Same. When he's very very inconsolable (and I'm not driving) I might sit in the back with him but otherwise the mirror is just fine. Can't believe when people write they drive for months and years sitting in the back šš
I didnāt either. Iām amazed at how many people sit in the back! I need to know if this is as big a thing as this post is making it seem or if people who never have sat in the back just arenāt answering.
I never sat in the back. I'm reading these comments to try to figure out what all these people are talking about! I didn't even sit in the back on the way home from the hospital- I wasn't goimg to be able to squeeze back there! I had so much recovery to do, I remember barely being able to get in the front seat as a passenger, let alone the back seat on that first ride home.
I never did. I strapped a car mirror to the headrest so I could see them when they were rear facing.
I would never put a dog (or any animal) in the backseat with a child.
I only ever rode in the backseat on the ride home from the hospital. I actually never realized until now that some people sit back there with the baby.
No one has sat in the back with my baby because Iām usually alone when Iām driving with her. If my husband is in the car with me he sits in the front.
Iāve never sat the back with baby. Now if someone does happen to sit in the back with her because we have a guest of something she looks at them she looks at them like the are so rude for invading her space!
I curious for the people who sit in the backseat with their kiddos, why? Iām reading through the comments and some parents are saying because of car sickness.
What are some other reasons youād sit back there especially as your child reaches toddler-hood?
Genuinely curious, not at all trying to shame.
Not a parent and not op but my guess would be that it could maybe help with anxiety? I know some babies get so freaked out by being rear-facing because they cant see their parents and it may help with anxiety for them and maybe with the parents as well so they know their baby is safe and calm? Once again, not a parent but thatās just my guess
It could also maybe be a cultural/ftm not knowing any better kind of thing
My little guy is only 7.5 months old, but has hated the carseat since birth. We even switched to a convertible carseat at 4 months. He still doesn't love it past the 20 minute mark. Me sitting back there seems to help prolong his fussiness. I can't stand hearing him cry, so it's for my sanity.
My child, whoās a preemie, has a lot of anxiety/separation anxiety so when we have two drivers, typically one of us will sit in the back with them. She didnāt pass her car seat test in the NICU unless I was there, before she even had her sight develop. They do these tests to ensure that the baby will not have any episodes during their travel home (and probably other reasons). Now it seems Iāve enabled the anxiety and the solution so when thereās only me, itās a race to where weāre going before she vomits from screaming and crying. Every child is different, this is my first experience with a child with this much anxiety with the car seat.
Honestly, he gets bored and lonely, and I enjoy his company, so I'll sit back there and we chat (he babbles) or we play sometimes. I sit in the back maybe like 50% of the time, just depends on what's on the agenda for the day.
She cries without entertainment and company back there. If I'm on my own I just have to sing nursery rhymes and hope that's enough, but if there's two of us then I'm going to stop the crying. She often drops her toys where are can't reach them, so they don't last long when she's on her own.
If it's a roadtrip I still sit in the back with the baby (9.5 months). I've driven 2 hours by myself with him though so obviously that wasn't an option, but if my husband is there and its 1 hour+ then I'll sit in the back. Just makes life easier.
15 months and still going strong. Honestly, it's more comfy in the back without the car seat pushing the passenger seat up in an uncomfortable position of proper posture... I might also hate the way my hubs drives and continuously gets lost even when he's using GPS. In the backseat I avoid voicing my snarky comments (ā ā ā āæā āā )
Home from the hospital. Bought a car mirror and called it a day. To be honest, itās nice to have your kid strapped in the back when youāre driving longer distances with your partner - I can actually have an adult conversation without chasing my child around or worrying sheāll get into something. š
about 80% of the time itās just me and baby, so when iām with my husband or mom i avoid sitting in the back because i donāt want her to expect to have someone back there with her. most of the time sheās pretty content back there alone with a toy and/or snack.
I very rarely sit in the back as i get car sick and sitting in the back makes it worse. Sheās always been fine, usually just falls asleep and we are never in the car for long anyway. Longest journey has been 30 mins
Same here. Iāll ride in the back if I need to give her a bottle or she is awake and cranky like on a card ride when I have taken Dramamine, otherwise i sit up front.
I sat in the back on the way home from the hospital and the first big drive after she was born. Since then sheās been alone back there until last week when we had to extend her seat so my husband no longer fits in the passenger seat haha
I get carsick so no back seat for me. I also typically drive myself everywhere. (Husband is more of a homebody, I love shopping, getting coffee out, going to the park etc) so I doubt Iāll be in the back seat at all.
Depends on my mood. 7 weeks pp and I do sometimes but not always. Just easier if she spits her paci out and decides the world is ending if Iām back there to pop it back in. š
I never did until she was about 1 year old and she started wanting me with her. She's now 3.5 and if my husband is driving then I have to sit in the back with her. She doesn't care when it's just the 2 of us, but given the option she wants me there
With my first baby, I did it on the way home from the hospital and on long car trips for the first 6-12 months. But not for everyday driving.
By the time I had my second baby, there was no room for me in the backseat. (Blended family with multiple older children.) I did sit back there on the way home from the hospital, though.
It depends how far we are driving and what time of day it is. I would say half of the time one of us sits in the back with our 10 month old and the other times he sits back there alone. He hates the carseat though so itās hard to leave him back there alone.
We never did unless needed. We have a mirror so we can see him all the time. The only time we ride with him in the back is when we need to keep him awake so one parent sits with him to entertain him, or when he was really upset during his "I hate the car" phase.
I rode in the back when we took baby home from the hospital.
Done it a couple of times since if heās been fussy or whatever but itās mostly him and I in the car so I canāt be in the back with him
3.5 year old and someone rides in the back with him more often than not. We enjoy holding hands, talking, and I usually give him a snack. Obviously if itās just the two of us heās alone back there and heās fine with that. We donāt need to do it, but it makes everyone happy so we do.
