Anybody have opinions (on this board ) about brands or preference to front or rear placement?
I have a son on the way 11/27, our first child, and the parental worries are already starting.
No offense guys but the ladies may have better input on this one.

 

jdf,
not a lady, but i have 2 kids. lol! i like mine in the rear center. my youngest seems to be happy there, too. she can see out ok from there. as far as brands go, i would check "consumer reports", or other places that test products. good luck with your youngun, Rich.

 

Rear center is the safest. Hikerrich is right - Consumer Reports is a great referrence for car seats, cribs, and other "baby equipment"! Go for the major manufacturers and follow their guidelines and instructions on use and installation. Congratulations on your upcoming event - get lots of sleep while you can!

 

When you get the car seat find a fire department or police department and have someone who is trained show you how to buckle the seat in whatever you're going to be driving. That was the first stop we made when my son came home. Around here the volunteer fire departments and state troopers have been great about it. I've talked to both and found out they have to go through alot of training to install the seats correctly in all kinds of cars. We have a backless booster seat for my 5 year old daughter. I asked the troopers at the Erie County Fair about how safe it is for her. I don't like that there is nothing between her head and the back window of the truck. They are going to exhcange it for a high back booster seat for free.
Congratulations on the new family. As you can tell I have a 5 year old and an 18 month old and they're the greatest things in my life.

DF

 

As everyone said before back center is the best spot. If you have AAA you can go there and they will inspect the installation. Also do not buy a used one because you will have no way of knowing if it has ever been in an accident. I have a 2 year old and an 8 month old so I have had both a rear facing and a forward facing car seat in my truck at the same time. The rear facing would be difficult in an extended cab anywere except for the middle unless you are one of those with the passenger seat further forward or you keep the arm rest up all the time.

As far as a reccomendation for the brand I would say stay with a name brand and you may want to get one of the ones where you can pull the car seat off and it snaps into a stroller. Then you can use the stroller still after the kid outgrows the infant carrier. Makes it a lot easier when the kids is asleep and you don't want to wake them up.

Congrats on the new addition. They are a lot of work but they are worth it.

 

I would agree with big pa s. Go with the kind that snaps into a stroller. They are designed to be easy to remove and install without having to pull them out of the seat and risk waking them up. LET A SLEEPING DOG LIE!!!

 

Have the dealer install tether strap anchor(s) for you. When I put the kids' seats in the back seat, I slide/tilt the passenger seat all the way forward so I can climb right right in and I put my knee and all of my 205 lbs in each seat as I cinch up the seatbelt as tight as possible.
Also, I think www.consumerreports.org provides info including any recalls you will want to be aware of.
Kids are a riot. My 3 year old and 20 month old and I have a blast cruising around in the F150. They love it because they've got great visibility and I burned them some CD's with Barney and Big Bird songs.
My son cannot pronounce a "TR" sound (it becomes an "F"), so when he looks at my truck, he points and shouts " F--k!!"
That's a lot of profanity for someone who isn't even 2 yet!!

 

In my new baby Screw they now have the anchors in the rear, so all you need is a new chair that has the anchors on them.

 

I agree with BD. Get lots of sleep for the next 3 months.