who would YOU put in third row seats? Biggest kid or baby?

I have a third kid on the way, and I know I'll be experimenting. Our main family car (2005 Freestyle) has 2 bucket seats in the middle "row" and a 2-person bench seat in the back row.

Currently, my oldest is a very large 5 1/2 year old (over 50lbs, about 50" tall) in a backless booster behind the driver's seat. It's easy for her to buckle/unbuckle herself and get in/out of the car on her own, such as when I drop her off at school.

My younger, about-to-be-middle child is 3 1/2, very comfortable in a (front-facing) Graco MyRide (or occasionally an Evenflo Maestro), currently behind the passenger seat. He is not able to buckle himself.

By the time baby comes, I expect to have an infant/bucket seat, probably with a base... but I'll eventually use a rear-facing MyRide.

Maybe I'm over thinking this, but I've been trying to figure out the best seat placement to keep everyone happy. I don't want to climb over the middle seat to buckle in a kid in the back, especially not multiple times a day. However, I'm not sure I want to make my oldest climb out over her brother(s), either. And there's no way to climb past a rear-facing seat without removing it.

I had thought that maybe it would be best to put the base for an infant seat in the back, so I can pick up the booster, flip down the 2nd row seat, and reach over to put the carrier in the back, then flip the 2nd row seat back up and replace the booster. A little tedious, but I could leave it in the "flipped down" position any time my oldest is not in the car.

I don't know. My kids love climbing all around on the inside of the car, so maybe it wouldn't be a big deal to put the oldest in the back. At least then the baby would be able to see someone (and be in arms' reach of someone), although my older two wouldn't be able to see or reach each other (they often pass toys back and forth across the aisle now).

I'm contemplating this too right now. I will be watching two kids plus my own come August. I initially thought to put the baby in the 3rd row because I could load her from the back.

Can you flatten a 3rd row seat? I would load through the back if you could and put baby in 3rd row

I have 5 in a suburban right now, and find it easiest to keep one of my middle seats tumbled (and let my not seat using kid use it otherwise). If I were you, I would put the 2 older kids in the 3rd row, and keep the seat in front of the harnessed FF tumbled and put the baby in front of the boostered child.

I'd put two in the third row too. Keep one second row seat tumbled so the oldest can get in and out for school. And it would give you a captains chair available if you need a seat to feed the baby or you need an adult to sit back there with a newborn.

I just traded in my Taurus x, which is the same car with a different name. I had three kids too, so I'll let you know some things that did and didn't work for me.
It's almost impossible to load from the rear. It's also impossible, without climbing in, to buckle a ff child unable to buckle their own seat in the third row, if you also have a ff or hbb in front of that seat in the middle row.
What I found worked best, oldest child ff third row passenger side, middle child ff third row drivers side, littlest rf middle row drivers side.
This set up worked best for me because in a busy parking lot I could put my walking kids in the car at once. Then I could walk around to the drivers side and buckle middle kid and littlest, double check oldest did a good job then get in myself.
I had a "wondering" middle guy, so the sooner I got him in the car, the safer he was. Lol he couldn't be trusted to wait beside me.
If you're using an infant seat with a base, you could get similar results with littlest rfing on passenger side too.
I found rfing convertibles, like a britax boulevard, fit just fine behind the drivers seat..and I'm just under 6´. My husband who's over that had some trouble, but he didn't give my car often. That's with middle kid ffing in the third row too.

I hope I gave you something that's useful. I actually loved that car, but we are foster parents now and I needed a van...so away the Taurus x went.

Personally, I put the kids that are in the car the most in the most accessible spots- so for you, that's likely the 2 smallest kids. Your oldest will only be in the car after school and weekends.

I'd put the oldest in the third row, the middle in the middle row on the passenger side, and the littlest int he middle on the driver's side. That way, during school drop off/ pickup, the oldest is just sliding by a ffing seat instead of a rearfacing one.

Dillipop said:

Personally, I put the kids that are in the car the most in the most accessible spots- so for you, that's likely the 2 smallest kids. Your oldest will only be in the car after school and weekends.

I'd put the oldest in the third row, the middle in the middle row on the passenger side, and the littlest int he middle on the driver's side. That way, during school drop off/ pickup, the oldest is just sliding by a ffing seat instead of a rearfacing one.

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This is what I was thinking as well.

Our van has 5 carseats and I always put the baby in the 2nd row, outboard, so I can access her easily in/out.

In the third row is a RF kid and a FF kid (ages 3 and 4) but they get in and out without much help, and the 4 YO can buckle himself. I would not put a baby back there if I could help it, but you do what you have to do.

If we had one more I would have to, since I'd need 3 seats in a row (2nd row) for the kids to exit to the car line at school. 3 would be in elementary school.

Tashinamommyto3 said:

I just traded in my Taurus x, which is the same car with a different name. I had three kids too, so I'll let you know some things that did and didn't work for me.
It's almost impossible to load from the rear. It's also impossible, without climbing in, to buckle a ff child unable to buckle their own seat in the third row, if you also have a ff or hbb in front of that seat in the middle row.
What I found worked best, oldest child ff third row passenger side, middle child ff third row drivers side, littlest rf middle row drivers side.
This set up worked best for me because in a busy parking lot I could put my walking kids in the car at once. Then I could walk around to the drivers side and buckle middle kid and littlest, double check oldest did a good job then get in myself.
I had a "wondering" middle guy, so the sooner I got him in the car, the safer he was. Lol he couldn't be trusted to wait beside me.
If you're using an infant seat with a base, you could get similar results with littlest rfing on passenger side too.
I found rfing convertibles, like a britax boulevard, fit just fine behind the drivers seat..and I'm just under 6´. My husband who's over that had some trouble, but he didn't give my car often. That's with middle kid ffing in the third row too.

I hope I gave you something that's useful. I actually loved that car, but we are foster parents now and I needed a van...so away the Taurus x went.

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I have a Ford Freestyle and this is what we do as well. I like having a middle seat open for me to sit in if I need to help any of them with anything (nursing the baby (when she was younger) and now helping her go potty (we take a small Bjorn potty with us in the car just in case since we are still working on potty training, I also sit there to buckle her unless I'm in a hurry, or if middle child needs help with buckles.)...anyways I can reach all of them while sitting in that empty 2nd row seat. Works great.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm going to go for an empty seat and the baby in the 2nd row, and the two "bigs" in the back. Already moved my biggest back there before school was over, and she's enjoyed it - and it's nice to have the open seat in the middle for any adults who need it.

Anitra said:

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm going to go for an empty seat and the baby in the 2nd row, and the two "bigs" in the back. Already moved my biggest back there before school was over, and she's enjoyed it - and it's nice to have the open seat in the middle for any adults who need it.

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Just a few things to think about for going forward.

We have a 2007 Ford Freestyle and while I only have 2 kids, we carpooled for preschool using the 3rd row for 3 of the last 4 years.

When you put the 3 yo back there, be sure it's on the passenger side since that is where the top tether is.

For your oldest - since you are already using a low back booster watch the shoulder belt position. My DD (8) can only use the Incognito in the third row now b/c otherwise the shoulder belt is off her shoulder.

Also before keeping the empty 2nd row seat in the folded position when anyone is riding in the 3rd row, check the manual - I'm pretty sure ours requires the 2nd row to be up if someone is sitting in the 3rd row. If the 3rd row is empty sometimes we have left it folded.