Extended Rear Facing Carseat

[DLA]

Those of you that still have your toddler rear facing, how long did you do this? My son is 15 months and still rear facing (which everyone thinks is weird!) but I'm noticing his feet are touching the seat a bit. He doesn't look uncomfortable but I'm just wondering when others started flipping them around to forward facing?

I'd prefer to have him rear face as long as possible.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

My lo is 2 1/2 and will keep her rf as long as possible she is really small so will last till three at least , her feet just touch the seat too

 

[fairykate]

I've just bought an ERF seat which will keep my son RF until he's 4yrs.

They really are 5 times safer in the event of an accident if they're rear facing right up until the age of 4years. Of course at that age their feet will be touching the chair but that really has no bearing on comfort or safety. There is very little chance of their 'legs breaking' as a lot of people will suggest when arguing against RF, and even if they did broken legs are a lot easier to fix than a broken neck!!! They'll either bend their legs round (frog style!), let them hang over the sides of the seat or just let them touch the back of the chair.

Joshua is currently 1yr and his feet have been touching the back for some time, it really doesn't make an ounce of difference.

 

[Tacey]

Alice will be forward facing in the next couple of weeks as Arthur's growing out of the infant seat (we can't fit two ERF seats in the car). She's 3 and a half now, and folds her legs up against the back seat. Her next seat is the type with an impact cushion.

 

[Kel127]

I turned Connor at just over 2, because he hit the 40lb weight limit!

 

[CMarie]

Still rear-facing over here! LO's feet touch the back of the backseat as well, but he still looks pretty comfortable and, in my opionion, there is absolutely no need to turn him to forward-facing. He weighs 24 lbs now and I still feel that's so tiny to be forward facing. I'm keeping him rear-faced as long as possible . . hopefully until he's 4 or so

 

[sapphire1]

We have an ERF that is meant to last til age 4, but will prob be nearer to 3.5. Holly is 2. She is a tall toddler, and her feet only touch the back seat when she tries to kick it

 

[Kess]

LO is 18 months and his feet touch the back of the seat. No problem IMO. The seat I have is supposed to last until 4 years but I don't think he'll last that long - he's a tall boy, 91st centile, and it's all body not long legs, so his head will reach the limit sooner than ideal.

 

[DLA]

I have some family members that have been giving me a hard time about him still being rear facing. Claiming it's "uncomfortable" because his feet touch the seat. Honestly they BARELY touch the seat and he doesn't seem uncomfortable at all. A member in OH's family has a kid the same age as my son, and they turned him around forward facing at like 10 months old so they all look at me like I'm a weirdo because I still won't do it! Oh well I'm sticking to my guns.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

Who cares what they say you know it's safer xxxxx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby will be going forward facing when Scarlett is big enough to go in her erf seat. I will buy ruby a group 1-2-3 seat. Scarlett hates her infant seat and the alternatives don't fit in my car so that's what we'll do. Ruby doesn't want to ff though, haha

 

[Siyren]

lyssa is still rear facing now she loves it, is perfecty comfy and just bends her legs- she's been fine on long trips and at this age is more than capable of telling us if she was unhappy.
here's a pic - she was 3 years and 3 months on the dot here.

https://img213.imageshack.us/img213/2732/img2013010600065.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


excuse the messy car- my OH fishes x

eta- idk why the straps look so high in this pic- noticed it last time i posted it in baby club too- the straps are exactly level with her shoulders so not sure why?

 

[Itsychik]

As others have said, as long as you have the right car seat you can keep your LO rear facing up until around 4 years if you'd like.

We kept my LO rear facing until 17 months (is also unheard of where I live!) and his feet would touch the seat a bit as well but he didn't seem to mind that.

Do whatever you feel is best, no matter that the others think!

 

[lucy_lu10]

My oldest DS was rear facing until shortly before he turned 3 as he reached the 40lb weight limit. My youngest is 14 months and obviously has a while to go!

Here's a good article about it that our local car seat techs wrote:

https://vicarseattechs.com/2013/rear-facing-why-do-it-and-how-to-make-it-work/

 

[Bambi1985]

We're stilll rf'ing too and will be until either DD2 gets too big to rf in her combi seat or DD1 hits weight/height limit - hopefully until around 3.5/4 years

 

[Palestrina]

I have some family members that have been giving me a hard time about him still being rear facing. Claiming it's "uncomfortable" because his feet touch the seat. Honestly they BARELY touch the seat and he doesn't seem uncomfortable at all. A member in OH's family has a kid the same age as my son, and they turned him around forward facing at like 10 months old so they all look at me like I'm a weirdo because I still won't do it! Oh well I'm sticking to my guns.

Do you live near nyc? Can you get to the city? if possible, try to come visit The Car Seat Lady. She has done wonders for us, has helped us install our car seats properly, even though we had followed the directions to a T we had no idea we were doing some things wrong. ERF is the only way to go, it is so much safer than FF. We'll be doing it for as long as possible, hopefully until he's 4.

Their legs are supposed to be bent. That does not mean they are uncomfortable. I mean, when we're sitting in a car our legs are bent, aren't they? Do you expect to fully extend your legs sitting in a car? No, that's really stupid and your family obviously has some very old conceptions about safety. When I was a baby there weren't even car seats so I don't expect my Mother to be able to give me good advice about car seats.

Anyway, go visit The car Seat Lady, she is a pediatrician that devotes her life car seat safety. Her name is Dr. Baer and she is wonderful. Her website has loads and loads on information on this. https://www.thecarseatlady.com/

 

[Wriggley]

We are still rear facing here too LOs feet are just touching the seat but we can alter the seat to see a bit further back to give him a bit longer without bending his legs.

LO will be 2 years 9 months when DS2 is born and he will be in his infact carrier (Besafe) says they fit babies to around 9 months. so will keep him in that til hes outgrown his infant carrier then will either put him in DS1s seat or by another ERF seat. i not sure yet if DS1 is getting to the 'outgrowning' stage of his erf seat il put DS2 in it. if ds1 has got more time in the seat we will bhuy a second erf seat

Went into a local independant baby store other week to pay off some of our pram for new baby and noticed that Besafe have brought out a rear facing til 4 seat in the UK so i think its starting to be come a bit more familiar now.

My mum constantly goes on about turning LO round. we did try him in an inpact shield car seat a while back and 1 he looked REALLY uncomfortable and 2 they still are not as safe as ERF seats so i didnt see point in getting it when hes perfectly okay in his current erf seat

 

[angel2010]

Carter is 2yrs 8 mos and still rear facing. His feet do touch the seat. He will cross or bend his legs. Never once has he said anything about his legs hurting or anything. I only have one other friend in my area that rear faces. It is so uncommon and even with the recommendation now being two years old, many people still turn shortly after 1.

 

[midori1999]

We have an ERF seat that is from birth to 4 years. It can forward face with a bumper cushion if we want it to, but we intend to keep her rear facing until 4. I think instead of bothering with an infant carrier, we will just get the same seat for this baby.

No one ever says anything to me about it, no one has mentioned it once. I think I must be bossy, or have an answer for everything, because none of my family ever question me on any of my parenting decisions.

 

[XJessicaX]

We have DD1 who is over 20 months in a BeSafe Izi combo ERF.