# Youngest you would FF?



## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Title says it all...what is the youngest you would FF? Or is it all about size?


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

It's about age, not size.

I would consider turning for preference or convenience at age 4. I would not buy a new seat strictly to continue RFing after age ~3.5.


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## ~Amy~ (Jun 7, 2009)

It's really more about age than size as forward facing is more dangerous for a child whose vertebrae haven't completely ossified (this occurs between 4 and 6 generally). My DS is 2.5 and has FF'd once or twice, but I don't think I'd be comfortable with him FFing full-time until he's 4 (or has outgrown his seat which RF's to 44" and 45lbs, whichever comes first).


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
It's about age, not size.

I would consider turning for preference or convenience at age 4. I would not buy a new seat strictly to continue RFing after age ~3.5.


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## SubliminalDarkness (Sep 9, 2009)

If I could max out seats, I would. We had one 40lb. seat and one 35lb. seat and couldn't justify, nor afford, buying new seat(s) to keep DS2 rear-facing any longer. So we turned him a month before he turned 3 years old.
I would not feel comfortable turning a child at 2 just because he/she was 2.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I agree with maxing out the limits of your seat, for the most part. But, if we are talking about a 18 month old who outgrew a rf'ing seat - I'd buy a new seat. As far as when I would FF - well, not counting my first two children whom are 9 and 7 and were switched too soon before I truly knew better - my answer is 2.5 years old. BUT, if I had a baby or young toddler right now, I would change that to 3. Probably not making sense... but there are now higher weight limit car seats for rf'ing, like the Radian XTSL, that wasn't around 2 years ago. As it is, my 39 lb 3.5 yr old is FF, and as much as I know he is safer RF'ing, we can't swing it right now (mainly b/c I couldn't get a decent instal with the radian in my Subaru - so I didn't have any other options).

So, yeah - I wanna say 3 years, 4 if you have a average or smaller child and can afford a seat that accomodates. 2.5 year would be the absolute minimum if there were no other options.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

Double post - sorry







- my wifi just reset and went all nuts when it came back on...


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

triple post - sorry!


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Bare minimum to FF for me would be 3. I turned DD2 right at 3 because she wanted to FF. Now I have my 5, 3, and 1 year olds all RF.


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## MamieCole (Jun 1, 2007)

Turned DS1 FF right before his 3rd birthday because he outgrew the RF weight limit of his Blvd.

Now that we have a CA for DS2, going to keep him RF until the age of 4, at least.


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## allical1284 (Mar 17, 2009)

I plan to keep my kids RFing until I can no longer find a seat to accommodate them RFing; however, if I *had* to make an exception ($ limitations, car issues, etc...) I would follow chickabiddy's advice and not buy a new seat for a ~3.5+yo just to keep them RFing.


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## Honey693 (May 5, 2008)

It depends. If I had a kid that hated the car and screamed bloody murder and ff-ing solved that, 18 months. I don't care what anyone says, for me at that point, the stress and emotional wreck I'll be from listening to screaming and worry about hitting someone b/c I have a kid flipping out in the backseat are going to out weigh any benefits they'll derive from rf-ing. If it's just a matter of seat size it would be until they outgrew the seat with the tallest shell height or weight limit. DD1 is going to outgrow all seats by height before weight, but I'm thinking we can get to at least 2.5-3 before we have to flip her.


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## Peppermint Poppies (Jan 7, 2007)

I FF'ed DS just prior to 12 months old when he maxed out the weight limit for our carseat (12kgs/26lbs). At that time, there weren't any carseats available in Australia with a RF weight limit beyond 26lbs.

