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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To tell SIL she could be putting her DC in danger?

111 replies

Teabiscuits · 31/05/2014 14:14

SIL has just started to put her 5 month old DC into a forward facing car seat. She has a 3 door car and says its too difficult to keep him rear facing, and as he's 9kg now the instructions on the seat says its safe.

I'm no expert, and I don't know the ins and outs of the law on this, but I have been led to believe they need to be at least 9 months to be forward facing. Am I completely wrong on this one, or should I try to persuade her otherwise? She wouldn't do anything dangerous on purpose but I can't help but feel she's being willfully ignorant so she doesn't have to struggle with the seat anymore.

OP posts:

Original poster

Teabiscuits · 31/05/2014 15:03

crashboombang I will suggest the front seat with no airbag for sure. Her DHs car is 5 door but very old so she won't put DC in it through safety fears - somewhat ironic?!

OP posts:

crashboombang · 31/05/2014 15:03

The bebe confort creatis? Not a particularly small seat. Do you use cloth nappies?

crashboombang · 31/05/2014 15:04

An older car rear facing versus newer forward facing? I'd still chose rf option

crashboombang · 31/05/2014 15:06

I wouldn't want your dc3 forward facing on multi Mac. Maybe reconsider. Also aren't the rf seats on multimac quite upright for newborn?

Deverethemuzzler · 31/05/2014 15:06

Last time I looked rear facing car seats were incredibly expensive for older children.
Really prohibitively so.

If they are essential they should lower the prices. Its not fair that only the well off has the choice.

TBH I have no idea what they cost now but they were eye watering a few years back.

littlemslazybones · 31/05/2014 15:08

No, no cloth nappies. Just a disposable. I could bulk him down by taking off any thick trouser.

FlipFlopWaddle · 31/05/2014 15:12

Little try a combination seat like the Britax First Class - you can keep him rf to 13kg and it's longer than an infant carrier so he'll fit into it better. Or try a different brand - dd2 still fits into her Babysafe at 22mo, she is slight though but I'm sure she can't be smaller than a 5mo, she's in cloth nappies too.

Or for a longer term solution look into extended rear facing seats via the links already posted.

Original poster

Teabiscuits · 31/05/2014 15:13

DC3 will be rear facing for as long as possible in multimac. Right now it's the best solution for us but I will do more research on it. Maybe I should give up on the car and just walk everywhere!

OP posts:

crashboombang · 31/05/2014 15:14

Devere they are coming down in price. We are one income but got two seats

Little,.... Worth doing so. I cant believe he's over the top unless he's off the scale on percentiles?

littlemslazybones · 31/05/2014 15:15

That's good to know flipflop

Thanks so much for the help, sorry for de-railing the thread.

TokenGirl1 · 31/05/2014 15:17

Britax 2 way Elite, rf and ff in a five point harness until 25kg. Cost us £220 and will last us 5 years gorgeous one child. Fabulous value and safer.

littlemslazybones · 31/05/2014 15:23

crash I'm beginning to worry now actually. He's ebf so I saw the growth as just a good sign. I do get gasps from nurses when he goes for his jabs. I haven't had him weighed/ measured in ages because I didn't see it as a problem.

Fuck, is this a problem?

Cheby · 31/05/2014 15:33

We just bought the Joie Stages ERF seat for DD who is 14mths but 99.6th centile for height. She was fine in her maxi cosi cabriofix infant seat until now, so I think a lot of people think their DC have grown out of a seat when they're actually still ok. It is no problem at all for their legs to be bent up; DD could kick the seat behind from about 4mths old.
Joie Stages is only £120-150 ish depending on where you buy, we got ours through a consultation with and ERF car seat specialist, so no hard sell for the expensive seats either.

crashboombang · 31/05/2014 15:48

Hes ebf? No its fine just odd seat doesnt fit!

crashboombang · 31/05/2014 15:48

Hes ebf? No its fine just odd seat doesnt fit!

Deverethemuzzler · 31/05/2014 15:59

I don't want to derail either and am up for improving safety in anyway possible but £220 is a LOT of money when you can buy seats for £30.

I think we have to consider that what is reasonable to some is unreachable to others.

These seats need to be widely available at an affordable price.

gamerchick · 31/05/2014 16:23

You can buy buggies for 30 quid but people make a face at the thought of putting their precious littlies in a cheap pram... which like gets pushed at 4 miles an hour maximum.

It's common thinking in this country bizarrely to find skimping in this area ok.

I do agree though that they should be cheaper.. If they would ban forward facing altogether below a certain age the market would be more competitive I think.

BomChickaMeowMeow · 31/05/2014 16:24

Not to mention the relative safety standards of cars - a cheap old banger will not withstand an impact in the same way as a modern car, nor will it avoid impact as effectively without decent brakes. Also light and small cars which tend to be cheaper come off less well in a collision. I don't know how much difference the type of car makes relative to the car seat, but I imagine quite a lot.

Also while anyone can be unlucky and be involved in a freak collision, learning to drive defensively makes you much safer on the roads. If you have an unsafe model of car and are a bad driver yourself, spending £££ on a car seat will not necessarily keep your children safe in the car.

greencatseyes · 31/05/2014 16:30

Well now you can bring it into conversation as a worry about you own DCs easily without preaching. 5 months way too early..

It's a 'thing' with babies to want to move them on
(Like with feeding solids also)

Devilforasideboard · 31/05/2014 16:32

The Britax Dualfix swivels to the side for getting baby in and out, might be useful if she's struggling with that.

DinoSnores · 31/05/2014 16:33

"If they are essential they should lower the prices. Its not fair that only the well off has the choice."

Bit puzzled as to how this works, devere? Who are "they" who should be lowering their prices? Should the company run at a loss? Or should people be prioritising their children's safety in cars?

TightyMcTight · 31/05/2014 16:34

Surely saving in every other aspect if your entire life is worth the £220 for a car seat that lasts 5 years?

TightyMcTight · 31/05/2014 16:35

of your entire life.

dancinggerald · 31/05/2014 16:40

Yes, prioritising it is right, but many people genuinely do not have that amount of spare cash, or the means of saving it. I think if extended rear facing were law, they would have to come down in price, and it would also make the safety issue clearer.

thinkineed2admit · 31/05/2014 16:41

My rearfacing car seat that will last my child until she's 4 is well worth every single penny of the extremely reasonable 300 it cost! Jeez, I'd go without whatever you care to mention to buy that seat. We did have to save up, and forgo some things, and ask for contributions towards it for christmas, birthdays etc. but it was worth it. NOT something to skimp on!!

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