Trying to resist

It's getting so frustrating putting the boys in their RFing car seats. I do strongly feel it's best to keep them in there as long as possible. They are almost 28 months old and about 32 lbs (give or take a few ounces). I think they are about 36 +/- inches tall. So legally they certainly can be turned around, but they are not quite at 35 lbs which are the seats' weight limits for rear facing. We know that at Christmas we are going to have to flip them around. My mother is buying a couple of car seats and is looking to buying boosters cause there are a couple of kids in our family that visit her that could use those seats as boosters.

The thing is, whenever I put them in, I bump their heads on the car door frame. I don't mean to obviously. It's likely cause of my angle. I'm a bit short and the angle of the back door is not always easy for me to avoid hitting their heads on. My husband does not have this problem when he puts the boys in. He thinks I should wait, but is fine with it if I really want to switch them around. They are so close to their weight limits. I want them to be as safe as possible, and I believe rear facing is the best way. But how many head bumps are they going to have to endure until Christmas if I don't flip the seats around yet?

So, should I just go ahead and flip the seats around? Or should I wait the extra few weeks until Christmas to do it? It's not that long until that day from now, but I'm really getting tired of bumping their heads.

 

Do you think they could climb in on their own?

 

I'd wait, but again, mine will probably be rf past 3. I hate it, one of their seats is really hard to adjust when rf and I bump their heads too, but I just know that if I turn them around and we have an accident I'll never forgive myself. So we'll switch them when they outgrow the seat (probably in length first in my case as they're not even 27lb yet).

I'd try to see if they will climb in their seat also, or just put them in there sideways or something.

 

If it makes you feel any better, my kids are forward facing and I still regularly bump their heads on the door frame.

 

Me too Beth!

That's when I started the "you need to climb into your own seat" rule. A&R have been FF since they turned 1. Mostly because of car-sickness issues.

 

Ours always have climbed in on their own by that age - its the only time they are allowed to step on the seats in the vehicles. Saves lots of bumped heads (on their part...still bump my own regularly tho! LOL)

I would say if you're having a hard time deciding whether to turn them, then don't. Always follow your gut instinct.

 

It sounds like it won't be long before you turn them anyway. I would probably try to stick it out as long as you can with them rear facing since it is safer. Of course, you should take that with a grain of salt since my two have been forward facing for years, I never really gave it much thought when they were younger, I just turned them around when legally they were able to be turned ardon: . But, if I had to do it over again, I would have left them longer, just in case.

 

I bump heads too! ugh! we're rear facing and I won't be switching any time soon. I wish I had a magic potion to get the kids to climb into their carseats nicely and stay there... when given freedom they tend to climb all over the car and then I get agitated... ugh! anyway, sounds like you'd like to keep rf. good luck.

 

Yeah my kids get all over the car too, drives me nuts.

 

Same here, actually my DH brushed DS's head on the door frame and DS told DH: "That was your fault, Daddy!"

 

They do try to climb in themselves, but they do seem to have difficulty climbing in on their own. It'll be easier to let them climb in with their seats facing forward, but that's no reason to turn them around. They do occasionally cry when I bonk their heads, but they are ok. I guess I'll just keep them rear facing until Christmas. I have to turn them then anyhow. My husband also has been complaining cause their knees are almost touching their chests when they sit in that direction, but they don't seem to complain about that. I remind him about the strange ways they sit around the house anyhow. I don't think that they mind sitting in a funky position in the car seats at this time.