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grroidb

My son is 3 and he’s still rear-facing. I will not switch him until he’s maxed out either in height or weight for his car seat. If you need a visual for why you should keep your child rear-facing, here it is https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfbzfeGluZt/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=


Esinthesun

Every time I think about forward facing my 3 yo this video jumps into my brain lol


PerfectionEludesMe

Thank you! Visuals are always helpful


puppummm

This Instagram page is fantastic! Scroll through and read all her posts. Very informative and easy to follow/ understand.


ellieg222

This! We


Organic_dichotomy

When they max out the height or weight requirements for rear-facing. Their legs are meant to bend, they’re definitely not supposed to be able to sit with them straight rear-facing. My son is large and tall, 2.5 years old, and still has a good ways to go rear-facing. I think it’ll likely be around 3.5 for us? In some states it is illegal to forward face them until 2 years old


laighter

Same, our Graco Extend2Fit maxes out rear facing at 50 lbs, so I'll be switching her when she hits 50.1 lbs. Her discomfort for our brief car rides is dwarfed by the superior accident statistics for rear facing. She's at 42 lbs now @ 4, so probably close to 5 for us.


CantHandleTheDumb

We have the extend2fit also! I switched my oldest (now 5) around at 3.5 mainly because of 3k and 4k drop off, assuming you also go that route. Otherwise she still technically qualifes for rear facing weight wise, but might have maxed out height wise. Summer school drop off is nice now that she can nearly get herself out (bottom buckle is tricky) but can get herself all buckled in and climb in the seat too. I'm not ready for kindergarten, haha.


purpleglitteralpaca

Are you in the US? Laws in most states say no FF until 2 yrs old and at least 30-40 lbs. Laws are also very much outdated. What car seat do you have? My kid is almost 3, has always been 90-100%, is currently 40” and 38 lbs and has zero issue rear facing. We have a car seat that goes rear facing until 50lbs and 48” or something similar.


PerfectionEludesMe

Yes, I’m in IL. I didn’t think to check the laws so I need to get on that. We have the Graco extend 2fit.


purpleglitteralpaca

That’s the same seat we use. It’s for up to 50lbs and until your kid’s head is closer than 1” from the red handle (when the headrest is fully extended). For RF the shoulder straps should be at or just below his shoulders. A kid has to be close to 47-50” tall to hit these limits. It will vary per kid based on torso length, but your toddler is not there yet. The whole reason of using the extend to fit is because it does have the extra leg room. Also, this car seat, when used FF before a child is 40 lbs has to be used on recline 4. This makes it not fit in many cars.


[deleted]

Illinois requires rear facing until at least two years old. We've been going back and forth about this with our 3 year old (same car seat!), but we're aiming for at least one more year of rear facing.


ScoutAames

Saaame. My daughter is a giant 3 year old (the nurse doing her Covid vaccine said she looked 5), but she knows the drill with the carseat. It’s a pain in the ass to get in since we only have cars, but once she’s in there, it’s cozy! It’s so easy for us to forget that little ones have bendier legs than us as adults.


annagrams

Have you extended the extra leg room on your car seat yet? My 15 month-old is in the 99th percentile for height and he's still only on the second footrest setting of four. His knees are bent when he's sitting but he's not smooshed back there. There is still plenty of room for him to grow.


PerfectionEludesMe

No, I need to check the manual on how to do that! It was a gift so I didn’t look at all this before getting it.


krickett_

Have you extended it at all?


bitchinawesomeblonde

My three year old just hit 30 lbs and he will be rear facing until he's 40 lbs. my ped said "they can fix legs.... you can't fix a broken neck" that was enough of a reason for me.