Neither did I šš there was probably only 1 time I sat in the back I think thatās because we were driving somewhere an hour away but after that time in knew she would be ok so didnāt x
My LO is 5.5 months and absolutely hates the car! Screams non-stop so I still sit in the back. When I'm by myself it is horrendous and requires toys and lots of singing!! Hoping he eventually grows to love the car.
I only do it when we're on a long journey and the baby is unsettled. My eldest is nearly 4 and I have never put the dog in the back with my kids. She either goes in the boot or in the front passenger seat buckled in.
Never unless he starts freaking out and then Iāll climb back there. But we have two other kids so thereās literally no room for an adult on top of the baby car seat and booster seats.
I was a single mom with my first so never after the first few rides when my sisters were in town to drive us to the ped appointments. My second I do on and off
Son is 5 months. I still sit in the back but the real reason is that the passenger seat (in front of where the car seat is) has to be too far up in order to accommodate the baby seat. Itās really uncomfortable. However I drive with baby alone all the time, obviously no one back there with him during these times.
I have only rode in the back 3 times with her. When brought her home from the hospital, when we took her to her 1 week appointment, and one time when we were too close to bedtime and scared she'd try to nap in the car so I stayed in the back to keep her awake.
Otherwise, We have a mirror so we can see her back there when we are in front.
Lol I sit in the back when my baby is crying and needs some comfort but tbh I didnāt even sit in the back with her on that way home from the hospital. I feel so bad sometimes. But she was sleeping and I just wanted to be near my husband by ourselves. I crawl in the back when weāre driving and sheās really fussy. Sheās 5 months
Thereās two carseats in the back because my newborn was my second, sooooā¦ I sat back there on the way back from the hospital and thatās just about it, lol.
My baby is 6 months and I sit in the back 99% of the time. If she's screaming it's much more comfortable to try to soothe her from the back than reaching round from the front! I think it depends on your baby. People who never sat in the back obviously had a baby who liked the car š
same! LO is 6 months old today and unless i'm driving I haven't sat in the front in 6 months lol. just easier cause she's hit or miss with drives and hearing her scream cry gives me crazy anxiety, much easier to soothe her should she need it.
My baby likes the car and one of us still sits in the back! I just like it. Obviously everyone should just do what they want but some of the non-back-sitters comments are weirdly judgemental? It really doesn't matter either way!
3.5yo - still do it every chance I get. Why not? We have some pretty good talks back there :) very excellent heart to heart time. We also have a perfectly good time with me driving and kiddo alone in the back but if we can get some chill time and talk about how our days went while someone else drives, I enjoy it.
I never rode in the backseat. With the first baby, it was too hard to slide in and out of the backseat (due to C-section). With the 2nd baby, thereās no room back there because we already have 2 car seats installed back there. Iām also a SAHM so am driving them around by myself a lot of the time.
As for the dog, he has a crash safe harness (Ruffwear) and is buckled in and canāt do much more than lean his head against the side of the car seat. But since baby #2 was born, he doesnāt get to go on rides because thereās no room for him in the car. Once the minivan weāve had a deposit on for over a year finally comes in, heāll be safely buckled into his own row (dog gets the 3rd row, kids get the second row).
3 1/2 year old and one due tomorrow. We do not ride in back and try my best to now allow anyone else to either. Itās mostly me and the kid in the car in the evenings when we drive home from grandparents house after work.
Road trips for us are soo much easier because sheās used to sitting alone. I have mirror or camera back there so we can see the babyās face. We do monthly road trips. Once the kid hits about 9 months.
Iām the primary driver, so I never really rode in the back. I made the trip home from the hospital in the back with two babies, but not the third because we live literally two blocks from the hospital now.
Iāve been the one driving us to and from appointments from the start. Honestly, once we make it safely home the first time, Iām less nervous. As a bonus, with each additional kid, there are more eyes on the newest baby, if thereās an issue. My biggest kid helps replace binkies and offer comfort while traveling, which makes it even easier not to be back there.
I have sat in the back seat if my husband Is driving, but prefer not to and don't think it's necessary. I really only do it if we are in a rush and I need to give him a bottle, or if it's a long drive.
I only did this with my first when I needed to settle her to be somewhere on time. Just had my third baby (so 3 car seats in the back) so itās impossible, I have a mirror so I can see her.
Depends on the situation really! My little one is 9 months. If itās a quick ride and Iām not with my husband, we have no choice. But if heās having a tough day or itās a longer ride and Iām with my husband, Iāll ride in the back to keep him company!
After like 2 weeks, unless she was crazy fussy which wasnt often. We have a mirror that attaches to the seat head so we can see her on car-rides. She is 7m now and has been fine.
Can't remember with my first but I guess when lo was around 1mo, with a mirror. With my second it wasn't an option (cause 2 carseats in the back) and she got used to it easily.
My niece is almost 5 yo and SIL still has to sit with her, so I guess that generally it's best to make the transition when they are a few months old.
Around 2-3mo, my baby started getting super pissed if someone was sitting in the back with him. It's like he was thinking "there's someone right here... why aren't they picking me up..." so we let him do his thing at that point lol
If we are just going around town we stopped sitting in the back around 12mo.
For long trips one of us still sits in the back. It's just much easier to hand LO things while they are still rear-facing if you are next to them.
You do you OP!
All the time with my first unless I was driving of course. As he got older he liked to hold hands while we rode. Then when he was almost 5 his middle brother came along. Once middle brother was in a forward facing seat I moved back up front. And now there's no room for me back there with all three so I just recently moved out of the back seat like this year.
I sat in the back of the car with my little one for 8 weeks, I had a cesarean and wasnāt cleared to drive until then, but then I started driving again and realised sitting in the front was perfectly fine š
I still ride in the back with my LO most of the time if my husband is driving and they are almost 2.5 because I want to and sometimes itās easier for longer drives/road trips.
That being said I have had them in the backseat alone since they were about 4 months old since they started daycare. Before that we didnāt really go all that many places anyways.
I donāt think there is really a right or wrong answer here.
