Car Seat Info

I don't think there is any consequences as long as he mets the weight requirment. which is 20 pounds. We moved seats on my son when he was 10 months old.
I think you might try it. I had this fear if someone hit the back of my car that his legs would suffer the accident. So we just went ahead and move him on forward.
I wish you luck.
T.

My little boy is 7 mo and weighs 23 lbs. The doctor gave us the ok at his 6 mo visit b/c he is so big for his age. You can call his doctor if you think you need to but I would think it is ok.

The law in Tennessee is that they must be rear facing until they are one year old AND twenty pounds. Is he still in the bucket seat infant carrier? You could switch him to a convertable car seat that is rear facing for now but can be turned around after his first birthday if he weighs at least 20 pounds. Both my kids used the Britax Roundabout (it goes up to 40 pounds) but they have other convertable models that have higher weight limits. The Britax car seats are not cheap but they are the BEST. They are safer and have a lot more padding. They also fit very securely in both our cars.

I think the reason they have to be a year old has something to do with how they develp. Their little bodies are not mature enough and strong enough to survive in an accident if they are forward facing.

TN law also says that kids must ride in an appropriate car seat or booster seat until their 9th birthday or they are at least 5 feet tall.

Hope this helps.

Absolutely, not okay. It is strictly enforced that they must be 1 yr old AND 20 lbs. I know he has long legs but his neck muscles are not strong enough should you have to slam on the brakes or God forbid got in an accident and he was forward facing. This is the main reason for that law. I know it is tempting to want to turn your bundle of joy around but its not a good idea.

The following changes have been made to the Child Passenger Restraint Law effective July 1st, 2004 .

For more information on Tennessee's Child Restraint Laws, visit the Click it or Ticket website, or refer to T.C.A. 55-9-602

Children under one (1) year of age, or any child, weighing twenty (20) pounds or less, must be secured in a child passenger restraint system in a rear facing position, meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards, in a rear seat, if available, or according to the child safety restraint system or vehicle manufacturer's instructions. (Note: If the child safety seat has a higher rear-facing weight rating, usually 30 or 35 pounds, it may be continued to be used in a rear-facing position so long as the child's weight permits. Check the manufacturers instructions accompanying the child safety seat for more information.)
Children age one (1) through age three (3), and weighing more than twenty (20) pounds, must be secured in a child safety seat in a forward facing position in the rear seat, if available, or according to the child safety restraint system or vehicle manufacturer's instructions.

Police officers observing violations of this law are permitted to stop drivers and take enforcement action. PLEASE PROPERLY RESTRAIN CHILDREN

hope this helps....found this on tennessee.gov website

here is more info:
Children less than 18 years of age are covered under the Child Passenger (CPS) Law. Children younger than 18 years of age may be buckled in the rear seat of the vehicle as well as the front seat. A child who is under one year of age, and weighs less than 20 pounds, must ride in a rear-facing safety seat that meets federal standards until they are at least 1 year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. It is best to ride rear-facing as long as possible. Any person transporting a child between the ages of 1 and 3, who weigh more than 20 pounds must ride in a forward-facing safety seat. Any driver transporting a child between the ages of 4 and 8 who is less that 4'9" tall is responsible to see that the child ride in a belt positioning booster seat. It is recommended that all child restraint systems be installed in the rear seat of the vehicle when available.

Where you live the law states he has to be 20 lbs and 1 year of age and they are that way for a reason (my opinion they all should be that way). If he is still in an "infant" car seat you should get a bigger seat that you can face backwards and forwards so when he is ready you can switch him. When I lived in Florida I was friends with a lady who did car seap inspections and over 85% of car seats are incorrect and/or installed improperly. He should stay rear facing as long as possible (even if his legs are scrunched) and he is definatly too big for the seat if the top of his head is w/in 1 inch of the top of the seat. But that does NOT mean you need to face him forward. Babies necks arent strong enough to handle the impact from an accident and thats why its important they stay rear facing. Also remember it should be a 5 point harness seat (if you switch seats) and the piece that buckles across their chest should be at his armpit area and the straps should be tight enough where you cant fit 2 fingers in. I had a friend and her baby die in a car crash and since then I can't stress enough how imporant it is to have your children in proper seats and buckled properly. Her other child did live but has serious problems and suffers daily. You can always call your local law enforcement or fire department and they can show you the proper installation for the seat. You need to make sure the car seat does not swivel or shake much when you try to move it once its buckled. Sorry to ramble this is a very touchy subject for me and VERY important.