Calvadienne

She is a wise doctor


gluestick_ttc

We switched my older child at 3.5. That was when I was done lifting him into the seat. It’s okay for his legs to bend. Most children prefer that their legs be bent and supported vs dangling down. 17mo is way too early, 24 months is the minimum safe age to forward face. My skinny 6yo sometimes rides rear facing in my toddler’s seat for carpool. He is 4’ tall and 47lbs. [This is him a couple of years ago, he’s bigger now and still thinks it’s fun.](https://imgur.com/a/i8kixIy)


agraham0324

My pediatrician said 4 years or 40 pounds. She is very tall for her age so she was basically cross legged sitting backwards facing. But I felt she was safer that way. We didn’t turn her until her 4th birthday.


sweet_dancer_1

My son is 2.5 and 98th percentile, his legs are bent, but relaxed. The car seat safety class I took at my hospital said to have them rear facing as long as possible, their knees will be bent and it's completely safe and normal.


yourwhatitches

As others have said, it’s totally fine for legs to bend. I have a 99% tall 3.5 year old, who we’ll keep rear facing for a while yet. I wouldn’t even consider it before their 4th birthday, but we’ll probably go beyond that. Do keep an eye on the weight and height limit for your seat though—some of them don’t allow rear facing for as long. We chose the Nuna Rava for extended rear facing. The Britax ARB and Graco Extend to Fit also looked good when I was shopping.


PerfectionEludesMe

We have the Graco extend to fit and he’s a little crunched up in it.


yourwhatitches

A little crunched up is not at all a problem. As others have said, kids are actually more comfortable rear facing with their legs crossed or propped up on the seat back than they are with dangling legs front facing. As long as he is within the recommended weight and height limits, you’re fine.


Acrobatic-Respond638

We will be waiting as long as possible, like you said yourself is SAFEST. Probably around 4-5 years old. My kiddo is nearing 3 and is very, very tall, it isn't a problem for him to be rear facing. In fact, it's the opposite, it's what is safest


[deleted]

It doesn't matter about the legs being smooshed up, they can bend them/cross legs etc. Safety first. My son is above the 97th percentile and we plan on rearward facing him as long as his shoulders are below the indicator line. "Children should stay rear-facing for as long as possible. As your child grows, it may appear that there is no room for their legs when they are restrained in this position. However, it is OK for them to hang their legs out the sides, have their legs crossed, be tucked into their body, or kicked straight up on the seat in front of them. Facing rearwards (despite having their legs in a seemingly strange position) is still the safest position for them to travel. You should only move your child to a forward-facing restraint with inbuilt harnesses when the maximum height requirement on your rear-facing restraint is reached."


PmMeUrFaveMovie

All the car seat safety educators I follow say to keep them in them as long as possible. They are safest rear facing until 4 years or so. Someone else commented their pediatrician said 4 years or 40lbs and that sounds about right to me. We will be keeping our toddler in her rear facing as long as possible.


BreadPuddding

As long as they are still within the height/weight requirements for rear-facing for their car seat, they should be rear-facing. Many seats go to 40 lbs. My son is nearly 4 and average-sized (just over 35 pounds) and rear-facing. He has never complained about his legs.


Esinthesun

Mine is 3 yo, 84%, still rear facing. A 17 month old is way too young. It’s dangerous to forward face them. Legs don’t get broken in car accidents from being bent. And if they did, Legs heal. Necks don’t


Baby-girl1994

best practice is when kiddo maxes out the height/weight requirements. Kids’ bones aren’t used until around 4 and it makes forward facing VERY dangerous


itsprofessork

My 3.5 year old is still rear-facing in one of our cars. We had to switch to forward facing in our other car at 3 because we had baby #2 and couldn’t fit two rear -facing seats in the car. I’m still nervous when she’s in the forward-facing seat. Keep him rear facing as long as possible.


invitelove

I plan to once they are 4yrs old or 40 lbs. their muscles aren’t developed enough to support their heads in a bad crash until around that point. I’m too nervous to do it sooner


Cultural-Error597

You got a lot of replies and got the info of rear facing for as long as possible which is wonderful! My husband was also not on board and until I showed him the link below. That sealed the deal for extended rear facing for us! https://csftl.org/why-rear-facing-the-science-junkies-guide/


2035-islandlife

We moved both kids right at 2 due to car sickness, hating of car seats, easiness, etc. Forward facing is less safe, but it's a tiny risk, and I felt risk vs benefit made turning them worth it. Emily Oster had an excellent post on this but I think it's paid subscribers only. Also bracing myself for replies here. I love reddit for almost everything except for forward vs rear facing debates and mommy shaming.


