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).
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).