9YO front seat to allow infant seat access

bnsnyde · Jan 14, 2015

WWYD?

If I put my 9 YO in the front in a booster, I can put the newborn outboard in the second row of our 2011 Odyssey. If 9 YO goes in second row, then baby goes in a RF convertible in the third row (lifted over seat back). I am beginning to think this might be a bit difficult to put in baby/take out baby that way, let alone wake baby up each time. And add winter. Plus I'm not crazy about baby in third row next to the 2 YO and 3 YO, who could poke his eyes out.

We will have 6 carseats installed always, so if DH rides then all the kids can be in the back. It's just that maybe the RF infant seat would not get used all the time, in the third row.

The van goes to and from school about 1/2 mile away. I need my big kids (6, 7 and 9 to be able to get out quickly for school carline, so they can't be in the third row).

ketchupqueen · Jan 14, 2015

No. at 9 I would not put a child in front for convenience. We have had Katie Sue in the third row since birth, and loaded through the back or climbed in to put her in, because it has been the best arrangement for us. We just deal with it. 9 years old is definitely too young to be safe enough in front I'd do it outside of exigent circumstances.

NVMBR02 · Jan 14, 2015

Does your center row passenger side slide with a booster there? My Pilot does. It only slide about 75% with a high backed booster but it slide and folds all the way forward with a backless.

If it were me, I'd put your 9 y/o in a backless booster center row passenger and just have him slide the seat to let the 6 old out from the back. It doesn't take long at all. I frequently have 6 kids in the back of my pilot for band and choir carpool (ages 6-11) and all of them can slide the seat forward to let the kids in the 3rd row out even the 6 year old.

But to answer the question...No, I wouldn't. I think there has to be a much better solution out there for you.

bnsnyde · Jan 14, 2015

The third row fits 3 Radians, or 2 Radians and another convertible or similar seat.
So I am not sure how I'd fit bigger kids back there who can't fit Radians. Buckling any booster back there, even if it fit, would be super difficult. I have not even gone that route yet as there are enough little ones. Why did Honda make it sooo narrow?

I have such bad back pain I can barely walk/move. I am thinking it will get better after baby is born. Just right now...I can't imagine lifting any weight over the seatback. The current little kids back there climb over themselves. It's a bit of a process though. I still need to bend over to buckle 3 YO (FF as would not fit any RF seat) and my belly is in the way!

For school carline, no one is going to appreciate us if we take forever to unload. Now just 2 kids unload out the second row and I open the sliding door from the driver seat (pretty easy but still more than 10 seconds for them both to get out). I can't imagine a child having to move a seat. We did move the seat when there were less kids when the van was brand new, and the seat broke within a few months. I worried how it would hold up to constant movement, and sadly, it didn't. Also, the snow/salt from their boots got into the metal by the door and is caustic to that. There is nothing to prevent that, though. Just bad design. Or we live in the wrong climate! Warranty fixed the seat itself, but still. It was brand new! Yikes.

jjordan · Jan 14, 2015

1/2 mile away... is it walkable? Is there a busing option?

I wonder if the 3 of them could get out quicker if one of them went through the hatch. They would probably get a kick out of it. The 6 year old ought to fit in a radian, maybe?

I agree with KQ, I would not regularly put a 9 yo in the front seat out of convenience. If I had to make people in car line wait for me, so be it.

seb3244 · Jan 15, 2015

jjordan said:
1/2 mile away... is it walkable? Is there a busing option? I wonder if the 3 of them could get out quicker if one of them went through the hatch. They would probably get a kick out of it. The 6 year old ought to fit in a radian, maybe? I agree with KQ, I would not regularly put a 9 yo in the front seat out of convenience. If I had to make people in car line wait for me, so be it.

I agree with this I wouldn't put 9yr old in front either. Also the people in the car line can see that you are not texting or day dreaming they can see that your kids are getting out so I am sure they aren't going to be mad when it is a kid drop off line. Also what if about 2 car lengths before it is your car's turn you let your kids unbuckle that way when you get to unload them they are already ready you don't have to wait for them to unbuckle.

gigi · Jan 15, 2015

I would get a larger vehicle before I let my 9 year old in the front regularly. I'd let my kid ride up front regularly once they 5 step there and not before (unless one was full grown and tiny...so maybe by age 13-14 if a small girl).

My son could crawl under his sister's rear facing seat just fine. I'd do the baby mid row center, with boosters on either side and do three radians across the 3rd row. The 6 year old can climb out in the car line - If you put the oldest in a backless it should be easy for him to tip his seat forward and let the back row kid out, shouldn't it?

bnsnyde · Jan 15, 2015

I will need to think of something!
3 YO is outgrowing Radian FF big time. Harness keep slipping below shoulders anyway due to head rest slipping down.
As for the child who will be 6, he'll probably outgrow the Prosport (my other child did at age 5.5). They are all tall.

So...I know baby has to go outboard as I cannot lift an infant seat into the middle of the van (tried that before and failed miserably). And of course baby will have a RF convertible in back. I can, if needed, install infant seat as needed when I don't have the 6 of them, as well.

(But they cannot exit hatch for car line because it does not open unless I go back there, and climbing out is dangerous and requires a grown-up there so they don't topple out and fall; they've done that before too!)

sunnydayz · Jan 15, 2015

We have a 2014 Odyssey and my 7 year old is in the 3rd row. We too have an exceptionally busy carpool line. What we did: 10 year old backless booster in 2nd row passenger captain chair. 7 year old in 3rd row seat directly behind him. At the drop off line 10 year old hops out and the 7 year old pulls the handle that tumbles and rolls the captains chair forward. This is easy because there's a no back booster in that seat.