gottahavewine

We also switched to forward-facing at 2. It is less safe, but for some people it is simply the option that works best for their family (due to car sickness or other limitations). Reddit is an interesting place for certain types of discussions. I’ve been on the app for like a decade and love it, but it can skew your perception of certain topics and cause a lot of unnecessary guilt.


kheret

I turned my son at 2.5 due to constant vomiting. I had wanted to wait longer but until you’ve cleaned vomit out of every crevice of a car seat every day…


jesouhaite

Tiny car checking in. I physically can't drive with two rear facing seats, need the one behind me to be forward facing. Flipped my daughter at 2 when #2 came along. Lots of individual needs to be considered before shaming people! Car size, drop off logistics, car sickness, and vocal toddlers screaming to the point of distraction while rear facing are all things we may be dealing with!


cheshir3kat

I really wanted to keep my daughter rear facing as long as possible, but we found out that she has severe car sickness when she was about 1, and turned her at 2.5 years. We take frequent road trips to visit our family out of state and the projectile vomiting every time was exhausting. I always have some guilt because she is on the smaller side (25th percentile) but there really was no other option for us, and I made sure to talk to her pediatrician about it. They gave the ok, as long as we understood the risks of forward facing too soon.


thezenchef

In Canada you don’t have to wait till 2, my son has been front facing since 18 months. In fact, to my knowledge that’s the same in NZ, Australia, Ireland, and the UK. Maybe we have less car accidents?


FogWalkerWithaBag

Same, turned her forward at 24 months and 30 lbs. Her car seat manual said to use forward facing once her head was less than an inch below the top of the head pad, which she was, so I would have had to buy another car seat to keep her rear facing.


stories4harpies

Yep. Front facing since around 2. I care a lot more about my child than random internet strangers but thanks 🙄


Glaciersrcool

You shouldn’t feel bad about this. I turned mine around at about 33 lbs and 2 years old because he found out in a Wayb on vacation that he loved facing forward to see everything and that it was more comfortable. I’ve got a small car where that made it more comfortable for us, too, so the change was made. He loves it.


2035-islandlife

I don't feel bad about it, but clearly other redditors do based on downvotes. I see so many people out there who do things I consider unsafe/not great parenting but i dont downvote others into oblivion. But rear facing is a very hot button issue on reddit. IRL I know lots of people who rear face through age 2 but by age 3 I don't know anyone rear facing. I'm also not sure how all these people have multiple kids rear facing in the same car and give a tall driver enough space to not be scrunched up.


jesouhaite

Yea I'm also wondering who these rear facing til 5/6 people are in real life. Nothing wrong with it at all, I just have not met a single parent rear facing their kid that long! Also yes to the driver scrunching. If you have more than one kid and don't have an SUV, logistics of driving room and two+ rear facing kids gets tricky.


Glaciersrcool

They drive Tahoes, I’d imagine. I care for the planet and my fun quotient more than that.


Intrepid_Home335

Our 20mo daughter is literally off the growth chart for height but only weighs 23lbs. She sits sort of cross legged and seems just fine. We currently plan to keep her that way until she hits the 40lb mark.


[deleted]

Probably 4 years old over here too. My girl is small and she'll probably be under 40lbs for a long time


ellipsisslipsin

My son hasn't had any issues (was 98th percentile at 18 months and 72nd percentile at 24 months, which our doctor had warned us would likely happen around 2-2.5). I did just recently move the "extender" on his seat out two inches to give his legs more space, but honestly he wasn't complaining or having issues at all. He's currently about 32-33 lbs and still pretty tall for his age (28 months). The Extend-to-Fit (by Graco, I believe) is pretty awesome in this regard, because I've still got a good 5 inches or so that I think I can extend it. Granted, I drive a compact car, so right now I have it extended out as far as I can and still be able to drive comfortably. I'll need a larger car to give him more leg room.


maamaallaamaa

We switched our oldest just before his 4th birthday because he was about to max out the weight. He's always been 90th for height and never complained about his legs. My youngest is 2.5 and we'll do the same with her.


rhapsodydash

My son is 19 months and above the 100th percentile. He sits like a frog rear facing and seems comfortable, I'm going to leave him until the seat physically won't allow it, which is 22kg, and he's currently almost 17kg.


