Where are all the RF tots?

bnsnyde · Jun 25, 2011

Reading all these great posts makes me feel guilty my 4.5-year-old is not RF (but at 46 lbs. it won't happen).

Today I realized I have NEVER actually seen a child much over 1 RF. I know they are out there because you all exist. I live in a town with tons of kids, and I attend all the kiddie events, schools, etc. and peek into cars/vans. NEVER ever do I see a tot RF. I am not even talking 3 or 4-year-old. Not even a 2-year-old. 15-month-old. Period. Only tiny babies in bucket seats.

I wonder if it's b/c infant seats do tend to fit for at least a year now that kids are going right to a FF convertible. Before I knew people who'd stick a RF convertible in when their 6-month-old or whatever outgrew the small bucket seat.

Where are all the RF babies and tots? I wonder what the stats are for percentage of kids over 1 RF?

That was my observation, anyway, that I'd been thinking about. Now, off we go on a roadtrip tomorrow for a week. Carseats and kids are ready!

NannyMom · Jun 25, 2011

I know they exist, because I've helped their parents install seats. Yet.... I never see them either (after the seat check)

Except 2 of my friends though.

tiggercat · Jun 25, 2011

I see some, mostly friends and fellow techs' children. I do occasionally see a RF convertible seat in vehicles in parking lots...

I think the general public doesn't "get" that convertible seats can RF. We often have parents come into clinic with their almost or newly 1 yr olds in their new "big kid seat" FF, and the parents are surprised when we recommend RF, and let them know their current seat can also be installed in that orientation.

vonfirmath · Jun 25, 2011

My son is 3 3/4, 34 pounds, forward facing and I do not feel guilty at all. Our goal is 2.5, preference is 3 and he made both of those

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Stelvis · Jun 25, 2011

I have a few friends from high school/college who ERF. Just around town though, you don't see it much. I think I've seen some 18 month-ish old's RF. Once at Costco I did see a mom with 4 kids in a minivan, all RF, including twins who looked to be almost 4. It was super exciting.

actuallyamanda · Jun 25, 2011

OOOH that would be exciting!! I would have had to go over and say something about how wonderful it is to see! I NEVER see anyone ERF in my town, ever

My bff does but she doesnt live in the same town as me. She's the only person I know IRL that ERFs. We still do occasionally, depending on what vehicle were in.

Stelvis said:
I have a few friends from high school/college who ERF. Just around town though, you don't see it much. I think I've seen some 18 month-ish old's RF. Once at Costco I did see a mom with 4 kids in a minivan, all RF, including twins who looked to be almost 4. It was super exciting.

geekKT · Jun 25, 2011

I've seen older RF'ers in certain circles here, like the babywearing groups (and they often have a tech attending the meetups). I also have one friend with older kids rear facing. In the general public, however, I see very very few. Once or twice I have noticed a rear facing convertible that looks to be set up for a larger child, but haven't actually seen said child.

Stelvis · Jun 25, 2011

actuallyamanda said:
OOOH that would be exciting!! I would have had to go over and say something about how wonderful it is to see! I NEVER see anyone ERF in my town, ever My bff does but she doesnt live in the same town as me. She's the only person I know IRL that ERFs. We still do occasionally, depending on what vehicle were in.

It was all I could do not to act like a creepy stalker lol.

Phineasmama · Jun 25, 2011

I hardly ever see them either

In fact, most of the 4 year olds at my DD's preschool, and even some of the 3 year olds, are all in low back boosters

PunkyMonkey · Jun 25, 2011

I don't ever see any either, same thing just babies in buckets or 1+ FF in convertibles. This might sound odd but as I'm walking by cars on my way into the office I look in windows at all the car seats and I think we are the only person in the whole parking lot with a RF convertible and I KNOW a lot of people have babies less than 2 yrs old. =/

I have one friend that has her 9 month old RF in a Tribute but other than that its buckets or FF or gasp... backless boosters at 2.5 (ugh).

rxmommy · Jun 25, 2011

I hardly ever see them.

I have one friend that I talked into RFing until 2!!! Hardly an accomplishment though with the new AAP recommendations, it doesn't make me quite so crazy anymore. Couldn't talk another friend out of getting an AOE that will be her dd's "last carseat" (good luck with that....).

