3rd Trimester

Where do carseats go?

So we have DS in the middle of the back of my Honda CRV.  When LO gets here, how does this situation work?  Do I move LO to the middle and put DS on the side?  Which side?  Or do I leave DS in the middle and put LO on the side?
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Re: Where do carseats go?

  • We've always had DD on the passenger side, with her infant bucket and convertable seat, in both cars. Can they go on either side? I plan to have DD2 behind me and DD1 still on passenger side.
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  • We've always kept our DD on the passenger side of the car.  The new baby, by default, will go on the drivers side.  Maybe I've been doing it wrong this whole time, but it just seemed logical.

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  • With DD#1 we have her in the middle (safest place) but when DD#2 arrives she'll have to be moved over because the row won't fit two seats next to each other.  I don't know which seat will go on which side--haven't heard which one is preferable for the infant because as far as I know they both are "less" safe than center, and for a side impact, you can't predict which side you'd get hit.  I'm thinking I want DD#1 on passenger side so I can easily turn and see her (she's now front facing) and DD#2 behind me (because I won't be able to see her either way.)
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  • We have a CRV also and we recently moved DD from the middle to the passenger side. The baby will go on the drivers side because I don't think we can comfortably fit the seats side-by-side and I don't know if I want DD to have that much access to DS.
  • The safest place is in the middle, lo should be in the middle and your DS should be on one of the sides.
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  • DD has always been on the passenger side. Putting a bucket seat or a wiggly toddler into the middle was way too much of a pain. DD is staying where she is and baby boy is going behind the driver. 
  • Ok so then LO will go in the middle (safest) and DS can go on either side.  Guess we will just ask him which he prefers so he feels he has a "say" in this decision.
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  • First, check your car's manual ; every car has different recommendations.
    Seine you are supposed ti put the least safe seat in the most safe spot. Booster is least then Ff seat then RF seat. If both are Rf then it doesn't matter much.
    They may not fit next to each other. If you don't need room for passengers I would pu older child on passenger side so you don't have them getting out on street side.
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  • Honestly, my first concern is the safety of the children.  I will be able to fit one passenger in the front and then maybe a skinny person in the back with the 2 carseats lol.

    I didn't even think to check the manual.  Good idea.  That's why I posted here.  :)

    Oh and DS is FF in a convertible seat (Britax Marathon) for now.  I think that once LO has grown out of the infant carrier, she will move to the Marathon and he will get a booster seat with the back to it. 

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  • I have a Santa Fe, which is similar. I have DS on the passenger side and will put Baby on the driver side. I am worried that DS might hit Baby with one of his toys of try to feed her his goldfish, so I want a little space between them.
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  • If you're looking to maximize safety then the least protected child goes in the most protected spot (meaning the middle). So since your older child is forward facing they get the middle seat and the rear facing child gets the outboard seat (rear facing offers significant side impact protection not offered by forward facing).

    However, depending on your vehicle it may be impossible to install two seats side by side and get acceptable installations. When doing three across or two directly next to each other both seats need to be independently tight (sometimes a seat will seem tight then you move the other seat and suddenly the first seat is actually quite loose). So install one seat, use chalk to mark where on the LATCH strap/seat belt it was when there is less than 1" of movement at the belt path. Remove that seat. Put the second seat in and make sure it doesn't move. Then put the first seat back in and make sure it's tightened to the chalk mark. If you can't get the second seat in to the chalk mark then you'll need to not install the two seats side by side.

    Also, (this may be common knowledge, but I've seen a few people who did not know this so it's better to say just in case) very few cars offer LATCH for the middle seat, so make sure if you're installing you either use seatbelt or confirm that LATCH is an option for the middle. And if it is allowing you to "borrow" LATCH anchors from the side never attach two carseats to the same LATCH anchor as it can't take the force of two seats at once. 

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  • It doesn't really matter. We've always had our ffing seat behind the driver and rfing seat behind the passenger. DH is 6'3", so a rfing seat doesn't fit behind him. Now we'll have 2 rfing seats, so one will be in the middle with one on the passenger side. We just have to see what fits best. 
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  • I dont' think it matters when you have multiples kids, where ever they can fit lol. I am really tall so a infant seat cannot go behind me so baby will be behind passenger, my 2 yr old will be behind me the driver and my 4 yr old will be in the 3rd row, I so wish I had a new mini van so they all could sit in the 2nd row but ow, well my big boy will have to be alone back there :)
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  • imagepenguingrrl:

    If you're looking to maximize safety then the least protected child goes in the most protected spot (meaning the middle). So since your older child is forward facing they get the middle seat and the rear facing child gets the outboard seat (rear facing offers significant side impact protection not offered by forward facing).

    However, depending on your vehicle it may be impossible to install two seats side by side and get acceptable installations. When doing three across or two directly next to each other both seats need to be independently tight (sometimes a seat will seem tight then you move the other seat and suddenly the first seat is actually quite loose). So install one seat, use chalk to mark where on the LATCH strap/seat belt it was when there is less than 1" of movement at the belt path. Remove that seat. Put the second seat in and make sure it doesn't move. Then put the first seat back in and make sure it's tightened to the chalk mark. If you can't get the second seat in to the chalk mark then you'll need to not install the two seats side by side.

    Also, (this may be common knowledge, but I've seen a few people who did not know this so it's better to say just in case) very few cars offer LATCH for the middle seat, so make sure if you're installing you either use seatbelt or confirm that LATCH is an option for the middle. And if it is allowing you to "borrow" LATCH anchors from the side never attach two carseats to the same LATCH anchor as it can't take the force of two seats at once. 

    As usual... penguin is all over this.  The "safest" thing to do is to have the least protected child in the middle however that's only true is both seats will install correctly in that set up.  Otherwise, the safest thing to do whatever enables your seats to be installed and used correctly.   

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  • We're doing this, too (baby behind passenger, toddler behind driver) because  my husband is taller than I am and likes his seat back further (and he does most of the driving of the family car).
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