Car Seat Basics — Guide for Families of Toddlers
4.5yo child (34lbs, 41in) rear facing in a Graco Turn2Me.
After the newborn phase, what comes next when it comes to car seats? The search for your child’s next car seat can be confusing, especially when you are trying to figure out if your child should still ride rear facing or forward facing.
Reminder: your child should be at least 2 years old before they ride forward facing.
We are here to make the journey to the next step easier for you.
Below you’ll find some of our articles that can help you find and use your child’s next car seat properly – ensuring their safety.
Continue your car seat journey with a visit to our Recommended Seats list.
Rear Facing vs Forward Facing
- Next Steps: Moving from a Rear Facing Only Infant Car Seat
- Rear Facing Car Seat Myths Busted
- Why Rear Facing: The Science Junkie’s Guide
- Rear Facing for the Biggest Littles
- Rear Facing: Is it Still the Safest Way to Ride?
- Forward Facing: The Hows and the Whys
Choosing the Right Seat
- A Growing Family’s Guide to Car Seats
- Compact and Narrow Car Seats
- The Right Car Seat for your Forward Facing Child
- Converting a Convertible: Going from Rear Facing to Forward Facing
Using the Seat: Installation
- Top Tethers: A Crucial Piece Of Your Child’s Car Seat
- Tether Anchor Retrofitting
- Car Seat Basics: Prevent the Car Seat from Tipping or Tilting
- Car Seat Basics: Making Room for Rear Facing Car Seats
- Using the Proper Belt Path
- Checking for Belt Path Movement
- Protecting the Back Seat From Dirty Feet!
- You Bought a New Car Seat, Now What?
Using the Seat: Child Fit
- Car Seat Basics: Strategies for Buckling Spirited Littles
- Proper Positioning of the Harness Straps
- Proper Chest Clip Placement
- How to Fix Uneven Harness Straps
- Testing Strap Tightness: The Pinch Test
- Keeping Warm in Cold Weather
Car Seat Safety Basics
- Car Seats & Potty Training
- The Four Stages of Car Seat Safety
- Car Seat Basics Overview
- Car Seat & Vehicle Manuals
- Registering Your Car Seat
- Kindergartners and the Drop Off Line
- Car Seat Basics: What Does that Label Really Mean?!
