Carseat?

K.,
At the age of 8 months, your son doesn't have the head and neck strength to support himself in a collision if he is forward facing.

If you feel like you can't get it tight enough in there, perhaps you need a new seat or a more secure way to install yours rear facing.

The law in Illinois is to have your child rear facing until he is one year AND 20 lbs.

I kept my son rear facing well after his first birthday because it is just safer. *They* (whoever *they* are) are recommending that they stay in until closer to 18 months.

Please, please, please turn him back around until he at least meets the height and weight requirements.
B.

Please call your local police station to have them do a seat check with your car seat. Not only is it dangerous and potentially lethal to your baby should you get in an accident, it is against the law. There's a reason children should be "to the rear for a year".

Someone at the police station or a 'seat check' place should be able to assist you.

Hi K.,

PLEASE do not place your little one in the forward facing position....there is a way to get your seat properly installed...see the link below as to why children underthe age of 2 should all be in the rear facing position, my daughter stayed rearfacing until age 3 1/2 and 33 pounds and my son who will be 2 tomorrow is still rearfacing and will continue to be because it is SO MUCH SAFER and to have him forward facing is against the law (the new recommendations by safety experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics is to rear face well past the old rule of 1 year AND 20 pounds based on the new crash tests that show how rear facing is so much safer and protects the little ones head and neck in a crash)

That being said...can you post what type of convertible seat you have and what type of vehicle you have...I'm a regular on a great carseat board and may be able to help you out...if you also call the local Police or fire dept. and explain your problem with the installation they will be able to help.

Other moms have given you great ideas for a good seat...some are better than others out there and it's always a good idea to try seats out in your vehicle as not all seats fit that well in all cars. When buying a convertible you really have to look at as an investment in the most important thing in your life...a decent convertible seat will last you at least 3-4 years...I have a Britax Marathon for both my kids, my daughter has been in it since age 6 months, she'll be 5 in June and still has about a year left in it. The Evenflo Triumph Advance for about 150 is another good choice as it harnesses to 50 pounds (avoid seats that only harness to 40 pounds as the harness slots tend to be very low and you will end up needing a new seat sooner than later...also avoid the Eddie Bauer seat that says it'll be the only seat you need....it isn't and most will tell you it's a terrible seat, just well marketed.

Feel free to email me with specific questions..when I was first starting out I never knew there were so many choices and important facts to learn about car safety.

B.

Hi K.~
I turned my daughter's around at about 10 months, and my son's about 10 months also. My reasoning was that my kids looked uncomfortable with their legs being slighly bent. Plus, I myself, felt better being able to see them, especially once I began giving them snacks and/or drinks in the car.
My personal opinion is to just trust your own instinct. Nobody can tell you better than you can.
I'm sure many people turn their kids forward facing!
J.

we had trouble rear facing... my husband AND the car seat checker both had to sit on it to get it tight enough. my husband alone used assistance w/a 45 lb weight. there's a way to get it in there good, call the local hospital and ask where their next car seat check place is and they can help you install it correctly. The anchors never worked for us, was always too loose.

Try having another person fit the seat in your car. Maybe moving the seat to the middle of the back seat would help with the unlevel ness thus causing looseness. Another possibility is that swival or whatever you call it on the bottom of the seat isn't correct. (the one that makes it recline for refacing and vice versa) Otherwise i would maybe ask your ped their opionion with your child forward facing. Maybe they could be of some help since they know about weight/height requirements and neck support. Mother of 2- E.

Your child should still be rear facing for safety reasons. If you are in an accident, he is SOOOO much safer rear facing than forward facing. If you cannot get a tight fit in your car with your seat rear facing, then you need a new seat. Maybe your seat just doesn't fit well in your car. Take it to the police station or a car seat safety check around you (call the police for times) and have them install it for you and give you their opinion. But your child needs to be rear facing for their safety. In fact, they should be rear facing as long as possible, but the pediatric board moved it from 1 year to 18 months. Check out www.car-seat.org for more details on the importance of rear facing. As far as convertibles go, there are tons out there. How much are you willing to spend? The Britax convertibles are very nice, but pricey (Marathon or Boulevard would be my choice). The Recaro Como/Signo are nice as well, but more pricey. Any of those seats will last you a while as they go to 65 lbs. or 70 lbs. respectively (although height wise they may grow out of them sooner). Those are the ones I would recommend. Evenflo makes a 50 lb. convertible seat that is very nice and is around $150. I think Graco came out with one recently too. Compass True Fit convertible car seat came out recently that looks really nice and is less than $200. www.car-seat.org has many reviews on all sorts of car seats, so you may want to check that site out before buying. They also list any sales, etc. where people find great deals on seats.

K., consider your son's stature and weight. My son was in the 80% percentile for weight and over 100% for heighth at that age and I didn't have any issues what so ever about putting him in a forward facing seat. My daughter on the other hand at 8 only weighs 59 lbs....she could STILL be in a car seat if she wasn't so tall!