Would you turn her?

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NicoleCPST

Senior Community Member

• Nov 13, 2011

• #1

DD will be 4 in late January. She is about 36-37 lbs. 41 inches tall. She's RF, center, in an XTSL. She still has room to grow, is just barely at the 4th harness slot. There is no real reason to turn her. It's just been on my mind lately.

ETA- those that turned before the child outgrew the seat, why did you turn them?

 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

• Nov 13, 2011

• #2

Not now, right before winter, no. I turned dbk Maeg, when she was 5.5. She still fit RFing, but dang, she was all legs.

 

momtotwogirls

New member

• Nov 13, 2011

• #3

I would wait until she is 4. Our minimum is 4 AND 30lbs (unless its outgrown sooner). After Emma turned 4 I asked her if she wanted to ride backward or forwards. She choose forward for about a week at a time going about 3 weeks backwards and 1 week forward until she didnt ask to be backwards anymore after about 3 or 4 months.

 

J

Jessica61624

New member

• Nov 13, 2011

• #4

I wouldn't

 

Brigala

CPST Instructor

• Nov 13, 2011

• #5

At age four I think I would probably allow the child to have some say.

NHTSA's recommendations to keep a child rear-facing to the height/weight limits of the seat end at 4 years old. It would be hard for me at this point to really justify keeping my child rear-facing beyond NHTSA's recommendations if the child objected to it.

 

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NicoleCPST

Senior Community Member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #6

She's not nagging me at all. It's just been on my mind, she's getting so tall, but all legs and not uncomfortable as far as I can tell. I wish the Radian wedge would hurry up and come out, the only concern I have with her RF is that her seat it already at a 45* reclined, I'd Luke her more upright at her size.

 

msg221

Well-known member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #7

Zain is 3.5 and I am getting ready to turn him in my car (he's been FF in his parents' car for a while now). He is too heavy to RF in the TFP and just about too tall in the MR. So I ended up buying the FR85 for him since it was so cheap during that Wayfair sale. I haven't had a chance to snag him to try him out in it, but I am having a hard time just thinking about FF him!

I saw Katelyn & Owen today and their mom told me they are getting ready to turn K because she is close to outgrowing the MR RF. The last time I saw her, I did notice how close she was. She is only 28 months old so I'm guessing she has a long torso! Her mom also said they likely will just flip Owen as well, which I am not thrilled about, but didn't say anything. She already knows my feelings about it so there was no point in saying anything more.

 

tam_shops

New member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #8

I turned ODS at 5.75yo, only b/c YDS needed his seat to continue RF. Though, at 5yo, I gave him the choice to FF and he declined...

tam

 

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babyherder

Well-known member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #9

I don't think I could turn a child that still fit rf because if something happened I would always second guess and blame myself, knowing that child could have been safer. I don't think people that turn their kids at 4 (or 3 or whenever) are making them unsafe and I wouldn't blame someone else if something happened to a ff kiddo under age 4 but I'm hard on myself.

 

Pixels

New member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #10

If we keep my car, DD will be turned when noob arrives, at 4y0mo. I have two ways to potentially fit three across: BT, FF RN, RF RN, or three RFing seats (RN/MR/RN). At 4yo I am comfortable turning DD FFing for the convenience of using the bucket.

That said, I am having an extremely hard time getting the seats properly installed, and we might get a van instead. If we do that, then she'll be RFing to age 4 at a minimum, at which point she'll have input. I tried her in the FFing Radian yesterday, and she said, "Mommy, this seat doesn't fit me! I don't go this way," so I don't expect her to ask to go FFing any time soon.

 

Mom2FiveGirls

Active member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #11

After DD5 turned 4 I gave her a choice. She went FFing briefly then wanted to go back RFing. She stayed RFing until a couple weeks ago (she's 4 years and almost 5 months old) and is FFing now. She asked this morning if she still fit RFing and I said I was pretty sure she did but we could check and see after school, but now I'm thinking I'll probably leave her FFing because my mom will have my girls and my van (DH and I are going on vacation) from Wednesday until the following Wednesday and I think it would be easier for my mom and that means she's more likely to use the seat properly if she's FFing. She's in a MA70 and she doesn't complain at all but she is getting a little squished and its kinda a pain to get her buckled and all RFing. After next Wednesday I'll gladly turn her RFing again if she asks.

But my short answer is, after 4 I let her have some input If we lived somewhere that got a lot of ice and snow, I'd likely keep Ella RFing until spring just because of the increased risk of accidents.

 

momtoo3

Well-known member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #12

I turned ds3 FF in my van last night. He is 3 yrs 2 months. He is now FF in all vehicles . I had planned on waiting until the spring when he would be 3.5 but we had to pull over 4 times yesterday in less than 1.5 hours to take him out of his seat and comfort him because of the leg cramps that he was getting again. I don't have another seat option for him. His TFP doesn't fit RF in my van, The MR has to be in dh's car to make a 3 across work and dh will not let me buy another seat for ds3. Dh has been wanting me to turn him for several months and ds3 has been asking to FF and complaining about RF since June. I caved last night but don't feel good about it.

So I guess my answer to your question is, no I wouldn't turn her unless she had outgrown the seat or was very uncomfortable.

 

actuallyamanda

New member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #13

If she isnt complaining or asking to sit forward and she still fits rfing, then I would leave her that way.

Once she turns 4, if she starts to ask or complain, then I wouldnt have a problem turning her.

I would at least wait until the 'wedge' is released and try it out too.

 

morninglori

New member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #14

I turned DS a few weeks ago - about a month before his 4th birhtday. My goal for him was 4 - and then to give him a choice, but he was complaining a lot about back pain when RF so I switched him.

 

CrazyBoysMamma

New member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #15

I wouldn't. She isn't asking, and honestly, if she were mine and asked now I'd make a bargain to FF come spring. The idea of taking a step down in safety durning the winter gives me the a bit of anxiety.

 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Nov 14, 2011

• #16

Not for no reason. Certainly, I would be okay with FFing a child at her age, but I also can't see turning her FF if she is happy with RFing and there are no other factors.

 

AtTheSouthDam

New member

• Nov 14, 2011

• #17

DD2 was about that size at that age. I turned her, part time, when the worst of winter was over, so like late April, in my van. She was almost 4. She choose to stay RF in Dh's car until she out grew the RN80, just a month or so shy of her 5th birthday. She loved being able to see out the rear window. I wouldn't turn her right before winter really gets going but would consider it in the spring if you want. DD2 flipped flopped a lot and we traded seats a lot.