[3surprise]

Kids safest in rear-facing car seats until age 2

And I thought waiting one year was hard to turn 'em around...

[blessedx7]

This is going to be TOUGH because they are SO over being turned backwards by 1! Not to mention all my kids by 1 had to ride with their knees up beside their ears just to be turned backwards. LOL

[monkeymama2]

I was patting myself on the back for holding out until 18 months!! 2 years is going to be hard.

[austinmommy3]

My kids were the same! So long legged it was hard to make it to one!

[~April~]

I've always done this. I didn't turn my youngest until she was 3 and my oldest was over 2. My kid's didn't seem to care. If they are not told that they can be turned around they won't ask for it. They could still look out the window and would just sit frog legged or crossed legged.

[Crystal713]

I didnt know about this with my oldest and so I turned him at a year old. With my 2 year old I kept him rear facing until 18 months and it was easy. My kids are really short though. I plan on keeping Lily turned 18 months- 2years.

[CartersMommy]

We are shorties around here LOL!! DS was rear facing until his 2nd birthday... then we were going on a road trip and I turned him because I could not handle not seeing him... plus he needed to snack and I do not allow rear facing snacking!! I hope Owen stays as unaffected by the extended rear facing as Carter was!

[lauraleaf]

I turned DD around at about 13 months even though I knew rear-facing was safer then. She had severe car sickness (like projectile vomiting within 5 minutes in the car every time) and riding backwards just made it worse. I'm hoping Evan doesn't have that problem so I can keep him backwards longer.

[AJ's Mom]

Yeah - they don't make car seats that face backwards long enough for my kids to face backwards for 2 years. Connor is ONE inch away from being two tall for our current car seat (the kind with the carrier) - so we'll have to switch to the rear facing convertable soon. DS1 reached the hight limit on the convertable one at 10 months and we had the tough decision following the carseat safety guidelines or the law (they must be one year and 20lbs). We kept him rear facing for as long as we could.

[slpliz]

Oh man this is a bummer. DH and I are tall and so are my kids. Paul is the only one that will have to face backwards for two years but it also makes driving harder when i can't see what he needs since he is facing backwards. Grr.

[LalaCupit]

We extended rear-face as well. Mati and Hazel are still RF'ing. It does not matter how long your kids' legs are, they can keey RF'ing when their legs are touching the back. Kids like to sit with their legs crossed. I have never seem a toddler sit on the floor with their legs straight out in front of them. It's just not comfy. In Australia, they rear-face kids to 4yrs minimum, because they have done the studies to prove it is so incredibly safer.

For those that have kids that are really tall, to where they're reaching the top of the seat shell RF'ing, I urge you to check out this seat. It is very tall for RF'ing without taking up a lot of room. Most kids could make it to 3 RF in this seat!

Safety 1st Complete Air 65 Convertible Car Seat - Lemans - Safety 1st - Babies "R" Us

This one is really tall too and provides lots of extra leg room RF'ing!
Graco MyRide 65 Convertible Car Seat - Chadwick - Graco - Babies "R" Us

[midwifemama]

I went to a car seat safety class before DD was born and we were told to rear face until a minimum of 2 years old regardless of height or weight. We were shown a lot of research on the safety and survival rates god forbid a crash should occur and it was incredible how much safer rear facing is in the event of an accident.

[LalaCupit]

[Isaeph]

My 2y3m is still RF. He's 36" and 30lbs. He doesn't seem to mind at all. In fact, my 4yo and 7yo sit in the 3rd row and he gets to look at them, which is exciting for him. I didn't know about extended RF with my first, so he got turned right after his first birthday. I can't tell you how much sense it makes in hindsight now to leave them RF for the second year. He'd always fall asleep in the truck and his head would tip forward and it looked so uncomfortable. It would have been much better if he was reclined in a RF seat. I knew some about extended RF with my 4yo, but we still turned her not long after her first birthday. I turned her back to RF briefly, but it was a battle and dh didn't see the point. I don't think he gets it still since he keeps saying that we should turn #3 around, but I'm not going to yet. He has 4-5lbs on the weight limit for RF in our seat, but I should check the height limit. He still fit in the Graco SnugRide 32 over the summer and was finally past the 32" height limit around July/August at 1y7m/8m. I plan on having #4 in the SR32 until next summer, then in one of our Radian 65's until it expires or she outgrows the RF requirements.

[bcmommy0409]

I decided to ERF with my middle son and just turned him around forward facing at 23 months. For us, he handled it just fine and I had no trouble at all with him seeming to be uncomfortable. I am so glad that we chose this route and wish that I was more educated when ods was younger as I feel that I could have made better choices for his safety. I also think that carseats have come a LONG way even since my son was born six years ago. Alot of seats can rear face until 40lbs and harness until 65 lbs, which would mean that my 58lb six year could still be harnessed. I know for me it seemed like it was going to be difficult, but I am glad that we made the decision to ERF!

[ToriLeigh]

I'm glad they changed the official recommendations, now I should be able to keep dh from turning Cal around. I love the newer car seats too, I'm happy that Eli's seat harnesses to 65 pounds. I think I'm going to get another Radian when Cal outgrows his infant seat. A little expensive, but he'll be able to sit in it until it expires.

[LalaCupit]

Yay! SO GLAD we have so many ERF Mommies!!!

[*CAMM*]

My son is 2 and STILL RF!!! I plan on doing it until he grows out of sit around 40lbs.

He is very tall..36inches and he doesnt mind RF at all. He doesnt cry or throw fits..nothing...and even if he did...I dont think id turn him around.

if you are on the fence about it...watch a video similating a crash at even 30 miles an hour...with a child rear facing and one forward facing around the age of 2.... the difference is amazing!!!!!!!!!! forward facing before 2yrs of age you risk internal decapitation!!!!

[Heather30]

I'm glad they changed it, it needed to be done. We rear face until two.