When did you change to forward facing car seat?

[PrincessConsuelaBannanaHammock]

We have a Joie Every stage car seat & I'm wondering when others moved it to forward facing?
DD has only just turned one, so I feel like she's to small for forward facing but I'm really struggling to get her in the car seat!!
She's always been on the 95th centile for her height so she is quite a big girl, but now when I try to put her in the car seat she's kicking her feet off the car seats and tensing her body up, then standing up so it's a battle every day to get her in the car! Dp feels like it's time to put her forward facing but I'm not really keen. Are the guidelines for keeping them rearward facing until 2 really achievable?

Waited until ds1 was 18kg and had to move to a new seat as he was too heavy for the old one. I would have waited longer if I could have. He was just under 3.5 years old. It was a mission to get him in and out, but safer rear facing for longer.

Ds is 2 (just) and is rear facing and will be until at least 4, I have a 25kg rear facing seat (which I got knowing he was a very tall boy) We also have the stages in Nana's car which he is rear facing in still but probably will have to forward face at 3.5-4 in that on because it's up to 18kg but it's very occasionally that he uses it.

So yes it's very easy to achieve the guidelines for rear facing until at least 2.

Yes, they are definitely achievable. She has only outgrown her car seat when she either exceeds the weight limit or her head is above the top of the seat. DS was rear facing until he was nearly five. We had an extended rear facing seat.

2.5 years but it was years ago and the seats are better and more affordable now I hear.

I did feel worried they were too little when they first turned and I would keep them longer now if I knew now what I did then, but anyway.

Getting the child to sit in the seat nicely and cooperate with straps isn’t easy whichever way round they are, it doesn’t change at all. They have no idea that the seat goes the other way, remember. They aren’t holding out for it to be turned round. They are just objecting to being strapped into things......like they do with everything. But it’s for their own safety, so you carry on.

DD1 went forward at just over 3 and a half, when she told me her legs hurt. Even then I was reluctant.
To be honest, you'd probably struggle to get her in either way, sounds like normal tantrums about being in the car.

9 months. DD hated rear facing (screamed herself sick). We only had a rotating seat because I had a bad back and it helped getting her in and out.

About four for both of them. I'd like to see it illegal to forward face at 1.

My son's still rear facing, he's almost 4. Won't be turning him till he has to for the seat (18kg on our seat).
I wouldn't turn till 4 at least.

DD was 99.8% for height when she was born and she has now dropped to 91% and at 2 and half she is still rear facing and will continue until she is too tall. She climbs in herself now.

DD was 2.5 and DS is 15 months. He was craning his neck to look forwards and becoming a nightmare, screaming and crying the whole journey. For everyone's sanity I forward faced him.

4.5 just before she started school. They go through phases of not liking the car seat, which is normal. But it’s so much safer to RF. A grumpy toddler is certainly preferable to the alternative if you were in a crash.

I moved DD at about 3. She could have stayed RF but she's quite tall and we had to have the front seat really far forwards.

DS is 21 months and still RF.

DD was 9-10 months when she grew out of her rear facing seat. Although this was 5.5 years ago when there weren't that many rear facing seats available as the guidelines were different.

My lb is 4.5, 20kg and rear facing in a 25kg seat. We had a britax dual fix that we used to 18kg which swivels so is a bit easier to wrestle them into! I realise that I'm an outlier in the age my lb is rear facing, particularly as he is big for his age but 1 is definitely too young, rear facing is so much safer.

Sorry to jump on this thread. Does anyone have any rear facing recommendations for a big 1 year old? About 21lbs I believe

If your DP needs persuading, tell him to google 'internal decapitation'.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/car-seats-forward-facing-warning-crash-internal-decapitation-baby-child-paralysed-a8257581.html?amp

www.rearfacingtoddlers.com/why-rear-facing-is-safer.html

My dd is 18 months and 27lbs. I tried her forward facing last month and she absolutely hated it, she panicked! So she's back rear facing for the moment.

4for the first two dc3 is 3and still erf.
She will fit fine. Don't do it

Petra here is a list of approved seats which rear face over 9kg available in the UK.

incarsafetycentre.co.uk/category/extended-rear-facing/

Thanks everyone. Some friends have moved their babies to forward facing at 1 but I think they just look too small to do it! I'll keep her rear facing & will just need to find something to bribe her to get her to sit down nicely whilst I get her strapped in 😂

My dd was 4.5 when she moved to a front facing seat and only because she reached the 18kg limit of her seat. Your seat rear faces until 18kg so I’d max that out, also not sure if you’re aware but the every stage performed poorly front facing with harness so personally I’d never use that seat front facing (probably not what you want to hear sorry)

They should be rear facing til 15 months anyway (law changed March 2017).
Mine stayed rear facing til nearly 4

It's obviously much safer to have your children rear facing, but those of you who managed til 4, where did their legs go?

DD moved at 18kg which was 5 years. DS 2.5 years is still rear facing.

DD went through that difficult to put in car seat stage at about 18m/2years, it did pass eventually.

SayNoToCarrots,

Legs went up the back of the vehicle seat, crossed legged in the child seat, draped over the sides of the child seat... kids are flexible and my kids lay in odd positions I wouldn’t find comfy when watching tv on the sofa or asleep in bed, so I think they have different ideas of comfort to adults haha