New Car Seat Guidlelines-

I have long been known as the crazy car seat lady as my boys are 6yr and 7yr and still in harness car seats. And I keep extra boosters in the back of the van for the times I have other children in the car.

I feel that whatever keeps them safest is whats best...even if it is harder on me. My boys don't even question they just get in and buckle. Only time I have issues is when I have other riders who's parents have let them out of boosters but they quickly get used to the rules of my van and I know one who told their mom to put them back into a booster (mom was not happy with me) because they could see better. You will never feel bad for keeping kids safe!

I kept my DD rear facing until she was almost 3 and outgrew the height/weight limit for the carseat. She was perfectly happy that way and her legs were fine (she's tall). So clearly I would recommend keeping the 1 yr old rear facing as long as possible. The 3 yr old, I wouldn't turn around at this point, as I am sure he/she wouldn't go for it, but I would keep him in a 5-point harness as long as possible.

These recommendations and data are not new. They've been around a while, finally the AAP has gotten around to recommending them. If you never have an accident it doesn't matter, of course, but it can make a HUGE difference if you do.

I would turn your 1 year old rear facing and don't give in if she fusses about it. It is so much safer and you never know when you could have an accident.Better to be safe. My 8 year old, soon to be 9 is still in a booster seat but is over the weight requirement and will soon be done, but I am not sure how a seat belt will fit him. My kids were never allowed to sit in the front seat until they were 13. I cringe when I see 6 year olds in the front seat and no booster seat even in the car.

These aren't actually new guidelines. The Academy of Pediatrics finally realized that they had created a 'gold standard' that they didn't mean to by suggesting the earliest a child COULD be forward facing was one year and 20 pounds.

My first will be three next month and she weighs 32 pounds. I am going to keep her forward facing. My 10 month old premie is 15 pounds and I will keep her rear facing at least until she is two.

*for those that worry aout their little legs being uncomfortable, if they know no different they wont know they should be uncomfortable. I'd rather deal with a week of tantrums and uncomfy legs, than a spinal injury.

Keeping them rear facing increases survival rate by 75% if you involved in an accident.

As much as I enjoyed seeing my litle first's smiling little face when i turned her forward facing, I just couldnt live with myself if something happened.

I would turn the 1 year old rear facing.

There are too many scary stories of small children getting spinal injuries in minor accidents if they are forward facing.

How does your 1 year old do rear facing?
My son is 15 months old and has never been very good in the car. I have to travel a lot as my husband is deployed, so I am driving frequently to see family hours away. It's a catch 22. On one hand, it's safer if he's rear facing for him...BUT it's safer for all of us if he's forward facing. The reason I say this is because when he is rearfacing, he SCREAMS after 30 min in the car. He'll scream and cry for hours on end (please don't tell me to do the "tough love" thing...we DID it for 13 months!!!) Don't know if he gets carsick or what. Forward, he's not a dream come true, but he can go on a decent trip, watch a movie, and nap fairly well. What is safer in this case? A forward facing sturdy carseat and a mom who can concentrate on the road or a rear facing carseat where everyone is losing their minds and mom is distracted and more likely to crash in the first place? Do what you feel is best for your family. We won't be turning DS around again to be rearfacing. If we had another child, we'd hope he or she is a better traveler and would keep them rear facing till 2 if possible...
Good luck in your decision.

Rear facing beyond 1 was the recommendation when my now 4 year old was a baby. I would strongly recommend you turn the baby back to rear facing. Why would you want to do something for your child that has been proven unsafe or not the safest option.

Turn the baby rear facing until age 2 or longer. It's safer - no downside compared to that.

I'm glad my kids are past this stage. I can NOT imagine having had my oldest especially rear facing at two. His feet would have been in the back window.

I'm just wondering if they really expect older kids who are short to actually sit in a booster seat till they get past 4'9". Heck my almost 16 year old daughter has a friend who is her age who is only 4'8" ... yeah I'm sure she's gonna sit in a booster seat ... NOT.

My two and three year old are forward facing, but our new baby will stay rear facing as long as possible. I think you should turn your little one rear facing. I would turn our older ones rear facing too, except we would have to buy two brand new car seats and I think they would hate it at this point. I still feel a little guilty with them forward facing. We turned my son at 18 months, turned him back rear-facing at 20 months, and turned his forward again at 25 months (I think). We turned out daughter at 18 months. Like I said... the next one will stay rear facing as long as she can.

I'm all for the guidelines and protecting my children in the best way possible. I also kept my youngest rear facing until she was 2, however she will be 3 in 6 weeks and only weighs 23 lbs. According to the new guidelines she should still be rear facing. Will I turn her back around, no. Sometimes we mamas have to do what we feel is best for our children and our families...we know them best.

Follow what the law is for your area. The new guidelines at this point are just recommendations. If the guildelines had come out 5m ago before you turned her, you would've just left her turned. Now its your call. Try turning the 1 yr old back for a week and see how it goes. If you have a minivan where one seat can be rear-facing as a whole, try that. It would be the same.

According to the new guidlines my 9y should be back in a booster seat because he's under 4'9" even though VA law says 8y, he's been out of a booster for a year and a half and weighs 100lbs. Does that mean that my MIL who is 4' 11" at 63 should'nt be driving because she needs to be in the backseat in a booster? Or should she be grateful for those 2 inches? What happens when she starts shrinking?

I am torn. My daughter (16 mos) will have a fit if we turn her around, yet of course I want her safe if we ever get into a car accident.