Rear or Forward Facing

daughter is almost 3 years old and is still rear facing, will probably have her there for another 6 months or so at least.. rear is always safest, look up on youtube about crash tests with rear vs. forward facing seats.. If you child is alright with weight and height on the seat you have to be rear facing I would keep them there.. give their necks a chance to strengthen and their heads to become more proportionate..

My kids are 11 and 14 so my info is old, but the law USED to be that kids HAD TO be 1 year AND 20 lbs to face forward. However, my first was only about 10 months and was already 20 pounds but more importantly she was very long and her legs were scrunched up against the seat when she was rear facing. Plus she was a really fussy baby and I had a Chevrolet Caprice at the time (a huge car) and I felt safe enough putting her forward facing in the middle back seat. This came up again when she could go to a booster, and also getting out of the booster into a regular seat belt, since she looked very confined in the forward facing car seat especially with a winter coat on, so we switched her to a booster (the car seat and booster seat said the maximum weight plus they cannot be taller than the back since their head and next have to be supported, but I do not recall the ages, I think from carseat to booster around age 2.5 and from booster to seatbelt around age 8. Then they can go into the front seat at age 12. If I were you I would put him facing forward in the middle back seat since he is 22 pounds and it makes it sooo much easier to see him and talk to him and then his feet can dangle free.

If he CAN face backward, then do that. Keep him rearfacing for as long as the seat will allow.

I'm in the same boat. With my first 3 the recommendation was rear facing until 1 and 20 lbs. Now with the fourth, they are recommending 18 months or as long as possible. Luckily, he has a big seat and plenty of room to still stretch his legs and is able to see his brothers behind him, so he's not fussy. Not sure how long I'll keep him turned around, but I guess we'll try to squeeze out a few more months. I'd say rear facing fofr a while if it's comfy then turn it around when he's bigger.

Here are the specs from Britax Marathon70 (if you have a different model, lemme know).

Rear-Facing 5 – 40 lbs, a standing height of 49 inches or less and seated shoulder height of 9 – 16.75 inches.
Forward-Facing 1 year & 20, up to 70 lbs, a standing height of 49 inches or less and a seat shoulder height of 12 – 16.75 inches.

So the seat is safe rear facing up to 40lbs *as long as* shoulder height is no more than 16.75 inches. It's just safe in the seat FF above 20lbs.

The 2 most important things are not exceeding (or being under) the weight for facing one direction or the other AND that their shoulders are UNDER the the hole for the straps to go into.

So you're good for another 18lbs (not sure how tall your wee one is yet).

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My son was over 20lbs at 6mo, and we had to buy a whole new car seat at the same time (shoulders were over the top hole, different brand, but by age 2 he was 37.5 inches). We had to get a "common sense exception" from the fire department and pin it to his seat. If we had been in an accident with him over the weight for a seat both at 6mo when we went FF and again at age 1ish when we had to switch to a booster. In both cases, it was because he exceeded the weight and height for the seats we had (10 years ago we had the biggest seat on the market. Because he exceeded the weight the seat *could* have failed... and with his shoulders OVER the hole (the most important bit) it *would* have snapped his spine from the pressure of the straps.

But ypu're good to go. You're WELL within the safety margins. 20lbs is just the MIN to turn FF. And remeber some 2yos, and even 3yos aren't 22lbs yet. You CAN go FF, but don't have to for another 18lbs.

The new recommendation is to keep the child rear-facing until age 2. Our pediatrician just confirmed this at my daughter's 15 month check-up.

a doctor might tell you that its ok to put a over twenty pound child in a forward facing seat, but he's not going to be the one paying for re constructive surgery when the child goes face first into the windshield or the airbag. ben and i plan on keeping our daughter in the backseat until she's oh.. ten.
K. h.
may the elves be good to you today

Rear is safer, for as long as you can.

Recommendations are rear facing until 24 months now. Love the britax marathon we have 2 of them.

