What's your personal minimum for forward facing?

todzwife

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #1

I know the general consensus is to let them RF until they outgrow the seat, but when the child is car sick or complaining, what is your personal preference for a minimum age for turning them FF permanently? I'm just curious (and not turning my 2 1/2 year old yet, she's got loads of room in her CA)

 

Brianna

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #2

J has ridden FF in my car maybe 3 times when I didn't have reasonable access to a RF seat that he fit in. He turns 3 this month and I'm moving him to a Frontier 85 on his birthday even though he might make it another 6 months or so RF in his Triumph. It's hard to say though, he's eating a lot the past few days and I feel a growth spurt coming. He's been FF with his mom full time since 2 1/2. He's just my godson though, I have no idea what I'll do if/when I have my own.

For other children riding in my car, I'd like to keep them RF until at least 2. I did FF a new 2 year old without hesitation because it was better than just a seat belt like her mom had her riding in :jaw:

 

2angels2love

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #3

I used to think 2. Now that DS is 2, I'm totally rethinking because he just seems way too young. I'm for sure going to 3 and maybe 4 if I can.

ETA: He does get carsick sometimes too. But it's not frequent enough for me to justify turning him.

 

Last edited: Sep 8, 2012

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Sep 8, 2012

• #4

I would have different benchmarks for carsick or "complaining".

 

leighi123

Active member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #5

For my kid: limits of every seat available.

For other people's kids in my car: limit of their current seat, if they are willing, limits of my XTSL. No one under 2 rides FF, if they don't have a seat themselves that will work, then they use my XTSL RF or they get another ride.

For most people that are friends/family/people I talk to more than once: limits of the seat you have (unless there is another reason needed to replace it such as it expiring soon or something, or if there is a younger sibling to pass a seat to in the future, or kid is huge and you have a tiny seat) - this gets most people to 2-3. Many people have gotten RXT's on my recommendation b/c they have bigger kids and are willing to ERF (I know of at least 4 kids).


General public at seat checks: 2, but I strongly encourage the above.

 

Phineasmama

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #6

For my own kids I don't want them FFing until 3 years old (or longer).

 

skylinphoto

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #7

4 years old was my minimum and both my kids rf'd to 4! My ds rf'd a little longer by his choice.

 

Cryssy Jane

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #8

I've said before that I was firm on 3 forever. But when a kiddo gets car sick for EVERY ride (even those less than 5 minutes) when they are rear facing it's time to re-think things. Monkey was flipped ff permanently in dad's car at 2 because of the constant vomiting. I came in the picture when monkey was 2.5 and rf him in my car. The first couple of rides he did great but shortly thereafter it was back to puke city. We tried every alternative we could find but nothing seemed to help. So monkey was permanently ff in my car shortly after 2.5.

Now my daycare kiddos all rf to 3 as a minimum. I currently have a kiddo who is 3 but very tiny and with getting his input he likes rf better than ff and chooses to ride rf. If I have a seat that accommodates them rf after 3 and they want to rf after 3 then they are more than welcome to but unless there is a medical concern or another serious issue I don't ff anyone under 3.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #9

2. DS is 3 now and I'm not sure if I will RF him again when I get a new car.

 

jacqui276

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #10

At 2, if my kids outgrew all of my seats RFing (which hopefully DS won't but he is a giant baby so who knows!) I would be ok FFing. I'm not going to import seats and use them illegally for the sake of ERF. If I have seats that they fit in and they aren't puking for every car ride, then I will continue to RF until they outgrow the seats RFing. I wouldn't turn them because of complaining.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #11

4, barring serious (extremely serious) medical complications, for full time. 3 for others' cars etc. if they're outgrowing all but one seat our something like that.

 

Kac

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Sep 8, 2012

• #12

3. It depends on the circumstances of course. I would FF at 2 at the earliest.

 

mlohry

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #13

I encourage at least 2 to friends, lots better than 1! With my own DD she is 3.6 and very happily ERF! She FF for 2 days last week whole our van had a recall on it and she was SO happy to have "my van and my seat," back! She wanted to be RF, it's all she's ever known. She did not like her feet dangling FF. She will RF for as long as she's happy as she has tons of grow room in her Size 4 me.

 

M

mrosehughes

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #14

4, but I doubt we'll make it that long bc of DS's size. But it might be earlier for a constantly carsick kid.

 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #15

With the twins, they went FF F/T when they were 2.5yrs. They were in Britax DC's at the time, and Patrick was getting close to the limit. I tried rf'ing them in the 3rd row when we got DD, but it wasn't practical, so I flipped them and haven't looked back. I've tried Ricky out just for fun on occasion, and he still fits...even at 5, but I'm not one to make them ride rf'ing just because they can fit. Not at his age.

My goal with Kaylee was 3. And at 2.5yr or so I started noticing a pattern....car rides over 20min, she was puking. Every time. So when we took our trip to Cali at 2yrs and 9mo, I flipped her FF. She didn't puke. For the trip there. The trip home, she puked...ff'ing, rf'ing, it doesn't matter. So we went back to rf'ing for a few weeks and then I decided to flip her back ff'ing. She's taken a few rides here and there rf'ing, but honestly...she's at an awkward size and I'm having a hard time getting her into her seat. So, at 3yrs and 1mo, she's FF and I'm fine with it. She took, what I would assume, was her last rf'ing ride about a week ago.

 

B

bnsnyde

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #16

Well, in my van I'd say 4 as long as the Radian fits.

But in the Civic my 2-year-old had to FF because he outgrew all the seats we had RF. He was actually closer to 3 than 2 though, and he's really tall. But it irked me that he didn't fit any!

He (now 3) is actually FF in the Civic in the Prosport (spare car) but RF in his Radian in the van (main car). He's almost the size of my almost 5-year-old girl!

 

momtotwogirls

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #17

4 is my minimum for full time. Im ok with sometimes between 2.5-3y. Of course both my kids prefer to ride backwards but only my 3 yr old fits once she turns 4 I will let her choose which way to ride until she outgrows her rf seat.

 

H

henrietta

Well-known member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #18

I'd prefer 3, but one of my boys outgrew the seats we had rearfacing by about 27 mos. I will badger my friends w/kids under 2, but after 2, I just try to make sure they have the straps adjusted right and the top tether in use.

 

Rosey

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #19

I say three but three may come and I may keep going. I know I will have a tough time soon because we are visiting texas for three weeks and his same-age cousin just got turned ffing and I will get flack if I insist on him being rfing. I'm not freaking out about ffing him once or twice, but I dont really want him to know the difference.

 

christineka

New member

• Sep 8, 2012

• #20

Mine's age 4 and consistently over 30 pounds.