does anyone here turn at 3?

Kel

Well-known member
I'm just wondering if anyone here turns their little ones ff at 3yrs? Just because you feel it's safe at that age. Not because you had to.

Thanks Kelley
 
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Brianna

New member
J turned FF full time in my car at 3 because he outgrew his Evenflo Triumph by height. I *could* have bought a Radian for him, but I bought a Frontier instead. I guess that means I'm ok with FF at 3 when I had another (legal US) option available to RF longer. On the other hand, I wouldn't have turned him FF at 3 if he fit RF in a seat I already had. I would have turned him FF at 4 or considered it for some other reason if something came up. Clear as mud?
 

StillThankful

New member
I didn't turn my children when they just turned 3.

I did, however, turn both of my DDs at the age of 3. DD1 at 3y11m and DD2 at 3y9m. DD1 out of request and DD1 out of maxing out of weight AND the fact that it was hard to get her in out of the Rfing seat. She was so heavy for me to pick up.

I felt and still feel that they are safe FFing.
 

bnsnyde

New member
In the Honda Civic we FF at 3 in the Prosport. It's such a great seat! It's a weekend car, as needed. I simply need to be able to take different combos of the kiddos around.

I guess we could put a Radian in there but dad is 6'4", and my brother is 6'6"! If a kid under 3 needs to ride in that car I just swap in a RF scenera-type seat we have. Though, son only fit until 2.7 months in that by height, as he's tall.

In the van we keep RF until 4 if we can (have a Radian in there).
But my current 3-year-old will go FF at 3.8 months (when new baby arrives). I already have the seats set-up, so that's the plan.
 

momtoo3

Well-known member
I turned ds3 FF at 3 years 1 month in our truck because I couldn't deal with him screaming RF when he couldn't see the dvd player. We only drive the truck to tow our camper so I figured a quiet FF was safer than dh yelling at ds3 for screaming RF while he was driving. He was also having growing pains and I wanted to try FF out on the long trips to see if it helped. The pains continued but he was quiet so he stayed FF. In my van he RF until just over 3 years 7 months. I just wanted to make it through that winter with him RF in the vehicle he rides in most. He started asking to FF in there at 3 years 3 months and I told him we would switch when there was no more snow. I am pretty comfortable with FF at age 3 but I am not a tech.
 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
I turned dd shortly before she turned 3, even though she fit with miles to go. At 3yrs 5mo, I turned her back rf'ing. Not because I felt she was unsafe FF, but because it was easier to get 3 across with one seat rf'ing. LOL
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
I turned my now 6.5 year old when he was 3. He likely could have made it longer but we were all ready. He was ffing in other cars at around 2.5. But this was 3+ years ago.

With DD, currently 2y4m, we'll likely turn her in my mom's car around age 3. In our cars, she'll stay rfing until around 4, if we have seats at the time that fit and work.
 

tarheelborn

New member
We probably will sometime in the next few months. DS1 turns 3 in the next few weeks. Not necessarily because I feel like it's "safe enough," more because I am tired of arguing and defending myself to DH, my mother, sister, etc.

Also, my younger son still RF and it is impossible for an adult to get in our backseat without crawling over the center console from the front. If I turn DS1, at least I will regain use of the center backseat again.

My son is quite small for his age, like 15-20% for height, so he would probably be able to RF in our Marathon forever.
 

Genevieve

CPST Instructor
Me. My kids are on the smaller side and could fit longer, but I choose to turn at 3 and am totally comfortable with that decision.
 

tiggercat

New member
Sam is 3.5 and I haven't had a reason to turn him. He is still RF in his father's vehicle also. He does ride FF in his grandparent's vehicle (since he turned 3) because they bought him a seat and I preferred they get a Frontier for him rather than another Radian because it will certainly get him to boostering.
I won't buy a new seat to RF him at this age, but he still fits RF and doesn't complain, so I don't see any reason to change?

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org
 

SignCuer

New member
4 is absolutely the minimum for me.. 5 is preferred.

N didn't turn until 5y6m when he outgrew the size4me by weight. He's the one in my avatar. That pic was a month before he turned.
 

VoodooChile

New member
Me. My kids are on the smaller side and could fit longer, but I choose to turn at 3 and am totally comfortable with that decision.

Also this (although my ds isn't really small). For my dd (who is now 7), she maxed out her 33 lb MA at 31 months. I could have bought a Dorel seat, and I suppose some might have, but I chose to ff her.
Ds, I ff at 3 in his Radian. He's rather high-maintenance and truly hated rf (I don't care what anyone says, he really did), and I wasn't spending another day shoehorning him into that seat.
 

jkrkmama

New member
I am okay with three. We have a Radian and a RA55, so we will have no problem getting there. I may feel differently at that time. I wouldn't balk at someone FF their 3 year old, personally. The longer you can go, the better obviously, but I realize that TWO is even a stretch for some so if they hung in there till 3, I'd call it a victory
 

Stelvis

New member
DS turned at just before 3 because he was 35 lbs dressed and he was in a TFP. I had gotten rid of my Radians because of Superlatch, and I could have gotten a CA but it only would've bought me an inch because he was already 39" (and hit 40" a few months later). Those were the only options available to me then, I would have liked to go longer, and with DD I hope to make it to much closer to 4, but I feel good about keeping him RF as long as I did.
 

cmcki737

New member
In my Mazda 3 my 3 year old forward faces bc I drive a 1 and 2 year old also and even with CCO's one had to forward face to puzzle right
 

Cryssy Jane

New member
I turned A and W at 3, they were {} this close to outgrowing radians rear facing by height (wearing 5T clothes) and it was just easier to pass down the radians to smaller/younger kiddos. That being said, E is rf in a radian by his own choosing and he is 3, a tiny 3 (wearing 2 and 3t tops) but 3 none the less. L is just turned 3 and he is still rf and will be for a while, he does significantly better in the car rf.

Monkey was turned FF due to car sick issues too early imo, but the health risks to his insides got to the point it wasn't worth fighting rf all the time. He's nearly 4 now (in april) and I'm comfortable with him FF, because I know he's in a properly installed, properly used every time seat, well and he loves his frontiers, his race car seat as he calls it ;)
 

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