My 3 year old wants to be FF

StPaulMom · Apr 14, 2011

He's 3 years 4 months and a peanut at just about 30 lbs (41"). He's got tons of room to stay RF in the TF (or pretty much any other seat!), but the last week or so he's been begging to turn "backwards" - aka forward haha! If another poster or a parent asked about whether they should turn their 3+ year old FF if the child wanted to, I'd have almost no hesitation saying "At this point, I would be ok with FF". But...I'm having a harder time giving myself the same advice.

DH and I are going to Europe next month and my MIL will be with the kids for one week and my parents will be with them the next week. I mentioned the careseat thing to my mom and she said "Well, you HAVE to wait to turn him until you're back from your trip! I'm not comfortable driving him around yet if he's FF!"

So, would anyone like to reassure the mom side of me that turning my 3.5 year old FF at the end of May is ok, or would anyone like to tell me to hold off a bit longer?

hrice · Apr 14, 2011

Your MIL sounds awesome

I would tell a parent that 3.5 is far above the norm and a safe age to FF. And really it is wonderful that you have kept him RF this long :thumbsup:

However, for my own child I wouldn't turn them a day before 4 and would try my darndest to keep them RF as long as they fit.

glockchick · Apr 14, 2011

I'd hold off if you have a seat that fits him and he's not throwing a gosh awful fit about it the whole car ride. RFing is so much safer that it's not worth it to me unless he's throwing a big enough fit while you drive that it affects your driving.

That said, my 3 yr 2 mth old is FFing in my suburban. He's at the RFing limit in his MA and I can't afford another seat for that vehicle to rear face him. He's also in a center position in a huge vehicle so I don't worry about him as much in that vehicle as opposed to my Civic where he's still RFing.

So really it's up to you. Not much help am I?

StPaulMom · Apr 14, 2011

hrice said:
Your MIL sounds awesome

I would tell a parent that 3.5 is far above the norm and a safe age to FF. And really it is wonderful that you have kept him RF this long :thumbsup:

However, for my own child I wouldn't turn them a day before 4 and would try my darndest to keep them RF as long as they fit.

See, that's my issue! As a tech, I'd have no qualms telling a parent that they'd done an awesome job for RF past age 3 and that FF is fine at this point. And that's true! But I know the benefits of NOT turning him yet and I dont want to. But between him asking to be "backwards" and my DH gently (ever so gently) mentioning that he'd like to turn him around this summer...well, you see my conundrum!

christineka · Apr 14, 2011

hrice said:
Your MIL sounds awesome

I would tell a parent that 3.5 is far above the norm and a safe age to FF. And really it is wonderful that you have kept him RF this long :thumbsup:

However, for my own child I wouldn't turn them a day before 4 and would try my darndest to keep them RF as long as they fit.

:yeahthat:

cookie123 · Apr 14, 2011

I'd wait. I'm in the same boat. Matthew is 3 years 4 months, too. He's also 30 lbs. He's ff in all cars but mine now. I'd like to turn him just to be done with the Radian. But I've decided to try and rf to the limit of the seat, which is what is recommended, right? He has 3 lbs, and I figure by winter that will be it. I can stick it out.

Oh, and way to go, mom!

KaysKidz · Apr 14, 2011

I'm a CPST...and my almost 4yr old twins have been FF for over a year. I think I flipped them at 2.5 honestly. The smaller one went back and forth rf'ing for a while, but he's been FF for the last 6mo consistantly.

urchin_grey · Apr 14, 2011

I'm like you... If someone (even a tech) asked me if I thought it was okay, I'd say sure. But would I do it myself? Probably not.

That being said, my 3.75yo nephew will be riding FF occasionally (probably any time we need 3 across in my sister's Sportage). The majority of the time though, he'll ride RF in either his MR or one of his cousin's Radians.

all together ooky · Apr 14, 2011

Do you know WHY he's asking to turn around? It may be the seat. When Nora was almost 3 and still fit in the True Fit by weight she started to complain about it. "Not this seat!"
She had no problem with the MyRide. When I got her the Radian because she hit 35lbs she was so HAPPY. She loves it. I have heard no complaints. I wonder if it's because the sides come up so high on the True Fit (down by the legs) so they have less room really to fold them up and they have to "up" all the time? I don't know.

urchin_grey · Apr 14, 2011

all together ooky said:
Do you know WHY he's asking to turn around? It may be the seat. When Nora was almost 3 and still fit in the True Fit by weight she started to complain about it. "Not this seat!"
She had no problem with the MyRide. When I got her the Radian because she hit 35lbs she was so HAPPY. She loves it. I have heard no complaints. I wonder if it's because the sides come up so high on the True Fit (down by the legs) so they have less room really to fold them up and they have to "up" all the time? I don't know.

