When do you switch your child's carseat to front facing.

amother

Thu, May 02 2024, 10:59 am

My daughter turned two and my pediatrician said we could switch her carseat to front facing.

I thought current recommendation was to wait longer if possible? She doesn't seem to mind being backwards.

amother

Bergamot ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 11:06 am

I try to wait till closer to 2, but so far my kids have all been miserable rear facing. Most were switched by 12-15 months.

amother

Blue ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 11:41 am

Best to wait until at least 4, or until they outgrow the rear facing direction. Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to. I kept my oldest rear facing until she was 6!

amother

Snow

Thu, May 02 2024, 11:57 am

amother Blue wrote:

Best to wait until at least 4, or until they outgrow the rear facing direction. Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to. I kept my oldest rear facing until she was 6!

Omg.
Please tell me your joking!

My 4 yr is in a high back booster seat..

amother

Lightyellow

Thu, May 02 2024, 11:58 am

I turned around at 4. Yes, some do it earlier, but if your child doesn't mind and it's safer, why rush?

Thanks in advance for the hugs.

Ema of 5 ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 11:58 am

amother Snow wrote:

Omg.
Please tell me your joking!

My 4 yr is in a high back booster seat..

I had a tall 4 year old read facing. I only turned her around because I had her in a carpool for school. Why is it a joke?

amother

Chocolate

Thu, May 02 2024, 11:59 am

amother Blue wrote:

Best to wait until at least 4, or until they outgrow the rear facing direction. Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to. I kept my oldest rear facing until she was 6!

Woah. This is not the norm.

rivkie123

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:05 pm

Rear facing is safest so it's best to keep them rear facing as long as they still are within the limits of the seat (most seats go to 18 klio/40 pounds) and not before 2. I kept most of my kids rear facing until around 4 but one I turned a little after she turned 3 bc I needed the seat for a different kid.

amother

↑ Bergamot ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:06 pm

amother Blue wrote:

Best to wait until at least 4, or until they outgrow the rear facing direction. Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to. I kept my oldest rear facing until she was 6!

We were here legs? How was she comfortable?

amother

Brown ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:11 pm

By law in many states you cannot switch before 2.
Recommendation is to wait as long as possible. It really is much much safer.

It is best to keep until they outgrow the seat before moving to the next one. So don't go to a booster until they outgrow FF one etc. Yes, my small 8 year old was in a FF car seat.

I don't risk safety over convenience.

amother

↑ Brown ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:13 pm

amother Snow wrote:

Omg.
Please tell me your joking!

My 4 yr is in a high back booster seat..

Sorry but unless your kid is tall it is UNSAFE. The belt hits in the wrong place and they won't be safe in an accident. You should FF carseat with a harness until much later.

amother

Alyssum ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:14 pm

Safest is to keep them rear facing until they max out the seat. For basic safety it’s minimum a year. Don’t know why pediatricians even get involved it’s parents choice.

amother

↑ Alyssum ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:15 pm

amother Bergamot wrote:

We were here legs? How was she comfortable?

Their legs fold easily they are completely comfortable putting them up the seat, sitting in a pretzel or any other position. Watch how your kids sit out of the car they never have their feet hanging down.

amother

↑ Alyssum ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:16 pm

amother Snow wrote:

Omg.
Please tell me your joking!

My 4 yr is in a high back booster seat..

Really not safe. Most kids aren’t ready until close to 6. They don’t know how to sit straight and never move so they the seat belt is in the right place. I bet it’s across her neck which is very dangerous in an accident.

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Thu, May 02 2024, 12:34 pm

amother Chocolate wrote:

Woah. This is not the norm.

It’s not the norm because most people have their kids in a carpool by the time they are 4, and it just gets complicated. However, if someone can make it work, there is no reason why a 4 year old can’t still be rear facing.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, May 02 2024, 1:41 pm

No reason to rush it. Not even thinking of switching my 2 yo FF...

amother

Olive

Thu, May 02 2024, 1:44 pm

amother Alyssum wrote:

I just switched my dd cuz her legs were so squished and she was so uncomfortable.

amother

Firebrick

Thu, May 02 2024, 3:21 pm

Are you keeping them in baby car seat till age 4?

amother

↑ Bergamot

Thu, May 02 2024, 3:29 pm

amother Alyssum wrote:

My kids actually have their feet down most of the time.
I cannot imagine sitting in a pretzel is comfortable on long car rides. Keeping the legs in one position, especially folded, for a long time, is not comfortable.

amother

Celeste

Thu, May 02 2024, 3:40 pm

It goes by size. By 2 all of my kids were tall enough. The bigger question is when to switch to booster. My youngest is on the bigger size and will be in a booster starting 4. But my 7 year old is short and still in a booster. Not going to stop until he grows more.