christineka
New member
The latest setup I have doesn't work. The booster kids can't buckle themselves. It's a pain to put the 3 little ones in and out from the back. It just isn't going to work. If I could go out and buy a multimac I would. I'm sure it would solve all of our problems. Unfortunately, I can't.
My latest idea is to get 3 regents and harness everybody for years to come. All buckles will be in front and easily accessible. I'm certain that my girls, most especially 8yo will complain. I'm not sure that it is safest to put older kids in harnesses.
Then, there is the idea to just put all of them in turboboosters, which could be fine- until someone falls asleep and falls out of the seatbelt. We aren't the type of people to have spare seats sitting in the hall closet just for long drives, though.
I'm at that point where I'm starting to consider that 12 passenger van, but I neither want one, nor do we really have the funds for one, nor would dh ever consent to it.
As a recap: I drive a 2007 8 passenger toyota sienna. My children are currently: dd 9yo @50 lbs, 18 inch torso in a new monterey
dd 8yo @50 lbs, 18 inch torso, in a vivo
ds 6yo @45lbs, 16 inch torso, in a vivo
dd 4yo 31 lbs, 12.5 inch torso, rfing avenue
ds 2yo 30 lbs, 12 inch torso, rfing radian
dd 3mo @13lbs, 1st slot in keyfit
The vivo doesn't work well in the middle-most position because the seatbelt falls out of the guide. It is a pain for a child to climb under rear-facing car seats. Passenger side in the third row is really the only place where I can fit a booster seat semi-comfortably. The driver's side works with the backless turbo. I can't do three boosters across the back. The buckles for the seatbelts on the captain's chairs are hard to get to when in one of our boosters. I really want my dd3 to remain rear-facing until she weighs 35 pounds.
I've got birthday money. I'm willing to sell seats. I'll beat dh up till he allows "the perfect" and also safe setup of car seats. Tell me, what will work that is safe enough and is also reasonably easy to deal with.
My latest idea is to get 3 regents and harness everybody for years to come. All buckles will be in front and easily accessible. I'm certain that my girls, most especially 8yo will complain. I'm not sure that it is safest to put older kids in harnesses.
Then, there is the idea to just put all of them in turboboosters, which could be fine- until someone falls asleep and falls out of the seatbelt. We aren't the type of people to have spare seats sitting in the hall closet just for long drives, though.
I'm at that point where I'm starting to consider that 12 passenger van, but I neither want one, nor do we really have the funds for one, nor would dh ever consent to it.
As a recap: I drive a 2007 8 passenger toyota sienna. My children are currently: dd 9yo @50 lbs, 18 inch torso in a new monterey
dd 8yo @50 lbs, 18 inch torso, in a vivo
ds 6yo @45lbs, 16 inch torso, in a vivo
dd 4yo 31 lbs, 12.5 inch torso, rfing avenue
ds 2yo 30 lbs, 12 inch torso, rfing radian
dd 3mo @13lbs, 1st slot in keyfit
The vivo doesn't work well in the middle-most position because the seatbelt falls out of the guide. It is a pain for a child to climb under rear-facing car seats. Passenger side in the third row is really the only place where I can fit a booster seat semi-comfortably. The driver's side works with the backless turbo. I can't do three boosters across the back. The buckles for the seatbelts on the captain's chairs are hard to get to when in one of our boosters. I really want my dd3 to remain rear-facing until she weighs 35 pounds.
I've got birthday money. I'm willing to sell seats. I'll beat dh up till he allows "the perfect" and also safe setup of car seats. Tell me, what will work that is safe enough and is also reasonably easy to deal with.