To not have the pushchair/buggy front facing!

[willothewisp17]

The buggy attachment on our travel system can either have my daughter facing me, or the other way around, but I can't bring myself to turn her the other way around!!
She's 10 months old, and soon I'll be getting a lighter, easier to fold away pushchair, which will be front facing!
I keep meaning to turn her current buggy to the front to get her used to it, but every time I go out, I don't and just say I'll do it next time!
I don't think she would have an issue facing the front, but I just like to see her is this weird or unreasonable? Every other mother and child I see are front facing! I feel odd when I'm out and about!

Do what makes you and the child happy. It’s not compulsory to turn them front facing at a certain age but neither is it abuse or bad parenting to do it! It’s a non issue. I had a lightweight forward facing stroller from about 1 which we’d take to nursery and to local shops, but also still used my massive tank like Silver Cross buggy if we were out over naptime, l usually left it facing me as he slept better in it and facing me with the hood down made him bored enough to drop off easily

I can’t remember how old mine were when they went forward facing. Genuinely no idea. It matters so little.

Ignore family, go with what YOU want.

I have never liked 'facing away' I always think they are wrong in so many ways, it's so much nicer to interact with your child directly, what if they are in distress, or choking or there's a wasp in their face or, or, well, you get the idea!

My MIL is a strong supporter of facing away but I always got the impression it was somehow, to her, representative of how 'advanced' her DGC was, as if staying with carer facing would suggest her DGC was a bit 'slow'.

Have you thought through the long reaching implications?

Her first steps will probably be backwards and when she starts driving lessons she may only be comfortable reversing.

Mines parent facing 95% of the time. I remember reading somewhere it is better for speech and language development. It feels weird having her facing away. I am in the minority looking around I know.

Just do what suits you. I still use my buggy rather than a stroller at 21 months and tend to have my daughter facing me, mainly out of habit really. If we’re somewhere like the farm then I’ll forward face but I like having a chat.

I had a pushchair where the handle flipped over. If I was walking to school with DDs older brothers and they were running/scootering etc I would have her forward facing and then on the way home when it was just us I would have her facing me so we could talk. I also flipped on windy days, depending which way the wind was blowing.

DD2 hasn’t been in a pushchair since she was 15 months old, she prefers to walk everywhere. She’s obviously not facing me as she walks (she’d fall over!) but I still manage to chat to her .

I dread to think how much my DC would have talked of forward facing hindered their communication.

I always thought it must be really dull to not be able to look out at what is ahead.

Do whatever suits you and your child and ignore people who try to force you to do otherwise.

We still have DD parent facing at 18 months, I don’t see it changing anytime soon. I much prefer being able to see her when I’m speaking to her and interacting as we are out and about. OP if your family are being pains about it, point out it is much better for your child’s language development and communication for them to be parent facing, when they are learning to talk they need to see your mouth moving and making the shapes to make the sounds, can’t do that if they are forward facing. Certainly true in my experience, DD has much better diction/pronunciation and a wider vocabulary than her friends the same age (and older) who have always been forward facing.

I was thinking the same SoupDragon! DD2 was talking in full sentences from 16 months and basically hasn’t stopped talking since so I’m relieved I hindered her communication

(Not that I ever really had her forward facing, I mean because she didn’t use a pushchair so couldn’t see my mouth moving as she was busy walking!)

I'm the same. I left my lo forward facing until very recently (he's a toddler now). Not only could I see him but I could engage with him as we walked and its been really useful in keeping him upbeat of he was getting a but tired etc. I miss him now he faces away from me lol!

The only time my daughter faced away was when we were on holiday and using the folding pram. Otherwise she faced me in her main pram until 3ish! I never really thought about it tbh.

If every other Mother and baby are front facing, why on earth do you feel odd when you still see Mothers with their babies facing them.

Why does this post feel like a stealth boast.

Do whatever suits you and your child so if she is happy facing you there is no need to change it. I went to forward facing at 4 months because of the screaming when facing backwards. His communication is poor but it has nothing to do with pram direction

When I used my main pram I nearly always kept it parent facing. I used a buggy too and they faced out on that. I used the pram for Buggy Fit until they were 4 due to their pace being on the slow side for keeping up. They were pretty happy to look at me and chatter away so there was no great need to turn them around.

Your over thinking it, do what you want.

It matters so little
I agree with this. Unless they're in the buggy for 15 hours a day it really doesn't matter.
It feels a bit like you're implying that parent facing buggies are pushed by better parents!

Feeling "weird" and "odd" when you're out and about with her is the worry. I really wouldn't care or notice how a buggy was facing if you passed me in the street

It's not a stealth boast. But thanks for that.
I feel odd because some family members make me feel odd, asking if I've not turned her round yet.
I felt like I was being ridiculous keeping her facing me, and that she was missing out on seeing everything going past her at the front!
I don't think I'm better than anyone for having my baby facing the front

Also I had every intention of doing what I want and getting a pushchair that faces me, but again, family members were putting me off saying their more expensive and big and bulky!
I like her facing me because I get massively stressed when I'm out and she's crying, I'm always worried her screaming will annoy others, so front facing is really easy for me to try and settle her!

Facing me is easy to settle her sorry, I'm flustered now

Really what I mean is that family members and such make me feel like some ridiculous overprotective weirdo for having her facing me at this age! Nothing to do with other parents choice!

I kept my DS parent facing til he was nearly 2. We used to have lovely chats, keep her facing whichever way you want!

Just try to be confident in your parenting decisions and have the buggy you want.
Who are these family members? They sound like a bossy bunch.

Try to stand your ground with them otherwise they'll be like this with everything.. her first shoes, her toys, what school she goes to, what she eats.. I could go on!