Would you rear face until 5 or 6?

adahsmom

New member
My DS is rearfacing in a Britax Wizard. He will be three next month, and until recently he was quite content in his seat. For the last few weeks, car trips have been a struggle and he has to be forced into his seat.

I've always said that I would keep him rearfacing to the limit of his seat. He is on the small side at 27 pounds. If he stays on this growth curve, he could be rearfacing until he is 5 or 6. I am hoping that this is a phase that will pass, but I am considering turning him around.

So would you keep an unhappy 3 year old rearfacing, or turn them? Do you have an age related rearfacing limit? I'm having trouble imagining the pick-up line at kindergarten, and strapping him into his rearfacing seat.
 
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ZephyrBlue

New member
I recently turned my 3-next-month 28lb DS FF. He was complaining about his legs hurting in his carseat, and his legs were really bunched up- he didn't like hanging them over the side of the seat like my girls did. At almost 3, I'm okay with him FF. Sure he'd be safer RF until the limits of the seat, but the way my kids gain weight, he'd be 6 by the time he'd hit 33lbs. My 5yo is 31lbs fully dressed with shoes, and my almost 8yo finally hit 45lbs a few months ago. I tried to turn my 5yo back around a few months ago in her Radian, and she was uncomfortable. So I put her back FF.

I can't physically fight with a 3yo every time we get into the car; I have 3 kids and am by myself 98% of the time we go anywhere. And listening to screaming the whole time you're driving isn't safe, either. I would physically force a child who was "just 2" or younger to ride RF, but that close to 3, nope.
 

SPJ&E

New member
My son rode RF full time until we turned him FF at 3 years, 8 days old. He was about 29 lbs. naked and 31 lbs. fully clothed and he was happy in his seat...so we didn't HAVE to turn him. It was definitely a hard choice to make because I always advocate rear-facing to the limits, but it was time for us. We are very proud that he rear-faced to over 3 years old and his little brother will do the same.

Our family's bare minimum to turn FF is 3 years old OR 33 lbs. If kiddo is under 3 years old and can still fit RF, we don't consider FF an option at all. If kiddo is over 3 years old, we would definitely consider FF.

You'll get a variety of answers on this one though. You just have to go with your gut and know that whatever you decide, you have done AWESOME to keep him RF this long and you should be very proud!
 

Stella's Dad

New member
I have to admit, I fought the good fight for some time, but recently relented and turned out daughter forward facing. She will be three in a few days, and weighs in at 27 pounds. She had 6 lbs to go in her Boulevard, and that likely would have been an additional year or more.

I did it for my wife's sanity, honestly, and say another prayer every day that I never have to regret relenting. She has been taking slack in the carpool line for over a year now, from mothers and teachers alike. Some even went as far as telling her it was illegal to have her rear facing and that they should call the cops on her, can you believe it?!? I was about to call the school and complain about the teachers, but she asked me not to for our daughter's sake, she was probably right.

Heck, I even had a cop (I got pulled over for a missing front tag) ask how old my daughter was (she was two at the time and RF) and when I told him he said, "Don't you know you are supposed to turn them around when they reach a year old?". Much to my wife's horror I began to lecture him on how uninformed that is, and how much safer RF is. It was actually as long conversation, and he turned out to be more receptive than anticipated....
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
Awesome job rearfacing that long! I too was an advocate to RFing to the limit of the seat however I had the skinniest kid known to man. At over 2 and a half she just hit 24 pounds. Like your DC mine will probably be able to rear face until age 5 or 6. I honestly cannot see myself doing that. I can barely cram her all in now, let alone at 6. For me, my absolute age minimum is age 3 for FFing regardless of weight. The longer the better, but if my kids are over 3 or those that ride with me, then its parental choice.

I told my husband my daughter could FF in his car at age 3 but I would keep her RFing in mine until 35 pounds. But with 11 or 12 more pounds to go, I have been considering more and more to turn her FF then in my car as well. I think age 3 is a good cut off for deciding between if you MUST RF or if you SHOULD RF. Just my two cents

You did great doing it this long and I think now it has to be a parental decision after the age of 2 1/2 or 3.
 

Mommypooh

New member
I keep my 30 lb 3 year old forward facing as i have a really hard time getting him buckled up tight enough if he is forward facing and i just feel knowing the harness should be tighter and I can't get it tighter he is safer FF. I think 3 is just fine to turn them. Granted for an up coming car trip I will be making him ride RF as I need him and my youngest to share a DVD player so I will be takig the long amount of time to sit and adjust and adjust and adjust until it is tight enough but for everyday use I can't do that as i have 3 in harnesses.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Have you asked him why he doesn't want to be in his seat? Does he climb in by himself? Is there something in the seat that is bothering him now? Evan is 39 mos and just over 26# and is still rfing. At his growth curve, he'll be close to 6 before he hits 33#. At this point I have no reason to ff him so we don't. We'll reevaluate this summer when it gets hot, but if nothing else, he'd probably go back rfing for winter. ;)
 

BabyKaykes

New member
At 3yo I'd turn the seat FF if the child was really that unhappy.

My son will be 3 in October. I am also due to have another baby in October. If Isaiah is still within the RF weight limits of his seat (no way he's outgrowing the seat by height ANY time soon), I may turn him anyway.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I think I would figure out WHY he is unhappy and then decide if FF would solve that. I wouldn't assume, at this point, that FF is going to make everything better. My oldest was FF at around 18 months (RF seats has low limits back then) and between about 2.5-3.5, she would dance around the car, touch buttons, do ANYTHING not to get into that seat. She would make a her body completely stiff so that I wouldn't be able to put her in the seat unless I was willing to injure her (which I wasn't). We'd struggle, she'd finally bend enough so I could get her in and then she'd scream and cry while I buckled her. It was utterly horrible, I was always in tears as well.