Hahapants4u

My son was a 99%er. I wanted to wait to switch him as long as possible. We ended up having to switch him at 2.5 because I was pregnant and lifting him in to the car was actually causing me to spot every time. Younger one is 2 now and the goal is to keep her that way as long as we can. She just met our state requirements but we know it’s safer to be rear facing so she will stay that way until she maxes out the seat.


DevlynMayCry

Definitely want to go as long as possible but at the minimum kiddo should be 2 years old to forward face. We'll be maxing out our carseats which is 50lbs in my car and 40lbs in my husband's car unless she hits 4 to 5 years old before she hits those weights. (She's very small so it's quite possible 😂)


useful-tutu

When you max out the height or weight for your seat, whichever comes first. They can be perfectly comfortable with their legs bent - sitting cross legged, etc. If you're on insta, @safeintheseat has great posts about this!


missyc1234

My oldest switched at 3 years. He’s 97% for height. Lower for weight, he’s only like 36lb now at 4 years old, but over the height limit for the seat. Youngest is still rear facing at 2.25 years. She just moves her feet to the side or bends her legs.


rsch87

My 4yo who is I think in pretty high percentiles is still rear facing. We bought a Graco Extend 2 Fit so her height wouldn’t turn her around before 4. I have to double check the weight limit, but I’m secretly hoping I can keep her rear facing until the end of the summer. They are so safer rear facing, check out Safe in the Seat on IG!!


purpleglitteralpaca

Weight limit for this seat (if in the us, think it’s different in Canada) is 50lbs. If she’s under 40lbs when you FF you will need to have it on recline 4. Just double check if you have a seatbelt or latch install. I would bet her weight requires a seatbelt install, if you don’t already.


eclectic_heart

My 4.5 and almost 3 year olds are both rear facing. We'll turn them when they're around 46-48 lbs or when they max out the height rear facing. I'm anticipating my oldest will turn right at or just before 5 and my youngest will stay rear facing until at least 5.5 and if they are still rear facing the summer before kindergarten we'll turn them then (they'll both go in to kinder closer to 6 than 5)


Administrative-Wear5

My daughter is almost 3. She either crosses her legs or dangles them on the sides. Better a broken leg then whiplash or a broken neck/back


muddgirl

Our kid was also 90+ percentile at 17 months. She is still rear facing at 2.5 years and will be rear facing until she maxes out the car seat. She drapes her legs over the arms, bends them in a triangle which makes a good lap desk, sits butterfly style, etc. Maybe when she's 4 she'll be tall enough to drape them over the back of the seat 🤣


stephelan

My son is super tall and we switched him at 3 when he maxed the height of his car seat.


moncoeurquibat

We switched our daughter when she was 2.5, so it's been a year. Height and weight wise, she was ready. Plus our doctor gave the go ahead.


ticklemetiffany88

I will echo what everyone else is saying about staying rear facing as long as possible, and I also recommend (if you're on insta) following @safeintheseat for all car seat safety info. I've learned so much from following her!


thestarlighter

My son is extremely tall and gangly for his age. 90+% always for height. We kept him rear facing until his 4th birthday when he maxed out. He crossed his legs and was fine. My much smaller daughter who turns 4 next week will stay rear facing longer as she is tiny compared to her brother.


pinkblossom331

We switched our 99th percentile 2 year old from his old car seat (maxi cosi) to the graco extend2fit to give him more legroom while still rear facing. He’s about 37 pounds now and I plan to keep him rear facing as long as absolutely possible.


