extended rear facing?

[lovesdolphins]

I intend to keep our child rear facing as long as possible (definitely following the 1yr AND 20lb rule). We will have the bucket carseat; and then go to a convertible seat when the baby gets bigger - and should last for a couple of years. Then booster until baby reaches the proper height which will be several years down the line.

I do agree with the others though - these threads seem to be wanting to push your agenda rather than getting different viewpoints. I know you love and want the best for your baby - but so do the rest of us, and just b/c our choices may be different it doesn't immediately make them wrong.

 

[Cute Tink]

Your links do say that severe rear-end crashes are less common, but people I know have been involved in relatively severe rear-end crashes recently. One was at almost 65 mph. Fortunately the people involved weren't in car seats (all adults) and nobody will suffer permanent harm, but I still have the following view on it: I have some control over what I will be driving into. I have almost no control over what might hit my vehicle from behind or even at what speed. If my child is in a rear-facing seat and I do get hit hard from behind, they are going to face all of the problems being quoted about front-facing seats.

Realistically, I don't see a point in panicking about it, but if you have concerns, feel free to take whatever precautions you feel you need to take. Just understand that all of us are not going to feel the same way.

 

[tessas212]

I'm not pushing an agenda on anyone. I'm carrying on a conversation about ERFing. If people don't want to discuss ERF, I'd recommend they not come into a thread discussing it.

I do think that it takes very little effort to protect our children when it comes to carseats, and a vast majority of people just aren't educated on the issues. When you have a child less than or year old that still fits in a bucket/infant seat with room to grow, the best thing to do is to leave them rear facing. Most people just don't know this, and unfortunately a lot of pediatricians don't know it either so actually tell their unknowing clients to turn the baby around! And.. even worse, some parents will turn their child foward facing before a year or before 20 lbs, knowing that the rule is 20 lbs AND 1 year. Even if your child is 20 but only 8 months.. law says you have to wait until a year old. It isn't an either/or rule, but an AND rule. But, that said, I don't think people should do it just because it is the law, but because it is what is safest.

I don't have a lot of money to work with. That is why I have the Safety 1st Avenue. It isn't the highest rear facing weight or the best seat, BUT it will keep my babe rear facing until 35lbs or the height limit. That is the best I will likely be able to do (though I DREAM of getting a Radian or Britax! lol), and if I can keep him RFing until the limit of that seat, that's great! There definitely are affordable seats out there, for even poor people like me!


I recently found out a friend has been foward facing her daughter since she brought her home from the hospital, and my jaw just dropped. I can understand just being ignorant, before my baby came along, I didn't even know infants had to be rear facing! And I think that is why I'm so passionate now about it. A lot of people just don't know, so when I can, I always try to make the information available, because I know I felt cheated of information. Pediatricians, OBGYN and L&D nurses, and all those should really be getting this information out there to parents, .. not just the 20 lbs AND 1 year law, but about ERFing too! If I hadn't stumbled upon the information I did, I know for sure my baby would be forward facing at 20 lbs. And to think of that, oh, my heart just drops knowing that I could have endangered my baby!

 

[ido]

Yeah - but there is a difference between wanting to educate people and telling them they're wrong if they don't agree with your views on ERF seating.

But, I'll take your suggestion and bow out of the thread now.

 

[Birbitt]

I plan to ERF my baby. He's 9 months now but he will rear face to the limit on his seat which is 40lbs. Then he'll turn aroundin a harnessed seat till age 5 or 6 and move to a booster.

 

[IreneAdler]

Yeah - but there is a difference between wanting to educate people and telling them they're wrong if they don't agree with your views on ERF seating.

But, I'll take your suggestion and bow out of the thread now.

yes, by all means... I'll bow out too. I just don't get good feelings from the way you respond. It may just be your manner of speaking. I know I have issues myself so maybe it's just that. Anyway, have fun.