ERF in your community

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
How many kids have you seen RF past 1 and 20 in your community in the past six months or so?

Inlcude your own kids.

If you're a tech, include those you've helped at seat checks, etc.

How receptive have people been when you've talked to them about extended rear-facing?

Have you noticed a change (in practice or attitude) about ERFing? (In other words, have you observed more kids ERF recently than in the past?)
 
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jeminijad

New member
Not a tech, and don't really interact w/many other parents yet, as my only child is 1 and doesn't use daycare yet.

I have had only 1 other possible ERF sighting, b/c I saw a RF convertible with straps on the third slot, not all twisted, and the seat appeared at a glance to be installed well.

I have shared the info on ERF with 1 friend and my SIL, neither of whom were rude or dismissive, but neither of whom re RFed their kids, either :rolleyes:
 

kidnurse

Active member
Not a tech either. And my son is the only child I have *seen* ERF-ing, although I know of a few others in the state that do it - does it count if I know of them from here?

I tell friends who I think will be receptive about ERF, and forward on the link for Joel's Journey, but I don't know that it has effected how anyone else uses their seats. I just moved from Az to Nm, so the people I have giving the info to, I do not see to know if they are ERF.

None of the daycare's I have used have been swayed by the ERF information I have passed along, although they know for my child he is only to RF in their car, regardless of what they do with their own kids.
 

xxluckychicxx

New member
I've seen 2 kids ERFing- DD and my attorney's DD :thumbsup:

No one else knows about it, does it, and when I try to explain they think I'm nuts.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
After I posted this I realized that I haven't done any checks in the past six months. I need to get my groove back.

I know of four kids who are ERF. One is my daughter, one is my neighbor's daughter, and two are the children if techs I know.

I don't observe strangers very often, so I haven't noticed any kids out and about. I'm going to start taking DD to Gymboree soon, so I'm curious to see what the other parents there do.

The only person I've talked to recently about ERF was my neighbor whose daughter was about seven months at the time. I thought for sure she was planning on turning her FF at a year, but when I explained ERF, she seemed almost relieved that it was a viable option. She's planning to RF for at least another year. (Actually, I think she doesn't turn 1 for a few more days, but I'm counting her anyway.)

Our SafeKids coalition is very active and VERY big on ERF, so I know a lot of parents get the message. We usually deal with expectant parents, though, so even though they're pretty receptive to the message at the time, I can't say how many wind up following through.
 

ontariomama

New member
I'm not a tech.

I know of three kids ERFing to at least 2. One is DS, another is a little girl that I babysit sometimes and the third is an acquaintance. I think there was an article relatively recently in a Dr Sears daily email (or monthly, I'm not sure) that wrote of the benefits of ERFing to 2. That's why the other moms that I know are doing it.

I have told a couple of moms about it and sent a couple of videos but they are planning on turning their kids at age 1. I don't push, but it's hard to hold my tongue sometimes. People have been receptive in general, but they still do what is 'legal', not what is best practice.

I don't know if things are changing because my DS is just 15 months and I have only been aware of it's benefits for the past 8 months or so. I don't have much to compare to.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Most of the private checks I do are expecting parents, and they're very receptive to ERF. The public checks often have kids ERF, or parents willing. Out in the general public, I've seen a few. Piper and I saw a kid who looked to be at least three RFing in a Boulevard a few weeks ago. I saw another Boulevard either set up wrong, or sitting a three or four year old rear facing (headrest was way up) yesterday. Which was nice since the car that had parked next to me had a three or four year old in nothing but maybe the belt.

Piper rear faced until nearly five. Laine will probably not hit 35 pounds until five or thereabouts. I may turn her at four, but we'll see. One day at a time either way.

More than 50% of my former local mommies board ERF. I've been preaching for years, and the info that came out last year helped quite a lot. Most (I think it was about 80%) went to 18-24 months rear facing. A smattering went beyond that. The before or at one year olds were the definite minority.

Wendy
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
I'm not a tech. I've only seen 2 kids ERF in my community in the past 6 months, including my son. The other child is a little girl in my town who rear-faced until she was 2. I don't know why the mom decided to FF her at that point; we had only 1 brief conversation about ERF when she noticed my son was ERF a few months ago. She told me that a friend who was a police officer told her it was safer to RF longer and that feet touching the car's seat wasn't an issue. I don't know if that police officer is in our community or if he's a tech. I hope that he's influencing others to ERF, even if I haven't noticed any other children ERF yet.

