What age do you start front facing your child? Looking for personal opinions, I've done my research and personally…

So at minimum they can be forward facing at age 2. However, studies do show it’s up to 500% safer to be rear facing. So it’s recommended to rear face as long as possible. Having bent legs is NO indication to forward face. It’s about bone maturity, bones mature by AGE NOT BY WEIGHT.

@santistevanmommie, can you help ❤️

@babyjjsmommy thank you

@mommabear538, kind of like @morgan.k, said, don’t let things like this bother you. Your a good mama and will do what’s best for your kids. @babyjjsmommy, is super sweet, and was just looking for some feedback. Lol, I think she got more than she was intending. 😂 In the end, we’re all moms and we will all do what is best for our kiddos. I have to make decisions far more complicated than forward or rear facing for my youngest on a day to day basis. I wish there were some guidelines for him! Haha

@mommabear538, I just want to say that in no way did I mean for this post to go the way that it did. I cannot speak for past laws and regulations because my oldest isn't even 2. I'm only aware of how things are now, so I'm speaking for present regulations and recommendations. That being said, I don't know you or your situation, I don't know your children. You and your children's' dr. do, and if their dr. told you to forward face obviously there was a legitimate reason. For the record, I'm not judging you.

@morgan.k, to top it off she wants to bring my other children, who were already transitioned before this whole rear facing front facing recommendation changed... I wish my 16 month old was still rear facing... but he literally outgrew the extend 2 fit in the rear facing position

@purpledpink thank you so much.... this whole conversation made my whole day worse than it already has been...

Wow, this got pretty heated! My oldest is 4.5 years and the law in Texas at that point in time was at least until 1. That being said, I forward faced my son at 1, he was miserable rear facing, and like @mommabear538, said, his pediatrician agreed. Now..... fast forward 4.5 years... the laws have changed and now the requirement is 2 years, my youngest son will rear face until AT LEAST 2. This whole post asked for personal opinions, and that is what was told or given. @babyjjsmommy, made it clear that she planned and wanted to keep her son rear facing, and from talking to her before, I know she is a smart mommy and will do what she thinks is best for her son. I don’t think she is going to let What one person says in here sway her decision. We as moms have GOT to stop bashing and ridiculing other moms when opinions are asked for. At the end of the day, we all would not INTENTIONALLY put our kids in danger... without even knowing @mommabear538, I can says with almost a 99.9% positivity that she would not have made a decision without thinking about it and getting information on it. I know everyone is passionate about different things, but we have GOT to stop attacking moms. In the end we all want the best for our kids! I hope that no one takes this “offensively” and just kind of looks at how this conversation got a little out of hand...

@raquely yes I have a 10 year old, a 4 year old and a 1 year old. Again my 10 year old was already out of car seats by the time this changed, my 4 year old was already in a booster and Alex was just switched a few months ago. Why am I being attacked? Like today hasn't already been bad enough now I'm being attacked because of my decision to forward face my kids? When medically I had to forward face my 1 year old and my other 2 were already old enough to not only be forward facing but out of a car seat all together?

@raquely my son is 16 months old is the same height as an average 3 year old he's in size 3t clothes he is ebf and sits at the table with us at all meals and eats like crazy. He has a bone disease that causes him to age progressively so he's not your typical 1 year old

@babyjjsmommy for the record I support keeping them rear facing. It just bothers me that no one even bothered to ask me why I turned them around so early. 100% support keeping them rear facing until age 3

@raquely, girlllll, who you telling. No way I'd risk it. As someone said earlier, it's more about the bone development not the height and weight. I've known people with some pretty big babies that (if going by height and weight standards) would forward face, however they were much to young and obviously were rear facing. The impact from a crash is going to be a lot easier on the head/neck/ etc of a child who is rear facing. It's proven safer, so to me even if it is just a "recommendation" I feel like it's a necessary recommendation. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I didn't give advice, I just stated when I turned my kids around. I don't want your opinion lady. No where does it state that it is a law, it is a recommendation until your child outgrows their carseat and I bought the carseat to keep him rear facing the extend 2 fit, and he out grew that. And again my 10 year old son was already out of car seats and boosters when this recommendation came around. My 4 year old is in a high back 5 point harness booster even though she's outgrown the straps and I am going to talk to her pediatrician about taking the straps off, and only using her seat belt, my 16 month old son is front facing because he outgrew the extend 2 fit at full extension and I talked to his pediatrician and she agreed that since he's outgrown it then turn him around. Dr. Wallace even came to the car and saw him strapped in it and seen that he's so cramped in it that it could be more harmful to my kid... so before judging get the whole story @raquely

@raquely, I totally wasn't planning on turning him front facing until he's probably closer to 2.5- 3 years of age lol, I really just needed mamas like you who supported my opinion and research of waiting and not front facing under 2! So thank you for providing that info 😊

The AAP recommends that all infants ride rear facing starting with their first ride home from the hospital. All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing seat until they are at least 2years of age or, preferably, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat manufacturer.

@raquely in what state is it a law? Not in my state.

@raquely that's your opinion, the post asks what age i put my kids forward facing and I gave my answer

@raquely, thats your opinion, this whole recommendation has just started and my oldest was already out of his booster my 4 year old is in her booster and I take it as just that a recommendation because thats what it is

I forward faced my kids at age one. Like on their first birthday

@babyjjsmommy, anytime mama. 😊😘

@santistevanmommie, thank youuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!

So at minimum they can be forward facing at age 2. However, studies do show it’s up to 500% safer to be rear facing. So it’s recommended to rear face as long as possible. Having bent legs is NO indication to forward face. It’s about bone maturity, bones mature by AGE NOT BY WEIGHT.

@santistevanmommie, can you help ❤️

@hannahdesarai, yeah that's understandable. My son has always been good with car rides so we don't even have that problem thankfully ☺️

My sister in law started front facing her daughter the day she turned 2. Georgia state law you have to wait to atleast 2 till you front face and shes done a lot better with car rides since she started front facing

@mamapatt, my son won't be 2 until February, so we're definitely not changing it any time soon either

Every state is different but I think most states tell u to wait until 2. My daughter is 18 months and we haven’t changed her yet. ;)