Question What should I do about this car seat situation?

Freedom_Pixie

New member
My son is 22 months old, closer to 23 months. He is currently facing forward in a Cosco Scenera. I have been doing a lot of research, and I want to switch him to rear facing. But my DH says that it wouldn't do any good because DS is already used to facing forward. I am thinking of DS' saftey, from what I have been reading RF is the safiest way to go up until like 35 lbs. A little background on how much DS wighes and his Hieght, When he was 18 months old he wieghed 23 lbs and was 33 inches high, but he has grown since then. I would have to say he is around 27 lbs, and his head is almost to the top of the car seat about an inch away. For his next car seat I plan on getting him a Graco Natulius (Spelling?). The question is should I turn DS RF or should I just keep him FFing? Thank you in advanced.
 
ADS

NannyMom

Well-known member
If you wanted to turn him rear facing, he would need a new carseat. The child must have an inch above their head for rear facing. The First Years True Fit has the tallest shell for rear facing. It has high harness slots (though not as high as the Graco Nautilus), and can be used up to 65 pounds (though seats are often outgrown by height before weight). The Graco Nautilus does not rear face. After the True Fit is outgrown, you'd have to buy a booster seat.

So, if you want to buy a new seat to switch back to rear facing, I'd say go for it.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
My petite niece rode rear facing with me until my daughter was born (there are three years between them). At the same time she was not only NOT RF when she rode with her mother, half the time she wasn't in a seat at all. :mad: She *liked* riding RF.

If you want to turn him rear facing, then by all means I strongly recommend it. He really is much too young to be forward facing. Lots of kids fight being in the car seat at this age, so parents think they don't want to be RF any longer and turn them around. The reality is that they simply do not like being restrained, and it doesn't really make a difference whether they're FF or RF. My daughter outgrew all US seats RF by weight at 2 years 6 mos. We had a rough couple of months until she adjusted because she hated being forward facing and literally screamed for the entire trip. She kept complaining that her legs were "stuck". Older, more articulate kids complain that FF their legs fall asleep from lack of support. So your son may actually be MORE comfortable RF.

If he *does* fuss, he'll get over it fairly quickly. You're the mom and your job is to keep him safe. Even at not yet two he understands that much. And there have been many threads over the years with ideas to help you help him over the transition, including singing songs as you buckle to drawing pictures on his hands to giving him a treat when you get to your destination to having a cache of soft car-only toys.

I also recommend getting him a convertible seat like the Evenflo Triumph Advance or the Learning Curve/First Years True Fit. Both should keep him harnessed until he is ready for a booster seat around age 5 - 6. They also both are relatively inexpensive seats that rear facing to 35 lbs.

If you can spend a little more money, the Sunshine Kids Radian has a very tall seat shell, and a 35 lb RF limit. The FF limit is 65 lbs and it also should last him until he's ready for a booster. The Britax Marathon has the same weight limits, but a slightly shorter shell and the topmost harness position is slightly lower as well. However, it can be significantly easier to install than the Radian. The Radian doesn't have high sides, so can be good for kids that like to flop their legs to the side.
 

Freedom_Pixie

New member
My DH and I decided to go with the Nautilus car seat. I tried to explain to DH that I think it is safer for DS to sit rear facing and DH said No, he thinks that he knows more about car seats then anyone( that's just his personality) he also says since he is the one that is going to be installing it that he should have an input in what we choose, plus DS is already used to FFing and might put up a fit if we RF him. So I am looking into becoming a certified CPS tech. So I can install the carseat myself and know more on carseats and what not. I personally am stuck between the True Fit car seat and the Nautilus car seat. But we both decided on the Nautilus. Thank you for your help.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
It's certainly your decision, but have him google "extended rear facing" and "Joel's story" before he makes up his mind. In my family research tops everything - especially on safety things, so the research has to support the safer option.

Additionally, you need to be able to install the seat yourself. You do NOT need to be a great big strong man to do it. One of teh best techs I know is barely 100 lbs soaking wet with rocks in her pockets.
 

sparkyd

Active member
My DH and I decided to go with the Nautilus car seat. I tried to explain to DH that I think it is safer for DS to sit rear facing and DH said No, he thinks that he knows more about car seats then anyone( that's just his personality) he also says since he is the one that is going to be installing it that he should have an input in what we choose, plus DS is already used to FFing and might put up a fit if we RF him. So I am looking into becoming a certified CPS tech. So I can install the carseat myself and know more on carseats and what not. I personally am stuck between the True Fit car seat and the Nautilus car seat. But we both decided on the Nautilus. Thank you for your help.

