i've got a cousin who front-faced her baby at six months...i always thought she was off the rocker, but this confirmed it :\ aiming to rear-face dd till age 2
i understand what you girls are saying about it being safer rear facing... and i most likely will delay it. but really if it was THAT unsafe surely the australian safety standards wouldnt allow them to be forward facing at 8kg..
Hollo, I was really looking forward to putting ds forward facing till one of the BB girls showed me this link YouTube - The Importance of Rear-Facing Scary stuff...
ETA- Just a disclaimer- that video can prove a bit distressing so watch with caution. I was in tears the first time I saw it (emotive music doesn't help either!)
Hollo - I guess I kinda thought the same thing; just didn't realise how much of a difference it would make in an accident.
I turned DS around at about 10 months and, I'm ashamed to say, it was entirely for my own convenience.
After hearing the statistics - it's like 300%+ more likely to be seriously injured if facing forward, not just a little bit safer - I really wish I'd waited as long as possible. DS is too big now anyway, but he could have stayed rear facing at least 2-3 more months I think. Just lucky we didn't have an accident.
I started looking online for OS models, but hadn't considered insurance issues...maybe I'll write to choice and see if they have a lobby going on this or not.
That is something that DH's restraint fitting trainer said. It seems that most people look at changing to front-facing as a kind of 'graduation' for bubs. They are now 6 months so you can turn them around.... and it doesn't help that no one actively encourages them to not turn it around. I know when Jett turned 6 months my MCHN said he is now of the age where the seat can be turned, but he hadn't yet hit the minimum weight so I should wait a bit longer. I remember walking out of there thinking how many people would take that as permission to turn the seat now they are old enough.... and not realise how much their safety is compromised. And people can get in the habit of thinking they are a safe driver so nothing will happen, but sometimes it isn't you that makes the mistake on the road, but you can still be involved.
There needs to be more public education about it, and it not to be seen as part of the graduation process like feeding solids etc. but completely as a safety mechanism.
I recently had to turn DD cause she was just too tall to be rear facing anymore, poor thing was licking her knees!! I had planned to leave her rear facing till at least 18mths. I will follow and see where this goes, I know in Europe you can get the seats that stay rear facing till 2 but again it is getting them past our standards.
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and not realise how much their safety is compromised. And people can get in the habit of thinking they are a safe driver so nothing will happen, but sometimes it isn't you that makes the mistake on the road, but you can still be involved.
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