Question Benefits of 3yo vs 4yo rf in a foonf

hope41more

New member
I own two foonfs. The one in DHs car is ff. the one in my car is rf. DS is three in 3 weeks. My car is the primary vehicle, with DH car being a just in case car. Can someone explain the benefits of keeping him rf till 4 in our main vehicle, or is it ok to flip at 3? I know size doesn't matter (hee hee), but he is 39 inches, 38 pounds.
 
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Stelvis

New member
I personally would be fine with flipping him in the occasional vehicle at age 3, in a properly installed and top tethered seat, preferably in the middle. Of course RF would still be safER, but FF a 3 year old is still very safe.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I think the OP has already flipped kiddo in the secondary car and is asking about the primary.

Many posters are ok with turning at 3. I err on the side of waiting to 4+, for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, we know that ossification completes between age 4 & 6 (I have also read 3&6, but read 4&6 most commonly,) and it is that ossification that helps protect the fragile spine. It is a progression, so it starts around age 1 and continues to 4-6, which is why that's the gold standard. Every extra day you can give your child gives them that much more of a chance to mature that spinal column & protect against spinal injury. Also, the NHTSA rec goes through age 4, unless the seat is outgrown before that.

Personally, I am not a fan of making kids less safe "just because," if they are happy RFing. My nanny kid is 3.5 and I've been debating whether I will turn him at 4 - but since he doesn't care how he sits, I'm having a hard time justifying it. Obviously if there is a REASON that is a different story, outgrowing by weight or carsickness or unhappy kiddos, but turning a content kid "just because" is not something I often suggest. Been musing that myself lately.

Plus, you invested in a seat that can allow your child to RF longer than any other, I would take advantage of it :)
 

moonmommy

Senior Community Member
I am hardcore ERF (my son may make it past 6 RF in our main car), so I definitely vote to RF in main vehicle until closer to the limits. The risks of FF are lower for a 3 year old than a 1 year old, but RF is still much safer even past 3 or 4 years old.
 

Stelvis

New member
Technically, the NHTSA recs say to RF through age 3 (so through 47 months) or until the seat is outgrown (which in many cases it would be earlier than that). Not that there's anything wring with RFing longer if the child fits.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Yes, Stelvis, you are absolutely correct. It's until the 4th birthday. The OP's kiddo is turning 3, so that's why I discussed it. I shared my thought process as comparison. My personal decisions have far less to do with recs (I'm already "disobeying" the AAP's "turn at 2" stance) and more to do with physics & physiology :)
 

hope41more

New member
Thanks ladies! This is what I was looking for! Will keep him rf in the primary for sure. We flipped him in the secondary because DH can't get his seat back far enough, and the foonf rf in the center or passenger side blocked the view out of the passenger side backseat window, causing a dangerous blindspot for DH, who drives 150+ per day for work. I'm ok with him flipped in the occasional car, but of course as soon as we did that my young *impressionable* sisters wanted to know why he was still rf in mine. I honestly couldn't remember why the difference between 3 & 4. This helped!
 

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