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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think mums who have rear-facing buggies for toddlers are the ultimate in preciousness?

148 replies

Picante · 03/03/2010 20:05

Sorry I have had a glass of wine... (yes it only takes one these days).

I'm all for tiny babies being rear-facing, but older babies/toddlers? Don't you get a bit sick of all that cooing and smiling? Surely at that point they're in a buggy for a reason, either to get somewhere or to get them to sleep.

Stop smiling insanely at them. Turn them round so they can look at the world fgs.

OP posts:
sayithowitis · 03/03/2010 20:09

When mine were small, ( including toddlerhood) they faced me so that we could chatter, sing, and otherwise communicate. Yes, they are in the buggy for a reason, ie; to get somewhere, but does that mean we should not talk to them? If I walk down the road with an adult I talk to them, so why should it be different with a child?

CrystalQueen · 03/03/2010 20:09

YOu sound just like my DH, whereas I like to look at DD (and she likes to look at me of course). Why do you care what other people do?

lobsters · 03/03/2010 20:09

YABU

My DD is 14 months and still rear facing and I love it. It means we can chat, I can see how she's doing. She never goes to sleep in the buggy, so it is to get somewhere, but if it's just me and her wondering round town, it's a bit lonely (for me) if she is facing the other way. I might be being selfish, but frankly I don't care, I like interacting with her in a rear facing pushchair. I work full time, I love this smiling and cooing time with her.

And she can see the world perfectly well, just going backwards.

smokinaces · 03/03/2010 20:09

what age do you mean by toddler?

DS1 was rear facing until DS2 came, so 19m more or less. He often turned forward but preferred rear facing to talk to his mother instead of staring at strangers legs.

DS2 is 2 next week and we got him a normal forward facing stroller week before last - he was in a Loola until then and rear facing 50% of the time. Again even at nearly 2 he preferred talking to his mum and brother than staring at ankles and bags.

YABU. They can see the world rear facing. They can just see their mums too. And its not like they're still doing it at 4.

bamboobutton · 03/03/2010 20:09

i kind of agree. whenever i see a toddler in a parent facing buggy they are hanging out the side to try and see where they are going!

Rockbird · 03/03/2010 20:10

Nice judgey pants you're wearing there. Maybe the toddler likes talking to his/her mum?

cory · 03/03/2010 20:11

What sayit said. Is it the ultimate in preciousness to talk to an adult too if you happen to be walking down the road with them? The fact that you are out to get somewhere doesn't mean that you can't be sociable on the way, does it?

LadyintheRadiator · 03/03/2010 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

diddl · 03/03/2010 20:12

I had mine facing so I could talk to them.

Lionstar · 03/03/2010 20:13

DD who is just 3 sometimes goes in the buggy, and as she has always been rear-facing that's the way we have it. We would both find it odd otherwise. I like being able to talk to her. Besides, she can still see the world, being rear-facing does not put her in a bubble.

Precious is obviously my middle name

faddle · 03/03/2010 20:14

YABU.
You will all scorn me for this but I couldnt give a feck. My 3.5yo daughter is in a rear facing pushchair, and the reason she is still rear facing is that I love her and want to chat to her just as much now as I did when she was a small baby. And since she loves her mummy and is an incessant chatterbox, she likes to talk back. Suits us very well, and she will doubtless give up the pushchair (along with the moth eaten teddy she carts everywhere) in her own sweet time, or, more likely when it falls apart from the weight.

Goober · 03/03/2010 20:15

So?

gingerbreadlatte · 03/03/2010 20:16

You are being ridiculous.

Its hardly precious is it, it about a pram position? How can that be precious. Its nobody elses business except the parent who has probably made the choice for good reason.

Dont get your issue?- did you not have your kids facing backwards and now you feel guilty?

DebiNewberry · 03/03/2010 20:16

How precious of them to smile at their children. Bastards.

lockets · 03/03/2010 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MouthAndTrousers · 03/03/2010 20:22

What an odd thin to post.

Will blame the wine though.

LucyHoneychurch · 03/03/2010 20:23

What age does it become precious? My DD is 2 in a couple of months do I wait till her birthday to switch her or is it too late?

By your standards I am currently beyond precious. I talk, sing and tickle my DD when she sits in her rear facing pram.
Can't see why my communicating with my own child should bother anyone!

Moominfamily · 03/03/2010 20:23

You don't have to have a rear-facing buggy to talk and coo- I'm very guilty of it with both dcs, to the extent that I get odd looks in public because I'm chattering away to them.
I have a Phil&Ted's Sport, and it is easy to talk to ds (2.6) in the front, and dd in the back only has to look up and she can see me.
I do see your point as the sudden fad for rear-facing as being the best can make you feel a bit bad if you have a forward facing buggy, but I have to say YABU as yesterday I was told by an old lady that having dd in the back was 'cruel, if you ask me.' Well I didn't . So due to that incident I think you shouldn't comment on how other people transport their children- it's never going to be received well.

octopusinabox · 03/03/2010 20:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gingerbreadlatte · 03/03/2010 20:24

maybe you are right mouth. but still....

deepseated parenting insecurities???

We need to lay picante on the MN couch....

hogshead · 03/03/2010 20:24

at one of our local childrens centres the speech and language therapists did a display encouraging rear facing buggies as it is supposed to promote language development more.

Saying that our pushchair is forward facing and was chosen because i could get in the (small) boot of my car when it collaspes (no mean feat i can tell you!)

shivster1980 · 03/03/2010 20:24

You would obviously have viewed me, a stranger in the street that you didn't know from adam, and judged me precious as my DS was still rearfacing at 2 yrs old.

What you wouldn't know is we were still forming our bond as I had only had him since 17 months (he is adopted).

That is what I assume all parents with children (adopted or bio) in rearfacing pushchairs are doing - cementing their bond.

Tinasan · 03/03/2010 20:26

precious eh? Nah you are just jealous that you don't have a bugaboo

TreeTrunkThighs · 03/03/2010 20:29

Picante, you made me

I know a toddler who stands up and looks over the hood in his rear facing pushchair so he can see where he's going. It's one of those high up ones (stokke?) so there's a long way to fall.

[glass of wine disclaimer too]

Rebeccaruby · 03/03/2010 20:31

Personally I think they see more of the world if they are facing forward. More interesting. They get enough time with Mum talking to them, or should do, to want to look at something more exciting than Mum's face. They can still hear you saying "oh look a doggy" or "oh look a big yellow lorry". I just think it's more stimulating.

I can understand, however, if you work long hours and are walking to the childminder; then the face to face time is quality time and backward facing might be nice.

Not being judgy by the way about long hours, I'm just saying if the walk to/from childminder/nursery is a big part of your day with your child, I can understand.