How do you deal with you child protesting RF

[swediemama]

My daughter just turned 4 last month, she has been rear-facing the whole time and suddenly she is questioning me about it. Pretty much every time we get in the car she asks me to turn her seat. She has started saying that it makes her "nervous" riding that way. I don't know where this is coming from, thinking she might be car sick? It is a battle every time to get her in her seat She is in a Radian RXT with plenty of room to grow, she is small for her age about 38" and 28 lbs. She could probably be rear-facing for another 2 years at least. I feel bad if she truly gets sick from rear-facing, but I would also feel bad forward facing her when I know she is so much safer RF. What is your view on this? Thanks!

 

[aeormsby]

Honestly at age 4 if she's complaining/wanting to turn FF I would turn her :twocents:

It's awesome that you've made it to 4! Turn her and see what happens. I know others here have had kids turn FF and after the novelty wears off they ask to be RF again. Other things you could try if you REALLY want to keep her RF - can you make the seat more upright (do you have the angle adjuster?), is she center? If so try moving her outboard so she can be closer to the side window.

 

[ebp913]

I'm not a tech but at 4, I would be comfortable with forward facing. I have read again and again that many people give their children the option at 4. It's also pretty common for kids who have been RF to be uncomfortable FF because their legs just hang. You may flip her and she could ask to go back rear facing!

 

[TechnoGranola]

My child got like this at age 4 because she wanted to sit like her older sister...even worse though as her older sister is much older so just used the seatbelt...so my 4 year old wanted to sit forward and just in the adult belt...ha ha NO!

I just ended up telling her that she was still to small to FF in the seat she was in or the seat belt but soon she would be able to flip forward. She'd ask every few days and I just said, "soon" and she started asking less. Then 8 months later she outgrew her seat by weight and she had to be flipped. After a couple days she said to me, "can you flip me back? I have nowhere to put my legs" :ROTFLMAO: and I couldn't even oblige as she was too heavy.

ETA: and I wrote this about 15 minutes ago before ebp913 posted but didn't submit as my kids needed me, so when I submitted I see she said the same thing with regards to FF. LOL

 

[babyherder]

I often deal with it by only having a rf seat in the car so there's no where else for kiddo to sit. Have you asked her what would make her feel less nervous (other than ff)? I'd ask her some more questions before you get in the car and as your driving and see if you can figure out the problem. Hopefully its something you can fix without ff. I have a 4 year old nanny girl that's been ff for a few weeks because of a puke incident on a seat. She's going back to rf as soon as I have the seat cleaned up. She won't be happy but its safer and easier for me. This is one of those times when I'm the adult and things are just my way.

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks for your input everyone! I will try your tips! She does have an angle adjuster and sits outboard, I will try telling her she gets to switch soon lol and see if that helps! I would love to make it to five RF!

 

[bree]

I did want to mention that the older my son got, the more we dealt with motion sickness issues with RF. I turned him FF about a month before he turned 4, because I felt that his motion sickness issues were enough to warrant FF at his age (but if he had been, say, 2 years old, I would have looked for other alternatives in order to keep him RF).

I do like the suggestions you received from the other posters, and I also think making it to 4 years old is awesome, and it's fine to FF at that age regardless of reason. I just wanted to share that in my experience, it is possible for a kid to be fine RF for years and then deal with motion sickness when RF as the kiddo got older.

 

[lorismurph]

Once my dd turned 4, I let her choose (not by saying "hey, you can pick now" but when she started asking consistently, unprompted). I am totally comfortable with my now 4yo being FF even though he could fit for a while RF. Good job making it to 4 and good luck.