10 Things You Learned From Kindergarden That Will Help You With Forward Facing Infant Car Seat
Why You Should Consider a Forward Facing Infant Car Seat
Children under the age of one year should not ride facing in the direction of forward. In the event of a crash, their neck muscles may weaken and be stretched and cause serious injuries.
Switch to FF instead when your child is at the maximum weight of their current seat or height (or the minimum requirement for a new car seat). Follow the directions for your car seat carefully.
infant car seats cheap for infants are designed to protect the neck and head of your child in the event of an accident. The forward facing position can assist in preventing your child from hitting their head on the hard back of the car seat, which could cause serious injuries.
All forward-facing infant car seats have five point harnesses that secure the child with one pull tightening, and the shell of the car seat is lined with EPS energy-absorbing foam for enhanced impact protection. Some have an umbrella that protects from the sun.
The best infant car seats will include an adjustable angle adjuster and an angle indicator. This allows you to set the correct angle for your child's neck in order to prevent it from flopping over in the event of collisions. The top tether strap connects to the vehicle's tether anchor and comes from the top. It is important to remember that you may not need to move your child from a forward facing car seat until she reaches the maximum weight and height as stated in the manual for the seat.
When your child reaches 20 lbs and a year old, it's time to switch. Infants and toddlers younger than one year old have loose, soft neck muscles that can cause whiplash in the event of a crash. In frontal collisions (the most serious and frequent type) they are more likely to sustain serious neck injuries. Rear-facing car seats protect the necks of children less than one year old by cushioning their head.
If children are moving to a forward-facing car seat, they require a convertible or an all in-one that has a large rearward weight and height limit. They should not be moved to an adult car seat until they have met the high back or backless booster seat age and height requirement typically around age 4 or 5. You can see the difference in these carseats when you look at these crash videos, however, remember that the video is reduced in speed. If a child is moving too quickly, they can be injured.
Comfort
A forward-facing infant car seat allows your baby to ride in comfort and remain safe during an accident. The seat comes with a soft headrest and body support cushion as well as an EPS energy-absorbing shell to ensure your child is safe from any collision. The seat also has five-point harnesses with simple one-pull tightening and a movable front center adjuster that ensures your child is properly positioned. A retractable sun canopy will shield your baby from the sun. For safety, the seat is designed to lock by the vehicle's seat belt and comes with a locking clip that keeps the buckle securely fastened when not in use.
If your child complains of discomfort or appears to slump forward when sleeping it could be because the angle of the car seat is too low. You can fix this by putting tightly rolled towels under the front of the car seat to lift it up more. If this doesn't work then you can bring your baby to Rockridge Kids to have us examine the angle of their car seat.
It is vital to keep in mind that children are not ready to stand up and face forward until they weigh at minimum 20 pounds and one year old (their necks are not strong enough yet to withstand a force applied to them in a crash if they were to fall forward on their own). Some experts recommend waiting longer since the muscles and bones of young children are more flexible.

Many parents opt to purchase convertible car seats that lets their infants travel rearward-facing until they reach maximum weight or height limits. This lets parents benefit from the advantages of a rear-facing seat for a longer period of time. It is also easier for them because they can easily switch their child's position from forward-facing to rear-facing when their child is out of it.
The Graco 4Ever Convertible car seat is a convertible 4-in-1 car seat that lets your child use the seat for up to 10 years. It can be converted from rear-facing infant (up to 40 pounds) to forward-facing harness and high-back seats (30-100 lb) as well as a backless belt-positioning seat (40-120 lb). It's easy and simple to set up using the Smart Fit system that allows you to move the headrest and harness together, without re-threading.
Convenience
When traveling with a young infant, a forward-facing infant car seat can be a great choice. It allows you to watch your child as you drive and the rest of your family members can enter the car without disturbing your baby or toddler. This type of car seat can also be used with a stroller making it much easier to get your little one in and out of your car for trips to the supermarket or other errands.
Even when your child is at the age at which they can change to a car seat that is forward-facing, it is safer to keep them in a rear-facing position as long as you are able to. If you view it from the standpoint of crash tests, children's head is more protected in a frontal crash if they are facing backwards. This is due to the fact that when facing backwards the entire body, including the head, neck and torso is held in the rear of the car seat.
It is important to read the instructions provided by the manufacturer on when you can change your child's car seat around. They usually have the weight and height limit you shouldn't go over, as well as specific rules regarding things like the crotch buckle's position. These guidelines are designed to protect your child as they develop.
Another thing to think about is whether you have an automobile with Tether anchors for your car seat. If yes, ensure that the tether is correctly fitted and connected to your vehicle's anchor points as per the instructions in the manual. Lastly, you'll want to make sure that the shoulder straps of your harness are at or just above the shoulders of your child and not too high or low, as this will affect how well they are restrained in the event of a crash.
A great option for parents with multiple children or are planning to have more is a convertible car seat. It is a one-stop car seat that can start by being a rear-facing infant car seat before moving your child to a forward-facing position once they are old enough and have reached the weight or height limit of the rear-facing position in the car seat.
Style
The car seat for your baby was a must-have item for your child, and you spent a lot of time choosing the best one. However, as they age and start outgrowing their car seat for infants, you might be wondering when it's time to switch them around.
While the idea of facing your child forward is exciting, there are several important safety factors to consider. Children should be rear-facing until they reach the maximum height and weight limits for their particular car seat.
It is important to remember that children are different in terms of size and age, therefore you shouldn't base the decision to change to a forward-facing car seat on a specific date on the calendar, or if they've reached their limit of legroom. Children may appear larger in a rear-facing car seat, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to turn around, as their bones and spine haven't fully developed yet.
It's recommended that you keep your child rear-facing until they reach one year old, and some infant car seats come with an inbuilt reminder to ensure they remain there. This is because children under one don't have strong enough neck muscles to withstand the force of a collision with a car in front, which could cause serious spinal injuries.
In addition to being secure in addition to being safe, many infant car seats come with convenient features that make them easy to use. Some of these include bases that snap in and out of the car which allows you to take your baby from the car to a stroller and back. They are typically part of an overall travel system.
If you're about to switch your child from a rear-facing convertible seat to a forward-facing one, make sure you adhere to the guidelines provided by the manufacturer and check the tightness of the car seat. When installed properly, the car seat shouldn't move more than 1 inch side to side or from front to back and the harness straps should be positioned at or over your child's shoulders. If you have questions or concerns regarding the installation of your car seat, you can contact an approved safety technician in your locality or the manufacturer of your car seat.