Car Seat Location/ More than 1 Child?

Question

I have always kept my 2 1/2 year old sons car seat in the backseat, in the middle seat. I am expecting number 2 in Feb.

If you have more than one child and 3rd row seating isn't an option, where do you place each car seat and why?

Is one side safer than the other?
(If we put the baby in the middle, wouldn't that be like demoting our older son? I'm not sure I can do that.)

No, jerk. I'm a mom who cares about her children and wants what's safest for them.
That would be the middle of the backseat... but there's only one of those.

Answer 1

Its a matter of preference - the side that's safer is the one furthest away from the angle of the crash, and since we can't predict the future, there's no way of knowing that. Middle is safest, but the outboard positions are not unsafe. I always put my son on the passenger rear b/c its easy for me to hand him stuff at stoplights. I carry 2 kids around with me, and can't use the middle for either seat b/c 1)my car is too tiny! and 2)they fight if that close together. If you are going to use the middle and 1 outboard position, put the least protected child (i.e, the older one) in the middle position, b/c the newborn will be more protected in his seat. also, remember that the safest place is where the seat fits the best, too.

Answer 2

I've always put the baby in the 2nd row middle, then the next youngest behind the driver's side since they need help in and out still and then so on. When your son goes to a booster around 3 yrs old he'll probably have to be on one of the outside seats anyway unless you have shoulder and lap belts in all 3 positions. Never put a kid in the front passengers seat unless they are over 12 as the airbags can be lethal! With our herd(pregnant w/ #5) it really doesn't matter who's where exactly because even in a big vehicle w/ 3 rows they are all filled....it's just easier having the babies either in the middle or behind the driver's seat.

Answer 3

A two year old can be placed in a regular child car seat. The baby should be in a seat wherein the rear of the seat faces front. The oldest child should be placed in the back seat on the passenger side of the car with the youngest child in the middle. This will allow you to load and unload the children on the sidewalk rather than in the street. Plus, putting the older child near the door will make it easier for him to get in and out as well as make it easier for you to get the baby in and out. Seating them in this manner will also allow you to turn your head more easily to quickly check to see how or what your children are doing periodically and make it easier to replace a pacifier, pick up a toy, etc., once you have stopped, of course.

Hope that helps :)

ps. never place a child in the front; an airbag can seriously injure a child. Also, be sure a child is not seated to closely to a door that is equipped with a side airbag.

Answer 4

You put the least-protected child in the safest seat. Babies are very fragile, so baby goes in the middle. Toddler can go on one side or the other. I prefer the passenger side, away from traffic, but there isn't any stats that it's safer.

When the kids get bigger and your toddler is in a booster seat with a shoulder strap but baby is still in a five-point harness, you probably will want to flip-flop them and put the older child in the middle (most protected area for least protected child) and the five-pointer in the passanger side.

No, you're not demoting your son. Don't think of it that way, and neither will he.

Answer 5

I used to drive a neon with 4 kids, that was fun playing musical chairs let me tell ya.

The oldest got the front seat at 7 yrs old, we scooted the seat all the way back as far as we could. Behind his seat, since there was no leg room, we had to put the booster seat with the 1 yr old in it. In the middle, because of that little bump the car seat wouldn't fit, so the 6 yr old had to sit there. The infant in the baby bucket went in last and sat directly behind me, because the seat needed more room it had to sit behind me.

It should be where your sit fits best, not what they say the safest spot is, because if your seat doesn't buckle properly it doesn't matter where they sit. KWIM?

Now I have a 15 passenger van and we can finally breath. ;)

Answer 6

Hi Nina,
Don't think of it as a demotion. More so a Promotion.
Being the "Bigger" means getting things first, doing things first. As the last child growing up I watched my siblings get "promoted" to all sorts of things that I looked forward to do, see or say when I got older.
Car Seat placement:
I think you know the answer cause as a mom you have researched the heck out of this. Of course baby will take back, center, rear facing, since that is the best spot.

(side question) Do you have rear side airbags? Able to disarm. them?

Contact your local police about child seat safety, they may have stats that say one side is safer than another, but I think it's behind passenger seat. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Well, we have a sedan so we don't have the option of 3rd row seating... My youngest is one and he still faces in the rear position.. Being said he sits behind my husband.. In the event of a crash, I believe or hope to believe that being back facing he would be ok... My other son is 3 and he's facing forward- so he sits in the middle with the open area that in the event of a crash his legs would not get crushed by the front seats... That's my logic on it.. However, I've heard that you should keep the children back facing for as long as you can to prevent their legs from being broken in the event of a collision... I watched some video's on YouTube, but be warned some of the video's are graphic and just plain sad.. Watch with caution and with tissues....Good luck

Answer 8

It is easier to put one seat by each door. That way they are separated and you don't have to worry about the older child giving the baby a toy he can choke on. Too, it is difficult to properly strap both chairs when they are bumping up to each other. Don't worry about demoting anyone. He will get over it soon enough. Safety first.

Answer 9

Put both carseats by the backseat doors and stick the older child in the middle. A baby carseat can NOT be in the middle.

Answer 10

okay generally they say the order is this:

in the middle back seat
behind passenger seat
behind drivers seat

reason being is there is not always a passenger in front of the child, but there will always be a driver. (it is safer if no one is in front of them)

don't think of it as demoting him. he will be fine behind the passenger side. (also in some cars it will not fit with one middle and one on a side, so you actually may have to put one on each side)