What side do you put your carseats?

[LuckyMum1989]

Hello!
I currently have a DD5 and her car seat is on the passenger side at the back. I like it because when I park up, nearly always her car seat is on the kerbside and it also means I can glance over my shoulder and chat away if we're stopped at traffic lights or something. I'm pregnant with our second and was thinking about how to do school drop-off and wondered if it would be better to have the baby's car seat when we get one on the passenger side and my DD directly behind me on the driver's side.
Obviously baby will be rear facing and with a little mirror so I can see him if needed. But I was wondering in terms of parking up whether it's easier to get a baby out roadside or a five-year-old? Which way around do you have your car seats? 🤔
Thanks in advance for any wisdom!

5 year old is easier to get out roadside I would say, but can't they also just squeeze out behind the infant seat? That's generally what DS1 does if I think the roadside is unsafe.

DC1 (6, nearly 7) is in a HBB on the passenger side, and DC2 (3) is rear-facing on the driver's side. We help DC2 get in and out whereas DC1 can do it himself.

When DC2 was born, she was in an infant seat on the passenger side and DC1 was in a rear-facing seat on the driver's side. IIRC I think the main reason for putting them that way around was to give the passenger more space (infant seat smaller than ERF seat, so we could move the passenger seat further back or recline it more).

We shifted DC1 to behind the drivers seat when DC2 was born. Big factor for us was that OH and I both drove the car and he couldn't get the drivers seat back far enough with the infant seat behind it, but he could with DC1's seat.

As pp said, a 5 year old can normally climb across the other seat and still get out kerbside.

DS moved behind the drivers seat when DD was born (two year age gap). I swapped them recently because DD (now 3) tends to zone out in the car whereas DS (5) likes to chat.

Depending on the size of your car and car seat model DD may still be able to get out kerbside just by unbuckling and climbing across the footwell.

Baby behind passenger seat and older child climbs out the passenger side onto the pavement. Everyone loads and unloads from the passenger side if we are parked up next to the kerb.

If the older child is too young to do up their seat belt I did it from the roadside but he was already in the seat safely loaded from the passenger side so less time with my arse sticking out into the road.

I almost never parked on busy roads (home drive, family & friends drives or quiet side roads, car parks etc) which I'm sure influenced my choices.

I had dc1 behind the drivers seat for ease of access. When dc2 was born I switched dc1 to behind the passenger seat and had the baby behind the drivers seat.

At 18 & 21 if we ever all go out together they still sit dc1 rear passenger side and dc2 rear drivers side.

Which ever side you pick make sure the forward facing child as enough room in front of them. In the event of a crash they could hit their head on the seat in front. I think the common rule that gets said is 55cm from back of the child car seat to the back of the front seat.
We have always used behind the driver due to the way our driveway is but only have one child.

Thanks everyone!

We moved my son (2) to the drivers side now to get him used to it before baby number two. We plan to have the baby on the passenger side and DS on the drivers.

It's handy having him on my side when parking, as I can often find a space on the end of the row (or position myself accordingly if someone has parked badly) and know we can both get in and out easily. I can see his face if I look in the rear view mirror and it doesn't stop us chatting.