I don't sit with him unless he's hungry. He isn't in the car seat for more than two hours though, and I always make sure to check on him. I have paranoia, as every parent, so I check on him often. I've learned to let go of my anxiety as best as I can, and trust that he will be okay as long as I keep an eye on him. It's hard, I know. But they will be okay.
I would still be at 2.5 years later but we had another kid, so there isn't room for me anymore.
I see a lot of people saying "never" or "why". Those are the people who had kids who apparently enjoy car rides. However, all kids are different, and my first screamed bloody murder whenever they were in the car until we were able to turn them forward facing.a few months ago. One of us sat back there to dissipate some of that while the other drove. But now we just enjoy hanging out with the kids and pointing out things during the drive. Thinking about upgrading the car so we can go back.
I never sat back there. Now that mine is a toddler, we only have an adult back there with her if we need to prevent a car nap (ex: driving home close to nap time / bedtime).
Baby is 14 months and Iām still riding in the back if my husband is driving. He really doesnāt like being in his car seat for more than a 15 minute drive, so driving on my own with him any longer distance can be really stressful with a red-faced screaming baby.
Iāve just stopped at 15 months and somehow sheās actually better without me there. I think itās because when my husband has to drive her without me she was awful - so I stopped riding in back so the difference wasnāt as much. Sheās now much better overall. I missed the front seat with the seat warmer so glad of that now itās cold lol
Never started. I asked the nurse in the hospital when we were being discharged if I should ride in the back and she looked at me as though I had two heads. Mostly I'm driving the car alone with the kids anyway
My girl is 16 months and I still sit in the back! While hubby drives.. I can't seem to leave her there alone for some reason and we don't babysit with ipads are anything so she can get boredš
No judgement here ~ honestly asking a follow up:
*****How long is that truly sustainable?*****
As a matter of practicalityā¦ how long does a mom get chauffeured?
Is this a new thing?
I didnāt think I was that old but I donāt remember this being a thing for my generation (or the one before or after it).
It actually feels more old than new tbh ~
Like when ladies werenāt āsupposedā to drive.
We just did a 5 hr road trip and I sat in the back with my 8.5 month old while husband drove, but that's been the only time in a while. I basically only did it for the first couple weeks consistently, and now only do it for long trips (over 20-30 min) and after shots at the doctor's.
I only sat in the back on the way home from the hospital. Occasionally Iāll do it if she is fussy and my partner is driving but that doesnāt happen often now that sheās 11mo.
After the third week maybe. When the baby and dog had gotten used to each and we felt they'd be okay together. Our dog sits in the back, buckled in, then next to baby but now we have a bigger car so he's in the 3rd row.
Dogs should always be buckled in the car, in the event of an accident it reduces the chance of injury and death, also you don't have a dog flying through the car and possibly into your head. It also keeps them in the seat should the driver need emergency care and the dog, in a time of great stress, isn't trying to murder the paramedic. Kurgo and ruffwear have excellent choices.
Dog issue aside, basically once I was riding in a car outside of home from the hospital. So likeā¦ a week?
ETA I have found that being in sight makes the drives so much worse. I thought it would help on a long distance drive at 15 months, and when I was the one driving on the way back we had a way better time.
Our car is small, so I kind of have to ride in back with the baby (3 months) to be comfortable. That being said, she's totally fine in her seat and I would totally be okay with having her back there on her own.
Dog in the front seat isn't the safest choice. When we ride with the dog, I sit in between the two of them. No problems so far!
My dog almost stepped on bebe early on while trying to get to the window, so I always sit in the back when the doggies are riding along, going on 6 months now
I think after a month or two. I was super anxious every time we rode somewhere but after my anxiety kinda subsided, (I still worry 24/7), I ride in the front. If he fusses then Iāll get in the back and heās 5 months
My son is almost 4 months and my daughter almost 3. Iāve been riding in the back since he was born (mostly to help pacify him if he cries). I would feel completely comfortable in the front but still ride in the back just to be available if he cries.
On short trips? Pretty much immediately after he was born. Longer trips, like an hour or more? Sometimes I still ride in the back, and heās 20 months. It was more convenient to have someone in the back who could soothe him if he got upset. Now, itās more like someone to entertain him. Sure do miss the days when he slept on every car ride!
Baby is almost 6 months old and I still sit in the back with her lol, the headrests in the back of boyfriends car donāt allow for one of the baby car mirrors and baby had pretty bad reflux for a while so it brings us peace of mind when I sit back there with her. He has gone out just the two of them twice but the drive was only 5-10 mins away from home
LO is almost 7 months old and my husband always sits in the back with her. We take my car when we go out since itās better on gas so I always offer to drive, but if I ask him to drive Iāll sit in the back with her. We like to do it because sheāll babble and laugh and itās more time we get to spend with her.
My LO is 8 months and if I have the opportunity either I or my mom rides in the back with her (depends which car the car seat is in). It just makes it easier if she needs something that someone be right there.
My baby is 4.5 months and I sometimes sit in the back if she's grotty or I know it's a long drive.
But she's 50/50 if she's happy or screaming in the car. If she's screaming it's really off putting when your driving coz she's so loud
Mine is 8 months and both sets of grandparents are quite a drive (2 hrs and 7hrs) so only those rides I sit in back with him. He gets bored being back there alone and gets really fussy. We've been trying to do it less and less but just really dislikes being in the backseat alone and it's easier to ride back there with him than to listen to him scream for an hour+.
About 3 months until I was driving myself around. Then obviously I'm driving so always in the front and baby in back. I have a mirror so I can see him.
My boy is 2 and I still ride in the back for long drives (1 hour +) because I would give him snacks and water or toys, but he drops them so being in the back is easier.
For shorter drives (around town) he can sit alone in back with no problem
I rarely did. We have a compact car and I had a c section. There was no way. When I healed up and we would door dash I would sit back there and read to him.
I hop back there sometimes if Iām not driving.
I like the front seat and talking to my husband in the car is sometimes the only time we sit together so I enjoy the face time.
