How do you situate your three kids in a minivan? I have a 3.5yo, 2yo and am expecting baby #3 this summer. We're planning on buying a few vehicle in the next month or two to replace our dying one and are trying to figure what will work best with the three kids.
Who do you have in the third row of your van? Does the kid in the back buckle themselves? How easy is it to get past the two carseats in the middle row? Are bucket seats or a bench easier in the middle row in terms of getting everyone in and out? We're in the early stage of our vehicle research so any information will help. What have you found works best for you??
I have 4 kids, and this is what I have found to be the easiest:
Put the 3.5yo in the back row- passenger side (it'll be easier for you to see him/her when you look back).
Put the 2yo right behind you, and the baby in the middle row-passenger side. This will give you at least some access to the newborn from the driver seat.
Congratulations!!! :)
Ok, this is what we did in our Dodge Caravan....we put the bigger two in the third row on the bench, then removed the captain's seat behind the driver and put the infant seat behind the passenger. This works GREAT for us because there's room for either my husband or I to climb in and get the big girls buckled in the back without having to climb over another seat, and we don't have to try and maneuver the baby to the back - she's right behind me! Plus, through the winter there was no standing around and waiting to get put in the van...we all fit in that space behind the driver's seat and were dry :o)
3 other moms at preschool have adopted my system too.
E. -
I feel your pain! I had a three year old when I gave birth to my twins. Three kids in carseats wasn't easy! We purchased a Honda Odyssey. The kids are now 7, 4 & 4, and I'm still driving it. Love, love, love it.
Lots of versatility in how your configure the actual seats in the car with the Odyssey, and that helped. You can actually take out the center console thing and shove the two middle row seats together, allowing easy (easier) access to the back row. We put the older girl in that seat and you just have to reach through and help with those buckles. As she got older, she needed less and less help. Now all three are in boosters and things are definitely easier! We've now removed one of the two center seats entirely from the van. One girl sits in the remaining center row seat and the other two in the very back bench. The floor where the seat was removed is completely empty, allowing super easy access to everything. The girls can step in, walk to their seats - easy. Lots of work ahead of you, but it gets easier. When you shop for your minivan, make certain they show you EVERYTHING in terms of the versatility of the seat configuration. I'd recommend the Honda! Good luck.
my oldest will buckle himself in. We have one of the removable middle row seats taken out so that I can get in to get my middle and littlest buckled. That way if it is Raining or whatever I can stay somewhat dry. We have done alot of musical seat patterns to figure out that this is the easiest. and if need be i can have the stroller in the middle. it just makes transition from the car to stroller easier when we have to do it. you may find you will have to play with seating arrangements.
I put my oldest in the very back, and the infant car seat in the captains seat in front of him on the drivers side. This allows you to still use the base for the infant seat, and be able to pop the seat up so my oldest can step into the back without having to climb over anything. I took the headrest off the seat with the infant carrier so I can easily reach back and help buckle my oldest without having to climb up and in or anything. I then have my middle child in the other bucket seat in the middle on the passenger side. Since none of them can really buckle themselves this seems to be easiest for me. I tried taking out one of the middle seats for awhile, but it was too much work to climb in to help buckle the kids in the back.
I have the toyota sienna which has three seats in the middle row. I love this and kept all three kids in the middle row. It is hard to get the infant car seat in the middle around the other car seats though.
If you are teetering between sienna or oddesy, look at the back row width. I think you will be amazed at how much more room is in the sienna. It easily fits 3 people back there (not 3 car seats though).
in my minivan you can take out one of th emiddle row seats. We have only 2 kids but when we were on a car ride of any duration more than 2+ hours we'd remove one of the middle row seats and the kids went in the back row. They felt like they were in a stretch limo - and they kind of like being far away from mom - felt like freedom to them. Consider the two older kids in the back row in this configuration and the youngest in the one middle row seat. That give you plenty of room to move around and buckle all of the kids - even in the pouring rain.
I have a Kia Sedona and my oldest who is 9 is in the back seat. We have the bucket seats in the middle so my 5 yr old is on the passenger side and my daughter who is 19 months is on the driver side. Good luck.
I have a Town and Country. I have my 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 year olds in the 3rd row. They can buckle themselves. Then, I have the baby (almost 9 months) in one of the captain chairs. Most of the time I just keep the other captain chair stowed.
Start working with the 3.5 yo now on how to buckle him/herself in, if you haven't already. That will make a world of difference. Having a van will allow both older kids to get into their carseats themselves when you open the doors and that is a life saver. This is the configuration that works best for us...the 4 yo back bench passenger side, 3 yo back bench driver side and infant bucket seat on the passenger side. I do have to 'climb' in to unbuckle the bottom of the 4 yos, and I can reach the 3 yo, but it's really not a big deal at all. We take the other bucket out (unless we have company from out of town) and that allows room for everyone to climb in and out, a place for us to change diapers, cloths, get coats on and off, etc. It works great for us and I LOVE having a van. The doors are a lifesaver and you will not know what you did without them. Good luck in your search!
When we purchased our van I was pregnant, but it didn't work out. However here is what I concluded and what we did. We had planned to put the oldest in the back, he would have been almost 6 when the new baby was supposed to be born. My son is mister independent, but refuses to even attempt to buckle himself up. That being said, my daughter is still in an infant carrier in one bucket seat and my son currently in a booster in the other. I can get into the back from entering the side my son sits in as my daughter's car seat is in the way from her side. I prefered the bucket seats without a console between them. With the console there you have to push one of the seats forward to get into the back (kind of like with a 2 door car) and how was I going to do that with a car seat there? Take it out everytime (rain, snow or shine?) I don't think so that take time. I sat in the back seat over the weekend when my FIL was with us and I had not trouble getting back there. I love my van and even with the 2 kids I am very thankful that we have it. Congratulations on you soon to be new addition and shop around until you find what will work best for you and your family.
A 3.5 year old is old enough to go in a booster and they should be adapt at buckling already...they can easily go in the back in the middle or side of no shoulder strap is available in the middle. If you decide to keep them in a full 5 point harness you will be expected to climb in every time to buckle and then again to unbuckle them. That would be a deal breaker for me. Our moved to boosters around 3 years old every time.