My point is, kids can hate their seat FF or RF. FF didn't make DD's seat anymore appealing. It might be at first, but once they get used to it, it's going to be the same!
 

houseofboys

New member
DS#2 is 33 pounds (dressed) at 5 years old. We actually turned him FF shortly before his 2nd birthday - he was 22-23 pounds. :( Had I been better informed at the time, I would have at least attempted to keep him RF until the 30-pound limit of his convertible, which would have taken him until about 4 years old. When he needed a new seat a couple of months ago I toyed with getting the EFTA so I could try to turn him RF again. (We ended up getting the GN so we could keep him harnessed longer.) That said, if he would have have been miserable with RF, I would have just flipped him FF again and not felt horrible about it. I agree with most everyone else. You've done a great job keeping him RF all this time. :)
 
I just turned my son FF at 3 years 2 months... He is 29-31 pounds(depending on what scale). So, I decided to turn him. Same with my daycare kid(he is 2 1/2-3 in July) and the same weight. We decided to flip them! It was a hard decsion.... I agnonized on it, since we were close to the limits 33 pounds, I decided to flip them. The scenera they were over the 1 inch rule or very close.

Now, if i get a radian65 with a 40 pound RF limit. I will keep him RF to the limits. I am thinking of exchanging my marathon with a Radian65, so I can fit 3-across. He liked to rearface!

He only turned back RF at 26 months....so I would love to rear face him longer.
 

Momof4Girls

New member
I will RF my dd3 however long she fits in a seat. My dd3 has growth and metabolic issues. She is about 23lbs at 2 y/o, about 31.5" tall. Her head is over the 90% for her age, and her height/weight is *barely* on the charts. As long as her head is so disproportionate, she will be RF, unless she outgrows the seat (currently, Britax Wizard, will at some point be swapped with dd2 in the BLVD, since the Wizard's wings provide better sleeping support and we have long trips in the near future.).

For a "normal" child, I don't know. Depends a lot on the child in question, their comfort level, size, development, etc.

ETA: My dd2, 3.5, is just over the RF weight limits for her Britax seats. She asks, occasionally, if she can "ride upside down". She was more comfy RF (I think she could relax more).

Now, however...she's asking to ride in dd1's Regent....LOL

Raechel
 

wildeyes

New member
i fully intend to. the spine does not ossify until 3-6. thats a big age range. i would rather lean on the side of caution and go as long as possible, just in case i have a "slow bone ossifier" kid. :) dd1 would've been rf till she was about 4.5 or maybe even 5, had i known then. if dd2 takes after her big sis, then she will be rf till the cows come home.
 

Holly

New member
I wouldn't.
We're going to turn my dd to FF when she turns 3 in July even though she would still fit for probably another year.
She is 27.5 lbs now, I just weighed her the other day.
For me, I'm doing it because I feel like age is a little more important than weight and getting to 3 RF is a big accomplishment!
Also, dh isn't as supportive or ERF and I told him I'd let her turn to FF at 3 years if he just drops it and lets me do it at least until then.
I'm ok with it, she is a little kid, but 3 years to me is a big accomplishment already, especially fighting dh this long!

We're going to ttc in July, and if we get pg right away, dc#3 will be due right as dd#2 is turning 2 1/2. We will still have our same car, and I will probably turn dd#2 FF at that time and have both older kids outboard with baby in the center RF. Our Radian has to be in the center to fit RF and I think it's going to be a little too impractical to lean over the snugride base to buckle her in.
 

adahsmom

New member
Have you asked him why he doesn't want to be in his seat? Does he climb in by himself? Is there something in the seat that is bothering him now? Evan is 39 mos and just over 26# and is still rfing. At his growth curve, he'll be close to 6 before he hits 33#. At this point I have no reason to ff him so we don't. We'll reevaluate this summer when it gets hot, but if nothing else, he'd probably go back rfing for winter. ;)

I haven't been able to figure out what the problem is. I think that technogranola may be right, that he wouldn't be any happier forward facing anyway. I'm sure it's mostly to do with being restrained. We're working on some new entertainment strategies for the car right now.

I think we'll try to stick it out through the summer and maybe turn when he starts school in the fall.
 

kangato2roos

New member
I'm kind of in the same boat, although thankfully my small fry doesn't mind being rear facing. He's 2 and 1/2 though, so a few months behind yours.

I always said I would turn him at 3, but I expected him to be about 30 pounds at 3. At this rate, he'll be about 27-28 pounds at 3, much like your son. So now I'm rethinking.

I realize it's more to do with age than weight, but it makes me nervous (no real solid reason why, just a feeling) turning MY child before 30 pounds. I don't necessarily feel that way about all kids, but looking at my son, I just can't imagine him facing forward before 30 pounds, even if it means he's over 3. So I think, despite having always said 3 years old, I might push it to 30 pounds. Hopefully he'll be there before he's 4. Otherwise, I'll turn him at 4. (I say that now, but in a year and a half you'll probably have a post from me agonizing over turning my nearly 30 pound 4 year old :p ).

I think you've got a good plan in place... stick it out a few more months and then reevaluate. :thumbsup:
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Personally, for a child who has no physical issues other than small size, I would probably turn at 3 years and 28ish pounds (if the child wanted to), but I'd get the best seat I could and top-tether tightly.
 

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