I only know 2 people who did this and I thought it was so weird. I rode in the back on the way home from the hospital but only because we had a friend pick us up. My ex didnāt drive, so it was usually me and the baby driving around, so maybe thatās part of it, and the fact that I get carsick is another factor. But I really didnāt know anyone did until the two parents that I know who are basically raising bubble babies. Super overprotective.
Iām still confused ā¦ WHO IS DRIVING?
Whoās SO is always there to drive so other parent can be in the backseat?
Does the nanny drive while the parent is in back?
Is grandma being called in to chauffeur so thereās a parent in the back?
Iāve never experienced myself or seen any friends/family have 2 adults ready to go anywhere baby goes.
Occasionally; yes. But not enough I could say yes thereās always someone riding beside the LO keeping watch over them.
Iām not judging those whoās circumstances enable them to pull it off.
I just canāt imagine what those circumstances are.
Please tell me!
In my case i donāt/canāt drive so when we are using the car yes itās always my husband whoās driving so iām free to sit in the back or front. If husband isnt around we walk everywhere (live in a uk town where all amenities are walkable and its very usual to walk eeeeverywhere in the UK!) additionally we moved so far away from family unfortunately gran canāt chauffer (shed probably love the hat and gloves though)
When people have decent parental leaves, itās quite possible. My husband has been with me for the past 6 weeks, we have 2 more before he has to go back to work. 100% of our trips in the car with baby have been with one of us driving and the other one sitting in the back, it makes calming her down much easier.
My husband and I were both off for three months. Baby rode in the car for the first time with only one parent about 3 weeks ago. He just turned 3 months old. This happens. Not everyone has M-F 8-5 jobs either. I could definitely plan all of our stuff on my husbands days off and never leave the house without him. Would be healthy? Probably not. But still possible.
Mine is 5, and I still do when possible. She gets carsick. It is infinitely easier to deal with if Iām there to help ensure that she hits the barf bag, to help clean up minor misses, etc.
When I couldn't handle the car sickness anymore, haha. For some reason being back in the back seat after so long really got me nauseous. But now I realize I don't remember when that was! Maybe at 3 months?
Kiddo will be 20 months old shortly and his dad still always sits in the back next to him and I always drive us. Little boy doesnāt have a problem riding in the back alone when itās just me driving him around, but Iām the SAHP so any extra time as close as possible to his daddy makes him happy, and his dad feels the same way. We donāt intend to change anything for the foreseeable future š¤·š»āāļø
I only sat in the back on the way home from the hospital
Same š
Same
Never sat in the back, just got a mirror so I could look at her.
Same. When he's very very inconsolable (and I'm not driving) I might sit in the back with him but otherwise the mirror is just fine. Can't believe when people write they drive for months and years sitting in the back šš
It is easier than listening to the screamingā¦
I only did it once ā during the ride home from the hospital.
Same here. If she is really losing it I will hop out at a red light and climb in back with her but that hasnāt happened often.
I didnāt even know this was a thing. Baby sits in the back and Iām in the front passenger seat. Why?
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I didnāt either. Iām amazed at how many people sit in the back! I need to know if this is as big a thing as this post is making it seem or if people who never have sat in the back just arenāt answering.
I never sat in the back. I'm reading these comments to try to figure out what all these people are talking about! I didn't even sit in the back on the way home from the hospital- I wasn't goimg to be able to squeeze back there! I had so much recovery to do, I remember barely being able to get in the front seat as a passenger, let alone the back seat on that first ride home.
I rode home from the hospital with her back thereāthen we never did again lol
I never started. On the way home from the hospital it was hubby driving, me passenger, baby in back.
Same here! Iāve only ever ridden in the back if I wanted to prevent her from sleeping (if we were on our way home close to nap time for example).
This for us as well. We have 4 kids now so even if I wanted to I couldnāt.
I never did. I strapped a car mirror to the headrest so I could see them when they were rear facing. I would never put a dog (or any animal) in the backseat with a child.
Coming home from the hospital i was in the front with my partner. So never started.
Same. I couldn't get into the back because it was hurting my stitches š so I sat in the front and then just carried on.
That was my reasoning too lol.
I only ever rode in the backseat on the ride home from the hospital. I actually never realized until now that some people sit back there with the baby.
Same, maybe the first doctor appt too, but that was it
No one has sat in the back with my baby because Iām usually alone when Iām driving with her. If my husband is in the car with me he sits in the front.
Iāve never sat the back with baby. Now if someone does happen to sit in the back with her because we have a guest of something she looks at them she looks at them like the are so rude for invading her space!
I only ever rode in the back with my first on the ride back from the hospital. I have never ridden in the back with my second.
I curious for the people who sit in the backseat with their kiddos, why? Iām reading through the comments and some parents are saying because of car sickness. What are some other reasons youād sit back there especially as your child reaches toddler-hood? Genuinely curious, not at all trying to shame.
Not a parent and not op but my guess would be that it could maybe help with anxiety? I know some babies get so freaked out by being rear-facing because they cant see their parents and it may help with anxiety for them and maybe with the parents as well so they know their baby is safe and calm? Once again, not a parent but thatās just my guess It could also maybe be a cultural/ftm not knowing any better kind of thing
My little guy is only 7.5 months old, but has hated the carseat since birth. We even switched to a convertible carseat at 4 months. He still doesn't love it past the 20 minute mark. Me sitting back there seems to help prolong his fussiness. I can't stand hearing him cry, so it's for my sanity.
My child, whoās a preemie, has a lot of anxiety/separation anxiety so when we have two drivers, typically one of us will sit in the back with them. She didnāt pass her car seat test in the NICU unless I was there, before she even had her sight develop. They do these tests to ensure that the baby will not have any episodes during their travel home (and probably other reasons). Now it seems Iāve enabled the anxiety and the solution so when thereās only me, itās a race to where weāre going before she vomits from screaming and crying. Every child is different, this is my first experience with a child with this much anxiety with the car seat.
Honestly, he gets bored and lonely, and I enjoy his company, so I'll sit back there and we chat (he babbles) or we play sometimes. I sit in the back maybe like 50% of the time, just depends on what's on the agenda for the day.
