Car seat arrangement for two toddlers and a newborn

[Hlan]

I have a 2 and 4 year old who currently sit in the back seat (mum in the front).

We are expecting another in a few weeks and I have no idea what the new car seat arrangement should be?

Am I allowed to put my 4 year old in the front seat? Or is it better to put the two year old in the front? Both are forward facing seats. Mum and newborn would ideally be at the back?

I'd put the 4 year old in the front or the baby if you can turn off the airbag, I wouldn't put the 2 year old in the front as they should ideally still be rear facing, so not forward facing in the front. You can't fit 3 car seats in the back no?

Thanks Garman.
I wouldn't want to put the newborn in the back without mum keeping an eye on whilst I'm driving. I should say my two year old is nearing 3, so has reached the point where she is forward facing now.

Good point about turning off the airbag. I'll take a look at this option with the eldest.

If your car doesn’t fit three car seats across the back, I can’t imagine you can comfortably fit an adult in the back with two car seats? (believe me, I’ve tried this)
I guess you can only try the configurations and see what works best.

Is a it a regular size car? If so you really can't fit two seats and an adult in the back.

You need to buy a bigger car.

What car do you have? What seats are you currently using?

Ideally you'd have all 3 in the back. I've always had mirrors on the headrests to keep an eye on the DC whilst they are rear facing.

4yo in middle, 2yo passenger side, baby behind driver.

If 4yo or 2yo had to be in front, 4yo. But ideally a three need to be in back.

You'll struggle to get an adult between an infant seat and a forward facing toddler seat or HBB. I could squeeze my hips between an ERF seat (goes to 4 ish) and infant carrier but shoulders were really twisted once we swapped to a HBB.

I'd probably put the 4yo in the middle as most likely to be able to climb in independently. Both adults in the front, mirrors to check on baby and that older kids not annoying them.

What car do you have?
Probably the best option to fit everyone in comfortably would be 3 seats in the back - 2 year old rear facing behind either front seat, 4 year old front facing in middle, baby rear facing behind the other seat. The four year old can climb into their seat before you put the baby in assuming they will be in an infant carrier. I know you've said that the two year old is already forward facing but you'll likely have more room if the seats are alternated like that in the back ( and it's safer till at least 4), it definitely depends on what car you have though.

Airbag in front is only off if the baby is in the front seat. If 2 or 4 year old then chair pushed as far back as possible and airbag on.

Honestly if you cant fit 3 car seats in the back i doubt you can fit adult and 2 car seats

We have a large estate car and I had to squeeze in the middle between the baby seat (isofix base) and my 5yo in his car seat. I was barely in the seat and I'm 5'3... wouldn't want to travel like that very often!

Mine (Vauxhall Zafira) has to go to the dealer to turn the air bag on/off which is a massive pita!

Yup. This was the point at which we bought the minivan. We’re a minivan family now, God help us.

We are going to have this soon, but my 3.5 and 1.5 year old are both rear facing. I think when it's just me and the children I'll put the baby in the front. when we all need to go somewhere together, I'll put the 3.5 year old rear facing in front. husband will have to learn to drive or be squished! We have got the slimmest infant carrier and seat for 1 year old we could find...

When we can, e.g. if visiting our parents, I think my husband will take at least one child on the train and we will just meet each other there, until we can afford to swap cars to one that fits 3 in the back !

Obvioulsy will have front airbag off when there's a child there...

4YO in the middle since they can climb in first, 2YO behind the passenger (rear facing would give more room) and baby behind the driver. I don’t understand why mum needs to keep an eye in the back and tbh if you are struggling with 3 seats, it won’t be possible for an adult to fit either without some sort of contortion act. Just don’t sit the 2YO next to the baby if you’re worried about them poking them or something.

What car do you have, OP?

I have a big car that wouldn’t fit three car seats in the back (not many do) but I would be able to sit between two FF car seats as it’s pretty wide and I’m relatively small.

If that’s doable: two year old behind the passenger seat (too allow the seat to be back so the baby can be reached from the rear), four year old behind driver, baby in front, mother in the middle.

I have twins and a 4 year old when they were born - babies when in the back - 4 yr old in the middle in a slimline seat or in the front when DH not with us

If you are anywhere near the In Car Safety Centre it's worth going there as they will let you try all the various seats in your car to see if there's a combo that works.

This may also help (if your 4 year old is in a HBB):

incarsafetycentre.co.uk/rivemove

Dacia have now bought out a 7 seater, it's not the most glamorous car I've ever seen but it's cheap for a seven seater!

This might help from gov.uk:

"No room for a third child car seat

Children under 3 must be in a child car seat. If there’s no room for a third child car seat in the back of the vehicle, the child must travel in the front seat with the correct child car seat.

Children aged 3 or older can sit in the back using an adult belt."

www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

So I think you could have baby in the back in a car seat, with mum and 4yo with just a belt. Then 2yo in front with their car seat, airbag off. This is assuming that you won't be going out driving often as one big family (surely it would just be for occasional weekend outings like once a month? Because eg sometimes dad is at work and oldest at school?)

I think if you're going driving often as a whole family then you might need a bigger car

Thanks all for your responses. I have a BMW X3 (2004), so not a small car at all.

• The 2.5 year old is in a Britax Romer First Class (non-iso Fix)
• 4 year old in a Nania Trio (non-Iso Fix).
• Newborn will be in a Hauck Comfort Car seat.

We recently moved the 2.5 year old to forward facing because DD legs were squashed when rear facing and kept on throwing up.

We are going to have this issue soon. 7 seater (new) car purchased just before I found out I was pregnant. Twins will be 2.5 when baby is born.

I think we will have twins + me in the back (squashed in) and baby in the front with air bag off when we all travel together. Twins are in 360 seats and I don’t want to stop using them.