Hey ladies! For those who have 3 or more kids, where did you place their carseats? I have a booster seat for the 6 year old, a stage 2 seat for the toddler (she is 22 months) and an infant seat that has to be installed backwards (I ended up getting the Graco safe seat that is supposed to hold kids up to 30 pounds-in hopes that they will face backwards in the van their first year of life)--the base is a bit bulkier that my last base.
Thank goodness I have a minivan!!!! It's a 2002 model, so there are 2 seats in the second row and I don't have automatic doors. Where do most of you place your youngest and oldest child? Who sits behind the driver seat? My van seats are arranged where someone will have to sit in the back row. I figured the oldest child goes there but I'm not sure? For safety reasons, is there a certain place I should place each kid?
Thanks for your feedback!
Signed,
3rd time around and still confused! (Giggle!)
Finally, we are thinking about saving for a downpayment on a different minivan in the future. Which minivan do you ladies like best and why? Which features are a must have for a family of 5?
Well ladies, I decided to place my toddler and newborn in the second row (with the newborn behind the passanger seat and the eldest child in the back) for starters. I'll adapt if I need to . Thanks for all your feedback and mini van suggestions!
N.
I sit the baby behind me, then the child that can entertain the baby next to her and the middle child in the back but mine are a little older.
The oldest can retrieve toys etc and the middle one can talk to and make funny faces at her because he is directly behind her. They also fill me in on what happening....Is she sleeping?
I hate minivans but had to rent one for a week while my SUV was being repaired. I LOVED the automatic doors even though I didn't think I would. There was a button on each door, two on the ceiling above the driver and two on the keychain....MUST HAVE!!
Also, my 4 year old asked to sit in the way back, so you may have that figured out for you if you aske the oldest. The model I drove (which was brand spankin' new...yay) had stow away seats...very nice for putting the older one in the back seat.
Thats my two cents!
~L.
I would suggest putting the 6 year old and the 20 month old in the back together, should give them a little space and maybe you wont hear she/or he is touching me lol then you also wont get the 20 month old taking or touching the infant in the middle row.
I have a suburban with 2 rows of seats in the back and i have 3 kids, 9, 6 and 22 months and I still the 9 year old with the 22 month old so they dont mess around, and the 6 year old sits alone and that systems works the best for me, they all keep to themselves, as far as safety the back is all safe for the kids so I wouldnt worry there, I would only stick the infant ni the middle seat in the second row that is the safest place for infants.
Okay, so I only have two kids - but often we have my cousin's daughter as well, so I guess that is three on ocassion. I would put the oldest child in the back (they need less attention) and then the younger two in the middle. As far as safest goes and the position of the baby - do you have bucket seats or a bench seat in the middle. If you have bucket seats, it's not really going to matter which seat you use. What location would be easier for you if you need to get a pacifier into place at a stop light? We always put the baby seat behind the passenger, just because it was an easy reach for the driver if alone. Now, if your van has a bench seat, the infant is going to be safer away from the side of the car. If you don't have dual sliding doors though, it could make it more difficult to buckle in your toddler though. I love our Pontiac Montana, but there again, like yours, it is an older model (although we do have one automatic sliding door). One thing I like about the newer models is sliding doors and the "Stow N Go" seating.
Hi N.,
I as well had a hard timing figuring out where to put my three. I have a 2007 minivan and it has stow-away seats. What I ended up doing was placing my Britax Marathon and Regent in the back seat. In the seat directly behind the passenger seat I put my Graco Snugride seat base (facing backwards). I then have the other seat in the stow-away compartment. Then I put bathroom rugs down (because they are thick and have the rubber back on it to keep from moving) on the floor (to help pad my knees from the hard floor and plastic pieces). Also this gives me a easy shot of putting my 3 year old and 2 year old in their seats. Also gives me a spot to sit if I have to go back there to tend to someone. Hope this helps.
Hi N.. I have to say hands down the Honda Odessey is the best van I have ever owned! As long as you have mechanics (other than the dealership) that can work on them, they are the best! Ours has over 200,000 miles on it and it still gets 24-26 mpg on the freeway. We have taken it to Florida several times and to Arkansas and up north. It is the best vehicle we own for gas mileage. We bought it used and the repairs have been minimal compared to other vehicles we've owned. By the way, I hear all the time about "but american", this vehicle is made in Ohio. It's content rate for foriegn parts is comparable to other manufacturers. We check content when contimplating a vehicle and won't buy one that is mostly or all foriegn content. Good luck! L. S.
N.,
I have 5 boys and 3 of them are still in car seats. I put the oldest child still in a carseat in the very back, simply because he is capable of buckling himself in, all I need to do is visually check to make sure its done and I can do that from the 2nd seat. I also put him in the middle of the bench seat but the only reason I do that is to seperate my 2 oldest boys!
