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Multiples
Minivan MoMs, please come in
We currently have a Toyota Siena. It will be fine for a bit but I'm thinking we'll need to get something else in like 6 months. Our middle row just has two pilot seats and the third row is a bench type seat. DD is in the pilot seat behind the driver, we removed the pilot seat behind the passenger so we can access the third row and the twins will be side by side back there. This set up will work until the babies are in rear-facing convertible carseats. I don't see how we'll be able to get them in and out of their carseats if they are in the third row. As it gets closer to when they will be moving to the bigger carseats, I think we need to get a minivan with a bench seat in the second row and put all the kids across the one seat. Just wondering if they even mak such a minivan? I looked at the 8-passenger Siena and it has two pilot seats and a "seat" in between them in the middle row. I don't think middle seat even qualifies as a seat! It's super narrow, I don't think a carseat would even fit on it. I checked out Honda and I can't get a view of the inside of an 8-passenger Odessey. If you have three kids in convertible carseats and a minivan with the same set up as mine, how do you arrange the kids? Any advice would be great! TIA!!
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Re: Minivan MoMs, please come in
I have K who just turned 5 in the 3rd row bench and the babies in the middle. I used to reach in and buckle her from the door on the side she is on. I can now proudly say she can buckle and unbuckle herself (still in a 5 point) by herself. I always just double check and adjust chest clip if needed. She almost doesn't even need the chest clip adjusted anymore by me though. Yay!
Sorry I went off rambling...
"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."
We have a Sienna, (8 Seater)....and we just have the 3 kids across the middle row. We could put the seat on the passenger side down and access the 3rd row, but we rather have all kids in the middle. It's a pain if someone accompanies us somewhere (it's rare), so we have been known to crawl in through the trunk area to the back.
We have 3 Britax Marathons.
There is not a lot of wiggle room between the car seats, but there is definitely enough room.
We haven't done it yet, but we are planning to move DS1's FF carseat to the second row, behind the driver seat. One of the babies' RF convertibles will go in the other second row captains chair, and one will go in the third row. We should have enough room to throw everyone in the car and be able to do all our buckling from the middle, and then squeeze past DS1 to get back out. I love this on rainy days and also when I'm feeling like we're in a parking lot that isn't too safe - much better than leaving someone outside the car. We took out the center small seat in the second row right away, and the hallway down the back is currently pretty workable.
We have an Odyssey with the same set up (bench in back, captain's chairs in middle).
We took out the middle seat between the captain's chairs and pushed the passenger side over so that it touches the driver's side capt. chair. DD1 sits in the 3rd row right by the passenger door, so there's enough room for me to buckle & tighten her.
The twins are in the captain's chairs in RF convertible seats.
It works fine.
We have a 2011 Sienna and we have the twins in the captains seats in the second row and older DD in the middle in the back. DD just climbs in (ducks under the twins convertible seats) and gets in her own seat. I then just reach in over the seat behind the driver and buckle her in. The twins are both RFing.
Cut the Crap - Weight loss journey of a Few Fat Chicks
just put your older child in the back row foward facing and the twins in the captains chairs in the middle rear facing. You might need to get a smaller seat for one side- like the combi coccoro, so there is enough room to get behind it to get to the back. That is what we did.
but otherwise it was fine that way - they could all see each other- it was a little party back there --- and now that the twins are 2 we just put all 3 in the back row forward facing in sunshine radians. No problems at all - no need for you to get a new car.
When looking at 2011 models, we specifically chose the 2011 Honda Odyssey because they have this extended version where you can safely install 3 carseats in the middle row. Our plan is to put DD forward facing in middle with the babies on either side of her. I don't forsee this being a problem once the boys are in convertible seats, since DD will be able to walk around the seats, and I will move her seat up to buckle it from the driver's seat. Once she is in a booster that she can buckle herself, we will probably move her to the 3rd row.
If you have an older Sienna (i know you can'd do this on a 2011 model) have you considered moving the captain's chairs close together in the 2nd row (for the babies), and putting DD in the 3rd row? Since the captain's chairs will be together, you will have an open spot to easily access the back.
I have a Toyota Sienna with the same set-up (removed chair behind passenger). I have 3 in convertible seats (16 month old twins and a 26 month old). When my twins were younger, in rear facing convertible seats, I had them in the back bench seat. But, I had one in the LATCH on the left side and the other seat was buckled in on the right side. It worked well. And, there was enough room in between their car seats for an adult to sit there. All 3 are forward facing now. Oldest DD is in the LATCH bench seat (on left), other DD is behind the captain's chair and DS is in the captain's chair. Sorry if this is confusing!! It works well for me. I needed to take the chair behind the passenger seat out so I could get the twins in the back. The extra space comes in handy for changing diapers, costco trips, etc.
This is what I plan to do and why I got the Odyssey over the other vans.
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