That's too bad. Has your DH seen any of the info on extended rear-facing so he can judge for himself? I totally know how it can be to deal with a stubborn DH! I'm relieved that I haven't gotten any push back from mine on keeping our DS rear-facing. When I first brought it up (DS was only 10 months) he said no way because his legs would be squished. I got him to watch the RF crash-test videos and look at some pictures of older kids RF and he said at the time that he thought those kids were way too big to RF - but he has never once brought up turning DS around since and hasn't complained that I'm going to buy a new seat with a higher RF limit for my car (he's already got the same one - a True Fit - in his truck). There is lots of info out there on extended RF, but these are my current favourites if you need any links:

Well-presented, logical info for those that like things that look "official":
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4209/Car_Seat_Safety:_Rear-facing_is_safest.htm

Video that pulls on the heart strings AND presents good facts for those best persuaded with emotion:
http://www.joelsjourney.org/ViewJoelsvideo.html
 

Amaris

New member
My dh didn't want to leave our kids rf'ing either, but he also didn't do any of the research. I told him that I had plenty of research showing that erfing was safer, and that if he could show me research from a reputable resource showing me that ff'ing was at least as safe as rfing then we would talk about it. Safety is number one, it trumps everything else.
 

Mama Jo

New member
If I were you, I'd seriously reconsider. Show DH the info and videos above. You can also go to youtube and just search for rear facing crash tests and come up with a bunch of videos.

I have yet to meet anyone who decided to err on the side of caution and ended up regretting it...

After doing a lot of research, I moved my DD from a backless booster (at the age of 3) to a highback booster (at the age of 4) to a 5 point harness (at nearly 5 years old). I know, a little backward, but if something would have happened to her and I knew I could have prevented it, I could never have lived with myself.
 

AtTheSouthDam

New member
I want to point out that my daughter went back to rear facing at two years, so about the same age as you son after FF for 6 months when I found all the research and videos. She actually likes it a lot. She says it is comfy. My older daughter has climbed into it sissy's seat and wants to RF as well because it is so nice. It's like lounging in bed. And kids can still see out the windows fine. My DD2 likes to wave at the cars behind her.

Hopefully the videos and this thought will help convince him. :)
 

momof2kiddos

New member
My son FF from 1 year to 20 months old and I turned him back RF he actually preferred RF over FF. He RF until 2.5 years old when he hit 33 pounds. My DD RF until hr second birthday because she went from a whopping 26.5 pounds at her 18 month check-up to 32.5 pounds at her two year check-up! I don't always remember to check her weight when we are in a hurry so I turned her FF just incase. My Daughter LOVED RF and she is in the 98% percentile for her height she is all legs.
 

keri1292

Well-known member
Whatever your decision, be sure to get the install checked by a CPST. They'll teach you how to install it and you won't be stuck someday when dh can't do it for you. :thumbsup:
 

Melanie

New member
DD want back RF at about 2 (thanks to the info I learned on this site) and stayed RF until she outgrew RF limits by weight at almost 3. The very first car ride she complained for all of 2 minutes. No issues after that. And at the times she was going through the terrible twos and would let me know if she wasn't happy.

She's now almost 4 and just yesterday told me she wants to ride in her sister's car seat....and it's rear facing.

I don't know how firm your husband is and what your situation is like. Mine was against RF in the beginning too. I had him watch the videos and gave him all the facts. Now we have an agreement that until he wants to put in the time researching I get to make the car seat decisions.

Like PP said, definetely learn how to install the car seat your self. It's something you should know even if you aren't the main person doing it. You don't want to be reading the manual on the side of the road trying to figure it out, KWIM...
 

henrietta

Well-known member
DS had been riding rear facing in one car (dh's) and forward facing in another (mine) for over 9 mos until last week, when I turned his seat back to rearfacing in my car. I was pregnant and then had a preemie via c-section, so I just couldn't get him into the seat rearfacing. He had to climb in by himself and he couldn't get in the right way rearfacing. Now that I'm okay to help him again, he's back to rearfacing. He never complains. He's 3.5 yrs old.

Please try your best (I know, again...) to convince dh. He's being a stubborn donkey about this issue, and his arguments aren't valid. He doesn't even know if your ds would tolerate rearfacing again (probably would!) and if the seat is easy to install ff'ing, it's generally just as easy to install rearfacing.

hths

henrietta
 

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