This has been on the news - but if you are a parent, please check this out!
The new AAP guidelines urge parents to keep children rear-facing until at least age 2 AND exceeding the height/weight limit of the seat.
I know a lot of parents are grumbling about this, saying "Isn't this too much?" They want to interact with their children more easily during car rides, they are excited about the next "milestone," and they worry that the child will be uncomfortable with their legs being all "scrunched up."
My pediatrician's office (I LOVE THEM) were being vocal about this more than 2 years ago, before Little Chica even turned 1 (she'll be 3 this summer). They put it this way:
It's easier to set a broken leg resulting from a car crash (in a rear-facing car seat) than to deal with a head, neck or spine injury (....or worse...from a forward-facing car seat).
Sobering, isn't it?
If you have older children, the new guidelines state that they sit in a booster until they can properly fit into a seatbelt properly (up to 12 years of age). Also, children under the age of 13 should stay buckled in the BACK of the car, not the front seat.
You can read more about it in the article at Parenting.com.
(from NHTSA.gov)
Please take heed and keep your kids safe!
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Hey! Share a thought or two - I'd love to hear from you! ~ Steph