Question 4 kids in a Sienna--who would you put where?

kphil

Member
I'm thinking through the car seat arrangements for when we put the baby's seat in the car. We have 2 birthdays coming before then, so at that point we will have dd10 in a Monterey, dd7.5 in a Nautilus and ds4 in (I think) a MyRide. I thought I knew where I would put everyone, but after watching the TC videos, I'm thinking a lot more about head excursion room and wanting to take that into account with who sits where.

We have an 8-seater Sienna, and my thought has been that we will remove the middle row outboard seat on the passenger side. That will allow the 3rd row to be easily accessed. Pretty certain that baby should go behind me (middle row, drivers-side outboard). I had planned to have my ds (4 by that time) in the 3rd row, passenger side outboard, thinking that would allow his harness adjuster to be reached easily, since the seat in front of him will be gone. That would leave either my 10yo or 7yo in the 3rd row driver side outboard, which does not have nearly as much space in front of it as any of the other seating positions. Seems it would be better to have my 4yo there, but I don't know that it's feasible to get him buckled well in that location. If not, then probably my best bet is 7yo in Nautilus in the 3rd row behind baby, and 10yo in Monterey in the middle seat, middle row. 7yo will be going into a booster at some point, though--likely by the end of the year, I'd think, which will then make it less clear who is safer where.

Anyone have any thoughts, or ideas of how you would do it differently? My oldest is mature about safety stuff, and I had planned that she will be the one to buckle ds4 in--I have had her do it for him a number of times, and she does it well, and gets him nice and tight, and I always check to make sure it was done. That will allow me to put baby in, while she puts ds in, then I can check and make sure ds is tight, and check on dd7 while dd10 buckles her booster. Shoot, that reminds me why I originally thought I would have dd7 in the middle seat, middle row--I usually turn around from the driver's side and give her a final tug on the Nautilus harness to snug it up the last little bit each time before we drive. That would be more difficult if she's in the back.

What would you do?
 
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emandbri

Well-known member
Are the older kids in school? If so do you pick them up or do they ride the bus? Will the 4 year old be in preschool? If so do you take him in or do you drop him off and pick him up?

My kids are seated the way they are because if preschool drop off and pick up. I also have an 8 passenger sienna. I have 3 year old rear-facing middle row center, outboard middle seat out, 10 and 6 year old in the back in a right fit and Monterey. I pick the 10 and 6 year old up from school 3 days a week and needed them to easily get to the back. The 13 year old is in the middle row because honestly he still doesn't fit right in the back even at 5 foot 3 and 130 lbs.

When the kids were younger though I had the youngest behind me, and second youngest in the front and center spot. It worked really well because he could climb in, get his straps on, and I could buckle him from the front seat.
 

sirrahn

Active member
I too, have always seated my kids where it was most convenient for loading and unloading.

My kids were a little younger when I had my 4th (7, 5 and 2), but this is what worked for me and I think could fit your situation too. I had my then 5 yr old harnessed on the passenger side 3rd row. Oldest boostered driver back row, baby front and center, and then 2 yr old behind the driver.

Everyone loaded from the power slider....Big kids could climb in and buckle themselves. 2 yr old climbed in and got in her seat, baby clicked in bucket in the middle. Then check the harness of harnessed kid in 3rd row, walk around to driver's side, buckle 2 yr old and then drive.

Now that they're older and all in seatbelt or booster except the youngest they've shuffled around some although I still have DD2 front and center since it's often just the two of us, and it's easy for me to reach back and buckle and unbuckle her from the driver's seat. She's almost 5, but still can't quite manage her radian.

We never took out a middle row seat. The kids can get in the back just fine with it slid forward and the seatback folded down. I've needed it for an extra passenger a few too many times to leave it in the garage.

HTH a little!
 

kphil

Member
We homeschool, so we don't have any drop off/pick up considerations.

With leaving the middle row outboard seat in, does the Sienna allow it to stay flipped forward? I need to recheck my manual--I have been operating under the thought that the manual says you can't drive with the seat back down, and it's still difficult even for my oldest to flip the seat forward. Besides that (and this is really gross and unfortunate), our cat got into our van a year ago, and then got shut in there overnight, and she peed on the middle row, passenger outboard seat. We've done everything imaginable to clean it, including leaving it at an auto detailing place for a couple weeks for them to clean it, but I still notice a strange smell *if* there is not a seat on top of that seat. Right now, my boostered child rides in that seat, and there is no odor when her seat is in the car. All that to say, if there isn't going to be a seat on that seat, I'd rather have it not in my car ;).
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
There is no tether anchor 3rdrow drivers side, so I 'd put the oldest there in the booster. Can your 7 year old buckle without loosening the harness? That's what my 6 year old does. If so, I'd put him 3rd row passenger.
 

sirrahn

Active member
With leaving the middle row outboard seat in, does the Sienna allow it to stay flipped forward? I need to recheck my manual--I have been operating under the thought that the manual says you can't drive with the seat back down, and it's still difficult even for my oldest to flip the seat forward.

If you want to leave it fully tumbled, there is a strap that's supposed to be used to secure it to the hand grip. Tumbling it somewhat blocks access across the middle row though. I certainly don't recall reading anything about there being an issue having the seat back folded down in my manual although I suppose it could have been missed.

With the cat issue (our cat got locked in ours once too, and I was *so* afraid that had happened....thankfully she held it:p) and if you don't think you'll need it, you could certainly just take it out.
 

kphil

Member
There is no tether anchor 3rdrow drivers side, so I 'd put the oldest there in the booster.
I totally forgot that I might have some locations with no tether! Thank you for reminding me. That pretty much settles it, as I won't use a ff seat without a tether (well, I guess I still have the option for now of my 4yo rf in that 3rd row driver's side seat, but that seems like a real headache for loading and unloading). I will likely then put my 7yo in the Nautilus in the middle row, middle seat, which still allows me to give her a tug, if needed, and gives her lots of head excursion room, and put 4yo ds in the 3rd row, passenger side. I prefer not to have him be the one next to the new baby, as my older girls can actually be of help with the baby, and he's likely to vacillate between being somewhat of a help and being a cause of trouble for the baby ;).

I'll have to see if the middle row driver's side seat can slide forward at all from where it is, to give my oldest in the booster more space between her and the seat in front of her. I just don't like how close the seats are together for passengers in that back row--especially a booster rider.
 

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