For the youngest two, I have done it both ways, while they are in the rear facing car seat I put the littlest baby behind the passenger seat, because if they are fussing while we are driving I can see him and if he loses the paci I can reach around with a fresh one (I keep several extras with me in the van within easy reach) while we are at a stop light, or if necessary I can pull over and tend to him without actually having to get out of the van.
When the baby graduates to a forward facing seat I move him directly behind the drivers side. This makes loading kids much more convenient. You can get them all in from one side of the van. The second oldest can climb in and pull the seatbelt over for you (if they still can't buckle in by themselves) and you can click it without having to go around to the other side of the van. You can then buckle in the youngest, shut the door and hop in and go.
At this point we kind of have it down to a science! LOL Congratulations on the new baby and good luck to you!
We have a van that does not have the dual doors in the back.(on the wish list for our next van)I have found it easiest to have the oldest in the way back, baby on the passenger side middle and middle kid on the driver side middle.
I then can plop the baby in the baby seat, middle and older can climb in then I buckle the baby in while they get themselves buckled and I check it before closing the door...
I drive a 2004 Honda Odyssey with dual sliding doors. I love that feature. I also love that the back seats fold into the floor. I love this van so much that last fall when it was totaled, we went out and bought the exact same thing, color and everything.
I keep the youngest behind me and the oldest next to her. I keep my middle child in the back. That way the oldest can tend to the baby when needed and it keeps the oldest 2 from fighting. :)
C.
We have four kids and two mini vans with automatic doors. We've always put two kids in the second row of seats and two kids in the third row of seats so there is empty space between each kid. I usually put the smallest kids in the second row of seats and the kids who can buckle themselves in the third row booster seats that way I didn't have to climb into the van to buckle them in.
Good luck!
I have the baby, who is also in a Graco Safe Seat, behind the passanger seat because my husband needs the seat really far forward when he is driving, the toddler seat is behind the driver and my 5 yro is in the back (she can buckle herself, but I always give the belt a little tug to make sure she has it tight across her lap and that it is indeed fastned). that seems to work for us. I useally have the two older ones climb in and get in their seats while I buckle the baby then go around and buckle the toddler and finally check the oldest...
Blessings, K.
We have a Dodge Grand Careavan and really like it.
N.,
Hello, I also have a minivan...they are wonderful. We have 5 kids and 1 seat is taken out. When our twins were born we had both of them in the middle row and then the 2 older ones in the back with a carseat and then a seatbelt. It was easier to slide the twins carseats in and out and the older kids could jump in their seats themselves. When we had our 5th baby, we moved their toddler seats in the back with the middle seat for the oldest, and then the baby seat and boster seat in the middle row, again it was easier to slide the baby seat in and out being in the middle row. But our seats are a little different then yours, we can have 3 seats in our middle row and take out whatever one we want, we have the drive side one out so it's eaiser to climb in teh back and buckle the twins up. You could always put your oldest in the back and get one of those travel boards that hooks onto the back of the seat infront of them, that way they have something to do and are excited to sit back there by themselves, without anyone touching their things....that's a big one at our house.
Definitely check out the Chrysler Town & Country. We leased one for 3 years and got rid of it this past May--boy, do I miss it...what an awesome ride and lots of space.
MC
I have three kids as well. I have a Dodge Caravan and a GMC Acadia. In both cars, we put our 4 yr old in the third row on the driver side, our 2 yr old behind the driver and our 3 mo old behind the passenger seat. It works well b/c the 4 yr can buckle himself and he can see the baby. He likes to be able to see his sister and I like that he can tell me if she's awake, asleep, lost her pacifier, etc! This way, I can also see the 2 yr old behind me in the rearview mirror. I love both cars, but the auto doors on the van is a great feature. Hope that helps!
Here's one thought I haven't seen posted yet...I only have two kiddos so far, but have a girlfriend with three who also has an older van. She puts the two older kids in the far back row together, and the baby in the middle row. She then has taken one of the "captains chairs" from the middle out of the van and has that empty space for diaper bags, etc. It also allows her to reach all the way to the back without climbing over another seat to make sure the kids are buckled properly. The older two are 4 and 3, the baby is about 8 months. Personally, I put my infant behind the passenger seat, to reach him with a pacifier or to move the sun shade if necessary and it makes tending to him much easier. My 3 year old sits behind me on the drivers side and I can reach to hand him a toy or something and he can reach toward me to make it easier. I will most likely move the oldest to the back if we are blessed with a #3!
As for the vans, I LOVE the Dodge Grand Caravan. The stow-n-go seats that fold into the floor make life so much easier and convenient! Dual sliding doors are great, plus the '08 model has a small mirror above the rear-view mirror that allows you to see all the passengers in the back with just a quick glance as opposed to adjusting to see them in the rear-view mirror. Just a few features of many other great ones! My mom and three sisters all have this same van - and all love it!
