What age did you face your LO forward in a car seat?

[Mamabear04]

What age did you face your LO forward in a car seat?

I'm not one to preach about car seat safety, I think people make the best decisions for them, their children, their safety (especially where sickness and escape artists are concerned), so I hope these photos don't come across as me trying to push the RF message. I'm just sharing them from a car seat page I follow which shows 4 and 5 year olds in RF seats, as a few people have asked where their legs go.

Some of those photos must be really big cars or really small children! DD was much more squashed up than that when she was RF aged 2.5. She didn’t mind at all and could have stayed RF longer on space grounds (we turned due to car sickness rather than anything else) but our car isn’t small and she had nowhere near that much leg room.

I'm really surprised by how many people have said FF have reduced travel sickness. I suffer terribly with travel sickness and I am at my worst when sitting in a back seat with no clear view just looking at a head rest. Looking out of the side window and seeing everything whizz past really upsets my brain (and tummy) which results in my sickness. I'd have thought having a clear view out of the rear view window and seeing things move away from you, rather than whizz by you, would be more helpful for sickness, though I guess not judging by how many people have had positive experiences by moving to FF.

I don’t know about other cars but there was no clear view for DD out of the back windscreen. There’s a headrest on the back seat that she was facing, for starters. FF she’s in a higher position so has a clearer view. I don’t know what the science is, it just worked. She’s never been sick FF. Perhaps it’s a bit like some people feel sick if they’re not facing the direction of travel on a train or bus?

You can take the headrest off in most cars which is what most people do.

Apparently research says there is no difference in incidence of travel sickness between RF and FF but there is a slight difference in onset - it happens faster when RF.

Personally I know it always makes me feel worse when I am RF. I have been lucky not to have travel sick kids so I would never judge for that. You have to put everything into context and certainly the risk of crashing is worth considering, as if you can avoid/reduce the chance of crashing in the first place, that's much more effective than which car seat you use!

It's a bit like BF/FF isn't it? If you take one small aspect into account (nutrition, performance in a crash situation) then it's very easy to see things in black and white and say everyone should BF/RF for as long as possible, but in real life there are always other considerations to be had whether that's medical issues with the child, impact on siblings/others in the family, mental health of the mother, or even the likelihood of a car crash.

Most problems or barriers preventing ERF can be overcome, but not all of them. My only wish is that the info is easily accessible so that people can make an informed choice as you often hear things like "My child was too big for a RF car seat/the seat wouldn't fit in my car/the seats are too expensive" etc, and what that generally means is that the person wasn't aware that you can get compact fitting RF seats, RF seats that accommodate large children or RF seats on a budget (not always all 3 in the same seat sadly), as all of these things exist, but parents aren't always aware of them which I think is a shame.

@Puntastic we were speaking over PM but here is a post with a similar question :)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/car_seats_chat/4191883-Next-car-seat-for-bog-near-3-year-old

[quote BertieBotts]@Puntastic we were speaking over PM but here is a post with a similar question :)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/car_seats_chat/4191883-Next-car-seat-for-bog-near-3-year-old[/quote]
Thanks, I've had a look. We've not got as tight a budget as the OP of that thread though, so might start my own thread nearer the time.

The later the better. For under 3 year olds facing backwards is a lot safer. No forward facing seat has passed Swedish plus crash test. My. 2,5year old sits in a seat facing backwards.

Hi all, my baby is 4months. Rear facing car seat but bus legs dangle out so rests on the back of the actual car seat. How has everyone kept their child RF for so long? Where do th legs go?

@Dontjumptoconclusions

Hi all, my baby is 4months. Rear facing car seat but bus legs dangle out so rests on the back of the actual car seat. How has everyone kept their child RF for so long? Where do th legs go?

See pics PP posted. I think lots of kids will just cross their legs.

@JeanClaudeVanDammit

I'm really surprised by how many people have said FF have reduced travel sickness. I suffer terribly with travel sickness and I am at my worst when sitting in a back seat with no clear view just looking at a head rest. Looking out of the side window and seeing everything whizz past really upsets my brain (and tummy) which results in my sickness. I'd have thought having a clear view out of the rear view window and seeing things move away from you, rather than whizz by you, would be more helpful for sickness, though I guess not judging by how many people have had positive experiences by moving to FF.

I don’t know about other cars but there was no clear view for DD out of the back windscreen. There’s a headrest on the back seat that she was facing, for starters. FF she’s in a higher position so has a clearer view. I don’t know what the science is, it just worked. She’s never been sick FF. Perhaps it’s a bit like some people feel sick if they’re not facing the direction of travel on a train or bus?

Ah yes, the headrest would make quite a difference. I hadn't considered that as mine pushes right down so DS can see out.

I suppose different things trigger different people. There's nothing worse than being on a long journey and feeling sick so I can absolutely understand why people would turn their children FF to avoid that. It's really unpleasant. I've been driving for 14 years and never had a crash, but been travel sick plenty of times within those 14 years, so I can see why people would take the decision to stop that discomfort for their child when the risk of a crash is so low.

@BertieBotts

You can take the headrest off in most cars which is what most people do.

