A mom writes in looking for advice on when she should start forward-facing her 15-month-old daughter’s car seat. Having a new baby over ten years later and the laws have changed quite drastically.
A member of the Mamas Uncut community asks:
“When should I forward face my child?
Hey mamas, I was wondering at what age did you turn your child’s car seat forward-facing? My daughter is 15-months-old, and I just bought her a new chair today. I have four children, but my youngest son is 13. I feel like a new mom again because so much has changed. The pediatrician told me she needs to be rear-facing until three??? Any advice?”
– Mamas Uncut Community Member
Community Advice For Mom Wanting To Know When To Forward-Face Her 15-Month-Old Daughter’s Car Seat
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Advice Summary
The responses from the community were very helpful in directing our mother to the resources she needed. Here are a few of their responses:
“They say the longer the better but I turned my daughter at 1. Car rides were hell on earth until then, I think she was getting motion sickness. Zero problems since turning her.“
“Take a car seat safety course, listen to your pediatrician and lookup the recommendations on the car seat and follow that. In my state, it is illegal to forward face in a car seat where the child doesn’t meet the weight and height maximum for rear-facing.”
“Gee everyone’s so hateful in this thread of comments. Look up your state laws and follow them or the safety regulations that are on the car seat or listen to your doctor.“
“The recommendation is at least 2 years old. The size of your child is significantly important. If you aren’t certain, contact your local police department and see if they have someone trained in car seat installment. They should know for certain.”
“In my state legally it is 1. I have 5 kids. I usually wait for the night and weight requirements not age. It is recommended 2 years old to still be rear-facing but With 4 other kids in the vehicle I cant extend rear face any longer.”
Final Thoughts
I couldn’t be more proud of the community responses. There were a few opinions, but most referred to state laws and always erroring on the side of caution. When it comes to car seat safety, going with what is not necessarily the most convenient but what will keep your baby safe, is what is recommended by most mothers.
In my experience, car seat safety has changed a lot over the years. There weren’t a lot of regulations that were clear when I had my first two babies. It was left up to the parent to decide. I can definitely see the wisdom in a child remaining in a seat that faces the rear for as long as physically possible. The regulations really began to change for the better in the years of 2004-2010 when I had my last two children.
I think the best way to close out is to give you the website where you can find your state’s regulations.
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