A Car Seat Challenge: 7 kids in van

HappyMomOfSix

New member
Hi, folks! I would really appreciate some help here, and I know you all have wonderful ideas about balancing out safety when there are challenging seat-arrangement situations. :)

So, here are my children:

15 y/o
12 y/o
9 y/o
7 y/o (about 4 ft, 47 pounds)
4.5 y/o (44 in, 42 pounds)
2 y/o (36 in, 30-31 pounds)
6m (27in, 19 pounds)

My van has two sets of captains chairs and a 3-across row in the back.

Currently, I have...

Baby RF in SafeSeat
2 y/o RF in Radian
4.5 y/o in far back, middle, in a Decathalon
7 y/o in Regent
9 & 12s in low back boosters beside the Decathalon in far back
Teen in own captain's chair

We are about 3-6 months away from both the 4.5 y/o outgrowing the Decathalon (shoulders about half an inch below the highest slot) and the 2 y/o outgrowing the Radian (33lb RF limit). As best I can figure, I have two options:

1: Put 2 y/o FF in Decathalon in far back. Move baby to Radian. Purchase another Regent for 4.5 y/o.

The plus of this is that it keeps the Decathalon in the middle of the back seat, which separates the older kiddos and thus prevents them from bickering. The second plus is that it keeps the 7 & 4 y/os in 5 pt harnesses (and I love the Regent!).

2: Toss Decathalon, purchase two boosters for the 7 and 4 y/os for the far back. Put teen in middle of far back with lap belt and no head rest. Buy a My Ride 65 to keep 2 y/o rear-facing longer.

The plus of this is that it keeps the 2 y/o rear-facing. The minus is that it puts the 7 & 4 y/o's in boosters instead of Regents and compromises the safety of the teen with a lap-belt only.

The obvious solution is to get the My Ride 65 and use the four captain's chairs for the four youngest and put the oldest 3 across the back. But for my sanity as well as peace in the car, I do not want those three in the far back, far out of reach and with nothing to do but annoy each other. They are tougher by far in the car than the little ones! ;)

So, of the two options, which would you do? Or, if there's another option, I'm all ears! I am willing to buy new seats if necessary.
 
ADS

HEVY

New member
9 & 12 in the back in their boosters with the 2 yr old in the middle RF in a MyRide (if it fits).
4 & 7 in the Regents (second row CS) and 15yr old and baby in the Radian in the first captains seats.

Or for ease of putting the children in:
Maybe the 7, 9 & 12 in the back in boosters, 7 in the middle in a HBB, they can all put their own belts on. But I see where this can cause bickering.
4yr old in a Regent and 15 yr old in the second row CS, 15yr old can help 4 yr old if needed.
Baby in Radian, 2 yr old in a MyRide in the first row CS, you're able to easily access the younger ones when alone.
 

Shaunam

New member
Well, if you want to keep the 2 year old rf'ing, I'd get a graco my ride, and do just what the pp said. But I'd pass the decathlon down to your youngest and put the 4 year old in the radian. Only one new seat to buy. :D I imagine the 4 year old would fit in the radian for some time and then if you still want him in a harness, pass down the regent and get your 7 year old a booster later.

ETA: Unless the decathlon is going to expire, I see no reason to toss it. It will still fit 2 of your kids.
 

zeo2ski

Well-known member
I'd get a graco my ride, and do just what the pp said. But I'd pass the decathlon down to your youngest and put the 4 year old in the radian.

That's what I'd do too as long as you're satisfied with whatever boosters the older ones are currently in--you can just put the Radian where the Decathalon currently is, put the Decathalon where the Safe Seat1 is, and put the My Ride where the Radian is and you'll maintain the same RF/FF set up you already have!
 

HappyMomOfSix

New member
HEVY, I wish I could send you cake for being able to follow along! Thank you for your response. :)

9 & 12 in the back in their boosters with the 2 yr old in the middle RF in a MyRide (if it fits).
4 & 7 in the Regents (second row CS) and 15yr old and baby in the Radian in the first captains seats.

Which is the problem. The way the seats are, the 'aisle' is very narrow between the captain's chairs. Even if I could squeeze a seat in there, because the captain's chairs are closely spaced relative to the back seat, no one would be able to access the two side seats on the back row. :(


Maybe the 7, 9 & 12 in the back in boosters, 7 in the middle in a HBB, they can all put their own belts on. But I see where this can cause bickering.
4yr old in a Regent and 15 yr old in the second row CS, 15yr old can help 4 yr old if needed.
Baby in Radian, 2 yr old in a MyRide in the first row CS, you're able to easily access the younger ones when alone.