No one has ever been receptive to any of the ERF info I've provided. I stick to providing the info online now, because my family members are vaguely interested when I tell them, but haven't chosen to ERF. I feel like I failed my niece by not finding the right info to present to my SIL and BIL to convince them about ERF; I'm hoping that the AAP will issue new guidelines that remove the 1 year and 20 pound line from their recommendations before my nephew turns 1, because I'm at a loss at what else could convince them at this point.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
I know there are alot of ERFs in my community. I used to do checks with a woman where FF before 30 pounds wasn't an option, and for the most part parents were fine with it. I can't even begin to count how many kids we kept ERF. However, I never see them. If I hadn't been there, I would think no one around me ERFs. However, I am hearing many preschool parents RF to age 2. I know at my church 2 (soon to ne 2 more) little ones are ERF :thumbsup: When I talk to parents at BRU most of them are very receptive to ERF. I was handing out cards at a small baby store grand opening last weekend, and several of the kids were ERF. So, I do think the message is getting out there :)
 

Shaunam

New member
None except mine and my friend's kids. I did see a rf'ing radian xt a month or so ago but there was no kid in it. Good chance that was an older kid since that seems to be the #1 reason people buy them other than 3 across (only 2 seats in that car though).

Car seat usage around here is abysmal though. I'm more likely to see kids in no seats at all, or maybe a crappy expired seat.
 

twinsmom

New member
Only 2, both mine. BUT, a new mom in the neighborhood (new to the area, and new to motherhood) asked me to give her some advice on parenting, pediatricians, schools, etc. I told her about ERF and gave her a pamphlet and websites to check out. She was receptive, and even said that when she had her infant seat installed at the local fire department, they told her the recommendation now is to RF until 2.:thumbsup: I was also able to convince another neighbor take her 3 yr old out of a booster and into a FF harness.:thumbsup: (RF was not going to happen in this case).
 

Kaede's_Mom

New member
I've seen 2 kids ERFing- DD and my attorney's DD :thumbsup:

No one else knows about it, does it, and when I try to explain they think I'm nuts.

People out here think we are nuts to have them in any seat past the age of two let alone still RF at one.

The only ones I have seen are you, KayzKidz DFC, and MyLilJuneBugs. Of course my self as well. I have had a cop lecture me on how I was endangering my child's legs when she was RF at 2 :rolleyes:

I have seen a few seats that could possibly ERF'ers. Like PP said, higher strap heights and looked to installed correctly.
 

Mommy0608

New member
I've only seen my own two kids (DD was RF until December), and maybe one or two at seat checks. I do public checks about once a month. The Safe Kids group I work with is pro-ERF, but some of the techs are more vocal about it than others.

My best friends all have kids who could be RF, and they know it's safer, yet not a single one of them chooses to do it. :( :thumbsdown:
 

dmpmercury

New member
I live in Alaska. Car seat use is abysmal around here. Kids are in the seatbelt and booster way too early or old t shields that are expired who knows how long ago. I even see unrestrained kids sometimes. I see more babies foward facing than I do 1 year olds rear facing.

My dd's preschool is in a nice area and it makes me sad how many don't even have boosters. I think a few moms in the hospital group I went to might rear face to past 1 since the person who runs it is also a tech and a few on the AP group I belonged to but even in that group there are people that turn right at 1. Most 1 and 2 year olds I see are foward facing. My dd is definately the only 3 year old who is still rear facing I saw. Techs are pretty good around here so far from what I saw so maybe eventually the word will get out. We have the highest accidental death for young people in our state. I wonder why.
 

heasmommy

Senior Community Member
I have seen probably 5 and they are all because of me. Either they are family, very close friends, or my own kids. I do not think that I have ever seen a child ERF just out and about. To be honest around here it is VERY rare to see anything RF except an infant seat, pretty much never a convertible seat.

I am a tech and do seat checks about once a month just depending on the season. You never see ERF and the parents are not receptive to it at all!! The techs that I work with it are all for ERF but to be honest we are just lucky to get some of these kids in seats, all about the minimums here:(
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Five. Four of them are mine; J & CC at 3 and 4 RF with me but FF with their parents. CS is 23mos, but a peanut, and RF in all vehicles (mine/dad/mom/grandparents. S is 14mos and only rides in my vehicle and mom's, RF in both. I'm not sure how much longer CS will stay RF; she came to me at 16 mos still RF because she wasn't at the minimum weight, but dad was itching to turn her. I think I talked him out of that itch. S will RF until he hits the limit on his seat (35lb) or I tell mom it's okay to turn him.

There are also other assorted kids I have now and again who RF, but I don't count them, since it's not a regular thing.

On top of those four, there is a little girl at preschool who is 15mos, and RF... she's a lightweight. I asked mom how old she was one day, and she said that dad said he heard that it's safer to keep them RFing a bit longer. Of course, we finished the conversation and as she put her in I noticed that the install was terribly loose, but didn't feel I could re-interject and have my tone turn from excitement to "uh, your install sucks..." Sigh.

I did see a RF MR on the highway yesterday, unoccupied. I literally gasped.
 

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