Bram is the same way about the TF. He doesn't mind it on short rides, but he gets antsy if its a longer ride. He's tiny, so I know its not a space issue. I think its just because he can't see around the edges of the seat like he can in the Radian.

StPaulMom · Apr 14, 2011

all together ooky said:
Do you know WHY he's asking to turn around? It may be the seat. When Nora was almost 3 and still fit in the True Fit by weight she started to complain about it. "Not this seat!"
She had no problem with the MyRide. When I got her the Radian because she hit 35lbs she was so HAPPY. She loves it. I have heard no complaints. I wonder if it's because the sides come up so high on the True Fit (down by the legs) so they have less room really to fold them up and they have to "up" all the time? I don't know.

I'm pretty sure it's not the seat. He's ridden RF in several seats and I know he's comfortable in the TF (because he'd definitely tell me!). He has been FF a few times in my DH's car and thought it was the neatest thing ever. Maybe it's really just that it's new and different and after a few weeks he'd get over the novelty and want to be RF again

melniemi · Apr 14, 2011

I'm struggling to turn my 4y3m old dd ffing. She's 39", 31#s and begs to turn around

christineka · Apr 14, 2011

StPaulMom said:
I'm pretty sure it's not the seat. He's ridden RF in several seats and I know he's comfortable in the TF (because he'd definitely tell me!). He has been FF a few times in my DH's car and thought it was the neatest thing ever. Maybe it's really just that it's new and different and after a few weeks he'd get over the novelty and want to be RF again

I had my dd3 ride ff one time and then she begged to ride in the seat afterward. I then turned it rfing and she still begged to sit in it (but she was over the weight limit). It turns out, she just likes to change seats, but didn't really care which way it was facing. Fortunately for her, I have a car seat addiction, so she gets to change fairly often.

PunkyMonkey · Apr 14, 2011

Kudos to your MIL... mine doesn't believe in car seats which is why she'll NEVER drive my baby anywhere!

trippsmom · Apr 14, 2011

Trying to cope myself... I had this very conversation earlier today at CFA w/ another c-s.org cpst...

An Aurora · Apr 14, 2011

I'd wait. I turned DD2 FF at 3 since she was escaping her seats. She went back RF after my crash. That freaked me out

In fact just a few minutes ago I was talking to my lawyer about ERF and he said his son is RF in the same seat my DD had--Cowmoo Marathon

. He said he sees way too many pictures of crashes and car seats and gets way too much money from insurance companies for parents who had a kid injured. So he ERFs

tarabelle · Apr 14, 2011

StPaulMom said:
He's 3 years 4 months and a peanut at just about 30 lbs (41"). He's got tons of room to stay RF in the TF (or pretty much any other seat!), but the last week or so he's been begging to turn "backwards" - aka forward haha! If another poster or a parent asked about whether they should turn their 3+ year old FF if the child wanted to, I'd have almost no hesitation saying "At this point, I would be ok with FF". But...I'm having a harder time giving myself the same advice.

DH and I are going to Europe next month and my MIL will be with the kids for one week and my parents will be with them the next week. I mentioned the careseat thing to my mom and she said "Well, you HAVE to wait to turn him until you're back from your trip! I'm not comfortable driving him around yet if he's FF!"

So, would anyone like to reassure the mom side of me that turning my 3.5 year old FF at the end of May is ok, or would anyone like to tell me to hold off a bit longer?

I'm having this same issue but DD1 is only 23lbs and 36". She wants to ride FF like her friend Megan does (who is actually in a NBB but that's another thread in and of itself :thumbsdown

. DH thinks she's fine to turn based on what I've spewed forth to others (because she is THREE just like others whose parents I've cheered for keeping RF to 3/past 2 etc)

UGH

Kat_Momof3 · Apr 14, 2011

I love your mother in law... that also sounds like a compromise (and have you ever noticed how much bigger kids seem after you're away from them awhile?)... tell him you'll let him go forward facing after you get back from your trip.

NannyMom · Apr 14, 2011

Tell him he can FF when he's 4. That's my vote. At 4 is when I'll take the child's opinion into account.

flutie128 · Apr 14, 2011

DD is going to be 3 on 5/11 and she is 30 pounds and 38 inches tall. She really wants to FF because big brother FFs. The next time she rides in my mom's car she will ride FFing because it is such a pain to get the scerena RFing behind the driver in the Corolla with the seat all the way back. Most likely her next ride in the car will be after she turns 3. All the car seats I own only RF to 35 pounds so her days are numbers anyways.

My 3 year old wants to be FF

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