Decisions- have to put all the car seats back

christineka

New member
I have all the car seats out of the van. I will have to put them back after washing them and the interior of the van. The setup we had for vacation was very good, but not the sort of thing I'd want all the time since it involved putting dd1 inbetween two rfing seats. Give me some opinions because I'm looking for change. Here's the pertinent info:

Vehicle: 2007 sienna. 2nd row can fit anything across. 3rd row:passenger's side seat is about 19 inches wide. The middle and driver's side are about 13 and 16 inches wide.

Kids are:
dd1 age 10.5, 65 pounds, 18.5 inch torso she likes the regent, but I'd like her back in a booster
dd2 age 9, 65 lbs, 18.5ish inch torso prefer booster
ds1 age 7.5 55 lbs, 17 inch torso prefer high back booster
dd3 age 5.5 35 lbs 14.5 inch torso rear or forward facing is fine
ds2 age 3.5 30 lbs 14 inch torso rear-facing
dd4 age 14 months, 18 lbs rear-facing

Seats:
two radian 80s
true fit premier
regent
two vivos
bodyguard
harmony literider
cosco ambassador
 
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Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Lap shoulder and tether in all positions? Do you have school dropoffs, and if so, does the 5.5yo need to get out?
 

christineka

New member
Lap shoulder and tether in all positions? Do you have school dropoffs, and if so, does the 5.5yo need to get out?

Lap-shoulder belts and headrests in all positions. No tether for third row, driver's side.

There are no drop off situations or car pools or anything. I just need the kids to get in with the least bit of fuss and whining. 5 year old can buckle herself, but sometimes needs help unbuckling the crotch strap in the radian. The older kids have been helpful with the younger ones lately.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Hmmm, ok. Well, here's one option, don't know if it's a good match for kids and seats but it's a jumping off point :)

2nd Row
Driver 9yo, Ambassador *Assumes this seat needs to fold
Center 14mo, Radian 80
Passenger 3yo, TrueFit

3rd Row
Driver 5yo, FFing Radian (tethered)
Center 7yo, Bodyguard
Passenger 10yo, Vivo

That way the 10yo has the "enclosed" feeling of the Vivo (unless she's too tall for it?) and you have the lightweight backless on the flip seat. Radian center should allow the seat to flip. And 5yo is right behind the flip seat, so easy to reach for buckling help.

What doesn't work about that situation? (LOL, if you're like me -- gotta start with something and then tweak what doesn't work until it does.)
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I am double posting to add that I think we should have an event in the carseat Olympics that involves arranging your van, my Pilot, ShannaLeah's Suburban, and a few similar situations. It would be awesome! LOL!
 

christineka

New member
Forgot to add: the radian does not work well rear-facing on the middle-most seat. The kids can get in and out without folding the second row seats. If the radian is rfing on a middle row seat, it can fold enough for even big and tiny people to get into the back.

I've now washed the van. I need to vacuum the seats and decide which covers need to be washed.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
Hmmm, ok. Well, here's one option, don't know if it's a good match for kids and seats but it's a jumping off point :)

2nd Row
Driver 9yo, Ambassador *Assumes this seat needs to fold
Center 14mo, Radian 80
Passenger 3yo, TrueFit

3rd Row
Driver 5yo, FFing Radian (tethered)
Center 7yo, Bodyguard
Passenger 10yo, Vivo

That way the 10yo has the "enclosed" feeling of the Vivo (unless she's too tall for it?) and you have the lightweight backless on the flip seat. Radian center should allow the seat to flip. And 5yo is right behind the flip seat, so easy to reach for buckling help.

What doesn't work about that situation? (LOL, if you're like me -- gotta start with something and then tweak what doesn't work until it does.)

3rd row driver's side has no thether for the radian.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I had it in my head as no tether on the passenger side :)

Swap the Vivo and Radian then, and one of the biggies can help her unbuckle.
 

christineka

New member
I cleaned out the seats. Only one radian cover needs washing and I have a spare. I found out that the 65 cover doesn't have room for comfort foam. (Perhaps the cover is too old for comfort foam.)

I asked the kids which seats they preferred to sit in.

Dd1: 1st regent, 2nd literider, 3rd bodyguard
dd2: 1st vivo, 2nd any backless booster, 3rd bodyguard
ds1: 1st vivo, 2nd any seat except bodyguard
dd3 1st regent, 2nd radian

I think dd1 has nearly outgrown the regent. Perhaps I should check. I really don't think that I want her in the regent full time. I like dd3 in it because she can unbuckle herself all the time. It is a very wide, very heavy beast of a seat, though. I have one more cover to put back on and then I really need to make a decision and put seats in the van.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Just curious. Why would you put the 10 year old in a high back, but the 9 year old in a backless?

I guessed (not knowing your kids) that if she preferred the regent, she might prefer the confinement of a seat "around" her, vs sitting "on" a backless. Either child would be okay in a backless, and I thought I remembered earlier threads stating your 9yo preferred a backless. (Though I certainly could be mistaken on that.)

It was more a matter of making both girls adaquetly safe (9yo) and then moving the older to something more restrictive.

If that's not their preferences, then feel free to ignore -- but those were the thoughts behind it.

ETA: Is the Bodyguard the only thing that fits third row center?
 

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