Confused about when to turn car seat around...

[studymum]

My understanding is that the straps function differently, with the top two straps designed for forward facing and the lower two designed for rear facing (it has to do with their reinforcement). So I turned dd around when she went onto the higher straps.

Can you check with the manufacturer of your car seat? It would be worth getting some more info...then maybe we can pool our resources and make a sticky here on bb that explains the safest options.

This is how I thought it worked as well. As long as he fits in the straps that are designed for rearward facing. It should tell you in your manual.

[onthefly]

Yeah, I checked the manual and you're right. D'oh! I really should have read it more carefully before.

[feeb]

What do you mean about straps?????????

[delphmoon]

Wow- here I was thinking you turn them around at 6 months- my gosh Im a dumb dumb

[Lisa]

MY DD2 is 14 months and has one just turned forward in the car. She is rather tall for 14 months which is partially why we turned her around now. DS2 was about the same age when we turned him. DD2 is loving facing forward, but I stress about it so much. If I had my way, she would have been rear facing until 2 at the earliest.

[delphmoon]

It makes totally sense to keep them rear facing for as long as possible (why on earth did I think 6 months....)

[Sterla]

My DS is 21 months and he still rear-facing. He is slowly approaching 12kg, so we will be swapping him around soon, but we always wanted to keep him rear facing as long as possible.

[studymum]

It makes totally sense to keep them rear facing for as long as possible (why on earth did I think 6 months....)

Heaps of people do now that the car seat laws say rearward to 6 months, most people don't get how big a child is to hit 9 or 12kg (depending on the capsule or seat). We have a 9kg capsule, DD1 outgrew it at 11 months, DD2 outgrew the length at 9 (she's off the growth chart). Same as when people tell me they aint wasting their money on a capsule to only use it 6 months

[SammyRo]

It makes totally sense to keep them rear facing for as long as possible (why on earth did I think 6 months....)

It depends on the car seat too - some only rearface until 8kgs, whereas others (even some of the newer style capsules) are up to 12kgs.

I was told that it doesn't matter how long they're legs are as long as they're head isn't over the top of the seat, so DD would have still fitted into DS's capsule at 22months.

Also the countries that rearface up to 4years or so have different car seats and different ways of anchoring them to the car, so I probably wouldn't do that with the Australian car seats.

[studymum]

What do you mean about straps?????????

the harness

[feeb]

the harness

Yes I know that part LOL

But I didnt know diff holes were for fwd and rear facing, both my boys are tall and been on top hole fairly early and DS1 was not turned till 14 or 15 months and DS2 still rear facing at 10 months.