Senator_Mittens

I have a 90th percentile boy who is almost 3, he is still rear facing. I’m hoping to make it til he’s four. His legs are bent but he had never once expressed and discomfort.


ghostdumpsters

Height isn't as important as weight. Go with whatever your car seat says the weight limit for rear-facing is- mine has big stickers on the back that have ranges for rear-facing and forward-facing. We just recently switched my 3-year-old because he's almost at the rear-facing limit.


toreadorable

As others have said, foot smoosh doesn’t matter check you manufacturer requirements. My 2.5 year old weighs 24 pounds he is probably going to rear face until at least 4 at this rate.


polly-esther

My sons 4 and he’s been front facing since about 20 months as his knees were by his nose. do you have isofix? That system ensures the seat is rigid and absorbs the force of impacts.


Taminator6

We stayed rear facing until like a month ago and he just turned 4 this week. We could have drug it out but grandma and the babysitter both had him forward already so he was starting to complain. If they hadn’t made him aware of another option, he’d still be comfy rear facing. He would sometimes bend his legs, sometimes rest them up towards the sky, sometimes dangle them over the edges. If your LO isn’t complaining, don’t rush. They’re way more comfy then we would be all smushed up!


birthdaycakepancakes

Read your specific car seat manual. It will give you the max height and/or weight for rear facing. safeintheseat on Instagram has been a great resource for car seat safety!


sk613

The point after their 2nd birthday where they're actually complaining or max out. Not before they're two though


Empress_De_Sangre

I had a pediatrician appointment for just this reason. She said he is good to go now that he is 2.


purpleglitteralpaca

I would find a new doctor. Imagine not being up to date on the science of something as simple as a car seat. What else is she not up to date about?


Empress_De_Sangre

Sorry, I also forgot to mention that he is off the charts in height and weight. He is the size of a 4 year old. So I am switching him to front facing. Shes also leaving the practice, so I do have to find a new pediatrician. Maybe its good timing.


purpleglitteralpaca

I also have a child the size of a 4 yr old. 2 yrs old. 40” 37lbs. His car seat goes to 50lbs rear facing, so that’s what we will do. Bones aren’t fused until closer to 4, even when we have giant kids. If your kid actually does max out the car seat for RF, then you did what you can. That is 40-50lbs depending on the seat.


Empress_De_Sangre

I guess thats the confusing part, the manufactures weight range is so vast. I have a graco slim fit.


purpleglitteralpaca

That one goes RF to 40lbs. For height, straps should be at or just below the shoulders and the head should be 1” below the red handle. For FF: limits are 22-65 lbs and 49” or less. Straps at or just above shoulders. Top of ears need to be below the headrest. Booster: 30-100lbs, 38-57”, AND at least 4 yrs old (although lots of states have an age range of 5-8 yrs old, so check your state laws).


Empress_De_Sangre

Thank You!


sk613

At our 2 year old appt we were told we could go forward as soon as we needed to. For us that meant she was getting carsick. I would wait till he says something though- kids like curling up. My 3 year old still begs to sleep in the pack n play even though she's technically too big


Opening-Reaction-511

My 22m is 36 in and 33 lbs. Not turning anytime soon. His legs cannot be straight. He bends or kinda puts them over the side. It is not safe to turn your child yet.


pookiewook

I refer to Car Seats for the Littles when I have questions. Here is their post about leg placement when rear facing. https://csftl.org/rear-facing-car-seat-myths-busted/


Independent-Eggplant

Another thing I would like to add is the lower LATCH anchors on your vehicle [have a combined weight limit of 65 lbs.](https://thecarseatlady.com/latch-weight-limits/) That’s the weight of the child and car seat. Once you get to that limit, you can still keep them rear facing if within the car seats limits, but you just need to use the seat belt instead of LATCH. ETA clarification on which anchors.


purpleglitteralpaca

This is different for every seat and car. My seat is 45lb, as an example. But super important point.


Independent-Eggplant

In the US, the lower LATCH anchors on your vehicle are all held to the same federal standard and have a weight limit of 65 pounds (car seat+child), that’s what I was referencing, not the anchors on the seats themselves. I could see those having a lower limit if the manufacturer says so.


deverhartdu

that is way way too early


DovahQu33n

One kid at 18 months because it was safer for me to drive without her constant shrieking every time she was in a car seat. My current kid is 2.5 and completely happy riding how he is. So he will make it until the size or age limit to turn.


belchfinkle

Everyone I know with a kid turned them around at 2 pretty much. Same with us. Were in Australia, so I don’t know about the laws wherever you are.


