We are ERF!

In this picture, Orren is one year and one day old, taking his first car ride as an extended rear-facing toddler. Fittingly, we were on our way to the Minnesota Children's Museum in St. Paul. By the way, his jacket is on backward so that it does not interfere with the fit of his car seat straps. He's wearing a long sleeved t-shirt under there, then his seat harness is fastened, and then the jacket goes backward over the top. It's the safe way to keep warm in the car during winter!





Anyhow, this is yet another of my late late late bloggings. This is what happens when you spend the holidays driving, exploring new cities, and meeting your husband's enormous family.

Anyhow, as of Orren's first birthday, Christmas Day, we are Extended Rear-Facing (ERF)!! That means that even though he hit 20 pounds at about 4 months old, and he's now over a year old, we have not turned his car seat around, and we won't until we absolutely have to. In fact, since he is outgrowing his Britax Diplomat in height, we're going to be purchasing him a Sunshine Kids Radian XT SL, which will allow him to ride rear-facing until he is 45 pounds.

We are just grateful for the knowledge that rear-facing is better, and that a step up in car seats is a step down in safety. It seems that despite the pervasiveness of the tests which lead to these conclusions, and the American Academy of Pediatrics voicing their support of extended rear-facing, the knowledge hasn't reached the majority of people. I see a lot of forward-facing 1-year-olds, and it makes me sad. Then I look to the back seat of my car, and see Erin smiling back at me in her 5-point harness, and the back of Orren's seat, and I'm happy because I know that if we are in an accident, my kids have the best chances possible to walk away without a scratch.

In celebration of extended rear-facing, I give you the following:

AAP's guidelines which recommend rear-facing for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

And because this knowledge reached us, we can prevent this from happening to our kids.




This is a shorter video with some awesome pics of rear-facing toddlers and preschoolers, and also debunks some of the common myths. Even if you don't watch the other, watch this one. It's only 3 minutes.



Rear-face your toddlers, people. Forward facing is for big kids! Ignorance is one thing. We have all been ignorant of certain research or discoveries before. Stupidity is when you've been told and shown, and choose to still act unsafely. Don't be stupid with your kids' lives. After reading the above link and watching the above video, you can't claim ignorance. Keep them rear-facing, and when they can't rear-face anymore, keep them harnessed. Don't fall into peer pressure from other parents to compromise your kids' safety because "it's overkill" or "other kids will laugh at them". My 6 1/2-year-old rides in a car seat with a 5-point harness, and not one kid has ever made fun of her for it. Any excuse that anyone gives for not rear-facing to the height/weight limit of their car seat, and not harnessing to the weight limit of their harness, is garbage. If you value your kids' lives and safety, learn as we have, that a step up in car seats is a step down in safety, and don't be hasty to move up.