I have one friend who is BAD about carseat safety - buckling only the chest clip in town, moving kids to boosters way too early - and she left her ds#3 RFing for about 14 months from sneaking peeks into her car. He's FFing now at 19 months, but they've got another on the way and I know she'd never do 2 RFing. Better than 1, I guess. He's a big boy too so it's entirely possible he outgrew his old (and probably expired

) seat RFing.

rxmommy · Jun 25, 2011

MadisonsMommy said:
I don't ever see any either, same thing just babies in buckets or 1+ FF in convertibles. This might sound odd but as I'm walking by cars on my way into the office I look in windows at all the car seats and I think we are the only person in the whole parking lot with a RF convertible and I KNOW a lot of people have babies less than 2 yrs old. =/

I have one friend that has her 9 month old RF in a Tribute but other than that its buckets or FF or gasp... backless boosters at 2.5 (ugh).

I peak in cars to look at carseats all.the.time.

I went out with a coworker last week and looked to see if she still has her long twins in their bucket seats. Looks like they are in RFing Sceneras. She'll probably turn the the minute they turn 1, despite my ramblings all the time.

And they may not even be 20lbs yet.

actuallyamanda · Jun 25, 2011

:ROTFLMAO:

Stelvis said:
It was all I could do not to act like a creepy stalker lol.

njkj · Jun 25, 2011

A close friend just turned her 3 year old 39lb son FF

her 22 month old is still RF and will be as long as he can. Her DSD is her for the summer and at 8 1/2 does not ride in a booster at home which they did not know. They went straight from the air port and bought a turbo

. L was not happy but H told her her car her rules and that she is not safe with out one

. I know one other ERF IRL

.

christineka · Jun 25, 2011

I've seen them at check events. My neighbor turned her 3 year old girl back to rfing. I don't know why- just saw it rfing one day after church! I know it was ffing a year ago.

Carrie_R · Jun 26, 2011

I'm soooo lucky, because my two nanny babies (2.5 and turned 1 this week

) arrive riding RF every morning. I also had a part-time girl during the school year who was turning 3 and still RF.

Around town, I think I've only seen one ERFer, she was 15 mos (I asked Mom,) and they turned her shortly thereafter. I have noticed a much higher incidence of RF convertibles on the highways, in parking lots, etc in the last couple of months... guessing due to the updated recs. Don't typically see kids in those seats, though.

I also know a couple of ERF families through church. Only one of them is ERF due to my influence, but they were planning on doing it anyways (so I guess it wasn't really *due* to my influence, lol.)

ketchupqueen · Jun 26, 2011

I have increasingly seen strangers with whom I have no contact drive by with children who are obviously over one, sometimes even over 2, RF. I also see many an ERF child at seat check events and private checks. I'm lucky, it helps make up for some of the really bad stuff I also see.

spinningfans · Jun 26, 2011

I never seen RFing kids. One friend of mine heard the whole deal on why my kiddo will be RFing for as long as possible from when she was just pregnant through the earlier months of her baby's life and she still turned her kid forward practically the moment she could be called one. It makes me so sad. It is even worse because I know she doesn't read the manuals for her seats... she doesn't read manuals for ANYTHING. I actually installed her seat for her when she went from a bucket to a convertible before she was old enough to legally be forward and that is probably the last time she was truly safe. One of HER closest friends often posts pictures of her kid on facebook in his carseat. Half the time, the straps are falling off his shoulders

(

msg221 · Jun 26, 2011

I don't see it much around here either, but I have made it a point to educate any mom or dad that has asked me about it. People who come to check events, people at work, my next door neighbor since she has 11 month old twin boys who she is getting ready to put them in the TFP's she bought a few months ago (on my recommendation!). Just yesterday my friend and former co-worker was surprised when I told him that Zain and Ethan still ride RF in my vehicle and that I just got the RN to keep him RF longer since they are close to outgrowing the TFP RF. He is going to buy my 80SL in a few months for his 1 year old son. He asked if he should keep him RF until 2, and I told him that was just a minimum recommendation and that as long as his son still fits the seat RF, leave him that way. As for Zain and Ethan, while I know that at 3 years and almost 1 month old and 34 pounds, and 2 yrs., 11 months and 34 pounds, they would be perfectly safe properly harnessed FF, but I still can't bring myself to turn them.

BananaBoat · Jun 26, 2011

Almost all the ERF kiddos I see IRL are of friends who I "got to" before they turned 1. I'm the local Car Seat Expert Mom, so I think some of them honestly feel a little sheepish about turning their kiddos. Meh. I'm ok with keeping kids safER by guilt-tripping their parents a little :shrug-shoulders:

I've seen a few ERFers around that I don't "know" but they are few & far between. Unfortunately, most parents still seem to get their safety info from their Peds & I know that the big practice in town has old info. I definitely get the quizzical looks from parents at preschool drop-off/pick-up when they see DD climb into her RF seat. Can't say that I'm surprised considering the nasty, expired seats that are in the hall as parents' spares

I need to take a pic one of these days for you guys...so gross!

Where are all the RF tots?

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