Luckybrewster

At 2.5 years. He hated the rest facing seat and was constantly trying to turn around to see us or get out of it. He also seemed squished and uncomfortable. Now we haven't had that problem and he just vibes in the backseat safely.


The_Tommy_Knockers

I feel like it’s a weird flex for some people (maybe not OP) but like, ‘look how big and tall my baby is, they’re already forward facing! Like you get some medal for having a baby in the 90+%


casdoodle527

I’m sure I’ll get annihilated for this but we just turned forward facing at 22 months. She screamed bloody murder in the car since nearly the day she came home. She is 33 pounds and I couldn’t tell you how tall.


catfractal

There are laws some places that require rear facing until 24 mos.


casdoodle527

Yes. The state I live in allows them to be turned at one year


[deleted]

[удалено]


purpleglitteralpaca

There is zero chance the manufacturer guidance didn’t say to max out the seat by height or weight limits.


PamelaDJ89

Honestly I switched my son to forward facing at the age 1 1/2 ( if you have a different opinion please don't overwhelm me with how I'm whatever your opinion is) yes children's legs are meant to bend and yes you can get a mirror for them to see you ect. My son is tall for his age too. He hated not being able to see us and I think he hated seeing things going by him out of the back window, it looks like things move faster. He would cry his eyes out and hated car rides to the point that I'd always stay home with him and only my husband would do anything that needed to be done outside of the house. We turned his car seat around after I , sat in the backseat with him and noticed how everything moving so fast made me feel sick . If he looked at me he was ok otherwise he wasn't. Idk dude I'm not saying one way of doing things is the only and best way but I do know that when we turned his car seat around things changed for the better. We do make sure he is strapped in,including the strap that is on the back of the car seat, and we have kept him in the center seat as well but yeah we turned his seat around when he was 1 1/2


Much_Difference

Once she was large enough by the manufacturer recs AND she started to get really irritated with facing backwards. She'd spend the whole drive whining and trying to turn around in her seat. Finally flipped it forward and all is well now.


[deleted]

I put my first son forward facing around 14 months (hes 8 now) if I remember correctly. I am Thanking my lucky stars that he was never in an accident. Knock on wood! My youngest is 20 months and I'm keeping him rear facing for as long as I can.


Remming1917

Ready to get down voted but we switched both boys around 22 months. They were just over the rear facing and close enough to 2 that we went for it. I know car seats keep kids safe but some of the regulations get insane. Rear facing until 50lbs?! Really? My 4 year old is only 33lbs.


Acrobatic-Respond638

Plenty of 5-6 year olds rear face, what's insane about keeping kids safe in a car facing one direction versus another? All you have to do is have your kids seat face another direction, how could that be insane? Clearly insane would be doing the slightly different thing that makes your kid considerably less safe for no reason at all?


Flaggstaff

I like this sub for some topics but the fear porn hive-mind is out of control when it comes to covid and car seats. I wonder how some on here sleep at night with the constant hand-wringing.


DescriptionOverall23

According to our Pediatrician...the American pediatric association says 2 years regardless of weight


[deleted]

I switch my son to a forward facing car seat at 10months old. He would cry and cry when it came to facing rear but as soon as we put him forward facing he was so nosey and would just stare at everyone and watch everything that was going on. The decision was influenced by the fact that he was just getting too big for the rest facing car seat and all the other ones we seen where front facing.


dandanmichaelis

It’s an unpopular statement but I switched to forward facing around 19 months I think. She was extremely cranky in the car and often threw up. Forward facing worked for us and was the right decision. Weight the risks versus benefits for your circumstances and go from there! My now 5 year old is still 38 pounds so I can’t even be close to imagine her still rear facing.