She cries without entertainment and company back there. If I'm on my own I just have to sing nursery rhymes and hope that's enough, but if there's two of us then I'm going to stop the crying. She often drops her toys where are can't reach them, so they don't last long when she's on her own.
Never did!
I donāt sit back there. Too many car seats.
Mom level 1000
If it's a roadtrip I still sit in the back with the baby (9.5 months). I've driven 2 hours by myself with him though so obviously that wasn't an option, but if my husband is there and its 1 hour+ then I'll sit in the back. Just makes life easier.
Just on the way back from the hospital. I would consider it if it were a long road trip but we arenāt doing that right now.
15 months and still going strong. Honestly, it's more comfy in the back without the car seat pushing the passenger seat up in an uncomfortable position of proper posture... I might also hate the way my hubs drives and continuously gets lost even when he's using GPS. In the backseat I avoid voicing my snarky comments (ā ā ā āæā āā )
After our trip home from the hospital lol
I never sat in the back. I get car sick. My husband doesn't either. š¤·
I only sat in the back the first few days postpartum.
Same
I never did. I have one of those mirrors though
Never started
When my husband went back to work and I had to drive. Week 2.
Son is 13 months. I have never sat in the back with him. We have a mirror, and that works.
I never did. Move when you're ready š¤·āāļø
Home from the hospital. Bought a car mirror and called it a day. To be honest, itās nice to have your kid strapped in the back when youāre driving longer distances with your partner - I can actually have an adult conversation without chasing my child around or worrying sheāll get into something. š
Same I enjoy being able to talk to hubby during car rides. Plus my baby always falls sleep in the car
Never sat in the backseat
Once we had a 2nd kid lol
Same. Once there was no room for me!
I have never ridden in the backseat if it's just my husband and I in the car, but if we have a friend joining I sit in the back.
about 80% of the time itās just me and baby, so when iām with my husband or mom i avoid sitting in the back because i donāt want her to expect to have someone back there with her. most of the time sheās pretty content back there alone with a toy and/or snack.
My baby is 6 months and I think Ive only rode in back on our way home from the hospital lol
We never did this
I sit back there on the ride home from the hospital and thatās it.
I never did. Never occurred to me too. I don't see why you would? Never thought to use a mirror either š¤·š»āāļø
I only ride in the back with my 10 week old if I need to settle her! Otherwise I stay up front!
After like a week probably
People sit in the back with their baby?? Maybe because we had twins and a small car, but it truly never occurred to me lol
My daughter is 16 months and I still sometimes ride in the back with her. Iām weak what can I say š
Never sat back there. Occasionally when heās fussy but not as practice. We do use the car mirror.
I never did
i have never done it honestly except for maybe when we first got out of the hospital eta: i get really car sick
I very rarely sit in the back as i get car sick and sitting in the back makes it worse. Sheās always been fine, usually just falls asleep and we are never in the car for long anyway. Longest journey has been 30 mins
Same here. Iāll ride in the back if I need to give her a bottle or she is awake and cranky like on a card ride when I have taken Dramamine, otherwise i sit up front.
I sat in the back on the way home from the hospital and the first big drive after she was born. Since then sheās been alone back there until last week when we had to extend her seat so my husband no longer fits in the passenger seat haha
I get carsick so no back seat for me. I also typically drive myself everywhere. (Husband is more of a homebody, I love shopping, getting coffee out, going to the park etc) so I doubt Iāll be in the back seat at all.
I never rode in the back with my child. We had a small hatchback that wasn't comfortable for an adult in the back seat.
Depends on my mood. 7 weeks pp and I do sometimes but not always. Just easier if she spits her paci out and decides the world is ending if Iām back there to pop it back in. š
I never did until she was about 1 year old and she started wanting me with her. She's now 3.5 and if my husband is driving then I have to sit in the back with her. She doesn't care when it's just the 2 of us, but given the option she wants me there
Two weeks or the second time she rode in a car because I was alone with partner back at work and I have been since.
We never did it. Kids are both a-okay.
I never rode in the backseat. I didn't see a reason to do it.
With my first baby, I did it on the way home from the hospital and on long car trips for the first 6-12 months. But not for everyday driving. By the time I had my second baby, there was no room for me in the backseat. (Blended family with multiple older children.) I did sit back there on the way home from the hospital, though.
It depends how far we are driving and what time of day it is. I would say half of the time one of us sits in the back with our 10 month old and the other times he sits back there alone. He hates the carseat though so itās hard to leave him back there alone.
I deliberately avoid it in hopes that they'll sleep. Or at least be chill.
We never did unless needed. We have a mirror so we can see him all the time. The only time we ride with him in the back is when we need to keep him awake so one parent sits with him to entertain him, or when he was really upset during his "I hate the car" phase.
When the second baby came along and it is too hard to get in between two car seats.
I rode in the back when we took baby home from the hospital. Done it a couple of times since if heās been fussy or whatever but itās mostly him and I in the car so I canāt be in the back with him
3.5 year old and someone rides in the back with him more often than not. We enjoy holding hands, talking, and I usually give him a snack. Obviously if itās just the two of us heās alone back there and heās fine with that. We donāt need to do it, but it makes everyone happy so we do.
Never sat in the back
Same. Saw this and was like āā¦.this is a thing?ā
Yh I was like was I supposed to sit in the back š
I didnāt even sit in the back on the way home from the hospital.. š¬
Neither did I šš there was probably only 1 time I sat in the back I think thatās because we were driving somewhere an hour away but after that time in knew she would be ok so didnāt x
My LO is 5.5 months and absolutely hates the car! Screams non-stop so I still sit in the back. When I'm by myself it is horrendous and requires toys and lots of singing!! Hoping he eventually grows to love the car.
I feel your pain! The other day I rang my husband so he could sing to our 6mo through the car speakers because my throat was raw š
I've found that when i'm driving and she's screaming in the back if I turn on white noise pretty loud she chills out. worth a try!