Apparently research says there is no difference in incidence of travel sickness between RF and FF but there is a slight difference in onset - it happens faster when RF.

Personally I know it always makes me feel worse when I am RF. I have been lucky not to have travel sick kids so I would never judge for that. You have to put everything into context and certainly the risk of crashing is worth considering, as if you can avoid/reduce the chance of crashing in the first place, that's much more effective than which car seat you use!

It's a bit like BF/FF isn't it? If you take one small aspect into account (nutrition, performance in a crash situation) then it's very easy to see things in black and white and say everyone should BF/RF for as long as possible, but in real life there are always other considerations to be had whether that's medical issues with the child, impact on siblings/others in the family, mental health of the mother, or even the likelihood of a car crash.

Most problems or barriers preventing ERF can be overcome, but not all of them. My only wish is that the info is easily accessible so that people can make an informed choice as you often hear things like "My child was too big for a RF car seat/the seat wouldn't fit in my car/the seats are too expensive" etc, and what that generally means is that the person wasn't aware that you can get compact fitting RF seats, RF seats that accommodate large children or RF seats on a budget (not always all 3 in the same seat sadly), as all of these things exist, but parents aren't always aware of them which I think is a shame.

I remember you helping me on a thread I posted about car seats when DS was much younger and I always appreciate how fair and balanced your posts are. This is a really good and fair response x

Still RF.
DB and SIL were so vocal about the awesome milestone of turning the kids around to FF at 9months, even though the law at the time had already extended it!

Nearly 6

3 and a half

We've just gone FF with our almost 3 year old because she keeps falling asleep in the car and won't go to bed at night. So far, it's worked as she can look out of the front window.

Still rear facing at 3.5yrs in a seat which should last him up to 6-7 yrs, so that’s the plan. I intend to put his little brother in the same car seat once he outgrown his infant carrier.

I really wish more people would invest in an extended rear facing car seat at the point the child out grows the infant carrier.

So many friend got rear facing ISOFIX car seat sup to 18kg, found the child had outgrown it by age 3 and suddenly they had to turn the child around AND only use a seat belt. Most friends were uncomfortable with using a self belt instead of a harness with a 3yr old (let’s face it, they fidget), but there’s hardly any forward facing harnessed seats for over 18kg.

I’m a big fan of the Axkid Minikid, and it’s been great value for money as it’s lasting so many years.

@Dontjumptoconclusions

Hi all, my baby is 4months. Rear facing car seat but bus legs dangle out so rests on the back of the actual car seat. How has everyone kept their child RF for so long? Where do th legs go?

Seats for newborns are very different to rear facing seats from approx 1-6 yrs.

The newborn ones, whether they are fixed seats up to 4 yrs or a carry type one are very reclined/laid back and they are pushed up right against the backrest of the seat so that they fit in and are secure.

Seats for older children are much more upright almost like a normal chair, and often secure into the car in a different way meaning they can sit a little bit away from the backrest, which creates a space for feet/legs.

Aww thanks TokenGinger :)

9 months (1st) and 12 months (2nd)

@JeanClaudeVanDammit

Some of those photos must be really big cars or really small children! DD was much more squashed up than that when she was RF aged 2.5. She didn’t mind at all and could have stayed RF longer on space grounds (we turned due to car sickness rather than anything else) but our car isn’t small and she had nowhere near that much leg room.

It's the choice of seat. Sadly ERF seats to 25kg are not well known or sold in any mainstream baby stores (John Lewis/Boots/Mamas and Papas etc). The ones that are available are pretty bulky and expensive which perpetuates the myth that there is no legroom and that they take up too much space.

In reality, a good ERF seat is often more compact than a FF harnessed and allows for plenty of leg room. My 4yr old is over 110cm and is not about to grow out for a while to come.

It's so disappointing how little the true statistics are publicised. I remember them saying at our baby appointment that they now recommend RF for a bit longer and showed us some options. We ended up with a Sirona to us RF and because we have 2 close in age and not particularly large children, it wasn't a waste of money but I would definitely get a 25kg straight after infant carrier if I were to go back in time. It would have cost less and lasted longer

It's the choice of seat. Sadly ERF seats to 25kg are not well known or sold in any mainstream baby stores (John Lewis/Boots/Mamas and Papas etc). The ones that are available are pretty bulky and expensive which perpetuates the myth that there is no legroom and that they take up too much space.

Ah that makes sense. Wish we’d had a less bulky one so I could have moved the front passenger seat back a bit further and given myself a bit more legroom!

My 4 year old still is RF in a Minikid. My older two, I turned around 12 months. I've learnt a lot about the safety of rf since those days! 4 yo is perfectly happy in the seat, probably the only one I know of that age rf though.

DC was 3. Also very tall but never felt the need for him to be FF before 3!

@Nomorescreentime How have you found the minikid? Would it be good for tall DC? Does it need to be anchored to the seat in front of it? Does your DC have enough leg room in it?

2 and we were already struggling to fit him in the rear facing seat by then

DS tall, if we had continued till 4 like some on this thread he would have had his knees hooked over his ears