Can anyone give me a reason why to forward face at one year?

[Crazy Cat Lady In Kansas]

For a class I am writing an argumentative paper and I have chosen to make a case for changing the laws regarding car seat usage. Specifically, extended rear facing as law.

I have all the info I need to make a great case FOR it, but part of the process entails me understanding the opposing view. Can anyone give me a reason they have heard or justification for not rear facing?

So far I can only come up with it being a rite of passage of sorts which is totally flimsy and then the often brought up broken legs/where do their legs go? What else has anyone heard as to why they were against keeping their child rear facing?

Thank you in advance!

[KaleidoscopeEyes]

i know some people turn because their babies cry the whole time while RFing and they feel that is a danger/distraction while driving.

also some people really dont know any better. a lot of dr's tell them at the 1 year check that they can turn the baby around.

[Crazy Cat Lady In Kansas]

Originally Posted by KaleidoscopeEyes i know some people turn because their babies cry the whole time while RFing and they feel that is a danger/distraction while driving. also some people really dont know any better. a lot of dr's tell them at the 1 year check that they can turn the baby around.

Thank you for responding, those are both good points!

[BeccaSueCongdon]

A friend of mine forward faced her son on a LONG car trip bc he was screaming the whole time while rear facing and they had too much stuff to have her sit back there with him. Not sure why she couldn't move stuff to the front seat, but that was her story.

We FF my DD on a trip in my husbands ford f250 extended cab because the seats wouldn't fit rear facing. I wasn't sure what else to do. :-( and I was a wreck the whole time. I'm sure the solution would be to buy a properly fitting carseat.

Maybe people wanting to let their LO snack in the car but wanting to see their face so they know they're not choking?

Lol, I sound like I've really thought this through. My DD is still RF (18 mos) and DS is still in his 5 pt harness FF at 4 years and 50lbs. I get all kids of crazy looks from great grandma.

[sisu]

Easier to get the child in/out of a FF seat; child is happier/better entertained by being FF and will stop screaming, which makes the parent less distracted and a safer driver; easier to see FF child in rear-view mirror, therefore it's easier to make sure child hasn't choked on their Chicken McNuggets...

[BeccaSueCongdon]

Originally Posted by MarchMama2010 Easier to get the child in/out of a FF seat; child is happier/better entertained by being FF and will stop screaming, which makes the parent less distracted and a safer driver; easier to see FF child in rear-view mirror, therefore it's easier to make sure child hasn't choked on their Chicken McNuggets...

Cheese roll ups over here. :hey!hey!:

[Crazy Cat Lady In Kansas]

My girls love those! No way to make a mess either!

Originally Posted by BeccaSueCongdon Cheese roll ups over here. :hey!hey!:

[Alaga]

Originally Posted by Crazy Cat Lady In Kansas My girls love those! No way to make a mess either!

Ooo, what are they? Rolled up pieces of cheese?

Sent from my iPhone using DS Forum

[BeccaSueCongdon]

Originally Posted by Alaga Ooo, what are they? Rolled up pieces of cheese? Sent from my iPhone using DS Forum

Lol, they're a taco bell thing. Tortilla and cheese.

[qsefthuko]

I forward faced my first 2 because the carseats wouldn't fit in our car rearfacing. Of course I knew nothing about extended rearfacing back then. I honestly don't know if any non infant carseat would have fit rearfacing in the car we then owned.

I remember commenting to my mother at the time if they want kids to rearface until 1 they need to ensure carseats are made to actually fit in the cars rearfacing. I had just spent some time trying to no avail to fit the new carseat into our car rearface so was quite mad.

So I have

Carseats don't fit rearfacing

Babies cry more rearfacing

Broken legs from accidents while rearfacing

Nausea from motion while rearfacing(some kids cannot tolerate a moving vehicle and rearfacing.

Choking hazard because you cannot see baby while he/she is eating

Cruel to scrunch legs

Isolating on long trips if baby is by himself in the backseat

That is all I can think of.