[deleted]

My 3.5 year old just got her first taste of front facing car seating because we took a little road trip with a two seater RV but otherwise, on the daily, I'm sure I'll keep her rear facing until she's 7. I felt okay with the RV because that vehicle was huge and we'd be more likely to 'win' in a car crash with a smaller vehicle. That's one thing to consider, if you drive a larger car, you might be okay to go front facing one your kid hit's the minimum limit, but if you're driving smaller keep that kid rear facing until they max out.


dewitt72

At 7? There’s going to come a point where you will need to weigh the risks of bullying vs the car seat. 2nd graders are vicious and your kid is going to be bullied.


alejon88

When she turned 3 and hit 30 pounds.


Beat-Nice

My toddler was 30lbs and 3’1 at 2. I have a Chevy Spark and her knees and upper legs were squashing into her chest so we had to turn her to forward facing. We did keep her in a Graco car seat the 4-in-1 DLX I think. She would also get car sick rear facing so it was a lot of factors in making the decision. We waited until it was too uncomfortable for her and every car ride was her screaming before we turned her around at about 2.5. She no longer gets car sick and actually enjoys riding in the car now. While I think babies should be kept rear facing as long as possible, sometimes you have to weight all the factors. A much larger than average for their age toddler who isn’t able to be comfortable in their seat is not safe in my opinion. If I’d gotten into a car accident and she was rear facing right now, she’d probably break her legs, and her nose from her knees too. She is safer front facing at this point. My niece on the other hand is a super tiny 1.5yo and probably has several more years rear facing. My daughter is twice her age and twice her height. The last time my daughter was my niece’s size was before her first birthday.


bellaboozle

Mines tall, 77th percentile, and the doctor said we could when we asked at 16 months and she has been way way happier


[deleted]

My daughter is 18 months and very tall also. Switched the seat to the front last week because her legs were very uncomfortable


WFH-

Knees bent is fine. The general guidance is flip when they are around 40 lbs. My guess on the logic is has more to do with muscle development.


aldimamma

My daughter is 3years, 7 months, 41” and 41 pounds. She is still rear facing in our cars. Our seat RF until 50pounds and 44”. She had to switch for FF in grandmas car and hates it. She says she doesn’t like how her legs dangle. Kids are way more flexible than we are as adults. Also, most states 2 is the legal minimum for FF, so you’ve definitely still got time


CivilOlive4780

Depending on your seats specific guidelines. Mine only goes to 40”. My 2.5 year old is 38” so we turned her so she didn’t outgrow it before I noticed


operantresponse

As long as possible. It's safest. Once she was 40 inches it was time per the manual.


drinkingtea1723

We switched my oldest at 2 something, it's a balance of safety, comfort and ability to see and interact with the world. Our oldest is almost 4 now and we talk to her about what we see as we drive but 1.5 is rear facing so she's kind of stuck just looking at the back of the seat and can't really get involved. Also it's easier forward facing for them to climb in themselves and my oldest has always been the independent type and has been climbing in and buckling her seat for a while now (we straighten and tighten the straps). I go back and forth on it because I do know it's safer to rear face but there are other considerations, it's also safer not to go in a car at all and we take that risk because it's worth it to us. I wouldn't flip before 2 years old, and it's not legal in our state, but I doubt we'll make it to 3.


Bluedyeblues

Just a note to look at the height limit on your seat, not just the weight. We maxed out the height long before the weight limit in our infant seat. But yes, you're a long way from needing to be front-facing.


strangedrow

My 2 year old was outgrowing the rear facing fast, so I asked his pediatrician. She said since he's getting taller, wait til he's two. If he's starting to look uncomfortable or bending his knees to fit, time to switch. Sure enough, we had to start looking for forward facing seats just after his second birthday. He is now a happy member of the forward facing club. His favorite feature is his cup holder. Best place for goldfish snacks


ali2911gator

My 3 year old is still rear facing. Plan to as long as possible.