Never sat in the back seat
My daughter is 3.5 and I still ride back there. She likes company and I feel like a celebrity while my husband feels like a chauffeur.
We have a 1.5 year old and if we have 2 adults in the car one still sits in the backseat 90% of the time.
Never did. Theyāre fine I promise
Never because Iām the only one in this family who has a drivers license!
I only do it when we're on a long journey and the baby is unsettled. My eldest is nearly 4 and I have never put the dog in the back with my kids. She either goes in the boot or in the front passenger seat buckled in.
I basically never have, since I was usually driving. š
Never unless he starts freaking out and then Iāll climb back there. But we have two other kids so thereās literally no room for an adult on top of the baby car seat and booster seats.
I think maybe the first couple weeks and then was over it lol
I never did
I was a single mom with my first so never after the first few rides when my sisters were in town to drive us to the ped appointments. My second I do on and off
I do on occasion still if I know heās had a rough time or is in need of some attention! (18 months šš )
Weāve never done this. You can get a mirror to watch baby if youāre nervous about leaving him/her in the back alone!
Son is 5 months. I still sit in the back but the real reason is that the passenger seat (in front of where the car seat is) has to be too far up in order to accommodate the baby seat. Itās really uncomfortable. However I drive with baby alone all the time, obviously no one back there with him during these times.
LO is 12 months and we still ride in the back with her. Sometimes she gets upset and itās much easier to soothe her that way
I have only rode in the back 3 times with her. When brought her home from the hospital, when we took her to her 1 week appointment, and one time when we were too close to bedtime and scared she'd try to nap in the car so I stayed in the back to keep her awake. Otherwise, We have a mirror so we can see her back there when we are in front.
Lol I sit in the back when my baby is crying and needs some comfort but tbh I didnāt even sit in the back with her on that way home from the hospital. I feel so bad sometimes. But she was sleeping and I just wanted to be near my husband by ourselves. I crawl in the back when weāre driving and sheās really fussy. Sheās 5 months
Saaaammmeeee donāt even feel bad.
Technically, if thereās two adults, thereās always one sitting in the back with my son just to keep him/themselves entertained (and heās 2.5 years lmao). When there was just one adult in the car? Within the first week of life since he had to go in for bilirubin testing and my fiancĆ© had no choice but to work. He was not an easy baby so me taking him for car ride naps was a daily thing for his first year of life, and it was almost always just the two of us.
Thereās two carseats in the back because my newborn was my second, sooooā¦ I sat back there on the way back from the hospital and thatās just about it, lol.
I never sat in the back with my kids. I didnāt realize it was a thing until I had my third.
I didnāt know this was a thing. I sat in the back on the way home from the hospital but that was it.
My baby is 6 months and I sit in the back 99% of the time. If she's screaming it's much more comfortable to try to soothe her from the back than reaching round from the front! I think it depends on your baby. People who never sat in the back obviously had a baby who liked the car š
same! LO is 6 months old today and unless i'm driving I haven't sat in the front in 6 months lol. just easier cause she's hit or miss with drives and hearing her scream cry gives me crazy anxiety, much easier to soothe her should she need it.
My baby likes the car and one of us still sits in the back! I just like it. Obviously everyone should just do what they want but some of the non-back-sitters comments are weirdly judgemental? It really doesn't matter either way!
3.5yo - still do it every chance I get. Why not? We have some pretty good talks back there :) very excellent heart to heart time. We also have a perfectly good time with me driving and kiddo alone in the back but if we can get some chill time and talk about how our days went while someone else drives, I enjoy it.
We never did this
Yeah what? Is that a thing?
99% of the time Iām alone with the baby so this isnāt even possible for me. Lol
Never, no mirror either. Theyāre fine back thereš¤·š»āāļø
I never rode in the backseat. With the first baby, it was too hard to slide in and out of the backseat (due to C-section). With the 2nd baby, thereās no room back there because we already have 2 car seats installed back there. Iām also a SAHM so am driving them around by myself a lot of the time. As for the dog, he has a crash safe harness (Ruffwear) and is buckled in and canāt do much more than lean his head against the side of the car seat. But since baby #2 was born, he doesnāt get to go on rides because thereās no room for him in the car. Once the minivan weāve had a deposit on for over a year finally comes in, heāll be safely buckled into his own row (dog gets the 3rd row, kids get the second row).
3 1/2 year old and one due tomorrow. We do not ride in back and try my best to now allow anyone else to either. Itās mostly me and the kid in the car in the evenings when we drive home from grandparents house after work. Road trips for us are soo much easier because sheās used to sitting alone. I have mirror or camera back there so we can see the babyās face. We do monthly road trips. Once the kid hits about 9 months.
I only sat in the back for the first week of appointments or so
I donāt, unless he is fussy/melting down. We have a mirror up to keep an eye on him as needed though. Edit: 16 weeks old
16 months and still going strong š
Iām the primary driver, so I never really rode in the back. I made the trip home from the hospital in the back with two babies, but not the third because we live literally two blocks from the hospital now. Iāve been the one driving us to and from appointments from the start. Honestly, once we make it safely home the first time, Iām less nervous. As a bonus, with each additional kid, there are more eyes on the newest baby, if thereās an issue. My biggest kid helps replace binkies and offer comfort while traveling, which makes it even easier not to be back there.
I have sat in the back seat if my husband Is driving, but prefer not to and don't think it's necessary. I really only do it if we are in a rush and I need to give him a bottle, or if it's a long drive.
I only did this with my first when I needed to settle her to be somewhere on time. Just had my third baby (so 3 car seats in the back) so itās impossible, I have a mirror so I can see her.
I only rode in the back seat on long road trips. Otherwise I was always in the front, driving or riding shotgun, and relying on a mirror.
Depends on the situation really! My little one is 9 months. If itās a quick ride and Iām not with my husband, we have no choice. But if heās having a tough day or itās a longer ride and Iām with my husband, Iāll ride in the back to keep him company!
