Have the rules changed regarding car seats???

[SunnyRain]

I was just in the USA and I swear their rules might as well just say "put your kid in the trunk". I was horrified by what my sil was doing with her 5mo. My inlaws seemed to think I was OTT with the seat.

My dd was rear facing until 15 months when she reached 9kgs. I have an older seat so that was the limit, but she was perfectly happy facing back.

[willow5]

I was just in the USA and I swear their rules might as well just say "put your kid in the trunk". I was horrified by what my sil was doing with her 5mo. My inlaws seemed to think I was OTT with the seat.

My dd was rear facing until 15 months when she reached 9kgs. I have an older seat so that was the limit, but she was perfectly happy facing back.

The thing with the US too is the rules can vary state to state, makes it hard some states I think are stricter than others. But the AAP recommendation in the US now is rear-face a minimum of 2 years. I don't know how many if any state legislations are enforcing that though.

[blessedatlast]

I have a seat with the height markers which I find just as confusing as my son is very light, so I'm thinking he *may* reach the height before he's 9kgs.. I am not in a hurry to change him, but I'm assuming it's dangerous to keep a seat RF if the child is too heavy or to tall fpr the recommendation of the manufacturer?

Teni - What seat do you have?

[willow5]

I have a seat with the height markers which I find just as confusing as my son is very light, so I'm thinking he *may* reach the height before he's 9kgs.. I am not in a hurry to change him, but I'm assuming it's dangerous to keep a seat RF if the child is too heavy or to tall fpr the recommendation of the manufacturer?

Teni - What seat do you have?

I agree! It's always best to go with the instructions in the manual! But, there have been cases where a manufacturer has said it's ok to leave them RF a little longer, I think I've only ever heard of SafenSound okaying this and it was NOT for all of their seats. You can contact the manufacturer of your seats and ask them directly. There are so many variables with seats I would never risk leaving them RFing longer than what is expresses by the manufacturer.

[shadow77]

ah ok :-) thanks for the pic Willow :-)

[Cass72]

DS2 was a little lightweight (still is!). I left him rear facing until I felt that his neck muscles were strong enough for holding his head up for prolonged periods of time. And, that he could sit for prolonged periods of time without support. I (personally) think it's a big ask to put a baby in a forward facing restraint just because the hit the weight range - some of the mums in my mums group did, as their babies were "large" but still couldn't properly support themselves in an upright position. The bubs looked uncomfortable in their seats and I don't think it was doing their little bodies any good at all.