Can my daughter still be RF?

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hayleycrabtree

Guest

• Dec 15, 2008

• #1

Hi there, we just got our car seats inspected today and the guy told me that my daughter should be FF in her Evenflo Triumph. She is 2.5, weighs almost 30lbs and is about 32in. He said she needs to turn around because her legs are too squished.

I disagree...the reason I had her still RF is because its the safest! What about the 5 year olds in Sweden that are still rear facing? Their legs must be squished!

Is he right? My triumph goes up to 35 lbs RF.

 

Blondie87

New member

• Dec 15, 2008

• #2

No, as long as your child is within the weight limit and she still has 1 inch of car seat shell above her head, she can RF! No matter how long her legs are.

Who did you get it inspected by? It couldn't have been an actual carseat tech. :thumbsdown:

You are doing a great job keeping her rear facing. Ignore the guy.. he doesn't have his facts straight.

 

stayinhomewithmy6

Senior Community Member

• Dec 15, 2008

• #3

I agree with the previous poster. Your daughter can still safely RF. That guy was wrong to tell you otherwise. Good for you for keeping her RF for so long!

 

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hayleycrabtree

Guest

• Dec 15, 2008

• #4

OK I thought I was crazy... I felt a little uncomfortable too because he seemed so knowledgable! I found him off of www.800bucklup.org. His name is Daniel Stoner from Seattle.

So just to clear it up - it doesn't matter how long her little legs are or how smushed they are on the back of the seat, as long as she is under 35lbs and 1in from the top she can still be RF? YAY! I will go out to my car right now and switch it backwards!

She liked it FF because then she can look at her sister, and harrass her... I want her to be safe and if she is safest RF, then so be it!

 

Blondie87

New member

• Dec 15, 2008

• #5

hayleycrabtree said:

So just to clear it up - it doesn't matter how long her little legs are or how smushed they are on the back of the seat, as long as she is under 35lbs and 1in from the top she can still be RF?

Click to expand...

Correct!

 

mum2two

Active member

• Dec 16, 2008

• #6

Check out the Washington State link....

When I clicked on the link in the OP post to the website for Washington State there was all kinds of outdated info on there, no mention of seats beyond 40 lbs for harnessing, no current AAP RF guidelines, and the picture of the infant seat was especially reclined, and the other seats look pretty dated....maybe some of the techs from Washington can help them update that site!

 

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hayleycrabtree

Guest

• Dec 16, 2008

• #7

Re: Check out the Washington State link....

Thats horrible! I know now that Washington State requires all children to be harnessed until at least 4 years and 40 lbs. I'm pretty sure this is becoming the new limit countrywide

 

Heather98012

New member

• Dec 16, 2008

• #8

Re: Check out the Washington State link....

hayleycrabtree said:

Thats horrible! I know now that Washington State requires all children to be harnessed until at least 4 years and 40 lbs. I'm pretty sure this is becoming the new limit countrywide

Click to expand...

Actually, that's not entirely true. Here is the law that was changed last year.

http://www.wsp.wa.gov/traveler/docs/laws/child_restraint_law.pdf

http://depts.washington.edu/booster/anton_skeen_bill.html

 

Qarin

New member

• Dec 16, 2008

• #9

Re: Check out the Washington State link....

mum2two said:

When I clicked on the link in the OP post to the website for Washington State there was all kinds of outdated info on there, no mention of seats beyond 40 lbs for harnessing, no current AAP RF guidelines, and the picture of the infant seat was especially reclined, and the other seats look pretty dated....maybe some of the techs from Washington can help them update that site!

Click to expand...

On October 20 of this year, I got the following email from them, in response to email I sent about question #20 on their FAQ:

Qarin,
Thank you for your diligence and caring we can really tell you've
done your homework. You are correct with all of the options you gave. We
are currently in the process of revising our entire web site. Check back
soon for a new look and new updated answers. Thank you for letting us know
about this.


Safety Restraint Coalition
917 Kirkland Avenue
Kirkland, WA 98033
425-828-8975 or 800-BUCK-L-UP (in Washington)
425-828-9083 fax
www.800bucklup.org

Click to expand...

I'm hoping the update happens soon!

 

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Jenifer

New member

• Dec 16, 2008

• #10

You said you had an Evenflo Triumph. If that is the case the old Triumphs had a rf weight limit of 30#. The newer Triumph Advances have a rf limit of 35#. If you have an older Triumph your child should be turned ff, or moved to a seat that will allow her to continue to be rf to a higher weight limit.

 

emandbri

Well-known member

• Dec 16, 2008

• #11

I did a search and he is a tech, he is just not up to date on his knowledge.

https://ssl13.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbza...tegory1=TAB9_CERTSEARCH&Webid=safekidscertSQL

 

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hayleycrabtree

Guest

• Dec 17, 2008

• #12

Wow you guys are amazing! I ask a question and not only do you answer it, but you ANSWER it with background checks and all! Lucia is in the new evenflo triumph we just got last november (07), so it does go up to 35lbs RF. She also rides in a radian RF. I also did the search and Daniel Stoner is a tech, but like you said, maybe he needs to take a refresher course! Should I e-mail him and tell him that he is wrong? Not only did he make my her go forward facing (despite my pathetic argument) but he is probably donig the same for families all over Seattle! That makes me worried!

 

Last edited: Jan 2, 2009

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Dec 17, 2008

• #13

Yes, you can e-mail him and tell him, "You know, the AAP and your own certifying organization both say that kids can and should be rear-facing to the limits of the seat. I am very disappointed that you ignored my wishes and the limits of my seat and turned my daughter forward-facing despite best practice being to leave her rear-facing." If he doesn't respond appropriately (which to my mind would be an apology and a committment to do some research and do better with other families) I think you need to inform your local SafeKids organization that he's giving out wrong information and let them know there's a problem so they can update his knowledge.

 

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*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*

New member

• Dec 17, 2008

• #14

I just wanted to say I too have had trouble wtih techs. Telling me I should of turned my then 3 year old FF and my then 5 year old out of a harness and in a booster. I reported them to safe kids. Unfortunetly, they are still giving out wrong info... :-(

Try to report them mabey they will listen, so other's are not given wrong info.

Good for you for rearfacing!!!

 

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Yonkers_Mom

New member

• Dec 17, 2008

• #15

I went to my first car seat check a few months ago to have them double check the install on my Boulevard for my 14month old. I had about 4 techs come to my car just to see what was going on (I guess they were bored). Almost all of them mentioned that my son's legs were a little squished and two people mentioned that he could be turned FF. I told them that was okay and I wanted to keep my son RF'ing as long as possible because it is the safest. I think they were a little surprised that I didn't want to move my son FF but no one said anything to me. There is only 1 person who trains techs around here so I'm sure they all got their information from that person.

You just have to listen to your gut when you know what is best for your child. In my playgroup, almost all the parents turned their kids around at 1. I want to say something, but I don't know how to bring it up without sounding like a know-it-all or like I am judging them.

 

vonfirmath

New member

• Dec 17, 2008

• #16

It is really hard to get them to pay attention to you, too. when the experts are saying to turn around!
*sigh*

 

christineka

New member

• Dec 17, 2008

• #17

My local techs are pretty good then! They were the ones to tell me to turn my 20 pound 18 month old back to rfing. When I came again she was nearly 4 years old and 28 pounds. They did have to "check" that she could still rf, and let me know she "could" ff if I wanted, but they let me reinstall the seat rfing. They didn't even mention my 20 month old ds, who was of course rfing too.

If they had insisted against my wishes, I would have pulled out the car seat manual that shows my dd was still within the limits of the seat rfing. And, I would send the email with info.