carseats/extended rear facing?

[Fran27]

None of our cars has had latch so we just use the seatbelts... we'll use tethers too when we switch to forward facing. For now my kids are really not cramped at all, yeah they have to bend their legs, but that's about it. They really don't mind. I think it depends a lot on the seat and car, although they weren't cramped either in the old car... they're 33 inches or so now I think.

They had a phase too when they hated being in the car, but it didn't last. We don't give food in the car so not being able to see them isn't an issue... I totally understand that keeping a child rear-facing if they're screaming is impossible though, we just really have no reason to switch yet, even if it's a pain to get them in there... I just wouldn't want to switch them for no reason then have an accident or something.

 

[Pam111]

ACampbell, I just use the latch system. I cannot remember where I read about it, but I have read that using both is actually contraindicated for quite a few reasons. Seems it actually is worse for safety and for the carseat than just using one or the other.

Yes, I have read that, too. It is not safe to use both. I use the LATCH in my car. My husband's car is older and doesn't have that, so we use the seat belt.

As far as allowing the kid to see and it not being good to not allow that, we don't do long trips. This is just going to the store and stuff like that. I'd rather he be safer than be able to see out the little time he spends in the car. Now, if he started crying every time he went in the car, that would be different, but right now, he is happy in the car (which is great because when he was young, he hated it for a while), and my husband generally rides in the back with him if we are all together

 

[darkchild16]

Ahh see our trips anever short. They start out that way but then Jeremy decides we need to go here nad there and then oh this place.