I'm not sure if that has changed these days. DD is still RF (16mo) but only weighs 20lbs so it's not an issue for us at the moment.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

2 is the bare minimum for me. I WOULD NOT ffing full time at two if there were any other option. But on occassion I'd be ok with it. For example, Dh's car is a two seater, so dd can't be rfing in it. We're keeping around an older junk car until she is 2 so that we have a back seat she can rf in. When she is 2 we'll get rid of that car and on very rare occassions (only if she and I are the two that need to go somewhere and dh needs the van to take the boys somewhere) would she ride in his car ffing. But we'd avoid it as much as possible.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

My kids stayed RF past 4+, I would personally never put my children FF before then unless it was an emergency. Simple reason is because of the huge safety benefits but also because rear facing works very well way past 4 years of age.

My kids have been FF before 4 years a few times during emergencies while traveling in other countries.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

For the most part, my DS is still RF'ing. I will keep him RF'ing in my car until at least age 4, but in other people's cars, I usually install his seat FF because it is easier to install. I finally felt comfortable with him occasionally FF at 3.5.


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

Well it looks as though we will be turning ds fairly soon, before the winter I'm guessing as he's only 2lbs from the seat's weight limit.

Although I would love to keep him rfing longer the combination of the sheer expense of a third carseat (they are considerably more in Canada) & the fact that my knees are jammed against the dash (meaning in an accident I am likely to be gravely injured myself) all the time when I'm the passenger mean it's just not going to happen.


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

I would buy a new seat, if feasible, to keep my child RFing until 3.
My second had to be FF at 2.5 because he maxed out our Radian's limit, and at that time there were no seats that RF past 35 lbs. but that isn't the case anymore, and my daughter will RF until at least 3, but hopefully 4.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

3.5-4 is my current minimum.

A child under 2 I would import a European seat if needed to keep them RF.

Under 3 I would purchase a new seat to rf for even a few more months.

3.5 and on it would depend on a number of factors.

Ds' current seat (blvd) I expect to get him to 3.5ish rf. I plan to purchase another seat to try to get him to 4+ rf. I will not purchase additional seats for his sometimes-cars. But for his usual one, yes.

-Angela


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

I hope to keep DD (and future children) rf to 4yo or longer. At 4yo I would consider FF out of preference (easier, child preference, etc)

I probably would not buy a new seat to extend RF past 3yo. Also, I'd be ok with a 3yo FF in less-frequent circumstances for convenience. I'd buy a new seat to keep a child RF until 3yo, but only within reasonable limits of affordability and legality.

I'd go to great lengths (buying a seat I couldn't afford on credit, importing a seat, seriously considering a different car, illegally disabling airbags, etc) to keep a child RF until 2yo.

For other children in my car, I'm willing to let the parent make the call as long as the child is RF until 1yo, harnessed until 4yo, boostered as needed and within the limits of their seats.


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## hollytheteacher (Mar 10, 2007)

Our plan was to FF ds when he hit 36 pounds. In reality we switched when he was 35 lbs because it was easier when were traveling in taxi's and such on our vacation to D.C. and when we came back we figured we might as well leave him instead of turning him for a couple months and then turning again.

So for us, ds was 2years 3 months. I'm sure we will do about the same with the next kidlet. We are happy with the Marathon and did not want to invest in another car seat just to rear face longer. I think 2 is a lot longer than most around here.


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## lyra2007 (Mar 17, 2010)

When she hits 35 pounds, which will max out both her signo and her boulevard. She's 2.5 and about 28-29 pounds, so I am guessing about another year, unless she has a massive growth spurt. I would like to keep her longer, but I think at that point we'll just get her a FF new seat rather than spend the money for a few more months of RF.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Do children normally outgrow their seats by weight before height? And is it overall height or just torso height? Ours says "until 36 inches" and DS is 31, but he has plenty of space because, well, he has legs.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
Do children normally outgrow their seats by weight before height? And is it overall height or just torso height? Ours says "until 36 inches" and DS is 31, but he has plenty of space because, well, he has legs.

It depends on the kid and the seat which they'll outgrow by first. It's torso that matters. For RFing he needs one inch of hard shell above his head, if he has less it's outgrown. The 36 inches is a guideline, but every kid grows differently.