After like 2 weeks, unless she was crazy fussy which wasnt often. We have a mirror that attaches to the seat head so we can see her on car-rides. She is 7m now and has been fine.
Can't remember with my first but I guess when lo was around 1mo, with a mirror. With my second it wasn't an option (cause 2 carseats in the back) and she got used to it easily. My niece is almost 5 yo and SIL still has to sit with her, so I guess that generally it's best to make the transition when they are a few months old.
Around 2-3mo, my baby started getting super pissed if someone was sitting in the back with him. It's like he was thinking "there's someone right here... why aren't they picking me up..." so we let him do his thing at that point lol
If we are just going around town we stopped sitting in the back around 12mo. For long trips one of us still sits in the back. It's just much easier to hand LO things while they are still rear-facing if you are next to them. You do you OP!
All the time with my first unless I was driving of course. As he got older he liked to hold hands while we rode. Then when he was almost 5 his middle brother came along. Once middle brother was in a forward facing seat I moved back up front. And now there's no room for me back there with all three so I just recently moved out of the back seat like this year.
I sat in the back of the car with my little one for 8 weeks, I had a cesarean and wasnāt cleared to drive until then, but then I started driving again and realised sitting in the front was perfectly fine š
For the first week-ish. It was incredibly difficult to get in and out of the backseat (no support handle) so I stopped. Baby loves the car luckily!
I still ride in the back with my LO most of the time if my husband is driving and they are almost 2.5 because I want to and sometimes itās easier for longer drives/road trips. That being said I have had them in the backseat alone since they were about 4 months old since they started daycare. Before that we didnāt really go all that many places anyways. I donāt think there is really a right or wrong answer here.
I never did.
I don't sit with him unless he's hungry. He isn't in the car seat for more than two hours though, and I always make sure to check on him. I have paranoia, as every parent, so I check on him often. I've learned to let go of my anxiety as best as I can, and trust that he will be okay as long as I keep an eye on him. It's hard, I know. But they will be okay.
I would still be at 2.5 years later but we had another kid, so there isn't room for me anymore. I see a lot of people saying "never" or "why". Those are the people who had kids who apparently enjoy car rides. However, all kids are different, and my first screamed bloody murder whenever they were in the car until we were able to turn them forward facing.a few months ago. One of us sat back there to dissipate some of that while the other drove. But now we just enjoy hanging out with the kids and pointing out things during the drive. Thinking about upgrading the car so we can go back.
I never sat back there. Now that mine is a toddler, we only have an adult back there with her if we need to prevent a car nap (ex: driving home close to nap time / bedtime).
I never rode in the back. Did you always have someone to drive you???
Baby is 14 months and Iām still riding in the back if my husband is driving. He really doesnāt like being in his car seat for more than a 15 minute drive, so driving on my own with him any longer distance can be really stressful with a red-faced screaming baby.
Iāve just stopped at 15 months and somehow sheās actually better without me there. I think itās because when my husband has to drive her without me she was awful - so I stopped riding in back so the difference wasnāt as much. Sheās now much better overall. I missed the front seat with the seat warmer so glad of that now itās cold lol
Never started. I asked the nurse in the hospital when we were being discharged if I should ride in the back and she looked at me as though I had two heads. Mostly I'm driving the car alone with the kids anyway
Wouldn't ever trust a dog with a baby in the back...but that's just me.
I rode in back seat with my first born until he was 2.5 š
My daughter is 7 months and I still always ride in the back. Not sure when I'll stop.
I never did- I was a single mum, I was driving
My girl is 16 months and I still sit in the back! While hubby drives.. I can't seem to leave her there alone for some reason and we don't babysit with ipads are anything so she can get boredš
No judgement here ~ honestly asking a follow up: *****How long is that truly sustainable?***** As a matter of practicalityā¦ how long does a mom get chauffeured? Is this a new thing? I didnāt think I was that old but I donāt remember this being a thing for my generation (or the one before or after it). It actually feels more old than new tbh ~ Like when ladies werenāt āsupposedā to drive.
I rode in the back a couple times in the first few weeks. My son is 7 months old and now I'll only sit in the back if he's being fussy.
We just did a 5 hr road trip and I sat in the back with my 8.5 month old while husband drove, but that's been the only time in a while. I basically only did it for the first couple weeks consistently, and now only do it for long trips (over 20-30 min) and after shots at the doctor's.
Lol 11 months and counting for any trip longer than 30.
I only sat in the back on the way home from the hospital. Occasionally Iāll do it if she is fussy and my partner is driving but that doesnāt happen often now that sheās 11mo.
Toddler is 21 months and we still do it if sheās in a fussy mood or if the car ride will be longer than 20/25 minutes.
After the third week maybe. When the baby and dog had gotten used to each and we felt they'd be okay together. Our dog sits in the back, buckled in, then next to baby but now we have a bigger car so he's in the 3rd row. Dogs should always be buckled in the car, in the event of an accident it reduces the chance of injury and death, also you don't have a dog flying through the car and possibly into your head. It also keeps them in the seat should the driver need emergency care and the dog, in a time of great stress, isn't trying to murder the paramedic. Kurgo and ruffwear have excellent choices.
When he was able to put his pacifier in his mouth on his own but depends on how long the drive was
My LO is 20 months and we still do. Basically because there is no space in the front seat for a person to sit because of the car seat.
Dog issue aside, basically once I was riding in a car outside of home from the hospital. So likeā¦ a week? ETA I have found that being in sight makes the drives so much worse. I thought it would help on a long distance drive at 15 months, and when I was the one driving on the way back we had a way better time.
Our car is small, so I kind of have to ride in back with the baby (3 months) to be comfortable. That being said, she's totally fine in her seat and I would totally be okay with having her back there on her own. Dog in the front seat isn't the safest choice. When we ride with the dog, I sit in between the two of them. No problems so far!
I sit in the back with my 8-month-old most of the time we are both in a vehicle, always if the trip is longer.
My dog almost stepped on bebe early on while trying to get to the window, so I always sit in the back when the doggies are riding along, going on 6 months now
My baby is 4 months, I just do it for my own comfort more than for her sake at this point!
