Chaz Moms and Moms-to-Be Chat (everyone welcome)

Well, I am not going to keep debating it lol

but my point was the law is irrelevant. I dont care what the law says...

^This. My best friend is a carseat tech and she says the AAP now is recommending kids rearface until AT LEAST 2yo.

Everyone has to pick what they think is best. I will admit I turned both of mine before two....around 16-18 months I think...but wish I hadnt. I did it because they both HATED the car and screamed pretty much the entire car ride. But I did not research as fully as I should've and well, honestly remained ignorant on the issue.

For those who haven't looked into the issue and would like some more information...here is a good place to start

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx

*sad thing/possible trigger warning please head caution before reading below*

I hadn't really looked into this yet (cause my kid is 5 months I've got time lol) but wow. After looking through those links we're going to do rear facing for as long as possible. I've heard good things about the Diono Radian as a convertible car seat that doesn't take up a ton of room width wise.

Honestly, I don't really care what the law recommends. I'm going to put way more weight on research and studies than what my state says.

...what possibly could be cons to rear-facing? Maybe I'm missing something.

I'm not arguing with your decision (it's totally yours to make) but as for the difference between front end and rear collisions, I suspect that when you're rear ended, your car just gets pushed forward, faster. You're already traveling in the direction of which you're being hit, whereas with a front end collision, the impact is much more severe because of your forward momentum. Does that make sense?

Just because someone chooses a different choice them someone else in how they raise their child does not make them ignorant. So please do not get insulting just because I choose differently then what you plan to. There are many reason that go into our decisions. For example those videos show impact of a car slamming into a wall or obstacle from the front and how the child in the seat would react. So what happens when the same happens from the rear with the car in the rear facing posisiton? We have had 3 rear end hits to our vehicle in the past 4yrs. Yet have had nothing that we have hit head on. In my whole life I have never been in a head on collision. Yet I have been in vehicles hit from the side but mainly from the back from people following too close.

What if I am hit from behind? Won't my child be safer facing forward?

Frontal and side impacts are the most common type of crashes. They account for 96% of all crashes. They are also the most deadly type of crashes (especially side impacts) and rear-facing children have MUCH more protection in both types of crashes than forward-facing. In the 4% of rear impact crashes that a rear-facing child would be in, they have at least the same amount of protection that a FF child would have in a frontal impact, with the added benefit of less crash energy being transferred to them, and the fact that the rear impact is usually not as severe.

The forces in a rear impact crash are much different from the forces in a frontal impact crash. In a frontal impact, the forces are much greater because the vehicles are usually traveling in opposite directions. Experts suggest that a frontal crash is the same as hitting a concrete barrier � the vehicle and all occupants come to a dead stop within less than 1 second.

When you are struck in a rear impact, the vehicles involved are traveling in the same direction, and the vehicle that is hit in the back has room to move forward. The crash force on the occupants is much less than in a frontal impact. The movement of the impacted vehicle, in addition to the crush zone, absorbs a lot of the crash energy, so it is not transferred to the child. Additionally, the majority of rear impacts are at low speeds.

In short, if your child is rear-facing, he has optimal protection in the types of crashes you are most likely to be in. If he is forward-facing, he may have optimal protection in a rear-end crash, but statistically, that is the least likely to happen and he is 60% more likely to be injured or killed in the types of crashes (frontal, side impact) you are most likely to be in.

You can learn more about the physics of rear-facing at http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

What if I am hit from behind? Won't my child be safer facing forward?

Frontal and side impacts are the most common type of crashes. They account for 96% of all crashes. They are also the most deadly type of crashes (especially side impacts) and rear-facing children have MUCH more protection in both types of crashes than forward-facing. In the 4% of rear impact crashes that a rear-facing child would be in, they have at least the same amount of protection that a FF child would have in a frontal impact, with the added benefit of less crash energy being transferred to them, and the fact that the rear impact is usually not as severe.

The forces in a rear impact crash are much different from the forces in a frontal impact crash. In a frontal impact, the forces are much greater because the vehicles are usually traveling in opposite directions. Experts suggest that a frontal crash is the same as hitting a concrete barrier � the vehicle and all occupants come to a dead stop within less than 1 second.

When you are struck in a rear impact, the vehicles involved are traveling in the same direction, and the vehicle that is hit in the back has room to move forward. The crash force on the occupants is much less than in a frontal impact. The movement of the impacted vehicle, in addition to the crush zone, absorbs a lot of the crash energy, so it is not transferred to the child. Additionally, the majority of rear impacts are at low speeds.

In short, if your child is rear-facing, he has optimal protection in the types of crashes you are most likely to be in. If he is forward-facing, he may have optimal protection in a rear-end crash, but statistically, that is the least likely to happen and he is 60% more likely to be injured or killed in the types of crashes (frontal, side impact) you are most likely to be in.

You can learn more about the physics of rear-facing at http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

I'm having a hard time believing that you did a lot of research because in the link that GreenMagick posted it goes into that.



No one's insulting you. But I definitely don't agree with your decision and I'm not going to hide that. It's still your decision and obviously you're going to do what you want but if you're getting this much disagreement maybe you should spend less time being offended and more time doing research. /shrug

I have had 4 children and have done the research each time when each child is ready to be turned around. So just because my decisions for MY children is different then yours does not make it wrong. I am not offended that people disagree with my decision. I am offended that people are alluding to me being ignorant because my decision is different from theirs. I am not going to change my mind for my child because people disagree with me. I know what is best for them. I know a ton of people who disagree with me raising my son as an atheist. Doesn't mean I should change my mind because there are so many that do. I know several people who disagree with me giving my son breast milk till he is 6yrs old. Doesn't mean I should change my mind their either. Does that make them or me ignorant? No. It just makes us different.

I didn't mean to offend you. I thought you were a first time mom, like most of the moms on here. And I thought you all were swapping information.

I still find it hard to believe you would continue to choose a front facing seat after all of the studies shown here. But, that is your choice.

I know you say your mind is made up Nicole, but PLEASE read the following blog posts. They are both about SERIOUS rear end accidents with children rear facing and how their seats still protected them.

Fully stopped car, rear ended by a vehicle going 65MPH: http://myangelsaliandpeanut.tripod.com/id5.html

Slowing or stopped car, hit by a jackknifing semi at 50 MPH: http://carseatnanny.blogspot.com/2012/01/is-rear-facing-safer-when-youre-rear.html?m=1

That is what makes us individuals. We all come to our own conclusions based on our experiences and what we learn. No offence but maybe instead of alluding that you think some one is ignorant because they are making a choice you would not, instead just state that you would choose differently and why that works for you.

I have been a parent for almost 15yrs now and I have seen a lot of things change over the years. For example when I choose to breast feed my daughter(first child) I got a lot of flack for it and even got asked to leave a restraint even though I was fully covered. Now more people are all for breast feeding but I am getting a lot of flack because I plan to do extended breast feeding with Nico and once he weans himself still pump and give him breast milk till age 6. The way I approach things now is that I educate myself on the topics, weight the pros and cons and then make my choices from there. I am choosing for my family. Not to please others. And what works might not/or won't work for someone else. But that does not make either person wrong. Just different.

Ok, I get that you're getting all pissed off because you're making your own choices but it really doesn't matter how long you've been a parent. And I did not call you ignorant. I said I thought most people's decision to front face was ignorance. Again, I find it hard to see why anyone would front face after the studies and research done on it.

But, this is a circular conversation. I'm sorry you got offended by what I said, but that's all. Obviously the moms on here can't convince you that there are better options and you won't convince them that you're making the best decision. Seems to be an impasse.