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## MamieCole (Jun 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
Ours says "until 36 inches" and DS is 31, but he has plenty of space because, well, he has legs.


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## mama_ani (Aug 2, 2007)

I am trying to be okay with turning my 4.5 yo FF. I always said it would be fine any time after 4 but I get nervous even now. It's funny because originally I said he could be FF at 2... now I panic about 4.5. How things change... my older girls all turned FF at 12 months because I didn't know any better.


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## hipmummy (May 25, 2007)

My bare minimum would be three and thirty pounds. We turned Ds1 around at 3 and 33 (decathlon limit) We have Marathon now as well. But he like s being ff in the other car so we have kept him that way. Plus with cloths he is 35+.


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## paxye (Mar 31, 2005)

To the limits of the seat and if needed/possible get another seat.

My third was a big baby and I had to turn him at 10 months. There was no way around it because he was even over the weight limits for the seats that were available at that time... (just 3 years ago)

I wish I could have kept him RF because I knew the benefits but I couldn't...


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## leighi123 (Nov 14, 2007)

I'm keeping ds RF until he outgrows his Radian, regardless of his age.

At this rate he will be at least 6 when he outgrows it RF.

For me, you RF to the max limits of the seat, doesnt matter how old the kiddo is.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *leighi123* 

For me, you RF to the max limits of the seat, doesnt matter how old the kiddo is.

I took the question to be what if the seat you have is outgrown early.

Many seats currently on the market can be outgrown rf easily by 18months.

-Angela


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

I turned my 18 mo FF because he and his (then 3 yo) sister kept kicking each other and I couldn't rf both of them because the seat wouldn't fit in my car. The kicking and fighting was really distracting to me driving, so i figured it was probably the safer option rather than the higher chance of an accident. When we moved to a new car where both could RF I turned them both around, though now they don't fight quite so much, anyway.


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## StoriesInTheSoil (May 8, 2008)

My DS is 2 and RFing in a Radian XTSL. He's a pretty big kid (about 33 lbs and 36"?) so I'm just going to keep him RFing as long as the seat will hold him. I'd really like for him to make it to at LEAST 3 in it.

I think that I would continue to buy new seats to keep him RFing until about age 4.5 if they were to come out with higher RFing limit seats. If the next seat we buy has high enough limits, I think it would be great to have him RFing till 5 or 6 but the fact is that seats in the US just aren't really made for it.


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## triscuitsmom (Jan 11, 2007)

My bare minimum is 3 years old, even for short trips in a secondary vehicle. 4 years for main vehicle.

At 4 I am comfortable with their input as well... although I will say that my oldest turned four last Monday and he totally doesn't care rearfacing or forward facing, he never even seems to really notice when it's different









There is no max age I wouldn't rearface anymore. If they are happy in the seat (again, only after 4 is this a consideration for me... before that safety trumps wants too much to be negotiated) and still within limits they can be rearfacing.

I'd buy a new seat to rearface a child who outgrew their other seat if they were under 3.5.


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## SilverFish (Jan 14, 2010)

this will very much depend on how many kids and what kind of car i'm dealing with in a couple years. we're in canada, so the kinds of seats available are somewhat limited (and way more expensive). currently, i'm dealing with a pretty tiny 6 mo old who will likely be well over 3 before she hits the weight limits, but depending on her growth pattern, may hit the height limits before 2 of her current seat. past 3, i think the limitations of our current car and whether or not i'm trying to fit multiple car seats into it (it's a ridiculously small back seat) might convince me to ff at that point. 3-4 yrs old is my goal though.


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## Tizzy (Mar 16, 2007)

My goal was to max out the weight limit of the seat (35lbs) but unfortuantely both seats I have that go that high to RF do not work in our vehicle we have now.
So DS2 is now FF'ing at 28lbs and 28 months.
It's not ideal, but I cannot budget for 3 new seats (the other two NEED new seats again).


