When it comes to car seats, the forward-facing option is the safest for your child. It’s also the most popular. However, not all cars have a way to put a car seat forward facing, and some parents find it difficult to do so manually. If you’re one of these parents, we have good news: there’s an easy way to put Graco car seats forward facing. Here’s how to do it:
Locate the shoulder belt guides
If your Graco car seat is forward facing, the shoulder belt guides are at the base of the seat. You can locate them by following these steps: 1. Locate the shoulder belt anchors on each side of your vehicle. 2. Hold onto the shoulder belt anchors and pull down on the shoulder belt to adjust it to fit your child’s size and weight. 3. Align the shoulder belt guides with the anchor holes on your car seat. 4. Close the shoulder belt by pulling it towards you until it clicks into place.
Push down on the shoulder belt guides
If you are pushing your child in a car seat facing front, you should push down on the shoulder belt guides. Graco recommends doing this to help stabilize the car seat.
Graco should now be facing forward
If your Graco car seat is facing the wrong way, you can fix it fairly easily. Here’s how:
1. Locate the release buckle on the back of the car seat. It should be close to the child’s shoulder blades.
2. Insert a finger between the child’s shoulder and the car seatback and pull up gently on the buckle until it pops free from its clip.
3. Rotate the car seat around so that the release buckle is pointing towards your front passenger side wheel well or center console (depending on your vehicle). You may have to pull down on the straps a couple of times to get them out of their clips.
4. Replace any lost or broken straps by reversing these steps: Find each strap attached at one end to one of the metal D-rings (or “ Happiness Hooks”) and at its other end, attach it to an anchor point in your vehicle (usually near your child’s feet). If you can’t find either type of anchor point, try using a door handle or window frame as an anchor point. IMPORTANT: Make sure that both ends of each strap are even with each other when you attach them; otherwise, your car seat could start moving in random directions during a crash! To tighten or loosen a strap, first find and press down on one end of it so that it jumps off its Happiness Hook – this will tell you how tight or loose it
If you have an older car seat, it may require some modification
If you have an older car seat, it may require some modification. For Graco car seats, the harness needs to be pulled tight and the headrest adjusted so it is level with the child’s shoulders. Some other car seats also need their straps adjusted. Make sure to read the instructions that come with your seat for more detailed instructions.