What age did you forward face?

[febbabies2023]

I'm just curious to see when people started to forward face their children?

I see a lot of posts on 'mum groups' about how they'll basically keep their kid rear facing until they're 26, but virtually everyone I know has forward faced at about 2

For reference, my eldest is 3.5 and still rear facing. Youngest is 9m and will be for as long as I can too.
Eldest is 50th centile so car seat weights etc not really been an issue
Youngest is 99th centile so we'll see!

Just curious to see what the general population does :)

DD is 5 in March she rear faces in my car as an axkid minikid, she's recently ff in DH and grandparents cars due to to her outgrowing the seats they had.
DS is 3 in June and rear faces in all cars he travels in.

About 14 months. The reason being that we don’t own a car, we lug a seat about on public transport when we rent or borrow one.

I don’t think light, seatbelt-fitted RF seats exist, and I’m certain that my DD is safer on a very few car trips FF each year than driving daily RF. But someone literally asked me ‘do you want her to die?’.

I've seen photos of gangly 6 year olds rear facing and it just looks ridiculous and uncomfortable. Their legs are sticking all that way up the seat! No adult would agree to sit like that for any length of time. It seems like competitive parenting and just trying to make a point, rather than any regard for the child.

About a year. We bought the safest car seat for their weight and height, it is forward facing with an airbag. It was very expensive, but will last years (if we hopefully don’t have an accident). My relative works in car seat testing and said it was the best, and as I’m not an expert, I went with their recommendation.

We used Axkid as well until just before 6 years old.

Mine are 5 and 3 and rear facing. They don't know any different so they are quite happy with it.

If you google the car model and axlid or klippan you’ll find someone who has done it. Our car is on the smaller size and the seats fit fine.

Still rearfacing at almost 5 in an axkid. He's 90-something centile for height and is ok for the moment. He complains about it, but only because his friends forward face not for any reason of sickness / being uncomfortable. He complains less now that his baby brother is interactive as he can look at him better rear facing.

I sit rear facing in taxis that have the option when I get the chance.

People bang on about legs or can't afford it. Usually the people who dropped a grand on one of those awful bugaboo shopping trolleys ime

All parents should watch the crash tests on car seats on YouTube. See what internal decapitation looks like.

I imagine cars now are somewhat bigger than 30 years ago. Although round here, the number of parents not even strapping kids in at all, probably outstrips prolonged rear facing.

I think about 2.5/3? DS has always been over the 99th for height though so his knees were by his ears and we didn’t really have a choice.

DD was forward facing from about 2 I think as that’s when we got a car. We have a small Honda & I just don’t see how rear facing works for a taller child in a small car.

DD1 (now 12) was about a year. As long as she fitted in the baby seat (they were 0-13months then)

DD2 (now 10)... ERF was beginning to become widely known. We had a Joke Stages, which was probably the first ERF seat you could buy from a non specialist (we got it at Halfords!). She used it rear facing until nearly 3... when she started to scream continously if there was no where beside you (started when her sister started school). FF when she could see me driving she just chatted happily.

I felt a bit guilty turning around as I knew it was safer... but the screaming wasn't safe either. She was harnessed until 5.5 when she reached 16.5kg. So technically could have been RF then. Some of her friends were in seat belts when she was still RF!!

Please could anyone with an ERF seat share recommendations? Leaning towards Axkid- but not sure which one?

DD1 is just over 3 and would have stayed rear-facing in her current seat until 4 but I need to move DD2 in to it soon as she is outgrowing her infant carrier.

@Torganer Do you mind me asking what car seat your relative recommended please?

Just over 5 and still rear-facing in an axkid mini kid. I only know one other kid in real life who rf'd beyond 3ish.

I know DS is comfy because he falls asleep so well in it. However we've occasionally given his forward -facing cousins a lift, and each time it causes at least a fortnight of loud complaints about how uncomfortable and babyish his seat is. I do believe his complaints of being too hot in summer though.

My child is around 50th centile for height, and probably lower for weight. He regularly sits on the sofa with his feet around his ears, so I'm not at all concerned about contorting him into the seat. He's probably got a good 2 years before he outgrows it, but I don't know if we'll use it that long.

Mine is 3 and is rear facing still

Tall and high centile child, rear faced in Axkid minikid until starting school, which was 4yrs 4months

I turned both DC at 4 years. In hindsight I would have bought a seat that would do sixish but I bought one that was a 18kg limit.

As soon as legally allowed (which I think is 15/16 months?!)

Both my children would vomit within five minutes of rear facing. Turned them round and the problem is 95% fixed, they still can’t watch a tablet/read in the car without being sick, but most of the time are fine. I believe it’s safer for them to be forward facing than rear facing with me driving distracted because I’m constantly checking that they’re not choking on vomit.

Basically, mumsnet gives the impression that everyone's child is rear facing until they're 15, but in reality the vast majority of people forward face their kids when they grow out of their baby seat.

@Ponche
I have the axkid move which is the cheapest one I believe
my daughter went in the seat around 4 ish she is still rear facing at nearly 6 and is comfy

we haven’t had the problem as she rarely sleeps in the car now but people complain about head flop so I’m not sure I’d recommend for young children altho this can also depend on the slope in the car seat itself

DS 4 is rear facing in an axkid in our car. He has this month started forward facing in my mum’s car as he outgrew his other seat. It is short 10 min city journey once a week. Not ideal couldn’t afford a second erf.

My young teens rear faced until aged 7 and 5 (when they reached 25kg basically).

This is the impression I get too! I don’t know anyone rear facing their kids past the age of 2 but maybe it’s partly the people I know have small cars.