Last day rear facing
First official day of forward facing
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
2 and 30
According to child safety advocates and the American Academy of Pediatrics, age 2 and 30 pounds is the new 1 year and 20 pounds. Did that confuse you? In the past, the general rule was that a child should be turned forward facing when they hit one year old and reached 20 pounds. Recent research has determined that children are safer if they rear face until at least two years and 30 pounds or to the full limits of their seats (Article: Stay Rear Facing). I turned the boy around when he was 18 months and just barely over 20 pounds. A couple months later I was in a car accident that totaled my car, and required getting a new seat. I went to some knowledgeable people on babycenter for advice. When I got our new Britax Marathon a month later, I put that puppy in rear facing and that is how the boy has been until this past Sunday when he truly was to close to the top of the shell to stay that way. So at 3 years, 4 months, 3 weeks, 6 days and 30 pounds I flipped his car seat. That night as I was buckling him in he asked if I was happy that he was facing forward. I had to reply that it made me sad, because it meant that he was growing up. He patted my head in sympathy.
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That is so sweet and sad and happy. These kids are getting big so fast. I'm glad he offered you a little sympathy, though. What a nice wee man he is!
ReplyDeleteblisses,
Traci
You're SO responsible. I cheated and turned M. around a week shy of her first birthday when she was 19.5 pounds. For me, it makes it so much easier to drive. I did, however, get one of those add-on rearview mirrors so that I wasn't using my driving rearview to look at her. That counts for something, RIGHT?
ReplyDeleteIsn't he sweet though? Always comes through on the sympathy.
ReplyDeleteTracy~If you promise not to follow my advice on when to move her to a booster I will forget that you turned her to early. :)
I just wanted to let you know that I think it is wonderful that you are so involved in promoting car-seat safety! I think back to the mistakes I made with The Boy (he was forward facing at 6 months!!!) and thank god nothing happened to him.
ReplyDeleteI was a little better educated with The Girl, she stayed rear facing until 15 months. And now, thanks to having friends like you- if we ever adopt a little one, I know that I am even more educated to keep my little ones safe!