When can your child face forward in the car? Good question. The answer might surprise you: your child must be at least one-year-old and weigh at least 20 pounds. However, the experts suggest that children ride rear-facing to the highest weight and/or height allowed by the car safety seat’s manufacturer.

If your little one is old enough and big enough to ride face-forward, there are 5 types of car safety seats that can be used. The AAP has provided the following descriptions of forward-facing seats that can be used…with care, of course!

• Convertible seats- “convert” form rear-facing to forward-facing seats
• Forward-facing toddler seats-can be used forward-facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 80 pounds (depending on the model)
• Combination forward-facing/booster seats-can be used forward-facing with a harness for kids who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds (depending on the model) or without a harness as a booster (up to 80 to 100 pounds)
• Built-in seats-some vehicles have forward-facing seats built-in; weight and height limits vary; check with the car manufacturer
• Travel vests-can be worn by kids between 20 and 168 pounds and can be an alternative to traditional forward-facing seats; useful for when a car has lap-only seat belts in the rear.

Beep beep, beep beep, yeah!

I think the most anxiety I had in terms of child safety was whether or not I installed J.J.’s car seat correctly. We had a seasoned mom and dad check it out for us. Then we even took a ride over to our police precinct to have a Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician inspect it. Of course, they said we went overboard, using the LATCH system (available in most vehicles made after 2002) and the seatbelt. But, hey, there’s no such thing as being too safe, right?

Once you’ve installed correctly, here are the car seat guidelines to follow, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)(click for the full guide):

• All infants should always ride rear-facing until they are 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. Many parents opt for infant seats that snap in and out of a base that remains in the car, so it can double as an infant carrier.

• Children 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds can ride forward-facing. It is best to ride rear-facing as long as possible. Some car seats are convertible, meaning you can use as rear facing, then forward facing, and get more bang for your buck.

• Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car safety seats. Children should stay in a booster seat until the adult seat belts fit correctly (usually when a child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age).

• Children who have outgrown their booster seats should ride in a lap and shoulder belt; they should ride in the back seat until 13 years of age.

With these guidelines, you can safely enjoy the ride. Now if you can only figure out how to stop all that backseat “are we there yet?” whining…

Have any tips for entertaining your little ones in the car?