Toddler and infant -- best configuration in car?

[Niea]

So I'm sure some of you have seen that I just bought Regents for DD. And if you look at my siggie, you'll notice I am expecting a little boy any day now. :love: I'm using a Snugride for him.

From a convenience standpoint, which seat should go where? Both seats will be outboard in the back (we don't drive vehicles with a 3rd row).

Is it easiest to snap the infant carrier into the base that's on the passenger's side, then walk around and buckle the toddler in? Or would it be easier the other way around?

I'm sure there's plenty of you guys who've BTDT. . .so spam me with what made the most sense logistical sense for you!

[Holly]

We had the baby outboard behing the passenger side so if one of us was going somewhere alone, we could reach baby's seat from the drivers seat if we needed to give her a binky or stroke her head to comfort her.

If I was going somewhere alone with both kids, I buckled in dd#1 first because I couldnt trust her to stand by the car while putting baby in (Oldest was only 16 months when dd#2 came.)

Now when I take the kids alone, I buckle dd#2 in first because dd#1 is able to stand next to me and wait, and baby can't without taking off!

[TerisBoys]

I took the opposite approach - I had 3 across in a sedan...Oldest (then 6yo) on passenger side, middle (3yo) in the middle and youngest behind me.

BUT oldest needed to be on that side for his school drop-off line. And I found it easier to have him and middlest get in the passenger side while I was putting the baby in his seat on the driver's side. He could help W get his arms in his harness and do his chest clip, then I just had to buckle the bottom buckles and tighten.

Once the baby is here you'll figure out which way works best for you.

[debbiemomof2]

I'd say it depends on what vehicle you are driving. For us the best option was baby behind passenger seat because with the RF seat we had to move the front seat forward a bit and didn't like to do that with the driver's seat.

[luvmy2]

I have my SS1 behind the passenger seat, b/c you have to move the seat up so far. My BV is in the middle of the 2nd row, right next to the SS1.

[Niea]

Thanks for all of the ideas!

Well, I decided to put the Regent behind the driver's seat and the infant seat behind the passenger's. No real rhyme or reason, I guess, other than it's easier right now for DD to just get in the same side as me. We'll play it by ear, but I might end up switching them later.

I totally get what you guys mean about having to have the front seat up so far. . .but in my case I'm the short one (5'0"), so the driver's seat is already all the way up. DH never drives me car, so the passenger's side is further back for him. The Snugride fits behind his seat, but there's not much room to reach under and pull the lever to disconnect the seat from the base. It's doable, but I can see it getting annoying in the future. If it does, I'll probably switch them.

[vonfirmath]

One reason to put the baby on the driver's side is in case of parking on the side of the road -- if a toddler is going jump out of the car and dart away, I'd rather it be away from the traffic. The baby is contained and staying that way.