Pre-School and Daycare
ArcticFox
member
Tell me about going from 2 to 3 kids
ArcticFox
member
There is like no way DH would agree to a third child.. but still, I'm curious. I guess one of the big things is stuff like carseats in the car. If you have 3 kids, does that mean you have to get a huge vehicle like a minivan? I have a Hyundai Santa Fe, I can sit between the kids seats in the back but it is a super tight squeeze, I don't see an infant seat back there. I mean we'd have most of what we need for another kid, but if we had to get a new car then it would be a whole different ballpark.
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Re: Tell me about going from 2 to 3 kids
We avoided a minivan until #3 came along. It was just so much easier to be able to separate everyone (versus three in a row in a back seat) and the sliding doors made things easier too. Now we have a big 'ol SUV with plenty of room for everyone and everything which makes my DH much happier than the minivan.
But really, I think there are a few cars you could get three across the back seat IF you had the Radian car seats (which we do). They are the slimmest seats out there. Anything else just wouldn't work well, IMO.
My twins are 5! My baby is 3!
DS#2 - Allergic to Cashew, Pistachio, Kiwi
DS#3 - Allergic to Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nuts and Sesame
We're hoping to have our third kid in a year or two. While I do intend to upgrade from my beetle (which only has 4 seatbelts) I don't plan to get a minivan or large SUV. If you go to car-seat.org there is a thread somewhere for successful 3 across scenarios in a variety of vehicles. With the right carseats and the right configurations you can get 3 across almost any car.
We'll probably get either a subaru or volvo wagon and have already started exploring 3 across options. Since we'll be upgrading our vehicle then, I do intend to wait and confirm it isn't twins since with 4 you do without a doubt need 3 rows!
Personally, unless it's a Ford Expedition or a GMC Yukon, I'd go with a van. And actually, to get kids in and out easier, the sliding doors of a van is WAY more convienent!!! We are trading ours in next year for the new Chrysler Town & Country.
We are having our third and it will be great! We already have a van (pretty damn old). When used to have a Ford Explorer and DH swore he'd never buy a van. Then once we had to get a rental and it was a nice van. DH changed his mind quickly, cause he loved the sliding doors as opposed to the open out doors.
Going to a third chid isn't that bad. We timed it pretty good, cause our oldest is in school and the youngest will start school next year. So, it will just be me and baby at home. : )
I agree with the minivan comments. I can't imagine squeezing 3 small kids in one row. There's a lot more "gear" that comes with 3 kids. Also, think carpooling. You WILL inevitably find yourself in a situation where you wish you had a bigger car. Even in my minivan, with 2 backless boosters (I was doing a favor for a friend and driving her kids to camp for a few days) and a convertible in the back row it was SUPER tight (that was 5 kids total in the car).........I'm all about carpooling since with 3 kids, it will be VERY VERY hard to have your kids in activities that don't overlap at all, so you will need to carpool with others.
As for "going to a third child isn't that bad", I disagree. Going from 2 to 3 was the HARDEST transition for me. The logistics are harder. BUT, I also had 3 kids in 3 years with no help around (no babysitter at the time, no parents or IL's to help, etc.) The age span does make a difference with how "easy" you find it.
If I were like mabma, I would think it not so bad too! We never "timed" our kids - we're just super fertile! LOL! It helped that we did want more than 2 kids.......
My friend with 3 has a large SUV (I have no idea which type, but the kids are all in the middle row and she keeps the last row down for stroller and diaper changes). I have a Town & Country which I LOVE (and I was very reluctant to get a mini van).
For me going from 2-3 was very easy. Everything takes a little longer and I'm often a little late for things because I underestimate still. Sometimes it seems like someone always needs something so I don't sit around as much and definitely feel busy. It's actually most difficult right now, DS started Kindie and DD preschool so the baby has to be scheduled around drop off and pick up (like I have to go wake her up in 5 minutes to take DD to preschool). At this point my life would be ALOT easier if I didn't have her, but she is totally worth it and I'd do it again in a second:)
I wouldn't let car issues be the reason I don't have a 3rd, ykwim?
We purchased a minivan when we found out we were expecting our third child. I'm SO happy that we did. As a previous poster mentioned, three kids means more than just three carseats. It also means lots of gear! I've already started thinking that with our fourth child, we may outgrow our minivan in terms of taking trips etc. because of all the great that little ones require.
As far as the transition goes, I'm sure everyone has a different experience. For us, going from 2 to 3 was the easiest transition. I'm sure it was a combination of us being more relaxed as parents and the fact that our third baby was a very easy baby.
Hope you're able to convince your husband to have another. :-)
While this is absolutely true, it doesn't mean it's also not miserable.Especially as the kids get bigger. You're going to want to have more space between them at some point.
I come from a family with three kids and my mom never drove a larger vehicle (her cars were always used and frequently were compact) and we got along just fine. My ILs had three kids and always had sedans as well, and the included for twice annual trips from NJ to KY. I'm not talking from no experience, I'm talking from the perspective of sitting in the backseat with two siblings my entire life without a problem.
I have two siblings and we only ever had sedans. Obviously you and I had different experiences!
well- i went from 1 to 3 kids so it's different for me
but car seat wise- you can fit 3 seats across the back of most cars - if you install with the seatbelts and not the latch. Latch pulls seats towards the center - which wastes space. Seatbelts are just as safe - and save room... we have 3 across the back of DH's Ford Escape, and it's not a big vehicle at all.
Also matters what seats.... we have 3 across the back row of my minivan now that they are all forward facing - we have sunshine radians... most other convertible seats would not fit 3-across in that row, but Radians fit great. combi Coccoro's are also quite thin and fit 3-across almost all cars.
We did get a minivan shortly after I found out we were pregnant with #3. I love having the space. DD is at the age where she likes to bring a friend along and its nice to have room for 2 boosters and 2 carseats. I had a rental after someone hit my van last last month and I hated having them all in a row- they fought.
I love having 3 and I love my littlest man but it was a hard transition to being out numbered esp when my 2 year old wasn't in the midst of the terrible twos.