Why oh why can't more people ERF??

Not sure if this goes here, but here goes. I'm happy to say my almost 34 month old DD is still RF in her Boulevard. And she loves it. She's perfectly happy in her seat. And more importantly... safer than if she were FF.
So now I'm venting. My SIL said back when I was researching this board on ERF a long time ago, "oh, your DD is going to be so happy facing forward... she'll be able to see everything now." I told her I was checking into the benefits of ERF and that it was safer. Her reply was "she'll be happy seeing everything." Fast forward to today. SIL has a 5 yr old and 3 1/2 yr old. Just this past weekend she put her 3 1/2 yr old DD who's around 32-33 lbs in a booster seat. I asked her if her DD was big enough for a booster cause I honestly didn't remember the weight minimum requirements and she said yes. Her DD is not even 3" inches taller than mine and she's small. Then my 5 yr old nephew asks me "how come xxx is facing backward in her seat still?" Yeah, wonder where he heard that one. And tonight my DH told me that his brother is always telling him "why don't you guys turn her around?" DH tells him every time because it's safer.
Why is this so hard to get for some people?? I'll admit, I've become anal about it since I've researched the benefits of ERF, but it just seems like common sense to me.

Anyway... just my :twocents: for what it's worth. Thanks for listening if you made it this far.
Oh- and my DH was in here awhile ago with me and he asked to see the video comparison of RF/FF. He was impressed!

newmama said:

Why is this so hard to get for some people?? I'll admit, I've become anal about it since I've researched the benefits of ERF, but it just seems like common sense to me.

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Why do people still talk or text on cell phones when they drive?
Why do they speed?
Why do they take the car out when they don't absolutely have to?
Why do they drive on bald tires and worn brakes?
Why do they get aggressive on the road?
Etc...

You've learned about and committed to ERFing. That's great. It really is. It's safest for your children. It's the right choice. But not everybody makes the right choices all the time (and I most certainly include myself in that assessment) -- sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of thoughtlessness, sometimes out of misplaced priorities, sometimes for other reasons -- and people are generally more responsive when they don't feel as if they are being judged.

as chikabiddy said, we could go on and on ad infinitum about why oh why don't people do this or that. but you've chosen to become obsessed with one specific aspect of human safety. it's quite normal that most people that you encounter IRL won't share your obsession. frankly, ERF is a PITA, and carseats themselves are a PITA. but we, the enlightened, use them and use them properly because we are aware of the safety advantage that such practice affords. i'm sure we do things wrong in other safety areas that would appall others who are obsessed about that area of safety. would you want to be judged by those people?

southpawboston said:

as chikabiddy said, we could go on and on ad infinitum about why oh why don't people do this or that...

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I learned a new word today...

But yeah, what chickabiddy said.

my thought is that a lot of people just don't understand it. it's not widely known that it's safer. plus, a lot of people believe what's on the box. if it says "rearfacing to 20 pounds and forward facing from 20-40 pounds" you can believe that's exactly what people will do.

southpawboston said:

as chikabiddy said, we could go on and on ad infinitum about why oh why don't people do this or that. but you've chosen to become obsessed with one specific aspect of human safety. it's quite normal that most people that you encounter IRL won't share your obsession. frankly, ERF is a PITA, and carseats themselves are a PITA. but we, the enlightened, use them and use them properly because we are aware of the safety advantage that such practice affords. i'm sure we do things wrong in other safety areas that would appall others who are obsessed about that area of safety. would you want to be judged by those people?

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Well said!

And also, at least in my experience, most people do not personally know anyone who has actually been in a serious accident, especially with a child, so they really don't feel the urgency to do better.

I think a lot of people are stuck thinking that as soon as their legs even touch the back of the seat the child is automatically "uncomfortable" and in danger of breaking a leg or something. At least in my experience this seems to be a big concern. I had one person say that I was a bad mother (she didn't say it to my face, I heard this through one of my friends) b/c I "made" my 2 1/2 yo sit rfing and her legs looked "so uncomfortable". this is a mother who is ffing her 8 month old telling me my child is unsafe. It just doesn't make sense to me b/c rfing is sooo common sense to me now, I just cant understand how other people dont see how much safer it is!