When should you REALLY turn the car seat around?

Ok, so I have heard that it is safer to keep them rear facing as long as you can. My husband wants to turn them around when they turn a year old. They are over 25lbs, so no worries there.
I want an article that I can show him that explains why it is safer to keep them rear facing.

 

There are TONS of websites you could show your husband regarding rear facing being safer. Here are a few I found easily:

http://www.thecarseatlady.com/car_seats/re...cing_seats.html
http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/qt/rear_facing.htm

 

Here is a whole article from the American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

It says "one year and 20 pounds CAN be forward facing, BUT IT IS BETTER to keep them rear facing as long as they can". I don't know if that'll help your arguement, or hurt it, but . . .

Erica.

 

Yeah, I think my DH was more anxious to turn the seats around too, just because we are short on leg room up in the front with the rear-facing seats ... but I did tell him that it's better to keep them rear-facing as long as we can ... so he's ok with it ... I think our car seats go up to 35lbs rear so we are going to shoot for that ... unless they get too tall and there feet are getting smashed into the seat ... then we'll switch 'em ...

Mine are going to be 1 in 3 weeks, and my DD is still only 18lbs ... so she wasn't getting switched regardless ... but my DS was 24lbs at 9.5 months ... so who knows what the little chunk is now!!

Erica

 

My Dh was more anxious to turn them than I was. But mine were not even 20 pounds at a year. We moved them around 20-21 months, and it is a lot easier to adjust their seat now.

 

You can turn them at 1 year AND 20 lbs.

 

REad the article and watch the videos.

http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/qt/rear_facing.htm

 

This is good info from the pp's. I kept my older DD rear-facing until 18 months, and with my little guys, I hope to go even longer, maybe 'til 2. (At some point, I won't be able to lift them up and into the carseat that way!)

 

A great resource is www.car-seat.org Check that website. They are really informative on the forums. We are in the pickle of needing leg room too but when my son was younger we kept him rear facing until he was about 18 months (which is when he figured out how to loosen his straps ).