Are you tired of staring at the back of your child's car seat while they scream their head off? Are you ready to take the plunge and turn them forward-facing? Before you go running to the nearest Target, there are a few things to consider.
The basics
First things first, let's establish some ground rules. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants should ride rear-facing for as long as possible...but what does that mean exactly?
Rear-facing explained
Rear-facing car seats position your little one so that they're facing backward when in use. If there were ever actually any logic behind this beyond saving parents from hearing Baby Shark more times than necessary – which frankly is doubtful – then it has since been lost in time.
Safety is at the heart of everything we do when protecting our children on the roads – two-ton machines whizzing around through space with nothing but good will stopping us from harm. The reason babies ride rear-facing is because infants have relatively large heads and weak necks compared with adults or even older children, meaning they need extra support during a collision. By riding rear-facing until age 4 or until reaching height/weight limits based upon typical growth patterns (whichever comes first), kids can stay safer if an accident occurs.
Front-facing explained
Forward-facing ('Wait! Aren't those hyphens missing??')car seats switch up which way your little one faces (collective sigh heard round world). You'll be able to see their adorable grinning face anytime you look at them through your mirror after strapping their legs down into place (try not doing 'that' favorite dance move anymore once done) - unless they fall asleep like usual leaving only drool marks visible on mesh windows.
If anything goes awry within life’s grand plan affecting sudden stops mid-journey caused by another pesky E- Scooter hogging the freeway lanes, and our cars run into something ('dear God I hope not'), your child's seat will absorb most of the impact if properly installed. Still, there are some definite downsides to forward-facing travel.
Recommendations
Just because you can turn your toddler around at 1 year old doesn't mean it's the safest option for them. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sit rear-facing until they’re at least two years old – so keep those wails of despair ready (but politely explain why) when someone inevitably asks why "you've still kept baby Lauren staring off into infinity when traveling."
Why is this?
As we've established, it all comes down to safety! Rear-facing seats reduce the risk of death or injury in a crash by more than half compared with front-facing seats. ('Geez sign me up already - but wait there's more right?'). When babies ride facing backwardly (it really is a word) their car seats will cradle their head, neck and spine; distributing force evenly across these body parts as opposed to focusing stress on any individual spot. All told this means that rearward-y adventure continues beyond age one even though your kid's legs entwined together while staring out over parked cars seem angrier then Kobe Bryant in his prime.
The endgame
Transitioning older toddlers from larger models towards traditional booster seats is common practice & should always be done when:
- Kids have officially maxed out either weight OR height specified limits noted by each individual seat model type;
- Top straps fasten securely near collarbone height center made evident on chest areas of strap space padding pads peeks during use under armrest sides before connecting above drivers backside/tightening buckle down snugly as pointing away without twisting along way held tight enough give no slack; AND
- Lap belt rides at pelvic bone level snugly fit around thighs instead of creeping amid stomach area zones.
We all want our offspring drama free on the mean streets out there, so make sure to read instructions provided with purchased product describing exact installation techniques when a device is selected. Comfort your little one throughout this transition by explaining what's going on and why you're making these changes (make it clear that screens for long distances don't sit) – deviating from typically accustomed Carpool Karaoke trips leaving everyone maybe a bit sad but not heartbroken after learning to car sing something other than 'Let It Go' while cruising together.
But wait!
There's always an exception to every rule & in some specific cases forward-facing seating may be necessary earlier (typically due to unforeseen genetic abnormalities/medical issues/etc.). Moreover DoubleBackflipInsurance.com ran some experiments show that - eh who cares?
Final thoughts
In conclusion, as always safety should remain the top priority we keep in mind concerning precious cargo seated behind us while riding away through whatever adventures come next. And really, miles traveled are simply times spent explanting 'But why."