Car seat forward or rear seating

**Now we're 3** · May 27th, 2010, 11:08 AM

Hi

At what stage do you move your child from rear facing car seat to forward facing? I've moved mine already which he seems to love but just had an awful thought that perhaps I was not supposed to do so. When we were overseas my friend who lent me her car seat had it forward facing so I just assumed that this was correct and did the same when we came back (prior to going away he had been in capsule).

Do I need to turn it round again. He seems like facing forward and being able to see me and things?

Thanks

**Rainbow_Mumma** · May 27th, 2010, 11:12 AM

I changed both my girls to forward facing once they could sit independantly and had reached the weight it says for forward facing on my car seat

**feeb** · May 27th, 2010, 11:15 AM

Most things state 6 months or 8kg depending on seat.

But it is safer to have rear facing as long as possible (I know safe and sound Meridian can be rear facing till 12kg)

DS1 was turned at 14 and a bit months, as was getting organised for DS2 to arrive and was putting DS1 in a maxi rider then. Weight wise DS1 could have been rear facing till 20 months.

**Liminal** · May 27th, 2010, 11:31 AM

Rear-facing is safer as long as the baby still fits in the seat in that position, so you turn as late as you can, only when the car seat is outgrown in the RF position.

Signs that it is outgrown are either 1. you reach the weight limit on using it RF (which is 9 or 12kg depending on seat) or 2. the child is too tall for it. Too tall for RF is when there is less than 2.5cm of hard shell ABOVE the baby's head.

**ss_storm** · May 27th, 2010, 11:39 AM

I turned mine around when DD was about 8 1/2 - 9 months. I don't drive very often as everything is within walking distance from our house, so I figure the risk of having an accident, whilst it's still there everytime I do drive, is probably not as great as someone that drives every day. I did it just before a trip to Wagga (an hour away) and it was so much easier because she was a lot happier being able to see me and look around.

I'm aware it's not as safe as rear facing and drive like a grandma, but for us I think it was the right decision to turn it when we did. She probably wouldn't be able to remain rear facing for much longer anyway as the weight limit I think is 12kg, and she's probably already over 10kg.

If your bub has good neck control, then do whatever you feel is right for you.

**Pandora** · May 27th, 2010, 11:40 AM

I think it's six months by law now as a minimum
I turned ds at 11 months

**~Stoked~** · May 27th, 2010, 11:44 AM

I will not be turning DS aroung for as long as possible! There is another thread somewhere with a link to a you tube video showing why to leave them rearward facing, i don't know how to attach links! Can someone please attach the link!?

***Beema*** · May 27th, 2010, 11:49 AM

I kept DD rear facing for as long as possible, until she hit the 12kg mark, so 18 months of age. It is sooo much safer to keep them rear facing, we made sure she had a big mirror to look at and plenty of toys, and for us her safety was paramount.

Here is the link to the you tube video The importance of Rear Facing car seats

**Megan** · May 27th, 2010, 11:48 AM

I had our seat professionally fitted and he told us to have it facing "rear for a year". It gives much more chance for the spine/neck to become stronger and better chance of coping with an impact. I would only turn if they were not fitting in the seat or over the weight limit (which is 12kg in most it seems). DS has only just been turned recently at 13 mths and he loves it (and was getting unhappy facing backwards) but I still would not have turned him any earlier. There are so many idiots on the roads that I wanted to leave it as long as possible.

**Liminal** · May 27th, 2010, 11:51 AM

I think it's six months by law now as a minimum

It't not widely publicised, but the laws (in NSW at least) do have exemptions if your child is genuinely too large for the seat before the age limit is reached. (My baby and I are both very very tall, so I looked this up.)

**~Stoked~** · May 27th, 2010, 11:59 AM

Thanks Beema!

**Miss.September** · May 27th, 2010, 12:34 PM

I think there are different laws in every state. DD is 14 months and is still rear facing because our seat allows her to stay that way until she's 12 kg. The guy who installed it said to leave her rear facing as long as we can because it's safer.

I found this link for Victoria, I'm guessing that there's one for every state.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rd...restraints.pdf

**Lisa** · May 27th, 2010, 12:36 PM

Last year, DH & I were involved in a total of 3 accidents in which we were hit by other drivers.
I know I am a fantastic driver and at times I can drive like a Grandma as I am so cautious as I always have kids in my car. That didn't stop me from being sandwiched in between 2 cars when 32 weeks pregnant.
For these reasons, I am going to stick by the safest time to turn Anelise around and that is when she is 12 months old. It is very tempting to do it earlier as she is getting difficult to put in over the anchor straps now, but that is all really a very small price to pay.

**Jasper76** · May 27th, 2010, 02:30 PM

We will be leaving DD2 rear facing as long as possible. It's hard as she's a very heavy chubster and will possibly reach 12kgs well before I would consider it safe to turn her.

**Pandora** · May 27th, 2010, 02:45 PM

.... It is very tempting to do it earlier as she is getting difficult to put in over the anchor straps now, but that is all really a very small price to pay.

What do you mean 'over the anchor straps'? I don't understand.

**Lisa** · May 27th, 2010, 02:56 PM

Because Anelise is still facing rearward, the straps that hold the seat in place from the anchor point are in the way. So I need to lift her up and over the straps to get her in... does that make sense? lol (I know what I am meaning in my head, just hoping it is coming out right!)