you need to follow the regulations that are set in the mannual and if you dont have one there should be a number on the seat to call but yea i would go with the convertable rear/front facing seat it will do wonders i had to put my son in one about the same age but it was because he was a chubby baby but check out the convertable car seats

Hi J.,

Weigh your child, make absolutely sure he is over 20 pounds, thinking he is 'at least' 25 doesn't work.

If he is definitely over 20 pounds OR 1 year old, Alabama state law says that he can sit in a forward-facing car seat. He doesn't have to be a year old, as long as he weighs at least 20 pounds.

See this: http://www.iihs.org/laws/state_laws/restrain2.html

At his size, he would be much safer in a forward-facing seat, as you figured.

Also, I am sure you know that a child is always safer in the back seat of any vehicle, and that you should never put a child in the front seat of a car with airbags, in even a minor accident, the airbag can deploy, and the force of it can actually take a child's head off. So, any child under 12 should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with airbags. That is not a joke, it has actually happened.

Take care.

NO! Baby may be big but he is still a baby.......mine did the same thing.......we bought a Britax so he could stay rear facing. Here's a link to get some stats about height and weight limits on different models.

http://www.britaxusa.net/products/browse.aspx
Be forewarned they are expensive but for the situation you are in it is something you should consider. You can get them at several baby shops or online. We paid around 200.00 for ours a couple of years ago. Everyone who sees it agrees it's like a baby lazy boy...(afterall, the baby is the most valuable thing in the car)...it is really nice and he has taken many long road trips from South Florida up to TN and been happy. I don't have to worry about buying another until he needs a booster seat.
Good luck finding what fits best for your little guy!

Also to correct Jennifer D, below:

TN law says if the child is less than one year of age OR 20 pounds or less, they must be rear facing (Effective July 1, 2004). Therefore, to my understanding, your child must be rear facing until he is one, no matter how long his legs are. The other benefit of leaving him rear facing is the neck protection it offers in case of a collision. In a collision, the heavier weight of a child's head slinging forward can result in spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis, head trauma, etc.....so....if it were my child, I would leave him rear facing. Hope this helps!
V., RN

when my daughter was 7months i put her in a forward facing car seat because she had gotten too big for the infant seat--like your son...it really helped with her sitting up by herself and she thought she was a "big girl" because she could see out and see me...to me, the bigger seat seemed safer because the infant seat wouldn't hold her anymore.
good luck!

NO WAY!!! They make car seats that are the ones that you can't carry him around in but will do rear facing or front facing. These will give your little one plenty of room to move. My little boy grew out of his too before he was a year old. If you were in an accident and he was facing forward he may be injured plus in some states its against the law for them to be forward facing before a year old.

I agree with everyone else, but I feel I must add one thing. YOur child's feet should NOT be scrunched against the seat. If he is touching the back seat, then he is at risk for leg injuries in an accident. Make sure your seat is not reclined and is in full upright position to maxamize leg room. Im assuming he is not in an infant carrier. As someone who has spent the past several years working for Child Protective Services and dealt with many car seat issues and parents through that occupation, I have seen all the research on the issue and can explain in details if you would like the dangers of a child who is too young facing front. Please do not turn him until he is at least a year old. Maybe you would never be in accident and he would probably be fine, but just in case. . .

No, no, no, please NO. His little neck muscles aren't strong enough yet. The scrunching you're talking about is completely normal. I have 2 kids that are lightweight and they both did that. I waited until about 16-18 months for each to turn forward facing. Some parents advocate waiting until age 2.

In some states, it is illegal to forward face until age 1 AND 20 pounds, BOTH, not either or. Just FYI. Not to mention that you are knowingly putting your baby at risk if you are in an accident.

