STM question - car seat position...

Emerald27 · September 2014

Ok, STMs. We will be installing the infant car seat bases in our cars this weekend. Woot! We've been debating where to put the car seats. Not sure yet if the infant seat will fit in the middle next to the toddler seat.

So, if you have your toddler and baby on either window seat, on which side did you put which? And why?

If the infant seat fits in the middle of your car, which side did you put the toddler on? And why?

TIA

kindacrunchy · September 2014

I've been debating this too. I think we've decided to put the toddler behind the passenger seat and the infant behind the driver. We have a mini van and even though we have the eighth seat it won't hold a car seat in the middle. The reason I chose to put the infant behind me is partly because I park on the left side of the garage and it would be a pain to walk around with the bucket seat to the passenger side. Also I figure I can let the toddler get in and start getting herself in her seat from the driver side while I situate the baby then just go over to the passenger side to buckle her.

SusieBW · September 2014

Currently DD is on the passenger side, so I can see her just by turning my head. She's always been on that side, and I think part of the reason was that we had a HUGE infant seat for her, and I wouldn't have been able to drive comfortably with her behind me in that dang thing. DH was terribly uncomfortable in my car whenever we all went out together for a few months, or else he would just drive my car, and I would sit in the smaller passenger seat. Also, because I liked the fact that if I parallel parked, the baby would be on the curb side, not the street side. But with 2, that's not a concern anymore, because someone is going to be on the street side no matter what. And honestly, I'd rather take out an infant seat on the street side than a toddler.

Also, there is no LATCH in the middle in my car, so that's not an option.

Installing the infant seat is on this week's project list, and I'm not sure where it will go yet, but it's going to depend on size. It's a different seat and smaller than what we had for DD, so if it fits behind me without having to move my seat up to an uncomfortable position, it'll go there.

Starfish17 · September 2014

With #2, we put #1 behind the driver seat, and #2 behind the passenger seat just due to space (the rear facing seat requires the seat to be up further and so my husband couldn't fit in the car very well if it was the other way around. Now that we are on #3, we have a car with 3 rows (captains chairs in the second row and a bench in the third). #1 is in the second row behind the driver's side because he needs easy access in and out for carpool dropoff at school. #2 moved to the middle seat in the 3rd row. #3 is going behind the passenger side, again for accessibility with putting in the infant seat and leg room.

MrMrsandBaby · September 2014

Baby is going behind the driver in both cars. It just makes it easier since DD is already behind the passenger seat. In my car (Malibu) we can't use the middle because then DH would be WAY too far forward for comfort and safety. In DH's car (Acadia) there isn't a middle seat so that was an easy decision.

SusieBW · September 2014

theresat858 said:

Infant seat won't fit in the middle next to our convertible. I had kept DD on the passenger side and put the infant seat on my side, but the carseat inspection lady told me to switch it. Her reasoning: If you park on the side of a busy street and need to get both kids out of the car, you can lift the infant seat from the sidewalk side, and then unbuckle the toddler and have the toddler crawl over the infant base to get out of the car. Given that we park on streets like that almost never, I'm not sure it matters, but I also figure with the infant on the passenger side, it will be easier for me to reach back and replace a fallen pacifier.

This hadn't occurred to me, though.
It's still going to come down to size in my car, I think.

pnwlover12 · September 2014

DD is behind the drivers seat and LO will be behind the passenger seat.

BeanNut · September 2014

We had our smaller DD in the middle RF and our older DD on the passenger side FF. I preferred the passenger side for older DD because it feels more protected.

Now we'll have three so we bought a minivan and have our two girls in the back row FF and new LO will go in the middle seat of the middle row.

trisharenee0316 · September 2014

I haven't even tried to install the infant seat base yet. :-/ I'm going to try and do the infant seat behind the passenger side and leave my toddler in the middle, if I'm able. If not, toddler behind me and infant behind the passenger side. I read on some car seat safety site that the child who is in the most vulnerable position should be in the middle. For us, that would be our toddler who is obviously much closer to being FF than the infant. And in the interest of not having to shuffle seats every few months, it just seemed easier to keep her in the middle and then try to work the infant seat around her.

TinyTRex321 · September 2014

One will go on each side. The baby will go behind the drivers side bc supposedly it is a little safer bc your instincts are to protect your side of the car in case of an accident. Also the baby won't go anywhere in his infant seat while I load my toddler on the passenger side, then I'll load the baby and be on the correct side of the car.

I could probably fit the baby in the middle next to my toddler but prefer not to. I'm worried my toddler will throw things at the baby or drop food to him.

AppleGrapeMSTK · September 2014

We have a convertible carseat instead of an infant carrier. The plan is to babywear DS2. Putting the infant behind the driver means I will first stop at LO's seat and get him situated in the wrap while DS1 is still buckled in his seat. I won't have to worry about DS1 running through a parking lot while I'm struggling with my Moby or make things extra hard on myself by going from the drivers seat to the rear passenger door and back to the rear driver's seat.

