When did you turn the car seat around?

[zennifer]

Seda is now 1 and over 20lbs but we still have her rear facing. I want to turn her around. I have heard that it is safer for her rear facing I just wanted to know what other people were doing.
-Jenn

[Calypso]

Well...you might want to check your state's law about this just to make sure. I thought it was a general consensus though that 1 year old and 20 lbs. is the cut off point for forward facing.

[bunkie68]

As long as your child doesn't exceed the rear-facing weight and height limits for your car seat, there's no age at which you *have* to turn the car seat around. The child just has to be at least one year old and at least 20 pounds - that's my understanding, anyway.

That being said, we turned Julian's seat around pretty much as soon as he turned one, because he was pushing 30 pounds, which was the rear-facing limit for our car seat.

[Mandy]

We turned Emma's carseat early only because I had to drive 12 hours with her by myself and it was the only way she would not cry because she could see me and I was able to hand her food/toys/milk easily without having to stop every five minutes. She was almost 11 months at the time. She's been happy ever since.

[zach]

www.cpsafety.com (http://www.cpsafety.com/) & www.carseat.org (http://www.carseat.org/) are supposed to be excellent resources for carseat safety tips.

Personally, I am waiting until I absolutely have to turn to forward-facing, because everything I've been reading asserts that rear-facing is safest and my son is *little*. I am also extremely relieved that he (knock on wood) hasn't been car-sick from facing backwards. I am very motion-sick, myself, and facing backwards would be the kiss of death for me. I even make sure I ride facing forward on the train, just to be sure.

I just quickly checked the one site I referenced above, and here's the page that discusses front vs. rear-facing: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx

Not to be an idiot, but what is the advantage of turning the baby to face front? Is it the happiness thing, like Mandy was saying? It honestly never occurred to me that my kiddo would like to face front better, although he is no keen traveller, I can tell you that. [/understatement]

[kalynnsmom]

Kalynn is little, she's 18 months and 21 lbs, so we still have her rear facing

[Mom24Girls]

I think Andrea (my youngest) was about 16 months when we turned her seat around

[MandyLynne]

We turned Tyler's seat around on his 1st Birthday. I think he likes it better this way, he's a nosey little boy and he loves to be able to see. It's also easier to put him in the carseat, and be able to help him while we are in the car (like hand him a toy or snack).

~Mandy

[mumo2]

Seda is now 1 and over 20lbs but we still have her rear facing. I want to turn her around. I have heard that it is safer for her rear facing I just wanted to know what other people were doing.
-Jenn
I am from australia and things must be very different here. We turned our first som around at 4.5 month when he weighed 8kg(17lb I thiink) And we turned our other som around when he was 5 months weighing 9kg. I think the recommendation here is to turn them round when they can hold thier heads p and weigh over 9kg. sorry I don't know how to covert to lb.

[aussierach]

sorry I don't know how to covert to lb.
hey Nic (my sister) you just time the kg by 2.2, so you turned Ethan when he was 17.6lb and Isaac when he was 19.8lb :awink: