If you go to a fire hall, they will happily help you install the seat properly.
P.S. the reason you may not be allowed to use the middle may be due to the way the seats are "cupped" (ie. the middle is higher than the sides), causing the seat to sit high in the centre, and not fit snug against the seat on the sides....
Using the middle will kill your back as table jr getd bigger. We did for a few weeks then came to our senses and moved it behind the passenger seat. It was worse for my wife because she is on the smaller side.
we just had our first baby like two weeks ago, I had no idea the complex intricacies required to know for the ever challenging car-seat install. This procedure will be your most challenging task to date.
Our prenatal class literally spent like 45 minutes going over carseats. After about 10 minutes, my brain was starting to bleed from boredom / confusion. I believe, after trying to recall from the fog that is my memory, these are simply a few of the various themes addressed:
- how to install them properly
- how important it is to install them properly
- what you should think about while installing them
- what the police are likely to say to you after pulling you over and inspecting your carseat, noticing that of course, it is not installed correctly
- the fact that you should feel immense shame for not understanding the ease with which it is to install a carseat
- the various locking mechanisms for a securely installed carseat
- the shape, physical dimensions and aerodynamic capabilities of various carseats
- why carseats are the most important thing on earth
- how the carseat prevents you from going immediately to hell, do not collect $200
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we just had our first baby like two weeks ago, I had no idea the complex intricacies required to know for the ever challenging car-seat install. This procedure will be your most challenging task to date.
Our prenatal class literally spent like 45 minutes going over carseats. After about 10 minutes, my brain was starting to bleed from boredom / confusion. I believe, after trying to recall from the fog that is my memory, these are simply a few of the various themes addressed:
- how to install them properly
- how important it is to install them properly
- what you should think about while installing them
- what the police are likely to say to you after pulling you over and inspecting your carseat, noticing that of course, it is not installed correctly
- the fact that you should feel immense shame for not understanding the ease with which it is to install a carseat
- the various locking mechanisms for a securely installed carseat
- the shape, physical dimensions and aerodynamic capabilities of various carseats
- why carseats are the most important thing on earth
- how the carseat prevents you from going immediately to hell, do not collect $200
After having a few kids (4) and now remembering the pre-natal classes that I did manage to attend it seems like the classes are designed to present 75% information that is common sense that you would know without them and 25% information to make you feel like an awful parent once you have the kid.
Oh Jesus. Did you even bother reading the instructions? I'm pretty sure it's illegal and unsafe to put the seat in the middle. Holy crap...
Put the seat on the rear passenger side. Easier to take baby in and out when parked next to a sidewalk and you can easily turn your head to the right and check on them.
...in the middle...Jesus...
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Oh Jesus. Did you even bother reading the instructions? I'm pretty sure it's illegal and unsafe to put the seat in the middle. Holy crap...
Put the seat on the rear passenger side. Easier to take baby in and out when parked next to a sidewalk and you can easily turn your head to the right and check on them.
...in the middle...Jesus...
The safest place for a child has long been considered the rear center portion of a vehicle. The fact that his vehicle is designed to make that not true doesn't invalidate the logic behind that concept.
You seem to be acting like he is just planning on duct taping the kid to the roof or something.
__________________
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Oh Jesus. Did you even bother reading the instructions? I'm pretty sure it's illegal and unsafe to put the seat in the middle. Holy crap...
...in the middle...Jesus...
1. Stop the hysteria, you sound like Mrs Lovejoy.
2. Looks like you're the one not reading instructions. It's absolutely safe to put the child seat in the middle, and almost every place out there actually recommends doing, it if possible. The car and seat instructions clearly indicate options of doing both, just with different ways of attaching (using Latch on the sides, and seatbelt in the middle).
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Like Table 5 I too am a Volvo driver, toyed with the idea of putting the rear facing seat in the middle seat but soon decided that it was much easier to have it on the passenger side.
Before Littletime came along I was quite surprised to discover that my 2001 S60 did not have anchors, had to go with the oldschool seatbelt fastening option. I was a little surprised by that. Just had to really lean into that seat and get 'er nice and tight.
Oh and the trunk is a great play centre area for kids on a long road trip, do you have the little access door on the back of the middle seat to it? It can be like a fun tunnel to the trunk for the kids!
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The lady at the car seat store told us that it's actually better to have the car seat behind the drivers side because in a potential accident situation, a driver's natural reaction is to turn to avoid the crash and protect himself so having the baby behind the driver will ensure that the baby is protected better. We had previously had the baby in the rear passenger side because it seems safer when loading/unloading from the car seat but we're giving the driver side a shot right now.
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We have a 3 in 1 seat. Rear facing. Forward facing and then booster. You're supposed to (according to instructions and regulation put out by the government of Canada) keep your child rear facing for as long as possible. Supposed to be safest that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rathji
The safest place for a child has long been considered the rear center portion of a vehicle. The fact that his vehicle is designed to make that not true doesn't invalidate the logic behind that concept.
You seem to be acting like he is just planning on duct taping the kid to the roof or something.
I went and looked through both instruction manuals that we have for both of our baby seats. The first seat is a "bucket" style that clips into a base. The second seat is an Eddie Bauer 3 in 1. Both manuals have identical safety instructions, and both say to position the seat either on the passenger or driver side. They also both say to not use the middle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
1. Stop the hysteria, you sound like Mrs Lovejoy.
2. Looks like you're the one not reading instructions. It's absolutely safe to put the child seat in the middle, and almost every place out there actually recommends doing, it if possible. The car and seat instructions clearly indicate options of doing both, just with different ways of attaching (using Latch on the sides, and seatbelt in the middle).
Read my above response. If I could take a pic of the instructions and show you guys, I would...but I'm at work now.
If anyone can prove me wrong, then please do. I won't mind. I'm just saying that all of the instructions, manuals and reading I've done has always said to not use the middle.
Sorry about being "Mrs. Lovejoy." Was just kind of shocked to hear about people using the middle, based on what I know.
I went and looked through both instruction manuals that we have for both of our baby seats. The first seat is a "bucket" style that clips into a base. The second seat is an Eddie Bauer 3 in 1. Both manuals have identical safety instructions, and both say to position the seat either on the passenger or driver side. They also both say to not use the middle.
And his seat might say that it is ok.
I know for a fact that most bucket car seats are not to be used with the handles raised. We purchased one recently that must be used with the handle raised, because that was how it was designed.
Things like this are why the correct answer about how to legally and safely install a car seat begin and end at "manufacturers installation instructions."
__________________
"Wake up, Luigi! The only time plumbers sleep on the job is when we're working by the hour."
I can't believe we all survived, many of us growing up in the days before car seats.
If statistics showed that a higher percentage of injuries happen to babies riding in car seats that were installed on a Tuesday, it would soon be illegal to install a car seat on a Tuesday.
Manufacturers put those warnings on baby things not because it's unsafe, but rather to limit liability. If the middle seat is where you want to put the seat, and you can get the seat the most secure by using the LATCH in the inner left and inner right tether points, then do it. In my experience, I can always get car seats tighter with LATCH than trying to use a seatbelt, plus, or forward facing seats, I don't have to try and shove my big hand into those little holes to feed the seatbelt through.
Interesting note: the 2003 F150 I drive has LATCH system ONLY in the middle back seat.
Once your toddler outgrows the rear-facing capabilities of his car seat, he can ride facing forward. The middle of the backseat is still the safest place for him to sit.
