Nedra
Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I'm wondering if anyone has any guidance for me. My older daughter is turning 4 in March. She is about 32 lbs, maybe 36" and she's never ridden forward-facing before (except once on a plane). Getting her into her seat has been more of a challenge lately, but not because she doesn't like her seats....she's just bigger and more difficult to lift into place. Once she is in the seat, she has never complained about comfort.
We intend to turn her forward-facing in her grandparents' vehicle when she turns 4. They've been patient with us and I'm impressed that we've managed to keep her rear-facing in their car as long as we have.
The question is, should we turn her forward facing in our other vehicles at the same time?
Part of me feels like I shouldn't turn her around unless she specifically asks for it. I know that rear-facing will always be the safest option (as long as the seat is appropriate), but if we were resolute about keeping her rear-facing until she outgrew her seats she would probably be 7+ years old. There's nothing wrong with that, but it just feels a bit excessive and probably a pain in the butt.
Another part of me feels like it would make our goals more transparent if we specifically offered it at 4 years old. She might not realize that it's a possibility in our cars and never ask for it -- and might even be mad when she finds out it was a possibility and encourage her younger sister to ask to be turned around too. I also don't want to scare her by implying that she is safer in our cars than she is with her grandparents -- and saying "You may be safer if you continue to rear-face in our car, or you may be equally safe in either position, we really don't know because there isn't much research on the relative safety benefits of rear-facing versus forward-facing after age 4," isn't really an explanation I want to burden a 4 year old with.
Any guidance on navigating this transition? I feel comfortable with the safety of forward-facing a 4 year old.....I just don't know who should make the decision and how.
We intend to turn her forward-facing in her grandparents' vehicle when she turns 4. They've been patient with us and I'm impressed that we've managed to keep her rear-facing in their car as long as we have.
The question is, should we turn her forward facing in our other vehicles at the same time?
Part of me feels like I shouldn't turn her around unless she specifically asks for it. I know that rear-facing will always be the safest option (as long as the seat is appropriate), but if we were resolute about keeping her rear-facing until she outgrew her seats she would probably be 7+ years old. There's nothing wrong with that, but it just feels a bit excessive and probably a pain in the butt.
Another part of me feels like it would make our goals more transparent if we specifically offered it at 4 years old. She might not realize that it's a possibility in our cars and never ask for it -- and might even be mad when she finds out it was a possibility and encourage her younger sister to ask to be turned around too. I also don't want to scare her by implying that she is safer in our cars than she is with her grandparents -- and saying "You may be safer if you continue to rear-face in our car, or you may be equally safe in either position, we really don't know because there isn't much research on the relative safety benefits of rear-facing versus forward-facing after age 4," isn't really an explanation I want to burden a 4 year old with.
Any guidance on navigating this transition? I feel comfortable with the safety of forward-facing a 4 year old.....I just don't know who should make the decision and how.