Booster seat and carseat configuration. Where do you put yours?

[beatie]

Soon dd2 will move into a booster seat carseat and dd2 will move into her carseat, which faces forwards and rearwards. Both seats will stay in the car.

I'm working out where it's best to put each seat? Does anyone with 2 children put a carseat in the middle of the back seat?

I've got 3 children so I have a carseat in the middle. If you've got 2, why don't you just put one at each side?? Or are you thinking about keeping them fixed and possibly having a 3rd backseat passenger? If so, I think I'd have my children either side but just move one to middle if you need to get someone else in.

I've got 3 children so I have a carseat in the middle. If you've got 2, why don't you just put one at each side?? Or are you thinking about keeping them fixed and possibly having a 3rd backseat passenger? If so, I think I'd have my children either side but just move one to middle if you need to get someone else in.

We use the outside ones mainly for ease getting them in and out but if we were regularly needing to take an extra passenger would probably put the car seat in the middle to make it easier to access the buckle.

Who should I have on the drivers side? The 3yo who can get in quickly by herself? Then again, she will be standing in the road and sometimes dances about, whereas I'd always be holding the baby myself if I got her out the roadside....

At the moment dd1 is on the passenger side and dd2 gets put in the front passenger seat, so she can see me or in the middle back seat so dd1 can coo at her and hold her hand.

We have ds in driver's side (7). If we park on a busy road I can nip out and let them both out the passenger side. He can also buckle himself in now so he can get in that way if needs be. Make sure the child lock is on the 3yr old's door and she can get in first and wait whilst you buckle the baby up then you can go around and fix her in. Is she heavy enough for a booster - dd is 4 1/2 and not yet !

What sort of belt do you have on the middle seat? mine is only a lap belt so prefer not to use it.

I have my 4 year old beind the driver and the baby ( now in forward facing seat) behind front passenger

She's just heavy enough.

Not sure how this new law is going to work in May when they bring it in, but I think all children under 5ft or under 11 are supposed to be in a carseat or booster seat with a 3 point harness....which creates a mare for most of us....there's details on it in the mothercare catalogue, personally as we have 3 under 8 we've gone and brought a badly needed new car with 3, 3point belts in the back......

agree with LIZS.

Also if road is really busy I can get in the front of the car and do seatbelts up by leaning over into the back - not very elegant, but do-able

We have a carseat, a booster and a cushion in the back. DD is in the carseat behind the front passenger seat - that way I can see her if I flip down the rear view mirror. DS2 is in a booster behind the drivers seat and DS1 is on a cushion in the middle. I tried swapping DS1 and DS2, so DS1 wouldn't have to clamber over the booster everytime he got in, but then neither of them could do their own seat belts as the B.Seat pushed out over the top. Very annoying, so we swapped back.

Remember, even when the new law comes in if you can't actually get 3 seats in the back of the car, you'll be exempt from using the third.

According to the DM (yes , I know!) they will make exceptions for 3 children across the back where a 3rd seat won't fit, but the 3rd child must wear a regular seat belt. EC announced the directive yesterday so hopefully more publicity for the UK Law changes will follow.

beatie - when I had two that age I used to

1 - reach round and undo ds1's seat belt

2 - get out and get DS2 out, leaving ds1 in the car.

3 - let ds1 out of pavement side door, either it was on his side or he'd have to squeeze between front seat and ds2's seat or he'd climb into the front and get out of those doors.

Even now I don't actually get DD (2) out of her seat unless she's asleep. I'll undo her harness, get out and open which ever the pavement side door is. She is number 3 though, so I accept that I am very mean

I have DS (5) in a high back booster and DD (1) in a car seat. DS's is on the driver's side and DD's is on the passenger side. We have a set of car seats for each of our two cars.

I prefer it this way because my car it a two door so as often as not (especially if we are on a road or in a car part) I make DS get in at the passenger side and climb across and then it is easy for me to fasten both seat belts at the same time. I think in general terms for safety in getting in/out most people tend to put the older child at the driver's side.

i ahve the eldest / most sensible behind me cause its easier to ask the to stop kicking the back of the seat...

not so easy to get a 1 year old to stop kicking the back of MY seat IMO

i would say one each side... so they dont hit / annoy each otehr while going along!

when I only had two I put one on either side the youngest behind the passenger seat so I could see him better. The middle is the safest seat crash wise for being hit. however once they can reach over to each other and start fighting with or niggling the other one it ultimately wont matter. I got a speeding ticket having been distracted by the bickering and flying hands on one occaision.

one on each side of the car - so they can't touch each other!! I did start off with dd2 in the middle but dd1 kept touching and trying to hold her hand and generally annoy her ( in a nice way).