Just my opinion and 2 cents worth.
Think long and hard about doing this.

J.

PS- if your child is still in an infant seat, he has most likely outgrown the weight limit and maybe the length limit, also. Check the manual. You probably need to looking into getting a convertible seat. This is a seat that can be rear and forward facing. Just make sure you read about the positoning of the straps. They should be positioned differently for forward or rear facing. Good luck!

My daughter has long legs too, and they were hanging over the end of her car seat. I understand the problem.
Check your state laws- most car dealerships or police will have a car seat check point. Also check your car seat- there should be a weigh limit on the rear facing and one on the forward facing. I think for most seats, it is 20 lbs. Make sure your son fits weigh limits, and follow state laws

Hi J. - welcome from New Orleans. I hope you are all doing okay and making a nice transition and hope you didn't suffer too much from what happened.

Anyway - I had twins and they are very tall babies. I turned them at 10 months (if not a little earlier) and it made all the difference in the world for them. I had to make a decision from the gut and based on how well I knew their muscles and neck and head were doing. They were fine. If your son is not quite strong enough in the head and neck area think twice before doing what you are doing. I think it is safe to turn whem when you know they are physically okay to sit up forward and deal with the motion. My pediatrician did not agree with me - but sometimes, I think the mom knows best due to the godly wisdom God gave moms to take care of their little ones. :)
Idea: You can try it and go for a slow drive down the block and back and forth if you feel safe doing that. See how he does.

S.

I would definitely keep him rear facing. Their bodies are not strong enough to survive a crash in a forward facing seat at that age with out sustaining big time injuries. Research is starting to show that children should stay rear facing at least until they are walking well. The reasoning being that a child's spine doesn't have the strength needed to withstand a car accident before they have started walking. Walking tones and strengthens the spine and neck and will help to keep the vertebra from separating should the child be involved in a car crash. His legs may look all squished up, but he's most likely not all that uncomfortable sitting that way. Hope that information helps you decision, sorry for the long winded response ;)

As everyone else seems to have said, it's pretty common for babies to grow out of infant seats around 9-11 months. Both of my kids did too.

I could never afford a Britax carseat, however, and we got the Evenflo Triumph. In either case, my daughter was able to stay rear-facing in that seat through 15 months, and she is above average in length. My son uses the seat now, he is 15 months and we turned him around at 13 months to forward facing. The Evenflo seat is highly rated and quite cushy as well (I'm very picky when it comes to kid stuff).

Anyway, just thought I'd mention a little cheaper option that still works for those growing kiddos!

My daughter is also very tall for her age (over 100 percentile!) but I waited until she was 1 year before turning her around. I have read that their neck muscles and things are not fully developed and it is best to keep them rear-facing as long as possible.

I did get her a different carseat though- she was in a Britax and it gave her a little more leg room than her infant seat did. It never seemed to bother her being rear-facing though, despite her legs couldn't fully stretch out. :)

Please try to stick with keeping your baby rear-facing for another few months. It is proven to be much safer for your child. My daughter outgrew her Graco snugride infant carrier at about 10 months old. As others have mentioned, we also ending up purchasing 2 new Britax convertible car seats. We got the Roundabout model and we are very pleased. My daughter seems to like the seat better than her infant seat as well. This seat will allow us to keep her rear-facing for quite some time; and then we can use the same seat forward facing for hopefully a few more years. Britax seats are the most expensive, but have gotten excellent safety ratings from Consumer Reports. If you can't spend $200 on a new seat, there are also several other brands that offer convertible car seats that are more reasonably priced. Toys R Us and Target both have a good selection in stores and online.

Is he still in an infant seat? There are other carseats out there (other than Britax) that can be rear or forward facing. One thing I will share is a site where you can research car seats and other stuff called epinions.com- I found it really helpful when choosing a carseat.

wow you got a lot of responses so here's what I KNOW, you should not change your children to a front facing seat until their head is within an inch from the top of the back facing car seat. their legs can dangle all over but it's the head you want to protect most if an accident should happen.