Where does your child sit?

Where in the car do your children sit and why?

In DH's car, DS is behind the passenger seat. We usually park passenger side to the kerb and DS kicks the seat in front just because of leg space issues (I sympathise) so he can't really sit behind the driver.

In my car, DS sits in the front passenger seat (in his booster seat). Usually because he wants my attention a lot when I drive, so in the front I can concentrate on the road rather than him screaming that I need to look at him. Plus he gets to see what's going on and he loves telling me what all the signs mean.

So who sits where in your car?

In my car : DS sits behind me, DD1 sits in the middle and DD2 sits behind passenger seat. Reasons? DS's and DD2's car seats cannot sit adjacent to each other and it helps to have them separated by my calming DD1. I also prefer having to reach diagonally across to DD2 rather then behind me and it is easier to see her as well.

In DH's car : younger two are still separated with DD1 in middle but this time DD2 is behind the driver and DS behind the passenger. Reasons? Because majority of time both of us adults are in DH's car with children and once again it is therefore easier for the person in passenger seat to reach diagonally across and deal with DD2 if need be.

DD1 does wish to be in front seat sometimes but I think she has only been in front 4-5 times, would never do it on a permanent basis for safety reasons and besides it is illegal to do so here unless all other seats are filled. Considering that we have 2 x 7 seaters that will rarely ever happen!

DD1 in the front, DD2 behind the drivers seat.
DS is kerb side back & DD3 is in the middle.

If there are more than 5 of us, the older girls will go to the back dic kie seat. Or we arrange it so the oldest is in the front & the 2 little ones don't change.


I didn't think a child under 12 could legally sit in the front unless all back seats were taken?

Ive been thinking about this recently in yerms of where to put the car seat. behind the driver is apparently best because instictivly the driver protects their side of the car, but i think i would still feel better with bub away from the traffic so therefore behind passenger

sent via my vortex manipulator!

Bubs is always behind the driver seat. Been in an accident before and yes, instinctively I turned the wheel to the right. Plus, when I actually thought about it, the amount of times I parellel park was so rare, having her behind the passenger seat for that reason was all but pointless.
DD1 sits in the middle in my car as it has a built in booster seat, and the middle of the other in her booster as that is where the anchor point is! lol

DD sits behind the passenger seat due to the safety issue of needing to open the door of I pulled o er on the side of the road. This bubs will be behind the driver, I won't bother to swap DD and bubs seats around. I wouldn't put bubs in the middle because I am short and it is hard for me to reach in and out of the car

Moo is behind the drivers seat and Buster is on the passenger side. I park on the roadside frequently so this works best for us. I open the left side of the car, Moo climbs in while I'm strapping bubs into the capsule, then I strap him in. Before this Moo was on the passenger side.

Interesting about behind drivers seat being safest, because I was told by the capsule hire people and others that behind passenger safest.

DD 2.5 is behind passenger, DS 8 months behind driver. I often parallel park so currently I think is safer to get baby out on road side. As he gets older we might swap them and unbuckle DD behind driver and get her to walk across.

I found it interesting that the capsule hire people kept saying safest for baby behind passenger side, when I said was putting it behind driver - like safety of toddler didn't matter!

(The flying butter is in UK I believe and rules different there on children in front)

Isaac sits on the drivers side.
Same as above, I've read it was safer

In my car (when it fricken runs!) and DH's, she's in the middle. In Mum's car, she's behind Mum.

We have a van. So dd1 and dd2 that can't click themselves are down the back. DS is in the middle of the middle seats and dd3 is behind the driver. The three oldest do swap around but the only thing that stays the same is the smallest is behind the drive so when getting out of the car the older kids are on the kerb.

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I found it interesting that the capsule hire people kept saying safest for baby behind passenger side, when I said was putting it behind driver - like safety of toddler didn't matter!

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I know exactly what you mean! I thought it was so odd people were talking about what was safer for the baby when the safety of my toddler is just as important to me.

DD1 is behind the passanger, I find it safer when we park road side and she likes to be able to see me so requested that side. DD2 is behind my seat.

DD is in the middle at the moment, but will soon move to the drivers side, so I can still see her without turning all the way around and bub will go in the middle.

