We have a 26 month old son and are 8 weeks away from having baby #2. My question is trivial, but I'd like to find out which side of the car most parents of a toddler and infant choose for the infant car seat and the toddler car seat. My toddler's car seat is currently right in the middle. He is very interactive, so if he is behind the passenger seat, I will still be able to turn and make eye contact with him when we are at stop lights etc. But I wouldn't be able to see the rear-facing baby at all if he's right behind the driver.
A.,
I have heard to always keep the littlest in the middle for as long as possible. I would try to fit the new baby in the middle and the 2 year old behind the passenger side so you can see him from the driver's side when you're alone. If you can't have the baby in the middle, I say #2 should be behind the passenger side so, again, you can see him/her w/out difficulty.
E.:-)
You can always buy the spy mirror so you can still see whichever child you decide to put behind the drivers seat.
I liked having the infant seat behind the passenger seat because it was easier if I had to reach into the car seat if I needed to give him his pacifier or to check on his blanket. I had the smaller mirror on my big mirror so I could still talk to the big kids while driving.
my RFing baby is behind passenger, and FFing toddler behind driver. I have the backseat mirror in front of baby so I can see her and the little suction cup mirror next to my rear-view mirror so I can see the toddler (actually the only reason I use it is because she was trying to unclip the chest clip so I HAD to see her w/o turning all the way around while driving). This also works out so the driver can put the seat back in a comfortable position w/o the carseat hitting it (we are on the tall side). Another benefit is when you get out, you get the walking toddler out first on your side, then go around to other side to get baby (I had them the other way for a while and kept walking back and forth every time we load and unload b/c I can't get the toddler out while holding the baby/baby seat--it was annoying). In our secondary car the RFing baby is behind the driver and you can't see her at all and super hard to pass a toy back there too--we don't like that so much!
We put our toddler behind the drivers seat and our baby behind the passenger seat. It has worked out great for us. I am able to see the baby with a mirror on the back of her seat. I am also able to interact with my toddler by looking in the rearview mirror. We also purchased a small mirror from Buy Buy Baby that helps me see him without moving the rearview mirror. I can easily hand things back to him (I wouln't be able to reach him otherwise).
My daughter was born when my son was 3 1/2. I moved him behind the driver, and put the infant behind the passenger seat. It's crazy, but if the binky pops out while you are driving you can pull aside and reach into the infant seat that way, but not if it is behind you. Also, as the older sibling continues to age, they can understand and reach out to you from behind you if you need to hand off something. I'm sure you'll get varying opinions on this, but my daughter is now almost 4 and my son 7 and it works!
I put the infant seat in middle (supposedly the safest place) and the toddler seat behind the passenger's seat so I could see what's going on. (I also put a mirror on the window to see the baby's face in my rear-view mirror.)
The police officer who installed our car seats said that the middle is the safest, but with 2 seats the rear passenger side is the next safest (so he put the RF infant seat there) and the rear driver side is next safest (so the FF toddler is there). Remember that you can contact your local police department and have them install your seats to be sure they are done correctly and securely. Good luck with baby #2!
I have my newborn behind the passenger and my toddler behind myself. I like being able to see my toddler in the rear mirror.
Our car seat arrangement is more practical. My husband needs the seat to be pretty far back so the rear facing infant seat is always behind the passenger seat so he can drive more comfortably!
I drive a ford explorer and i didn't have a choice because my rear facing infant seat didn't fit behind the drivers side without pushing the drivers seat forward...
You want the LEAST protected child in MOST protected area. Your least protected child is your forward facing toddler. Your infant is the most protected, even as a newborn as frail as they are, in a rear facing seat. So if you want to continue to put your toddler in the middle, please do, as long as you can install the infant seat outboard independently without it interfering with the other installed seat. Otherwise it makes no difference which side which child is on.
Oooh, good question.
But consider this, you're always going to be able to see your toddler in your rear view mirror & he will be able to see you too.
You will not be able to do the same with your rear facing infant. Also - what a mess to try to reach all the way behind you with Stretchy arms to try to put a paci back in the mouth while stopped at a light, or retrieve a toy.
Your son is much more self sufficient at 26 months - I'd say leave your reaching arm free for the baby.
- C.
I would keep the toddler behind the passenger seat. Better for passing him a snack while driving and keeping the eye contact. It's also the side you park by the sidewalk so it's makes it easier when you already have the baby and not a a toddler running around while you're getting the baby out. The baby behind the driver's side is good for holding a bottle when you are on the passenger side. That's how we always did it and we now have 3 kids!
I put my 3.5 year old behind the passenger and the baby behind me. My reasoning was that the 3.5 yo could buckle and unbuckle himself and slide over to the baby so we would all be getting in and out on the driver side. Open door, kid slides in, buckles himself, baby gets buckled, door closed, mom in. No 2 doors and kids walking around the car. Also when my older one is in school, it was easy having the baby right behind me to get in and out for errands. Think about safety while driving and getting the kids in and out of parking lots and your day to day habits. I put mirror on the headrest behind the baby. At the right angle I could see him through my rear view mirror so it was not an issue with him right behind me.
Think safety first and foremost. Put the car seat of the child who is going to need you the most wherever it's easier for the driver to reach, esp. when s/he's the only adult in the car. You'll probably need to reach the toddler more often for now. I also like that the toddler on the passenger side gets out onto the sidewalk. Plus, he might? be able to help you by putting the pacifier in the baby's mouth...or maybe it's too far away. Food for thought--If you kept him in the middle, he could definitely help with the baby a bit ... guess you'll have to wait and see how he is with the baby, though.
An important REMINDER/WARNING of how dangerous it is to to pass things back and forth to children. (I'm guilty, too.) No matter how much we think we're in control, it is always a distraction, even if at best just a little distracting. A local mother and 2 of her 3 children were in a fatal accident driving down Main Street.
Congrats on baby #2!
