Baby seat placement Gladiator

[JTBurns]

Seems like a good post to raise the question…whens the appropriate age/size to change to forward facing?? My wife and i go back and forth i feel like my daughter would be way happier forward but she continues to shut it down!

This might depend on your state, but I think size and weight have more to do with it than age. We've turned ours around at 2 but both are boys that are tall and weighed at least 40lbs. Then I recently heard newest guidance says age 4? I don't even know how my kids will fit, so not doing that.

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[In3briatedPanda]

Seems like a good post to raise the question…whens the appropriate age/size to change to forward facing?? My wife and i go back and forth i feel like my daughter would be way happier forward but she continues to shut it down!

i think its 50lbs and/or one year old. You can look up your car seat manufacturers recommendations online. also, if you're ever in a wreck, if your car seat is in the vehicle, insurance will replace it. Its like a helmet, once its been in a wreck, it should be replaced. i learned that this year.

Ive been front facing for awhile. Coming from a GX460, i find the gladiatior cramped for my carseat and my kid kicks my seat, im only 6'0 even. I have it behind the passenger seat now and just move the car seat to the middle for long trips.

again, my toddler is the about the size of a 5-6 year old at only 3. Very long and tall for her age. Hopefully, one day, she is outside linebacker for UGA.

 

[JTBurns]

I have 3 in the back, am 6'2" and can fit comfortably. It works with the right configuration.

Also bought something like this as a seat protector:

 

[Victoryrider78]

6 and 2 here. Have a convertible and a full sized booster. That behind the seat anchor is a real pain.

5 and 2 here, both forward facing. I have my seat all the way back, just need to move it up to let my 5 year old in and out. She has no trouble climbing in and out with no steps.

 

[dcmdon]

Looking at all of your posts made me happy and sad.

Sad that my babies are now 12 and 13.

Happy that I no longer have to remove the seats monthly and vacuum up cheerios and dried american cheese from in, under, around, and behind the seats.

Some thoughs for the OP.

Its counterintuitive but the older a kid gets the LESS room they take up. Rear facing seats are huge.
If you give up the bucket when you go to forward facing, the seat takes up very little room. There is a good chance your first will be able to be forward facing by the time #2 comes around.

Put the older kid in the forward facing seat behind the taller person so they have more room.

I didn't use a doggie seat cover like others have suggested. I should have. Its a great idea.

Re age and weight requirements for turning around the child or moving them into a booster. Its usually a combination of age and weight. But it varies with every state. So you need to look it up.

In our case, we had a large child so we fudged a bit on the age when we moved her out of the bucket. The bucket adds about 10 lbs and it was just easier to put her in a regular seat rather than the bucket.

Thanks again for all your photos. I really miss the little ones. As they get older, they will do some incredibly cute and funny things while riding in the car seats. I've found that using the selfie camera on the phone is the least likely to result in a crash. Ha.

 

[the_visiting_fireman]

Seems like a good post to raise the question…whens the appropriate age/size to change to forward facing?? My wife and i go back and forth i feel like my daughter would be way happier forward but she continues to shut it down!

Your specific car seat should have some kind of documentation on it for when you turn it around. For mine, a Graco seat, rear facing up to 22lbs. We spun my daughters seat around when she about 2, and she was over that weight.

 

[dcmdon]

One other thing. Take the time to teach your kids to be self sufficient. My kids were buckling their own car seats by the time they were 3.

If it was too tight for them they still had the shoulder straps on and the crotch strap pulled up and everything in place for me to latch it.

Investing the time in teaching your kids to be self sufficient will pay off huge when they get older. And give them responsibilities. My 13 year old has been belaying me when we rock climb for 2 years. (Of course I'm not an idiot. My wife is standing next to her with her foot on the tail end of the rope, but she doesn't know that)

 

[93civej1]

6 and 2 here. Have a convertible and a full sized booster. That behind the seat anchor is a real pain.

Yes I hate those dang things!!!!

 

[Guns_N_Rosaries]

I have two forward facing seats in the back and they seem to fit pretty well. I also recommend the seat cover for underneath the car seat, but I also recommend getting a cover for the front seats that go along the back to protect the seat from the kids kicking them. Plus the ones we have have a clear pouch that fits a tablet perfectly so the little one can see it during long road trips.

As for when to flip around the car seat, all our pediatricians have recommended keeping it rear facing as long as possible, but we switched our oldest around when she turned 2, and we actually flipped the youngest's around at around 18 months because she started to get car sick riding backwards.

 

[Rockabillyroy]

Seems like a good post to raise the question…whens the appropriate age/size to change to forward facing?? My wife and i go back and forth i feel like my daughter would be way happier forward but she continues to shut it down!

sooo subjective. Some kids, it's way too much visual stimulation facing forward going high speeds. Can be a lot for them to handle at first.

That being said, both my kids, we turned around at 2. They were tall enough and weighed over the minimum amount.

I'd say if you wife's not ready, then there's no need to rush. It's not a sprint. Time will come soon enough.

 

[Higher_Ground]

I will echo what most others have said. We turned the car seat around at 2 in the SUV but left it rear facing in the sedan as there was plenty of room (and it extended so their legs aren't cramped).

If in doubt, ask your pediatrician. Ours said it was ok at 2 and meeting the size requirements of the car seat. He also pointed out that rear-facing for as long as practical was thought to be safer, but much easier for the kids to get in and out facing forward.

Looking at the OP's photos, I would double check the instructions on the rear facing car seat / base. I think the Graco one looks fine, but that combo seat is hanging pretty far over the edge. Mine had a sticker on it showing how far you could let it overhang. Just one thing that's easy to overlook.

Edit: There's usually a mention of leaving a little room between the front car seat and the kid seat. I think it was 4" in mine, roughly about the size of a fist.

 

[Wat Dog]

I got a bit frustrated and had to cut the strap behind the seat. But I found the solution at Amazon which holds the seat tighter than it’s ever been before.

Car Seat Strap,moinkerin General Belt Car Seat Latch Safety Car Seat Connector Compatible with Most Car Models https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HJWDK77/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RRC3GQH3JDKVAJMBV8HP

 

[Daddiator54]

I have two forward facing seats in the back and they seem to fit pretty well. I also recommend the seat cover for underneath the car seat, but I also recommend getting a cover for the front seats that go along the back to protect the seat from the kids kicking them. Plus the ones we have have a clear pouch that fits a tablet perfectly so the little one can see it during long road trips.

As for when to flip around the car seat, all our pediatricians have recommended keeping it rear facing as long as possible, but we switched our oldest around when she turned 2, and we actually flipped the youngest's around at around 18 months because she started to get car sick riding backwards.

Second the protector for the back of the front seat. My daughter kicks the back of the seat despite me telling her 1 million and 1 times. She kicks right on the seam where the stitching is so I fear that the seat wont last long. Need something like a cover but I hate how cheap the covers make the seat feel.

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