If DH is driving, I'll be able to reach both kiddos from the passenger seat. If I am driving, I can reach back to hand something to DS1 to hand to the baby, like a bottle, binky, or toy.

We have a minivan, and there is no middle seat in the center row, so I can't offer my advice on that.

vrj0522 · September 2014

Since my mom will be with us for the first month, I am leaving convertible seat on the passenger side and infant seat will go in the middle. Once my mom leaves, infant seat will go in the passenger side and convertible will go on the driver side in DH's car and in my car it will be the opposite. This is simply so that I have easier access to the baby, who will be on my side.

pinkshades05 · September 2014

Right now, toddler is behind the driver seat and baby will be behind the passenger seat. I can't say this will stay this way, but we'll see how it works for now. We can't put either in the middle because we have bucket seats.

Justabean3 · September 2014

statistically and child safety seat class wise the youngest child goes behind the driver if they wont fit in the center

trisharenee0316 · September 2014

Justabean3 said:

statistically and child safety seat class wise the youngest child goes behind the driver if they wont fit in the center

I've seen different opinions on this from CSFTL and other child safety websites, so this strains credulity for me if posed as an absolute.

rae76 · September 2014

My toddler is behind the passenger seat and the infant will be behind the driver in my car, and in the middle in DH's car.

MorganWP · September 2014

My SO is too tall to have a rearfacing seat behind him when he drives so DD is on the driver's side, fowardfacing (before 2, I know but we dont have a choice). And the infant seat is behind the passenger.

wildflower75 · September 2014

We're going to a car seat clinic in a few weeks to find out what is the best option for us.

savicke2009 · September 2014

We have a minivan with captains chairs.. one seat is going to be folded down.. big kids are going all the way in back and baby is going behind drivers seat.. my four year old gets dropped off at pre school and pick up and drop off is out the passenger side, so if I put baby seat on that said he'd have to crawl around her seat every time..

in my sedan, baby was behind passenger seat too- convertible seat was big so it was easier to have the passenger seat up further to accommodate the seat and I could reach him better to give him his paci or blanket or whatever

miss.brittany · September 2014

We haven't decided yet. I know I won't put DD#2 in the middle because there's no latch, and no shoulder belt. Plus I don't want DD#1 to mess with the baby, especially if I can't see that she's doing it (like while I'm driving and can't watch). So I know they'll both be on the sides. I'm trying to look up safety facts for placement but haven't found anything definitive yet.

Rickaroo922 · September 2014

We are putting my son on the drivers side and the infant seat on the ppassengers side. We are doing it because with a rear facing seat in my jeep you have to keep the front seat pretty far up and would be uncomfortable if it was the drivers seat.

crystal8503 · September 2014

Our infant seat will go on the passenger side of both vehicles because my husband can't drive when the baby carrier is behind him. I'm super short and it doesn't impact me at all where either baby sits.

Justabean3 · September 2014

ok well this is what the teach at the DFW safety seat installation classes to be certified here

PC0909 · September 2014

The toddler is on the passenger side so we don't have to get him in/out in traffic if we park on the street. I haven't put the infant seat in yet, but it will most likely go behind the driver because i apparently have the smallest backseat known to man.

jmw222 · September 2014

DD is behind the driver seat now but will move into the middle seat (forward facing). DS will stay on the passenger side (rear facing) and LO will be on the driver side. DD likes to climb under DS's seat and get in by herself, so I'll let her do that still. She can almost buckle herself, but I will finish/check before snapping in the bucket seat. Once LO needs to move into a convertible seat, I might start putting DD in the 3rd row, but I'll deal with that next year!

cinnamin922 · September 2014

We have the forward facing seat behind the driver in both cars. I just moved it there in my Jeep because with my 6'1" hubby there is no way that he can fit comfortably in the driver's seat with the bucket behind it.

Eastie156 · September 2014

Our plan is to put the NB seat behind passenger seat and DS's convertible behind driver seat. H can't fit in the driver's seat with a RF-ing seat or a bucket NB seat behind his seat. It's a logistics issue for us. DS was just turned around FF this past month at just about 2 for partly this reason.

krazyinsane · September 2014

When we had two we put DD#1 on the the passenger side and DD#2 on the driver's. Their seats didn't fit next to one another. We did this arrangement for 2 reasons.

1) we park on the road in front of our house so this put DD#1 on the curbside and I put her in and had DD#2 in the infant seat on the ground in front of me. Less likelihood of a toddler in the street

2) passing food, sippies etc is a lot easier to the passenger side back seat than the driver's.

erinchrisitne424 · September 2014

Currently, DS sits on the passenger side in his booster. He can get in and out of the car by himself for the most part. So I plan on putting LO on the drivers side so it is is.easy to get to the seat. We have a convertible seat in DHs trailblazer and will have the infant carrier in my 2 door Honda. Both will be on the drivers side so it is easier for me to access after having a c-section. DS always sat on the drivers side until he was big enough to get in and out of the car on his own. The middle was never really an option for us since there aren't latches in the center of the trailblazer and with a two door it is hard to get a carrier to the center of the backseat.

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