My kids can accomplish this in seconds. Really no longer than any other kids with some practice.

Put your 9 year old in a backless booster in the 2nd row passenger side captains chair. Then you can use the tumble feature of the seat and put your other school kids wherever.

sunnydayz · Jan 15, 2015

Also, the new Britax Parkway booster and the Harmony Defender combo seat puzzle nicely with Radians in the 3rd row.

joolsplus3 · Jan 15, 2015

bsnyde, time to update your siggy, I was wondering if the 9 yo was a daycare kid :ROTFLMAO:
Good luck figuring this all out, it's a tough situation!

Mysweethoneybee · Jan 15, 2015

I am not a tech, but I did get two children to adulthood. And I would say sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And for car line only I would put him in the front seat in his booster with that seat as far back from the airbag as possible.
That said there is a slippery slope there. If say you have to run to the grocery store after school, I would have him get in his booster in the front seat then pull to a side street and park and rearrange instead of letting him ride extra in the front seat.
In a perfect world all kids would ride in the back seat all of the time. But this world has so many other considerations.
In car lines I have been in there is no getting out the back hatch because other drivers sometimes are too close and even if they aren't they don't pay attention enough for me to feel safe with putting kids in and out the hatch.

gigi · Jan 15, 2015

I would put the 6 year old in a backless if he has outgrown the Radian and a HBB doesn't fit in your 3 across. Try a cosco topside...it is very narrow. In my tight 3 across, I have found that it is easier for the booster riders to buckle next to a convertible with a base than the radian.

I have had GREAT luck puzzling the Britax G4 with 2 Ollis outboard. This would also likely work with a key fit center.

Ollis might also work next to each other well, if your vehicle could do keyfit, olli, olli.

My baby was always in the middle. Hoist the seat up into the backless booster outboard, step up into vehicle, then shove baby seat into base in the center. Works a treat. Otherwise, just don't remove keyfit unless absolutely necessary, sit in backless and take baby out instead.

jjordan · Jan 15, 2015

Did you answer why walking is not an option? 1/2 mile is certainly do-able for distance. Are there sidewalks the whole way and crossing guards where they have to cross the street?

gigi · Jan 15, 2015

If I had 6 kids including a newborn, lived in an area with very rough winters, and had multiple school drop offs every morning, I don't think I would consider walking a helpful option.

jjordan · Jan 15, 2015

gigi said:
If I had 6 kids including a newborn, lived in an area with very rough winters, and had multiple school drop offs every morning, I don't think I would consider walking a helpful option.

It is an option, though. Personally *I* would much rather have my 3 older kids walk 1/2 mile to school than get all 6 kids (including a newborn) up and going every morning for the drive to school. I would drive them if the weather was very cold, say below 10-15* and windy. But otherwise, I grew up in a town where anyone within 1 mile of school walked, and it wasn't ever an issue.

SafeDad · Jan 15, 2015

My tall 9yo rides in front every once in a while, if there is no better option, but definitely not on a regular basis.

Lemonade · Jan 15, 2015

Um, new car?

Can you look into harmony olympians and dream times since they are narrow?

If the roads were really slow roads, like 25mph, I would consider doing the 9 yr old in the front with NBB and seat all the way back for these school drop offs. I'm not sure if the suggestions for walking are alone or with you walking them. I personally wouldn't let kids that age walk without an adult, but it really depends on how well supervised the school area is and exactly what kind of traffic they need to cross. However, a good double stroller or even the joovy triple ('big') caboose might be a great option if you can walk them at least when the weather is good. We have no choice but to walk and it's less than 1/2 mile, but a good stroller with a rain cover got us through a lot when DS was in kindy and I had DD to tote alone everyday. And I assume no bussing is available or you would be using it.

But other than that...yeah, maybe a 12 passenger van. Because it's still going to be a few years before this situation gets any better. And that would give you mega room to maneuver.

bnsnyde · Jan 15, 2015

12 passenger van is my dream. But then again, it'd be so big I'd not feel confident driving the thing!

Walking isn't an option due to crossing a road that's more busy than not,and freezing temps. Not plowed sidewalks. Babies in tow. In fact, I cannot even pick them up from school and walk from the van to get them!!! I'll have the 3 little sibs with me anyway. So I am going to make the 3 older ones walk TO me, to the nice warm van waiting for them. There are no roads to cross. It's a bit of a walk because I won't be able to park close to school. I can't get there super early and just wait, with the babies. They'll simply walk the stretch of sidewalk until they find my van. I'll have them meet at the school, then walk together. So I guess there is some walking after all!

I'd pay for the bus ($900 for 3 kids) but they always refund the money as there is not one available for this specific school. But we will make it work. We always do, somehow or another!
The school 1 mile the other way has a free bus, but it's not dual-language, so I do what I have to do because the program is awesome! Actually 3 kids in the same school is awesome. Right now, until June, I have them all in four different places and I decided (while they are in programs best suited to them), it's too much driving and craziness.

I got the 3 YO up @ 7:07 yesterday, and his bus comes at 7:15. I dressed him, he ate, and he got on the bus. (at-risk school for speech so I was happy to accept the offer to have him attend.) I was breathing heavily as the 5-year-old had a kindy bus 10 minutes before that, lol. So next year will be DREAM. Easier in some ways!

I am getting the Graco 40 since the new baby needs to stay in the infant seat as long as humanely possible.

melniemi · Jan 15, 2015

I would put your 9yo in an incognito in the middle of the third row. And your 7-8yo in a booster passenger side center row. You can easily slide the seat with a booster on it and the 2 from the third row can slip out. Then your 2 in radians can stay in the third row. And the 2 babies can be center/driver middle row.

9YO front seat to allow infant seat access

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