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Car seats

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here. For Mumsnetter-approved essentials, sign up for Mumsnet Swears By emails here.

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Original poster

Do you have extended RF seats? Do you get funny comments from friends/family?

42 replies

SkyNewsAddict · 19/05/2011 21:23

Just what the title says really. I have 2DD both in extended RF seats and it seems to be something that others take exception to.

I've had all sorts of comments from the clueless 'you know they are meant to be FF at 9 months' type of comment to the 'your poor DC must be so uncomfortable in the car, does it stop you making long trips?' type comment.

Does anyone else get these comments and what do you say in reply? They always leave me a bit dumbfounded tbh.

Today someone after toddler group told me that I ought to get to Halfords because at 2.3yrs "it isn't safe to be RFing anymore, she needs a toddler seat you know".

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

aswellasyou · 22/05/2011 14:04

I didn't know they'd said that about breastfeeding Saoirse. They're so weird sometimes. I wonder how much fun they'd have gossiping about me if I'm still feeding her at 2.
We're going to have fun shopping for another car seat each now. We like to do research and make lists.

JuneMummy · 22/05/2011 20:54

my sister in law took DS (2 years) out for the afternoon today so i had to fit the TWE rearfacing in her 3 door car. You should have seen the look on hers and her DH face when they realised he was 'the wrong way' lol. they think im being over protective!! as do other relatives and friends. my parents and DH's parents are very good about it though as they also went out and brought a TWE for their own cars. I converted them :-)

Yeni · 22/05/2011 21:24

I find that people say they think it's a good idea for my child but their child couldn't possibly go rear facing as little Billy is so advanced and needs constant stimulation. They seem to think a RF child looks at the back of the seat all the time.

Someone recently suggested I chose the seat for looks, which I thought was a bit odd. I haven't really had any negative comments, but I find that people don't really see the point.

OnlyWantsOne · 22/05/2011 21:33

Can some one of you educated people please tell me ere to get a rear facing seat? Dd2 is o my 6 months but I want to start looking around

FlingonTheValiant · 22/05/2011 21:51

securatot.co.uk
incarsafetycentre.co.uk

are the first two that spring to mind.

Original poster

SkyNewsAddict · 22/05/2011 21:56

Towards the bottom of this page is a list of places that sell RF seats www.rearfacing.co.uk/buyersguide.php
Hope that helps.

OP posts:

Original poster

SkyNewsAddict · 22/05/2011 21:57

Also, have used www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/ online and found them excellent.

OP posts:

onetwothreefourfive · 22/05/2011 22:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

confuddledDOTcom · 22/05/2011 23:30

Glad to find this thread! We've had comments recently because our youngest who is 2y 4m (but only the size of a 1 year old!) is RF in her first seat - the one that fits the travel system! Her head is still supported but she has to put her legs out of the way and people seem to focus on that

We're about to have our third so we're going to evict #2 from her seat soon and I want to get a convertible for her so she can remain RF for a bit longer. OH is worried about fitting a baby seat, convertible and high backed booster on the back seat next to each other.

Do you remove coats in the car too? That's the other thing that means I'm mad, taking the girls out in the snow with their coats wrapped around them and not on then making them take them off in the car (they have got blankets/ slankets/ and their coats to keep them warm).

I honestly don't get why people have such a problem with it. It's five times safer for a child to be rear facing because of their proportions and their head being bigger than their body. How can people object to it?

saoirse86 · 23/05/2011 10:33

The thing I can't understand is why people feel the need to impart their "wisdom" on you when they clearly don't know what they're talking about and haven't done any research before passing comment. If they had, they'd know RF was best after all.

Some of my IL's (including SIL who's only 37) think I don't even need a car seat at all really for my 8 month old. There have been a few times when I've walked somewhere or they've seen me at the bus stop and offered me a lift. When I've said no because I don't have a car seat they start going on about how OTT I am and that nothing's going to happen. Apparently they never used car seats and they're all fine. Their youngest is 29 and they didn't even use one for her!

There was one time when PIL's were looking after DD for the day when she was about 4 months old. I put her in the car seat and gave her to FIL. I'd shown them both several times how to put the seat in and it really is foolproof (or so I thought). The only reason I didn't then leave the house myself was because his car was blocking me in. I watched him put her in the car with the seat facing forwards and put the belt around her like you would with a booster. I rushed over and was actually shaky at the idea he could have driven off like that and what could've happened.

The way I see it is that I love my DD more than anything in the world and I want her to have freedom and make mistakes etc, but I also want to protect her and in the car is one place she will have no choice and is probably unlikely to care about having a choice. The idea of using no car seat at all IMO is something you would do if you didn't care about your child.

Original poster

SkyNewsAddict · 23/05/2011 15:05

Confuddled Yes, I take off really padded coats before putting them in too. People think I am totally barking mad!

If I know we are going in the car I normally put lots of thin layers on and then put a blanket on once the are in the car. If we've been out and they are in a puffa style jacket like this then I always take it off. It is so hard to get the harness nice and tight if they have something like that on.

People think I am certifiable.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 23/05/2011 16:01

yes i always take coats off, hence getting a lecture once a week from my mother when we leave her house on a sunday evening.

apparently blankets are not enough

confuddledDOTcom · 23/05/2011 16:31

Apparently it's not uncommon for emergency services to find a coat strapped into a car seat - the child being thrown free when the padding has shrunk from the force of the impact. As soon as I read that I knew the coats were coming off! My eldest always complains her seat belt is too tight (I check it's not before I leave her) but no way would I loosen it, tough it'll hurt less than if we have an accident after loosening it!

justforinfo · 26/05/2011 20:03

A good one for people who give you jip about your children being rf is "If I was in a crash with enough force to damage her legs rear-facing, it'd be more than enough force to break her neck forward-facing. Legs are easier to fix than necks!"

TruthSweet · 26/05/2011 20:41

justforinfo - On one of the US car seat boards I frequent (as one does) they have a slightly ghoulish quip for those who ask what about a rfing child breaking their leg -

Better a cast than a casket.

Usually followed up by ' not that there are any known incidences of children breaking their legs rear facing but it is a common injury for forward facing children.

Also, 'What would you prefer: a broken leg or a broken neck?'

Again followed up as above....

EldonAve · 26/05/2011 20:47

I don't drive much so don't get many comments
Other friends are much more lax about using seats at all or going to HB boosters earlier than me
My parents don't comment as we had car seats in the 70s which was unusual
Mine all have coats off too

justforinfo · 26/05/2011 21:05

I had a customer choosing a group 2-3 seat for her 4 yr old in the other day and didn't want the maxi cosi rodi because it looked "too much like a baby seat".......

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