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Forum
-> Parenting our children
-> Infants
amother
Maize
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 1:46 pm
amother Moccasin wrote: | Is it really illegal? I wish I could keep my 1 year old rear facing, but he’s really too tall. He’s literally in the 99th percentile. And yes, I’ve tried different car seats. |
Perhaps you're not aware of how to check for fit properly. There are car seats that can accommodate. Another amother posted suggestions.
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stillnewlywed
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 1:49 pm
amother Hibiscus wrote: | My child has been front facing since 1.5. She was too tall..... The recommendation is for as long as possible. |
There are many extendable carseats for this. My tall kid was rear facing until 2 with no issues in the graco extend to fit.
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amother
NeonYellow
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 1:52 pm
I kept my daughter rear facing until 2 years old and everyone around me switches as soon as they leave the doona at around a year old.
They reacted like I was neurotic, but I know I did the right thing
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seeker
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 2:22 pm
I don't know growth charts offhand but is a 99th percentile 1 year old larger than an average 3 year old? An average 3 year old should be able to rear face even in the less expensive/shtotty car seats. Definitely in the better ones.
Glad to see OP was asking sincerely and has taken the information provided. I hope anyone else seeing this will likewise update their practice as needed.
For anyone who was serious about asking why, here's a little physics: most crashes happen when the car is moving forward. Certainly high impact crashes will. When the car stops, everything in the car keeps going. You will notice this when stopping quickly even not for a crash - if you slam the brakes you lurch forward. Even in an adult this can cause whiplash (and that's not even a worst case scenario.) Now picture the rear facing car seat: the whole thing, the solid back of the seat, is behind the baby/toward the front of the car. When everything in the car lurches forward, the baby is not lurching because there is a car seat back preventing their little body from going anywhere. They'll feel jolted but all their important body parts are staying just about where they need to. At any age this is the best way to weather a crash, but especially when less developed and strong. If they're facing forward, I.e. there is no seat back preventing them from going forward, their head is likely to snap forward much too hard and cause dangerous neck/spinal injury, in addition to their torso straining against the straps which could impact other organs.
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amother
Ultramarine
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 2:24 pm
My tall three year old was rear facing in a cheap Graco seat. Convertible car seats can typically accommodate a lot of height.
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amother
Hibiscus
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 3:42 pm
Persevere wrote: | There are many rear facing car seats that accommodate tall kids. |
That's nice. We don't have one. Didn't know how tall she would be.
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amother
Hibiscus
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 3:44 pm
amother Anemone wrote: | No such thing as too tall at a year. You can even rear face a 4 year old. There is no way she outgrew the limits. |
Not sure how that works. Her legs were uncomfortably bent...
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amother
Anemone
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 3:52 pm
amother Hibiscus wrote: | Not sure how that works. Her legs were uncomfortably bent... |
It’s not a thing. How do you know it’s uncomfortable? Kids are flexible it doesn’t hurt them at all to bend their legs. Do the right thing and rear face, she’ll be fine. And she’ll be safe most of all.
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amother
Maize
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 3:59 pm
amother Hibiscus wrote: | That's nice. We don't have one. Didn't know how tall she would be. |
That's understandable, but you still have to provide for her safety even if she is taller than you expected her to be. We can't stop providing for their needs because they are growing.
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amother
Maize
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:01 pm
amother Hibiscus wrote: | Not sure how that works. Her legs were uncomfortably bent... |
Legs are fine being bent. Again, there's no such thing as a child under two who can't go rear facing. Maybe speak with someone knowledge of car seats in real life to help you figure out how to properly fit her in a car seat.
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amother
Hibiscus
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:06 pm
amother Anemone wrote: | It’s not a thing. How do you know it’s uncomfortable? Kids are flexible it doesn’t hurt them at all to bend their legs. Do the right thing and rear face, she’ll be fine. And she’ll be safe most of all. |
Next time around. She's older already.
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Ema of 5
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:06 pm
amother Hibiscus wrote: | My child has been front facing since 1.5. She was too tall..... The recommendation is for as long as possible. |
My tall child was rear facing until she was over 3, and she had no problem with it.
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amother
Holly
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:14 pm
Wondering when this rule started-my youngest is 20 and the rule then was rear facing until they reached a year.
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HonesttoGod
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:15 pm
Fwiw when I forward faced my then 3.5 yo he didn’t know what to do with his legs and he would get so annoyed with them “hanging down”. He Loved folding them when he was rf.
We only ff him because I needed his car seat for the next one.
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amother
Rainbow
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:16 pm
Graco extend to fit- reasonably priced, and works for my very tall 2 yo
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amother
Hibiscus
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:19 pm
amother Holly wrote: | Wondering when this rule started-my youngest is 20 and the rule then was rear facing until they reached a year. |
Looked it up and it was in 2019 for NYS.
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amother
DarkCyan
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:31 pm
I switched one of my kids at around 1 1/2 on the advice of my pediatrician. I think it’s on a case by case basis.
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amother
Anemone
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Fri, Feb 02 2024, 4:59 pm
amother DarkCyan wrote: | I switched one of my kids at around 1 1/2 on the advice of my pediatrician. I think it’s on a case by case basis. |
No it’s not. No child under 2 should forward face. Pediatricians aren’t magicians, it isn’t safe for any baby no matter what an outdated pediatrician says. Your baby is just at risk as any other.
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SunnyDayz
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Sat, Feb 03 2024, 12:55 pm
seeker wrote: | I don't know growth charts offhand but is a 99th percentile 1 year old larger than an average 3 year old? An average 3 year old should be able to rear face even in the less expensive/shtotty car seats. Definitely in the better ones.
Glad to see OP was asking sincerely and has taken the information provided. I hope anyone else seeing this will likewise update their practice as needed.
For anyone who was serious about asking why, here's a little physics: most crashes happen when the car is moving forward. Certainly high impact crashes will. When the car stops, everything in the car keeps going. You will notice this when stopping quickly even not for a crash - if you slam the brakes you lurch forward. Even in an adult this can cause whiplash (and that's not even a worst case scenario.) Now picture the rear facing car seat: the whole thing, the solid back of the seat, is behind the baby/toward the front of the car. When everything in the car lurches forward, the baby is not lurching because there is a car seat back preventing their little body from going anywhere. They'll feel jolted but all their important body parts are staying just about where they need to. At any age this is the best way to weather a crash, but especially when less developed and strong. If they're facing forward, I.e. there is no seat back preventing them from going forward, their head is likely to snap forward much too hard and cause dangerous neck/spinal injury, in addition to their torso straining against the straps which could impact other organs. |
☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻Required Reading☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻
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