[Wifey2Jordan]

First of all, i'm not trying to start a debate. I am pretty sure where I stand on this subject, i'm just look for other opinions.....whatever they might be. I'm interested in both sides!!

My son is almost 15 months. He is 27 pounds, and about 31 inches or so. We still have him rear facing in a Britax Marathon.

This past week, a mommy group I attend had the highway patrol come out and do a car seat check. The cop asked me his age and weight, and when I told him....he said I should turn him around based on his size. I told him I still felt it was safer for him to be rear facing, and the seat he is in still allows that for a while longer, as he hasn't reached the weight/height limit yet. He just kinda shrugged his shoulders, said "ok, if thats how you feel, it will be ok" and then moved on to checking the rest of the seat.

I guess i'm just surprised that he said I should turn him around. I know they see horrible accidents all the time, and I imagine they would be current on the statistics etc. Personally, after watching a few videos on youtube, and doing a little bit of research, I was pretty sure I wanted to keep him rear facing for as long as I could. Now i'm starting to get comments from people about how I should turn him around, and now i'm wavering. The comment from the cop just really threw me.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on the matter? Keep him rear facing, or turn him around? Again, no debates, i'm just curious! Thanks!!!

[esparando para bebé]

Personally, I'm with you. Rear face until no longer possible. Rear facing really is the safest way to be.

[raelynn]

I agree, rear-facing is safest. There is so much misinformation out there about how bigger rear-facing children can break legs in a crash etc, yet studies have proven that children are 5x safer rear-facing. This is why it is extremely rare for RFing children to be killed in car crashes in Sweden - they rear-face to age 5 or so!

Children in Sweden are extremely unlikely to die in car accidents. Between July 2006 and November 2007 not a single child under the age of 6 years old was killed in a car crash in Sweden (Source: VTI Sweden). According to the AA’s website, 205 children are injured in car crashes in the UK every year and 21 are killed.[/b]

http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/facts.php#accident

[Mikasa]

Keep him RFing! I think too many people think that it is some sort of milestone to turn them around. I don't know ANYONE who keeps their kids rear facing a day past their first birthday. Everyone thinks I'm crazy for doing it. My 3 y/o is still rear-facing 50% of the time, she is just above the 35 lb. mark so I got her a Nautilus but she still likes her rear-facing seat better because she can watch movies I have seen a lot of kids her age in belt positioning booster seats that are totally not right for their age!

I am very surprised how little info there is out there about extended RFing, even my dr. told me it was ok to turn her around at 1 but I know better!

[Madeline410]

Rear facing is deffinately safest. Just because he is a police officer doesn't mean he is a tech, you know?

^^ On a side note if your daughter is above 35lbs she CANNOT be rear facing safely in any seat made in the USA. 35 lbs is the max weight. If you live in Sweden, ignore me