Car seats

Mine are almost 15 months. One is 27 pounds and the other is probably around 24. Most of the other mothers with toddlers their age have turned them already. I read that they shouldn't be turned till they are 30 pounds. What did you do?

 

I turned my girls at 15 months.

It's safer to keep them rear facing longer, but I went ahead and made the change because I was struggling to get them into their seats. They are much happier now and don't fight me.

 

Technically it's 20 pounds and one year. So after that you can turn them anytime you want. My girls haven't hit 20 pounds until after age one, so it was after that. I was in no hurry to turn them around because I've read in many places it's safer to be rear facing. My youngest is 16mo, maybe 20 pounds. But it was so hard to get her car seat in and secure that she'll stay where she is until the lease is up on the car in Nov. 2008 when she'll be 2 1/2. Besides, this way she can see her sisters and later they can talk.

I've kept all mine girls rear facing until I absolutely HAD to turn them around for whatever reason.

 

My boys are 23 months today and I turned them a month ago.

The carseats RF to 33 lbs so I waited until my son was 33 lbs. Although my other son is not 33 lbs (he's almost 27 lbs) I decided to turn them both at the same time.

 

We turned ours at 16 months- DD was 21 pounds and DS about 24 pounds. Their legs were very cramped and I thought it was time.

 

They can be turned at one year AND 20 pounds. But I plan on keeping mine rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight for rear-facing, because it is safest. Actually, height may be more of an issue at some point than them reaching the maximum weight ... they are almost 16 months old and Grace is still not 20 pounds. :huh:

I said I'd keep them rear-facing until at least 18 months, but they are on the small side so I am thinking we may be able to get to at least 24 months rear-facing, if not longer.

 

I don't remember exactly but I think it was around 17 months. I really struggled with the decision because I wanted them to stay rear-facing as long as possible but they are so long-bodied that they looked like their heads were getting too close to the top of the seat. They were perfectly content being rear-facing and I could actually see them better than I can now because I had a safety mirror.

 

I turned my girls around at 21 months because I was going on vacation and my dad needed to sit between them in the rental car. Had I not gone away with them I would not have turned them and they would probably still be rear facing now. They were happy rear facing and at that time they were just about 22lbs. I also did not have any problems getting them in the car either.

 

Somebody help me with the whole notion of it being safer. Safer when? When you rear-end somebody? When you get rear-ended? When you get t-boned? When?

I'm all for putting them in one direction, but I don't understand how facing is backwards is the safest when there are so many ways you can have an accident.

We drive an SUV, have side airbags as well as car seats that have additional side-impact protection. These babies are much safer in the car facing front than I ever was with my little plastic belt and seat from the 1970's!

 

QUOTE(first_second_and_last @ Jul 17 2007, 03:12 PM) [snapback]334873[/snapback]
Somebody help me with the whole notion of it being safer. Safer when? When you rear-end somebody? When you get rear-ended? When you get t-boned? When?

I'm all for putting them in one direction, but I don't understand how facing is backwards is the safest when there are so many ways you can have an accident.

We drive an SUV, have side airbags as well as car seats that have additional side-impact protection. These babies are much safer in the car facing front than I ever was with my little plastic belt and seat from the 1970's!


reference site

 

I switched them at one year.

 

QUOTE(first_second_and_last @ Jul 17 2007, 01:12 PM) [snapback]334873[/snapback]
Somebody help me with the whole notion of it being safer. Safer when? When you rear-end somebody? When you get rear-ended? When you get t-boned? When?

I'm all for putting them in one direction, but I don't understand how facing is backwards is the safest when there are so many ways you can have an accident.

We drive an SUV, have side airbags as well as car seats that have additional side-impact protection. These babies are much safer in the car facing front than I ever was with my little plastic belt and seat from the 1970's!



The importance of rear-facing beyond 20 pounds

This is why we will stay rear-facing until we have exceeded weight/height limits on rear facing.

 

Ours will be staying rear facing until they reach the 33 pound rear facing weight limit of the car seat.

 

We turned our at 1 year.

 

QUOTE(twoin2005 @ Jul 17 2007, 01:43 PM) [snapback]334917[/snapback]
I switched them at one year.


Same for us.

 

I switched them at 18 months when the boys were about 30 pounds each.

 

Mine have not hit 20 lbs yet but I plan on keeping them rear-facing as long as possible since it is the safest.

 

We did it on their first birthday. Evan was 27 lbs and Ava 21 lbs.

 

My girls have always been very tall. We turned them at one year.

 

QUOTE(MichelleS @ Jul 17 2007, 06:05 PM) [snapback]335072[/snapback]
My girls have always been very tall. We turned them at one year.



Our girls are pretty tall, too, and were both over 25 lbs when they turned a year, so we turned them around... they're much happier now that they can see out the windows better and see Mommy and Daddy in front of them..

 

13.5 months -

 

Thanks for the replies. I am going to keep them rear facing till the last possible moment. The video did it, thanks SweetpeaG.

 

We're still rear-facing at 18 months, 22ish pounds. They don't mind it, and I'm keeping them this way until either they outgrow the rear-facing weight limit or really really protest.

 

Our kids have always been on the tall and heavy side. At 11 mos they each weighed 26 lbs., but were no longer fitting in their car seats/carriers. So we bought and installed the front facing car seats at that time.