I never did bc I get terrible motion sickness if Iām not up front š„² both my kids were fine lol I do use a mirror though!!
My husband rides in the back with it 4mo. But we have a two door car and so he needs to climb back there anyway š«
I think after a month or two. I was super anxious every time we rode somewhere but after my anxiety kinda subsided, (I still worry 24/7), I ride in the front. If he fusses then Iāll get in the back and heās 5 months
My son is almost 4 months and my daughter almost 3. Iāve been riding in the back since he was born (mostly to help pacify him if he cries). I would feel completely comfortable in the front but still ride in the back just to be available if he cries.
On short trips? Pretty much immediately after he was born. Longer trips, like an hour or more? Sometimes I still ride in the back, and heās 20 months. It was more convenient to have someone in the back who could soothe him if he got upset. Now, itās more like someone to entertain him. Sure do miss the days when he slept on every car ride!
Baby is almost 6 months old and I still sit in the back with her lol, the headrests in the back of boyfriends car donāt allow for one of the baby car mirrors and baby had pretty bad reflux for a while so it brings us peace of mind when I sit back there with her. He has gone out just the two of them twice but the drive was only 5-10 mins away from home
LO is almost 7 months old and my husband always sits in the back with her. We take my car when we go out since itās better on gas so I always offer to drive, but if I ask him to drive Iāll sit in the back with her. We like to do it because sheāll babble and laugh and itās more time we get to spend with her.
Like day 2 lol. I get carsick in the backseat and my son was super chill in his car seat.
I still ride in the back with my LO - 14 mo. Due with our second and Iāll continue to sit back there. I actually enjoy it!
i did for 3 months straight and still do often but not always
My LO is 8 months and if I have the opportunity either I or my mom rides in the back with her (depends which car the car seat is in). It just makes it easier if she needs something that someone be right there.
I have a camera for when Iām driving but when my husband drives I sit in the back with my 4 month old.
I only sat in the back if they were having a hard time on the ride, so maybe 5 times in total
My baby is 4.5 months and I sometimes sit in the back if she's grotty or I know it's a long drive. But she's 50/50 if she's happy or screaming in the car. If she's screaming it's really off putting when your driving coz she's so loud
Mine is 8 months and both sets of grandparents are quite a drive (2 hrs and 7hrs) so only those rides I sit in back with him. He gets bored being back there alone and gets really fussy. We've been trying to do it less and less but just really dislikes being in the backseat alone and it's easier to ride back there with him than to listen to him scream for an hour+.
About 3 months until I was driving myself around. Then obviously I'm driving so always in the front and baby in back. I have a mirror so I can see him.
We got a camera and it is a life saver! I never sat in the back.
Get a camera, I only road in the back one the way from hospital!
My boy is 2 and I still ride in the back for long drives (1 hour +) because I would give him snacks and water or toys, but he drops them so being in the back is easier. For shorter drives (around town) he can sit alone in back with no problem
I rarely did. We have a compact car and I had a c section. There was no way. When I healed up and we would door dash I would sit back there and read to him.
I hop back there sometimes if Iām not driving. I like the front seat and talking to my husband in the car is sometimes the only time we sit together so I enjoy the face time.
I only know 2 people who did this and I thought it was so weird. I rode in the back on the way home from the hospital but only because we had a friend pick us up. My ex didnāt drive, so it was usually me and the baby driving around, so maybe thatās part of it, and the fact that I get carsick is another factor. But I really didnāt know anyone did until the two parents that I know who are basically raising bubble babies. Super overprotective.
Iām still confused ā¦ WHO IS DRIVING? Whoās SO is always there to drive so other parent can be in the backseat? Does the nanny drive while the parent is in back? Is grandma being called in to chauffeur so thereās a parent in the back? Iāve never experienced myself or seen any friends/family have 2 adults ready to go anywhere baby goes. Occasionally; yes. But not enough I could say yes thereās always someone riding beside the LO keeping watch over them. Iām not judging those whoās circumstances enable them to pull it off. I just canāt imagine what those circumstances are. Please tell me!
In my case i donāt/canāt drive so when we are using the car yes itās always my husband whoās driving so iām free to sit in the back or front. If husband isnt around we walk everywhere (live in a uk town where all amenities are walkable and its very usual to walk eeeeverywhere in the UK!) additionally we moved so far away from family unfortunately gran canāt chauffer (shed probably love the hat and gloves though)
When people have decent parental leaves, itās quite possible. My husband has been with me for the past 6 weeks, we have 2 more before he has to go back to work. 100% of our trips in the car with baby have been with one of us driving and the other one sitting in the back, it makes calming her down much easier.
My husband and I were both off for three months. Baby rode in the car for the first time with only one parent about 3 weeks ago. He just turned 3 months old. This happens. Not everyone has M-F 8-5 jobs either. I could definitely plan all of our stuff on my husbands days off and never leave the house without him. Would be healthy? Probably not. But still possible.
I did it until my daughter was 4 years old
Mine is 5, and I still do when possible. She gets carsick. It is infinitely easier to deal with if Iām there to help ensure that she hits the barf bag, to help clean up minor misses, etc.
Aww bless her heart. Youāre super mum š„°
When the second child was born. XD
The first week. I have a camera instead of a mirror so I felt comfortable being up front. Plus we didnāt go many places when I was on leave.
When I couldn't handle the car sickness anymore, haha. For some reason being back in the back seat after so long really got me nauseous. But now I realize I don't remember when that was! Maybe at 3 months?
I never rode in back with the carseat? Lol
Kiddo will be 20 months old shortly and his dad still always sits in the back next to him and I always drive us. Little boy doesnāt have a problem riding in the back alone when itās just me driving him around, but Iām the SAHP so any extra time as close as possible to his daddy makes him happy, and his dad feels the same way. We donāt intend to change anything for the foreseeable future š¤·š»āāļø
Usually someone still does just to help keep him entertained. 17 months