk is one of the few places still left where rf is not the norm and not very well known about

[tilder]

Am just intrigued where their legs fit if rear facing at 4.

[pigletmania]

We will not be buying rf carseat once ds has outgrown his babyseat, we don't use the car very much

[pigletmania]

I think at 4 they are about 18kg so go ff.

[IfYouSeeMeSayHello]

Was more than happy to spend it. DD in it still at 3.75. Money well spent for peace of mind IMO.

[DoodleAlley]

Come on people help us out - where do the legs go?

[pigletmania]

It would be hard if a chid is very tall, I guess ths what you have to weigh up when choosing a car seat, rf probably works better for shorter chidren

[seventiesgirl]

I was brought home from hospital on a cushion on the back seat of the car wedged in between my 5 and 6 year old sisters (no seatbelts). Just because I'm still alive doesn't mean it's ok to do that these days, when we know the risk (as well as legislation). Scaremongering- bollocks, more like common sense. FF based on cost I can see a point if you really can't afford it, but hiding your head in the sand about RF being safer is just nuts.

[flow4]

HOW MUCH?!?!

I am reminded of the time my DS1 was small (about 16 years ago) and I was poor. His pushchair broke, and my budget for a 'new' second-hand one was £18. A toy catalogue dropped through my letter box advertising toy pushchairs for dolls that cost twice that. :(

If you've got £350 spare, buy a cheaper one and donate the difference to a charity that aims to tackle poverty.

[pigletmania]

My nephew when he was 3, waste size and hight of a 5 year old was very tall so would not have been right for him. Must be awful sitting crossed legged for a very long journey

[pigletmania]

Totally different seventiesgirl