Question what is your forward facing minimum?

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Mysweethoneybee

New member
I went by outgrown seat at first because I didn't know better and went with a Evenflo Titan and it was outgrown really fast. But then I found better seats and turned him rear facing again. But my son was 42 inches and 45lbs when he turned 2 so I had to go by outgrown seats.
 

Brianna

New member
No kids of my own, but J's mom looks to me for car seat advice. He has a MyRide and Triumph 65 to RF in. He's 2 1/2 and has been at 36 pounds for a while but he's so close to outgrowing the MR by height. He's going FF for a plane trip and vacation in FL in a few weeks and he'll stay FF after that. I'm keeping him RF in my car until he maxes out the Triumph by height.

So in my car he's staying until the exact limit, but the rest of the time his mom has decided that 2 1/2 is old enough for her. I'm not sure what I'll do when i have my own kids someday.

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Chely7425

New member
Kind of all of the above? My goal is 4, but T1 was 43 pounds and only had about 1/2 an inch of growing room in his radian at 3 years 10 months and it was getting to be a HUGE pita so buckle him and I was kind of over having 4 RFing seats in my van. I also just don't have the time to monitor his weight that closely and with clothes he was like 44 pounds. T2 only has an inch or 2 of growing room and grows fast so he'll get turned when he outgrows as well. T3 probably won't ever outgrow anything so we might have to rethink the outgrown seat strategy at that point!
 

Little Ps Mama

New member
3.5 part time. 4 full time. I think. It may end up being 4.5. :p

ETA: my 3.5 year old has tons of growing room left in his RXT so I'm going by age with him. DS2 may be a diff story but 3 is my absolute minimum for FF.

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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
It varies by situation.

Yeah. Full time? 4 unless they have by that point outgrown EVERYTHING on the market. Other people's cars, very occasional use? 3 and 35 lbs. (or 40, if I have spare seats that go to that that fit in their cars) or outgrown spare seats by height (and I buy tall seats.) Other people's cars, no TAs available? I prefer to RF until booster-ready in that vehicle, if I can. And just because they reach one of those doesn't mean they WILL FF, if RF is still working.
 

Shanora

Well-known member
It varies by situation.

Yep I'm gonna go with that. Cordelia is 3, and about 22-24lbs. She has been forward-facing, and mostly rides rear-facing. In the RXT always rear-facing because I'm not playing the Safe stop on and off game, but in the MR, I'm flexible depending on what she asks for. She likes to move (well have me move the seat) the seat into different seating positions around the van, and will ask me to turn it forward-facing sometimes. She prefers to be rear-facing... I think its more comfortable for her, but I'm good with either way.
 
Our minimum was 3, and then my daughter turned 3 and I didn't want to FF her, so she stayed RF and our new goal was 4. She turns 4 the first week in September, and I don't know that I will be ready to FF her, but she keeps asking to turn around, so I may do it at 4. However, I feel a little guilty b/c she's only 38" and about 30-31 lbs depending on what she's wearing. I don't anticipate a huge growth spurt before she turns 4, but I suppose she could surprise me. She has a lot of growing room left in her radian to RF, and if I wanted to keep her RF until 5, I'm pretty sure I could, or get really close.
We'll see how I feel in September.

That being said, both of my kids FF in DH's truck at 2 1/2. But they're rarely in that truck (ride in it maybe once a month). 2 1/2 was our compromise b/c he is 6'6" and needed the room.
 

mominabigtruck

New member
Until the seat is outgrown. Both of my older kids outgrew all rfing seats by the time they were 2. Ds3 is about to turn 3 and I think he has maybe 6 months left befor he outgrows the xtsl. He rides ffing in everyone else's vehicles because the xtsl is the only seat he fits rfing in and I'm not moving it around. DD is 17 months and itty bitty so who knows for her.
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gsdguenter

Well-known member
Until age 4 and seat is outgrown.

If they are 4 and seat isn't outgrown they continue to rf until seat is outgrown.

I buy seats specifically to erf, so it's hard to outgrow them before age 4 for my kids: 4 Radians, 2 TFs, 1 MT, kwim.

DD1 has ridden ff a few times in an RSTV and even a booster a handful of times. But it is not the norm and not at all anywhere near full-time.
 

ElfJewel

New member
3 if they have outgrown everything I could reasonably buy or as an emergency spare. 4 is my normal minimum (where they can choose, or always FF with grandma)), but since my kids are small they RF longer.
 
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An Aurora

Senior Community Member
My 2.75 year old (24lbs, 34") is FF right now. It's our only option until we get another vehicle, which hopefully will be soon.
 

Maggie

New member
I was hoping for 4, but DD3 has an insane torso (and weighs 34lbs) and has pretty much outgrown everything. She's got about 1.5" until the top of the shell on her radian. We're hoping to get a Foonf asap and then I'd be happy to make it to 3.
 

hrice

New member
3.5 is my minimum for FF in any vehicle. I just turned my 3y9m old FF full time per his (persistent) request.
 

skylinphoto

New member
I have small kids..so, weight/height isn't an issue...
Age 4 is my minimum for ffing. Then my kids can choose to ff or rf. :)

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HONEYhas3

CPST Instructor
At home my minimum is 3yo.

At work I will not turn kids under 18mo. Most parents are willing to RF closer to 2yo once I finish explaining things.
 

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