When to switch car seats

saw50st8

Sun, Dec 20 2009, 10:36 pm

DS #1 was small - we switched him to a covertable carseat around 10 months old. I think the weight limit is generally 20 lbs or 20".

He is still rearfacing at 22 months. I highly recommend keeping your child rearfacing as long as possible. Its the safest way.

Atali

Sun, Dec 20 2009, 10:37 pm

The baby must be at least one-year-old and twenty pounds, but it is safer to keep him rear facing until at least two.

Boys"R"Us

Sun, Dec 20 2009, 11:11 pm

Every place has it's own regulations (laws), so you have to check about where you live.
Where *I* live, the baby has to have reached all 3 of these "milestones" before turning forward facing:

1. At least 22lb
2. At least 1 year old
3. Able to pull up to stand on an inanimate object (not a person)

As the previous poster mentioned, the longer you keep them rear-facing, the better, safety wise.
In some European countries, the children stay rf, until age 3 or 4!

Do you have one of those mirrors to help you see your dc? I find that helps a lot!

HTH,
Debbie

Marion

Mon, Dec 21 2009, 2:51 am

I've never heard about the standing rule before, that's new for me!

But yeah, 10kg (22lbs) AND a year old. DS#2 is still rearfacing at 26 months, but next time I have to move the seat I'll turn him around. He only hit the 10kg mark around 20 months, and the seat hasn't been out of the car since then.

jackiejoel3

Mon, Dec 21 2009, 3:04 am

This may be a silly question. I don't have a car so I don't know but where does the child's feet go at 2 when they are rear facing. When I have seen rear facing car seats they go all the way to the back of the seat. Just wondering.

Marion

Mon, Dec 21 2009, 3:12 am

I have shoeprints on the back of the seat...but my kids are tiny; DS#2 can still sit in the seat with his knees slightly folded without being bent double.

I think Hashem_Yaazor has a picture of her 3 year old still rear-facing; he's bent kind of in half with his feet hanging over the back of the car's seat.

Boys"R"Us

Mon, Dec 21 2009, 9:28 am

Yup, people often think that they have to switch when their child's feet touch the back, but that is INCORRECT. As Marion said, the legs just bend at the knees and that is actually a safer position for the legs to be in, than straight out.
Marion: The rule about being able to pull to stand, is actually in regard to the upper body muscle strength.

~Debbie

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Dec 21 2009, 10:23 am

http://i25.tinypic.com/33a47ew.jpg
http://i26.tinypic.com/25s4ub5.jpg
Smile

(I will admit it was harder this morning with him in boots, but we managed.)

6coop

Mon, Dec 21 2009, 10:07 pm

It is definitely the safest to keep your child rear-facing as long as possible, but make sure that your child is in the appropriate car seat! Many of the infant seats (the ones you carry in and out of the car with you) have a pretty small weight and/or height limit. I can't tell you how many kids I see in these car seats who are definitely too big for them! You have to check the owner's manual and if your child has outgrown the infant seat, switch to a convertible car seat and use that in the rear-facing position as long as possible.

Fabulous

Mon, Dec 21 2009, 11:13 pm

6coop wrote:

Thanks. That's a good point. I don't know if I still have the manual. Anyone know about the Greco? Snugride, I think? Also, am I supposed to keep using the headreast after he can support his head already?

Marion

Tue, Dec 22 2009, 2:19 am

Our Graco is good until 29". General rule of thumb is that the head should not be within an inch of the top of the seat. You can use the infant headrest/insert as long as you'd like. I found my kids didn't tolerate them well in the summer though. (I have small kids...neither one outgrew the infant seat before their first birthday.)

Hashem_Yaazor

Tue, Dec 22 2009, 9:59 am

I would take out the headrest, personally.
Yes, there should be at least 1" of space in between the top of his head and the top of the shell.
Most Snugrides go up to 22 lbs.

Kugel lover

Tue, Dec 22 2009, 1:57 pm

You could get a mirror to hang up in the back so that you could see your baby from your mirror! They sell them in baby stores!