What's your personal minimum for forward facing?

[Mysweethoneybee]

Knowing what I know now: I would rear-face until my child reached the limit of the seat I could afford. Which for my kids was before 2 years old for the seats I had then. Now I would probably spring for a radian which would give a little more time.

 

[Ninetales]

My personal minimum is outgrowing the seat. If there were a medical issue that was mitigated by FF, I would do it over age 2.

 

[lanwenyi]

For my kids:
main car - 4yo and 30lbs OR seat outgrown
Secondary cars - 3.5yo and 30lbs OR seat outgrown
Occasional Rides/Other rare situations - 3yo and 25lbs
Planes - 2yo and seat minimum weight/height (2.75 for DS b/c he wasn't 34" until then)
I would turn earlier for a genuine medical need that could not be resolved any other way. I will not turn for complaining

For other people's kids:
In my car - 3yo and 30lbs (using one of my seats or their own) OR seat outgrown
In their car - 2yo and 20lbs

I won't say anything to people once their child is two unless they ask about my kids. If their child is under 2, I will gently suggest or move the conversation onto the subject, but only once. If I've discussed it once and they still have their 1yo FFing, I won't bring it up again. If their child is under 1, I will mention the illegality a second time, but then I drop it. If they bring it up, then I'll discuss, but I won't badger people.

I've gotten much more positive responses by letting people see what I do than by constantly nagging them. I've kept several kids in my church group out of expired seats, rfing until 2, and harnessed until 4-5 just by being open, discussing, and encouraging people. I've even got an 8yo still in a booster b/c mom looked up the five step test after talking carseats with me and realized that while her child had turned 8 she still needed a booster.

 

[Lenae]

Permanently FF, 3 years old. Occasional FF rides for us start at 24+ months. Sassy will be 3 in January and I don't see turning her anytime soon, but I would be okay with turning her if I needed to (I don't).

 

[MandiRN]

We were aiming for 3 but the puking started at 2 1/2, so thus she was turned at 2 1/2. When cover #1 and #2 are both still drying from episodes, it was time.

 

[henrietta]

3, as long as they fit that seat, obviously. If my DS didn't have Radians, he would have outgrown most other seats by now and he's only 2y 8m.

On this related note: I've been struggling lately with whether to keep DS RF past his 3rd bday. He is a solid kid and I think would do fine FF. He's so talkative, smart, and fun to be in the car with but I struggle to hear all that he's saying. Its hard to have a conversation and meaningful interaction when he's facing the rear and I can't hear him. I want him to know I'm fully engaged with him but now after I ask him to repeat things a few times he just gives up talking to me for that trip or at least for a while. I may be turning him at 3, even though he still has some room to grow in his Radians. I really keep going back and forth on this issue though so only time will tell what I decide. It's a tough one.

Yes, sometimes parents with more than one kiddo, esp if they're close in age, forget what it's like to be one child's only entertainment in the car.

 

[Boot]

My minimum is 2 but dd is 2 1/2 and still rear facing. Her radian is older and only rf to 30. She's getting close to that. I'd like to get to 3 but I'm ok with turning her when she outgrows her seat. I won't buy her a new one.