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Car seat safety rules make my head hurt

I have seen it everywhere today- CNN, Headline News, e-newsletters, Facebook and Twitter. The American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new car seat policy. This one really has me scratching my head. The new AAP Car Seat Safety Guidelines suggests you keep your child in a rear-facing safety seat until age 2. Although this does not apply to my now 3 year old, it still concerned me. There were so many comments for and against this policy. I almost wonder if I did the wrong thing by flipping my little guy's seat when he was a year old. After all, I did it with his sisters and everything was fine. Then I read through some of the comments where moms were saying their 3 year old was still rear facing! I was also reading where a child should be in a safety seat until they are 8 or 4'9". Wow, I guess I better tune up my skills since so much has changed since I had the girls! It looks like William will be in a car seat for a long time. Maybe I need to consult with the Car Seat Lady. What are your thoughts?
Shelly, Mom Files
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7 comments

  1. Do they even make carseats that will face the rear AND contain a larger than average 2 year old? Pigpen, our baby boy, will be 2 in July and there's no way he would go back to rear facing. There's also no way that I could get a huge infant style but toddler sized seat in between the two booster seats in the back of my Jeep.
    I want my kids to be safe, but I'm not sure this is the way to go about it...and what happened to "you have to switch them once they get X lbs and X inches tall because of their neck/back/whatever..." that my doctor told me?
    I'll cut this short and quote on my favorite things my grandmother ever said to me..."You know they say eggs are good for you now." LOL
    Things are going to change all the time. As long as you are following current state laws, don't put to much into it.

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  2. I read it. Saw it on the news. Rolled my eyes and said, "WHATEVER!" Why? Cuz Ari was bigger than 2 year olds at age 1. I think the same will hold true for her sibling. I can't imagine trying to stuff a 3 foot tall child into a rear facing child seat just because she's not 2 yet. *ugh!* I'm just saying. Suggestions are fine...until you're above the average...then it just doesn't apply very well.

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  3. 8 years old??? Wow. It was 5 and even that is a bit much for us. Our kids can't fit in a booster seat at 5. What's even more upsetting is if you're pulled over for seat belt checks and your 7 year old doesn't look his age, you automatically get a ticket. That one happened to us. :(

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  4. Wow, this is all news to me. Like yourself, we flipped Chase around around age 1 - and I was so happy to do so, because I wanted him to enjoy the sights of outside and the front seat. But I guess I was premature in doing that, per these new guidelines. Thx for this information!

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  5. My response: http://www.tanyetta.com/2011/03/aap-updates-recommendation-on-car-seats.html

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  6. I've always believed if you don't know any better then you shouldn't be concerned but, once you've been given the information and choose to ignore it, that's where the problems might arise. Everyone has to make the right choices for their families. There are so many "rules" out there about all of these topics it will make your head spin. The most important thing about all of this is to please be sure to FIVE point HARNESS children for as long as possible. It will protect them better than a BOOSTER seat ever will.

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  7. I say do whatever it takes to keep your little guy in safeties way. If it means leaving him in his car seat for a really long time, why not.

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