Have three kids? A poll for you!

mamaofthree

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #1

I'm curious how many people that have three kids are doing three across situations? I guess I'm wondering whether most people with three kids drive minivans and large SUVS or smaller cars/SUVS. And if you DO have a three across situation, is it because you have no choice, as in no more seats, or because you have a small fold down third row that interferes with cargo room and you save that seat for transporting friends? We currently have a minivan, but I'd like to downsize and wonder how realistic it is. Thanks!

 

C

chelle80

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #2

I drive an 02 impala, but dream for a minivan,lol.

I had no choice when i got the car in August of 07. I had went to look at a chevy venture but the payments were about $40 to much for us to afford.

I had a 2 door car and it was a major PITA putting the infant seat in. I had to use a ridesafer travel vest in the outboard position for Dakota and Kalebs seat tilted toward the center because of the seat. I just didn't feel like my kids were as safe as they could be when we could afford at least a 4 door car.

So we just got what we could afford.

 

Lea_Ontario

Well-known member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #3

I long for a minivan.

But, we drive a '99 Cavalier.

 

A

amy919

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #4

I didn't vote because 1) I don't have 3 kids yet and 2) none of the choices apply to what I drive.

But, I do frequently transport my nieces and nephews, so being able to fit a third car seat has always been an issue for me.

I drive a Freestyle with 2 captains chairs in the 2nd row. Right now, I have a rear console between those seats, but it can be easily removed to allow that "minivan flow" to the 3rd row. My third row is used a lot and I really need to remove the rear console and get the cover for the bolts, I've just been too lazy to do it . I love that it drives more like a car than a typical SUV and is better on gas and I love how much cargo room I have behind the 3rd row. We considered a minivan and although the general interior size of the ones we looked at was bigger, the Freestyle had more rear cargo room.

I do really like my car/truck/station wagon/whatever the heck you want to consider it, but if I could put sliding doors on it, it would be my ultimate dream car.

 

J

jdubsm

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #5

I drive a minivan.

 

TXDani

Senior Community Member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #6

None of those choices really applied to what we do. I drive a mid-size SUV with a third row and I do 3 across sometimes depending on what we are doing, like when the whole family goes to Costco we need all the cargo room so we do 3 across. But normally I have my two boys in the middle row and my daughter in the third row. I leave the other side of the third row folded so I still have cargo room.
I used to have a minivan but my husband hated it so we got the SUV. It definitely isn't as convenient as the minivan but I do not regret making the change. It also helps that my daughter is in school all day so when I am out running errands I really only have 2 kids with me.

 

ThreeBeans

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #7

I had 3 across in an SUV. It was wretched and I could not buy a minivan soon enough. DON'T DO IT IF YOU VALUE YOUR SANITY! LOL.

 

Dillipop

Well-known member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #8

Although we don't have 3 kids yet, we are trying for #3. We still have at least 2 1/2 years left on our car payment, so we will be doing 3 across in a sedan for a while. We want the car payed off before getting a minivan. But once we get the moolah, I am getting an 8 pass. sienna!

 

ZephyrBlue

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #9

I hated 2 carseats and an SUV, never mind 3. With 3, I wouldn't drive anything but a mini van now. We drive an 05 Grand Caravan SXT and 02 Windstar SEL.

 

T

thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #10

We bought our Radian b/c we were going to have 3 across our Taurus, but decided on a mini-van before Ilana came so we have 2 in front and 1 in the back row.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #11

3 across in a 2 door Jeep Cherokee and in an 8 seater Chevy Suburban.

I've done 3 across in various small sedans and full-size luxury cars. It's not THAT hard - but may take some patience and willingness to buy new seats. It's only been in the last two years that I've had the Suburban.

 

M

Momof4Girls

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #12

We've done 3 across in a Ford Escape (dd1 was in a Parkway at that time in order to make that happen, RF RA in center, FF Wizard outboard other side).

