To not sit in the back so kids can sit in the front?

[Threedoa]

Disagreement with DH tonight. So would you sit in the back so your kids (say under 18, as I can maybe see the argument for over 18) can sit in the front of the car?

YABU - Yes, it’s normal to take turns for who sits in the front passenger seat
YANBU - No, adults in the front, children in the back.

He's a knob and I also think that he is incorrect to say that most parents let their DC's sit in the front.

Not enough info - how tall are the kids, is legroom a factor? Are they young and need things passed to them (the rock and roll bed in our van means the second row is really far away so sometimes we travel with and adult and child in the back, and the other adult and child in the front). I think I'd naturally assume parents in the front and kids in the back - but I'm not overly bothered so it wouldn't matter if we switched around for some reason.

from the OP second post

Not teenagers, all under 11 and all are shared kids not step kids, no travel sickness.

and from the OP third post

DH told the DC that mummy wasn’t as kind as the other mummy’s

What did I say???

It was always drilled into me that in the event of a serious accident the injuries were generally more severe for the people in the front. For that reason I’ve never let my children sit in the front, even when they outgrew their car seats and I was the only adult 😆

I’d definitely respond “ok I’ll drive and you sit in the back”
I don’t know anyone who lets kids go in front unless it’s travel sickness related. Plus there’s the faff turning off the air bag.

Isn't it safer for them in the back though? Those front airbags are like little mini bombs when they go off. I wouldn't want to take the full force to my head.

Same.

If they’re uncomfortable sliding forward, they must be just as uncomfortable behind you with your seat pushed back? There’s the same amount of room to divide by two either way!

What you tend to find if the taller person goes in front (not necessarily you!) is that they take ALL the room by scooting their seat as far back as it will go, leaving the smaller person with very little. At least if the smaller person is in front, they get that space under the glove box even.

I read it as - desire to sit in the front, and priority for your preference, is not determined by size or sex. But they might not have meant that!

A Compromise - you drive for a change (even though you’re not keen). Your dh sits in the back to allow dc in the front - simples!

Absolutely not. Eldest person goes first, so would give it to my mum/MIL/ older person without hesitation. Children, no. Like someone else said, I did my 18 years in the back.

Safest place is the back of the car so that's where my child sits. Always has. Eventually, he'll be considerably taller than me and we may have to do a swap!

DH’s car is a saloon and DS gets extremely uncomfortable on longer journeys. His legs are much longer than mine so sitting in the back isn't as uncomfortable for me. I let him sit in the front on longer journeys unless we’re in my car.

I am with you. Although I do confess during one long drive on the motorway, three kids arguing loudly in the back, I asked my husband to pull into the services. I asked two children to get out. Asked my husband to sit in the middle, put a child back in, shut the door, told the other child to get in the front and jumped in the drivers seat. I drove the remainder of the trip chatting nicely with front child whilst he had the pleasure of refereeing in the back.

Wow he said that in front of the kids. I'd be kicking his arse out of bed when he got home. How dare he disrespect you like that infront of the children.
Next time they ask, say sure and get in the driving seat and make him get in the back.

You sound like a charmer.... "mum, Dad, I'm up front or you buy a new car?"

What about you put up and shut up or YOU buy the car...

Very simple solution...next time, you drive (just suck it up his one time), DS in front, then DH in back 👍👍👍

DH will think this a fantastic solution no doubt ... 🤣🤣🤣

Sounds like car seat safety isn’t even a factor! Under 11 should absolutely be in the back and in a proper car seat. An airbag can seriously hurt (or worse) a child in the front!

it’s not even a question of being reasonable it’s a question of being safe!

Adults in front, kids in back … unless someone gets car sick.

I think you should insist on driving one time and let ds sit in the front. See how dh likes it.

I'd always let someone older than me sit in the front. Except on one occassion, when elderly neighbour decided she was coming on a trip with dp and I. There was no asking, simply a telling that she'd rearranged things so she'd come with us. I chose not to get out the front when we picked her up and dp, surprisingly, didn't say anything. He did, however, ignore her command to drop me off first.

Every family is different. We let ours sit in the front sometimes. Other times I say no because I want to sit at the front.

My issue with this is your DH telling your DC that their mother is unkind. That’s pretty major.

It's not safe for young kids to be sat in the front unless rear facing

If older/teens then they should sit wherever the adults tell them to :)

Your husband sounds like an arsehole! If my DH ever said mummy is unkind infront of our DCs id be furious! Of course adults sit in the front unless a specific reason why i.e. car sickness. We would be having serious words if he spoke about me like that. As a one off id let it go but wouldn't forget it, if this is a regular thing him putting you down then id be questioning the whole relationship. My DH would be the one telling our DCs no mummy sits in the front. We wouldnt even question it in our house. He should have your back not be throwing you under the bus.

Adults in the front. When it is me and the three kids, DC2 goes in the front as she gets car sick, but she always asks DC1 if he is ok with it