Front face vs rear car seat
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I see you’re in the US so I don’t know if they’re available there as I’m in the UK but look into Swedish + tested car seats. They’re good for extended rear facing sometimes up until 7 years old depending on height/weight. Brands like BeSafe, Avionaut and Britax :) I have a BeSafe Stretch and love it.
My nearly 5 year old still rear faces. He just folds his legs. You need to speak to a car seat specialist in your country and see what seats are offered there. I think the Diono ones are US based and have good room for legs.
My 13 month old is 31 lbs and 32in longs and rear facing. Toddlers are very flexible, their legs being “bent” isn’t an issue. Look into the best car seat to accommodate him. Broken legs is better than anything else that could happen if he was forward facing! My goal is to rear face until the age of 4 but at minimum it’s 2 years at least.
I was thinking I would need to turn my oldest before 2. But, her growth slowed down and we made it to 3 before she hit the height limit for her seat. She has always been 99% for height. Rear facing is safer. So, it’s best to wait until you have exceeded the height or weight limit before switching.
@Misha I have a britax that I thought I’d be able to keep him rear facing for a while. I don’t see how he can fit up to 50lbs rear facing because of the legs @Elannah is it a safety concern if there legs are bent? Like for the hip socket if god forbid there was an accident. I wish they showed more representation of rear facing older kids This is what I have https://a.co/d/dVTrnqb
God forbid you got into an accident, broken legs is the best possible outcome. The legs being bent is not an issue whatsoever in toddlers, they are so flexible. If he was in pain or even uncomfortable you’d know. Children usually just hate being in the car seat bc they want to run around and play, not bc they are in pain. The statistics on injury vs death for children who forward face/rear face is crazy! I’d keep him rear faced till Atleast 2 but the longer the better.
He will also learn to adjust his legs in whatever way he’s most comfortable whether they are bent, crisscrossed or up in the air! It’s all ok!
@Q forward facing would do a lot more damage than a broken leg. There are pages on FB with guidance/pictures and information about rear facing older kids.
They just move their legs to wherever is comfortable. When a child sits on the sofa they have their feet up usually don't they. Kids actually tend to complain their feet go numb or they get pins and needles when forward facing as their feet are dangling
@Riley that is only in the UK but op is in the US. Please don't forward face from 15 months, it's not safe for a child that young to be facing forward in the event of an accident, what's legal and what's safe are not the same thing
Yes! I was just about to say, make sure you are following US guidelines because things are different in the UK!
@Charley if you actually read my whole message, I said "double check with an actual professional" 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ omfg
@Riley I did read the whole thing.
No issue for legs to be bent at all! Completely safe. If he is within the height and weight limits which he is it’s much much safer to be rear facing especially at his young age. My son is almost 3 and is still rear facing and will be for quite awhile, until whenever he maxes out the limit.
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@Riley it’s legal but it’s certainly not safe, their bones are so fragile and they should stay rear facing for as long as possible! My boy is 2 years old and 90th centile. He has absolutely no problem rear facing and will be till at least 5/6. It’s actually 5x safer for a young child to be rear facing in a crash xx
@Amy Read my whole message. I did say double check with a professional. 🤦🏻♀️
@Riley I know you did, and whilst I’m not a professional I know a lot due to my research, hence the advice so other people who don’t really know anything about car seat safety can hopefully follow it or do some research of their own! X
They can cross their legs or put them on the back of the car seat or hang them over the sides. They can essentially put their legs wherever they want. In an accident, they might break a leg, but the alternative with forward facing too soon is internal decapitation. I'd rather have a child with a broken bone. Harnessed car seats forward facing aren't the safest either, so you're better with an ERF car seat until your child is at a mature enough age to be in a high backed booster.
@Amy you didn't need to reply to me
@Riley why are you getting so worked up? People are just giving you some information, if you didn't know about extended rear facing being safer, why not just take it as "oh I didn't know that, I'll do a bit more reading about it". No one has been rude or unkind to you.
In most of the US, it is illegal to forward face before 2 years old. Regardless of what is legal, it is scientifically safest to rear face as long as possible. As long as your LO is within the height, weight, AND head height limits for rear facing, contine rear facing. SafeInTheSeat on Instagram is a great resource for all things car seat safety (and judgement free too)
@Reena because being tagged and tild the same thing by multiple different people pisses me off. none needed to tag me. and now you are tagging me when you can just not.
@Riley multiple? 2 people responded to what you said and rather than being a grown up and taking the info as something new to learn about, you choose to take it personally. It's really childish. You could also choose not to respond.
@Reena multiple means more than 1 🤦🏻♀️ stop trying to start shit.
@Riley feel free to stop responding but do realise how ridiculously childish and willfully ignorant you're being. 👋🏼
@Reena 🤦🏻♀️stop tagging me.
My pediatrician always says easier to fix broken legs then a broken neck
@Rachel 100%. My 4.5 year old is still rear facing in one car and only turned forward facing in the other as of like 4 months ago. She complains more forward facing of her legs dangling than being cramped/uncomfortable rear facing
I googled it and it said they can turn around when your child is over 15 months. you can call the non emergency number to double check, but I think its safe to turn him around since he's big enough now. obviously please double check with an actual professional tho x