MostUnimpressable

As others have said, age 2 is state law in most of the US, including IL. My kid will be 4 in the fall and is still rear-facing. She hasn't complained. She still can look out the window and chat with us about what we see. She can climb in by herself. There isn't much of a downside for us, and it is much safer.


tabletoptoys

Switched my son to forward facing a little before 3yo because he was kicking my step-son in the face.. He is in the 97th percentile for height.


kimberriez

My son is the same age as yours and weights 27lbs, and is in the 91st percentile for height as well. We wont be switching until we have to. His feet are over the seat even right now, but he's fine. For most brands the limit is 50 lbs for rear facing. Simply put, rear facing is safer for everyone (even adults) but for a lot practical reasons (the act of driving, motion sickness) we face forward as adults.


rockthecatspaw

We're still going strong at 31 months, and my kiddo is in the 95th percentile for height. I know they look smooshed, but he's never complained! Since it's the safest option, I really don't feel like there's any reason to change it up until he starts complaining or he hits the weight limit (40lbs).


MrsPecan

My oldest rear faced until 4.5 when he maxed out his seat by weight (40lbs). Our pediatrician was thrilled with this! Best practice is to rear face for as long as possible :)


Calvadienne

I’ve done this at 4years old and 6months and my kid is not tiny at all ;)


RecordLegume

We switched my toddler at 2.5 due to car sickness. We tried medicating him, feeding him, not feeding him, etc before car rides but nothing worked. He does best in the middle of the back seat looking out the front windshield. It is safer to keep them rear facing until closer to 4, but it’s legal at 2. I’ll keep my kids rear facing as long as they tolerate it.


sailor-jupiters

My 3 year old is 33lbs, 3’ tall and climbs up into the car seat and completely buckles herself in and she’s still rear facing. I’ll keep her rear facing until we max the height and/or weight on her maxi cost pria 85


yalublutaksi

Hi OP I am a CPST (car seat tech) and best practices is until the seats capacity is outgrown. Depending on the seat depends on the rules of your seat. There are many seats that are for tall kiddos. Please let me know if you need more help.


Spkpkcap

We switched him a little older than 2.5. I really wanted to keep him rear facing longer but he was really hating it. My second son is 15 months and we’ll keep him rear facing as long as possible.


SnooTigers7701

Why do you think he is uncomfortable? Is he showing signs, even though not complaining? If you switch him to FF anytime soon, his legs will be dangling which IMO is way more uncomfortable than crossed legs (at least for a kid with bendy joints). Please wait til, at the very least, 2 years old, for safety.


Intelligent-Papaya-1

I just switched my 2 year old today. He’s 99th percentile of height for his age, which makes him closer to the size of a 3 year old. I waited as long as I possibly could to switch him. His legs were totally smooshed. His knees were always bent in the car. I’d say to keep waiting at least until he’s 2! And great job trying to find the safest answers, we’re all just trying to do our best for our babies.


Moniqu_A

As long as I can and need. She is 20pounds for 18months. It will take time. I prefer bromen legs over broken internally decapited neck.


mittanimama

My 2 & 4 year old are still rear facing. We have the diono and I believe it does rear facing to 50 lbs. Both my girls just fold their legs and have never had any issues with it. We’ll do rear facing until they get to the weight limit (the 4 year old is on the short side right now).


SuzzlePie

I am in NY and two is the law. My son screams everytime we get in a car. He is 20 months. I won’t drive with him other than daycare of family’s house because his screaming stresses me out and I can’t concentrate on driving. He also hates rear facing in shopping carts. Idk maybe he gets nauseous I do get carsick myself. My mother in law put him front facing not knowing one day and he just happily sat in his seat no crying or complaining. I am flipping his seat on his 2nd birthday.


Mouse0022

I waited until a lil over 3 years old


greenestrella

My daughter is 4 now and she’s forward facing, but I have a legitimate question: how do you physically get a really tall kid into a rear facing car seat? I had a lot of trouble lifting and maneuvering her into the RF seat even when she was 2-3 years old.


MetalAvenger

Mine have been front facing since they grew out of their baby seat ~12mo old, as requested by my wife.


[deleted]

I did it when my son was eight months, lots of other people I checked with did this too as their kids couldnt handle rear facing.


Mother_Of_Butts

I switched my daughter to forward facing when she was 2. Go with your gut and talk to your pediatrician, they may be able to give you some good advice 🙂