More than one Kid: Where to install Infants Car Seat?

[J-Bean]

I just got super-curious with the nesting bug that's hit this holiday weekend...Here's a more than one kid question:

*I've got one DD (22 mos) in a Britax Roundabout front facing in the middle right now.
*Where is the safest place in the car to install the newborn seat?

I'm debating switching the two (baby in middle, toddler behind driver) VS. putting baby behind driver and keeping DD's seat in the middle?

Oy, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I just cruised all over the net with no luck finding any websites with this type of info. Thanks!

[alegna]

Least protected child goes in the center. Most protected outboard.

Though would you consider turning your toddler rear facing again if she's under 33 pounds?

-Angela

[IntuitiveJamie]

Originally Posted by alegna

Least protected child goes in the center. Most protected outboard.

Though would you consider turning your toddler rear facing again if she's under 33 pounds?

-Angela

Yes, this is pretty much what I figured. Except the part about turning my toddler back around. He would be devastated.

[Daisie125]

I'm putting nobody in the middle, one kid behind each seat. I'd love to put them next to eachother, but DS is just NOT old enough to understand why he can't share his board books/drink/etc with his baby sister. Poor baby would likely end up burried under a book or wearing a drink.

Anyone else have this dilema?

[alegna]

Originally Posted by takebirthback

Except the part about turning my toddler back around. He would be devastated.

It's much, much safer. My dd is 3 and still rf.

-Angela

[IntuitiveJamie]

Originally Posted by alegna

It's much, much safer. My dd is 3 and still rf.

-Angela

I know it's safer and I would really like to be one of those Moms that kept my kid in the safest position for as long as poss., but like I said I'm not gonna do it to ds now. He hated facing backwards from the get go and I think he would really freak out if I switched him back. I feel comfortable having him facing forward at this point.

[IntuitiveJamie]

Originally Posted by Daisie125

I'm putting nobody in the middle, one kid behind each seat. I'd love to put them next to eachother, but DS is just NOT old enough to understand why he can't share his board books/drink/etc with his baby sister. Poor baby would likely end up burried under a book or wearing a drink.

Anyone else have this dilema?

Don't know yet, but am def. wondering about it!

[lactivist]

I am putting baby in the way back middle. It might be a bit more inconvenient but it is the safest place. Alegna when will you turn your dc forward? At what weight?
Wendi

[mommajb]

I have my toddler in the way back middle because it is a lap only belt and she is a 5 point carseat. My two oldest will be next to her. My 4 yo and new baby will be in the middle row. It is excruciating to buckle the 2 yo in if one of my older two is not there to help but I think this is the safest configuration and will result in the least fighting - the 4 yo is annoying and they still think the 2 yo is cute for the most part.

[angelamclamb]

THANK GOD FOR MINIVANS!!!

I don't know how I would handle 5 kids without one. Fortunately the teens are not always with us these days, but I just did car seats yesterday as well. I put my 2yr old in the third row in the middle, the 5 yr old in the 2nd row behind me and the babies carseat will go in the 2nd row next to the 5 yr old. The 5yr old and baby are in captians chairs as well and the 5 yr old is such a good helper that he will be able to reach both for me in the time of need without even getting out of his seat.

[BamBam'sMom]

Originally Posted by alegna

Least protected child goes in the center. Most protected outboard.

Though would you consider turning your toddler rear facing again if she's under 33 pounds?

-Angela

This may be a dumb question, but what do you mean by least protected? Would that mean that my forward facing kid goes in the middle and the rear facing kid on the side?

[mamas2atti]

Originally Posted by Daisie125

I'm putting nobody in the middle, one kid behind each seat. I'd love to put them next to eachother, but DS is just NOT old enough to understand why he can't share his board books/drink/etc with his baby sister. Poor baby would likely end up burried under a book or wearing a drink.

Anyone else have this dilema?

When I had only two car seats this was the way we did it. It wasn't worth it to have ds1 so close to ds2. We will still have the older two on the outsides when new baby arrives. I think car seats are pretty darn safe if installed correctly so I wouldn't get too hung up on which position they're in. Some cars only have two seats in the back so that's the way a lot of people do it. Now I have three seats packed in like sardines and my two ds's bicker and poke each other over the infant seat (which only fits in the middle of our back seat...dh and I are too tall for it behind either of our seats). I told dh the other day either the kids go or we trade in for a minivan. We'll see...

[alegna]

Originally Posted by lactivist

I am putting baby in the way back middle. It might be a bit more inconvenient but it is the safest place. Alegna when will you turn your dc forward? At what weight?
Wendi

When she gets to the weight for the seat- 33lbs. Well, probably at 32 really

I had hoped to get one of the new recaros and keep her RF until 35lbs, but looks like they don't rear tether... :

-Angela

[alegna]

Originally Posted by BamBam'sMom

This may be a dumb question, but what do you mean by least protected? Would that mean that my forward facing kid goes in the middle and the rear facing kid on the side?

Okay- protection most to least:

infant seat
rear facing convertible
forward facing 5pt harness (convertible or otherwise) (though a seat with TSIP would be more protected than one without)
high back booster
backless booster/seatbelt

hope that helps!

Yes- forward facing in the middle, rear outboard.

-Angela

[thismama]

Lurking...

So does that mean the toddler should be in the centre, infant at the side? That is contrary to what I assumed!

[alegna]

Originally Posted by thismama

Lurking...

So does that mean the toddler should be in the centre, infant at the side? That is contrary to what I assumed!

Correct.

-Angela

[stefka]

We haven't done a test run with the infant seat yet, but I think we have no choice but to do one on each side. Am I the only person here who drives a little car (Honda Civic)? It's going to be tight no matter what.

[MCsMom]

Not the only one in a little car, but I managed to get our seats with the toddler in the middle and the baby behind the passanger. I am hoping and praying that the toddler will not 'abuse' the baby and figure that if she is in the middle I can at least reach back and take things from her that she might be giving to the baby that she is not suppoded to be.

I plan on having the baby behind the passanger because I need the seat farther back to drive then the rear facing seat will allow.

I do not like having anyone behind me because then I can't see them. I have driven with DD like this before when I have had other babies/toddlers in the car and I don't think I could do it long term.

[gizzyntaz]

I'm glad to know that what we are doing actually is the safest. DS is in a FF 5 pt. harness seat in the captain's chair that is scootched over towards the middle in our van. The baby will be in the other captain's chair. We did this because DS gets a great view (the baby stares at the back of a seat) by being almost in the middle, and it's where he's used to being, I didn't want to make him move. We kept DS RF until 30+ pounds, but lucky for us that was only 15 months! He LOVES being FF, and I wouldn't switch him back now, either (even if he qualified).

[thismama]

Originally Posted by alegna

Correct.

-Angela

Thanks!