Put him rear facing---the new recommendations are for longer-until age 2. I would put him rear-facing for sure. You can look up the actual car-seat law, but they changed it about 6-8 months ago. Take care, M

I would keep him rear facing as long as you can. We plan on keeping our daughter rear facing for at least 2 years if not longer.

Rear-face as long as possible even once your child fits all of the requirements, and they MUST fit all the age, weight, and height requirements before you can turn them. It isn't "once they match up with one of the requirements." They must match up with ALL requirements.

However, to keep your child as safe as possible you should keep them rear-facing for as long as possible and many people do it until their child is 5 years old. They just have the child sit with their legs criss-crossed.

I personally kept them all rear-facing until they were two years old. I had the convertible seats that also doubled as booster seats. My 6 1/2 year old and my 9 year old are the same size, so they're both still in booster seats (my 9 yr old is petite). They're more comfortable and they make sure that the seat belts become child-appropriate since seat belts are made for adults.

Look up state law! Here in Hawaii it is law to be rear facing until 2 years old regardless of size. Every state is different so follow state guidelines and not the car seat guidelines.

Put him in it rear facing. It's much safer and the seat is made to go either way. When he's two, or if he reaches the rear-facing height/weight limit on the seat, turn him around.

Newer recommendations advise leaving kids rear-facing until 2. Much safer! :D All 3 of my girls RF in Britax Marathon until *at least* 2. Love my Britax seats!

The box may be stating the law, but I would install it RF. You should keep him AT LEAST til he meets both criteria, but I would keep him RF longer.

I have my 3 yr old in one (she's not quite 35lbs). When she hits the RF weight limit, I will turn her around. It's safer to keep them RF longer and that seat is built for either 35 or 40 depending on the model you received. You also have a RF tether. Attach it to the skid for the passenger side front seat. If you have any weirdness with LATCH in your car, they install with a belt (my friend prefers the belt as she doesn't feel her car's LATCH hooks as tightly but I have used both with our Marathon).

If you have any questions about installation, find your local car seat installation check (usually a firehouse or police station) and get it checked out. It's free and can be a lifesaver.

DD just puts her feet on the back of the seat or crosses her legs. Your kiddo will be fine rear facing for a long time.

keep him rear facing for as long as possible. but if you really want to make him Forward Facing know thata he has to meet both the weight AND age requirement to sit FF and he has to meet the height requirement of you seat as well.

Rear facing until 2 absolutely. There are some really sad stories out there about kids not surviving accidents because they were forward facing too early. There is no reason not too leave them rear facing. BTW I have the same seat and LOVE it. Merry Christmas.

I am in the same boat but havent made the car seat purchase yet. My son is 33 inches long at 11 months and is getting sort of cramped for his legs facing backwards. I say do whatever you are comfortable with. I still havent decided what to do when we get ours, which will be in the next few weeks. The recommendation is until they are 2 but I also know a few moms that had their kids forward facing around 10 months. Go with your gut.

I met a state trooper trained to install seats and this is what he said to me when I asked the same question, "As long as the seat is made to face rear, keep the kids that way as long as they will stand for it. Teach them to sit cross-legged when their legs touch the back of the rear seat. The safest place in the entire car, is the middle-rear seat, rear-facing."

He said there is NO law or reason to ever turn our kids around, just their size becomes burdensome, and most bigger seats must install front facing. So I will keep my daughter that way until she outgrows every last seat that installs that way. Her life is worth a little hassle and she doesn't know any better to ask to be turned around (not that I would let a 4 year old make a safety decision).

I turned all our around to front facing at one year of age. That is the legal minimum age. I know that it is proven that rear facing is safer but I just moved them up when I thought it was our time and we have, knock on wood, always been okay in accidents.

Keep him backward as long as you can! They now recommend being at least two years. They will usually sit cross legged, my kids were rear facing until they were 26 and 30 months old. The book should say for sure, but I think you can use it rear facing to 40 lbs? Then 65-70lbs forward facing. It's a great seat!

We also had a Britax Marathon when my son outgrew his carrier, and we kept it rear-facing for a while. It installs very well rear-facing.