Depends on the day. They have figured out how to move their boosters about so sometimes one will ride shotgun while the other sits in the back and other days they both ride in the back.
They prefer the passenger side because when it rains a big puddle that forms on that side and I swerve into it so it splashes up. It never fails to entertain them :rolleyes:

Ds was in the middle, now behind the passenger seat. Im Frequently parked on busy roads, so easier to open the door wide, and take my time getting him in and out when I'm not worried about traffic coming at us!

DD1 is in the middle, DD2 is behind the passenger seat and this baby will be behind the driver. I've always had my newborn behind the passenger, mainly due to more space for the driver when the seat is rear facing, but I figure the girls getting in and out a bit more by themselves its a lot safer to leave them kerbside. Also, I have a fairly big car and in smaller car bays if I allow more room on the driver's side then I will still be able to easily get the baby in, and the girls can crawl through from my driver's seat into the back.

I was told by the Kidsafe man that the safest position thing was up for debate because in terms of an accident, the safest seat in the vehicle for a baby is behind the driver. In terms of simply getting baby in and our, behind the passenger is safer because its kerbside.

DD1 is behind the driver and DD2 is behind the passenger as we normally get the kids out of the passenger side door, DD1 is more able to unclip her own seatbelt and climb over to get out the passenger door.

Yes - with us it's OK for a child to sit in the front seat from birth, although the airbags have to be switched off. For me, I weighted up the safety of an accident happening TO us with DS in the front (unlikely, not so pretty) against the likelihood of an accident caused BY us because he wants attention and I can't concentrate (high: I've had a couple of near-misses). It's safer for him in the front as I can't switch off as well as DH can. Plus DS can understand if traffic is heavy and I don't respond that it's OK and doesn't demand my response when he can see where my concentration is. And he can't undo his seatbelt without me noticing - he's really good at undoing his seatbelt.

Two children, both would be in the back as they can entertain each other. Fighting is entertainment, right?

And Onyx, puddle splashing never fails to entertain Liebs and me too!

We have bubs rearward facing in the centre.


Excuse my sucky spelling, I'm on my iPhone

Currently DD is in the middle in her booster. Trying to work out where to put bubs when he arrives. Normally DD is behind the passenger as then I can see if she is ok (she's diabetic so always worried about her whilst driving)

DD has always been behind the passenger seat, until last week when we put her new seat behind the driver and set up the baby seat behind the passenger. The guy who installed also told us it was safest behind the driver.

We had DD behind the passenger seat because I could always see her through the mirror easily, and could reach her without a problem if I needed to quickly. Plus my car is always parked in the street and I didn't like her getting in roadside. We're only planning on remaining here for a short time now, so it won't be an issue because I don't really parallel park anywhere, unless I go to the city which is pretty rare. (and she can get in kerbside and climb across).

DD1 who is 3yrs sits behind the drivers seat, and DD2 who is 10mths rear facing sits behind the passenger seat. We found this the safest and easiest way for our family :)

Initially we had DS behind the passenger seat, but when we turned the seat around DS went into the middle as he loves looking through the windscreen. They told me the middle is the safest...

DD1 behind drivers seat. DD2 behind passenger seat, DD3 in the middle. Reasons because DD1 is in a booster seat and with her seatbelt that side is the easiest to do her belt.

Currently DS is rearward facing in the centre and DD usually sits either in the front or behind the driver - in the front if it's just one of us, behind the driver when we're both in the car as usually DH drives and he's shorter so there's more leg room for her :)

Not entirely sure how things will work when we go for another baby...

DS1 is behind the driver and DS2 behind the passenger. We have it this way because when DS2 was a baby it was easier for me to get him out on the kerb side and have DS1 climb over and it's just stayed like that now.

We had DS in the middle and a twin on either side. It was so handy because I could get him to put dummies back in for me, and pass biscuits to him so he could hand them out to the girls for me :) But we recently installed his booster and he wanted to sit behind the drivers seat, so we now have the girls sitting side by side - they either hold hands or hit each other.. :rolleyes:

Great thread! Thanks all,

I have been wondering - wheni get my new 7 seater - how will I arrange all the car seats?! DS10 can go in front or very back row - I'm thinking DS3 who is still in a full baby seat will go in the middle with twins on either side? But how will he actually get in to the middle seat? It will take me half an hour to get everyone in the car:(

Any thoughts?

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