I would be all over this plan if I had a shoulder/lap belt in the middle of the backseat. Unfortunately, in the middle of the backseat I have a lapbelt only. :(

I'm thinking I'm going to have to move 7 and 4 to HBBs in the backseat. I just can't feel good about turning 2 FF yet (even though she's been RF longer than any of my others!).

Are there known quantities as to how much safety we lose going from a 5-point to the HBB? Is it enough to justify the loss of safety for 2 if she goes FF? How do you prioritize one child's safety over another?

you can just put the Radian where the Decathalon is

I can't get a good install with the Radian in that spot. :( I may go out and try again this morning, though. That would really solve all the problems, wouldn't it?
 

libranbutterfly

New member
I wouldn;t want to put the 4 yr old in a HBB yet. I would try radian FF center of the back row for the 4 year old. 9 and 12 on the sides in boosters.

then the 7 in the regent, 15 in seatbelt, baby in decathalon, and 2 in myride in the 4 captains chairs.
 

libranbutterfly

New member
If I had to choose between keeping a 7 yr old harnessed or a 2 yr old RF, I would choose to move the 7 yr old to a booster. As long as they are old enough to stay in position in the booster, there is no added risk to switching from harnessed to booster. I would try to wait on the 4 yr old going to a booster, both from a fairness and maturity standpoint.
 

HappyMomOfSix

New member
OK, so I was able to get the Radian in the center of the far back seat. It is solid, even without the tether, so will be moreso with the tether.

HOWEVER, I had to twist the seatbelt like a crazy twisty thing to get it to work. This van is a little strange in that the seatbelts are anchored to the floorboard, not the vench. So here's how it ended up:

photo.jpg


and

photo2.jpg


As you can see, crazy, twisted seatbelt. Now I'm thinking if it's OK to do three twists on a regular belt that attaches just below the buckle, is it not OK to do, oh, 300 twists on a belt that attaches to the floor?

If this is a no-go (opinions?), I think I will either (a) move 4 to the Regent, 7 to a HBB in the far back, and let 15 and 9 (the two biggest) duke it out in the backseat.
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
I think only 3 full twists is allowed, even if the belts are anchored to the floor (my van is like that also for the rear bench). But, I believe you can install the seat with the buckle all the way in the belt path. I think it can be all the way in, all the way out, but not on the curve, kwim?

I did prefer having my dc in that center spot in my van also. I have a lap/shoulder belt in that position, so no need to worry as much about who I put there. I have my 6 year old in a parkway there now. Of course I don't know what I will do when she outgrows it, and she is close now. I do have my 2 year old rf on the driver side of the back bench. I wonder if you can do the myride rf puzzled with the radian ff on the back bench (if you can install with the belt all the way in the belt path).

edited to add: The reason you don't do more than 3 twists is because the twists weaken the effectiveness of the seat belt, I think.
 

HappyMomOfSix

New member
I think only 3 full twists is allowed, even if the belts are anchored to the floor (my van is like that also for the rear bench). But, I believe you can install the seat with the buckle all the way in the belt path. I think it can be all the way in, all the way out, but not on the curve, kwim?

You can?

If this is true, then I will put

4 in the Radian, with 12 and 9 on the sides
7 in the Regent
15 in his own captain's chair
2 in a new My Ride
and
Baby in the Decathalon

And that should hold us a while.

ETA: Just untwisted and installed Radian in the center of the backseat with the female buckle all the way into the belt path. It's nice and flat and I've got a solid install.
 
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Gypsy

Senior Community Member
What do you drive?

Do you have 4 rows?

I keep picturing a 3 row van - a back bench with 3 across and 4 captains chairs, but you have too many people for that.

D P
2 2
333

Do you have:

D P
2 2
3 3
444

???
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
Heehee, I thought that at first also, until I read it and completely understood since I have the same type of van;) My guess is it is a 9 passenger conversion van, with a total of 6 captains chairs (driver, passenger, 4 in the back) and the 3 person bench, like you put last. So, can the buckle be all the way in the belt path?
 

HappyMomOfSix

New member
So, can the buckle be all the way in the belt path?

Yes, it's installed that way right now, and it's nice and tight. I'm very pleased. I measured about 17.5 to the top harness slot, and he's a 16in torso, so we should be good to roll for a while. I'll be getting a My Ride 65 for 2, who'll get the Decathlon until then. We should get a year or more like that, so I can keep 2 rear-facing until 3 or higher before moving her to the Radian and getting a Regent for 4 (who'd be pushing 6 by then). I think this will work. :)

Thanks so much to everyone who gave input! :)

(And by the way, Jennifer Mom of 7, cool! another mom of 7! ;) and we're jealous of your play yard!)
 
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