We currently drive none of the above (with 4), and we do 2/2 in the front 2 rows (of 3), in a Dodge Sprinter. We have a 2-seat bench in front (dds 2&3 ride on it, dd2FF and dd3RF), and a short 3-seat bench immediately behind it, with dd1&4, dd1 FF and dd2 RF, side-by-side (leaving the other outboard seat empty for in case mom needs to help pacify baby). We have an entire 3rd set of seats in the back, currently empty In our van, we can easily get a Regent and 2 big Britax convertibles, most likely 2 Regents, possibly even 3 (on the big bench in the back). I LOVE this vehicle

3-across stinks...LOL...but it's possible in many situations! I've never done 3-across in a sedan, but a Ford Escape is not the biggest SUV on the market.

Raechel

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #13

It's bigger than my Cherokee..... lol

 

momme2_3

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #14

I chose midsize 3 row suv~I drive buick Rendezvous everyday with 3 kids...Most of the time 2 in the middle and one in the last row...I cannot get all three kids in the middle row literally without fighting!!! ALOT!!!

When I have to put the 3rd row down for cargo room/grocery shopping...most of the time I only have DD. But otherwise, I have my 10 year old sit up front...I know not the safest but neither is 3 in the middle row fighting for 20 min....

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #15

That why you the radio. And institute the "no talking to or distracting mom while she's driving."

At ten they are definately old enough to understand why distracting you is a bad idea. It's still safer they be in the back seat.

 

melniemi

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #16

I have 4 kids and drive a minivan but we got it a month before I had baby #3. We had a 4 door grand am w/1 kid, a Chevy Venture van w/2, then a Chevy Trailblazer, extended w/3rd row, w/2 and another Chevy Venture with 3 & now 4. Dh wants a suburban but I want to drive the Venture until it dies. We just went over 100,000 miles and we started having issues with our other around 130,000 so I am hoping for better luck this time. 3 more years would be good.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #17

I'll have 3 kids in June, and we're keeping our Camry for now. I'm not 100% sure which carseat we will use. It looks like it might be a Parkway, a Marathon and either a Peg Perego infant seat (loan from a tech friend) or a snugride without the base for the baby. It would be simple if I could bring myself to get something narrower in place of the MA, but I love my marathon

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #18

I drive a van because it gives us more room when we have other people with us.

So if I have my sister and dh's brother with us and dh and I are both going, we can fit the three kids in the back (using the Radian for Ruthie) and all fit comfortably.

And then, when my niece and nephew are here from PA, I can fit all 5 kids easily in the back, which was essential when they were down for my other niece's high school graduation and it was so much easier to have the kids all with me while all the other adults were setting up the party, going to the graduation, and all that.

Then I got everyone in the car and took them over...

But before we got the van, which we got when Ruthie was already 5mo old, we had just the big Buick Lesabre, and the kids were across the back.

We just needed something with more room, but the same gas mileage.

 

Last edited: Jan 28, 2008

V

vipers_princess

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #19

I have 3 kids and right now we're using my dad's 90 olds 88, so the three of them are in the backseat together by necessity. up until she turned 8 last year, oldest dd was in a graco booster, middle dd {5y/o at the time} was in a graco high back, and youngest dd {1 y/o at the time} was RF in an evenflo or a fisher price depending on which seat was clean at the time [she had horrid reflux for awhile]

3 across, for me is rough because the 6 y/o and 8 y/o want to fight all.the.time and it drives me nuts. Thankfully in the next week or so I'll be getting a new to me minivan. The one we're looking at is a 2005 Town & Country. If we get it, the 2 little girls will be in the captains chairs in new carseats and the oldest will be in the back in a belt strap positioner.

 

G

Gsanmb

New member

• Jan 28, 2008

• #20

I am in LOVE with my Odyssey. Just got it in June (our Windstar died a very untimely and unpleasant death).

I have done 3 across in the middle row on bad carpool days, but usually I have either two in the middle row (captain's chair) and one in the back, or 2 in the back and one in a captain's chair.

Currently ds is in his MA in the second row, and the girls are in the back. But I don't like having my dd2 in the back in the platinum cargo b/c I don't think it has enough side impact protection, so I'm going to move her. But I may put her in a Radian if I can't get my hands on the Nautilus soon.