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## Smalls181 (May 12, 2006)

3 is my absolute bare minimum. 4 Im more comfortable with and would do everything I could to get seats to accommodate to at least age 4.

DD is 4.5 and still RF and Im just starting to get comfortable with the idea of her regularly FF...


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## redpajama (Jan 22, 2007)

I wouldn't FF (now, that is--I turned my oldest too early because I didn't know better) before 3.

My middle child is nearly 4 and desperately wants to FF. I'm considering turning her when she turns 4, despite the fact that she could RF for at least another year in her Radian XTSL (45 pound limit; she's about 35 pounds). I haven't decided for sure.


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## AugustLia23 (Mar 18, 2004)

We turned all our kids FF by around 15 months. Never before 12 months, but I can't remember exactly how long after that. And for future kids, I feel okay with doing it the same way. I understand all the safety issues to be concerned about, but couldn't imagine my now 3 year old still RF.


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## WindyCityMom (Aug 17, 2009)

I don't mind turning a child over 2 FFing for a once in awhile thing in certain situations. I have let DD ride FFing in the past because she was sick and we were going to be late to the doctor (who won't see you if you're late) and because she was vomiting horribly and I needed to be able to see her and guide my DH at the same time.

Other than that, it's to the limit of the seat. We're in the market for a Radian (hoping to trade our new in the box complete air for it!!) and that should keep her RFing to at least 4 or 5. She's 30lbs and 2y8m old.


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## 2lilsweetfoxes (Apr 11, 2005)

I turned my two oldest at about 15 months (and 18ish pounds). I figured it was okay because they were over a year, just little peanuts. They are 9 and 7 now. My 17 month old is still rear facing and will be until at least 3 because that is the only way we can fit all three of them in the back seat: 7 year old harnessed in Generations 65 (will not use as belt-positioner--he's autistic, so harness is safer as he tries to get out of regular seat belts. When he outgrows, I will have a harness-type seat belt installed in the car. I actually bought a new seat so he can be harnessed past 40 pounds); 9 year old in seat belt; 17 month old rear-faced in a Scenera.


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## ImaSophie (Sep 5, 2010)

My youngest RF until he was almost three, when my old car started dying (a slow death) the A/C did not function well and RFing he was getting no air really. SO given that we were in Arizona at the time I turned him. If Britax's newest seat had come out last year I would of switched him back RF because he only JUST hit 40 lbs (at 4.5 years)

My oldest is turning 8 in a couple weeks and he was harnessed until last week he out grew his Britax frontier height wise. He still uses a booster though.


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## WC_hapamama (Sep 19, 2005)

My older 4 were turned forward facing at 12 months, 15 months, 18 months and 18 months.

With my youngest, our current goal is to rear-face until at least age 2. If his growth rate is anything like his sibs, he'd outgrow pretty much any seat rear facing by height long before he hits the max weight on it.


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

We turned each of our girls shortly before they turned three. I wasn't thrilled about it, but it was the minimum that I was comfortable with.

With each girl the switch to forward facing was due to space issues in our car. I'm committed to extended rear-facing, but not to the point of selling a small highly efficient car and buying an SUV or a minivan.

When we hit four kids we just went car free.


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## justKate (Jun 10, 2008)

First baby, so take it with a grain of salt, but my plan is to RF until there's a reason not to. DD (19 mos) is smallish and won't be outgrowing her seats (TrueFit and Blvd) any time soon.

Reasons that I could see turning her before 3 or so would include outgrowing the seat, seating arrangements re. other children (fat chance!), or if she starts getting horribly motion sick like I do.







Fortunately, none of that has come up yet.


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## Aliy (Jun 1, 2010)

not about the age it's about the size... have they outgrown the possible RF and is it completely impossible to get a higher weight seat.. then I would turn but not until then


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