My Taxi Service :P Need help with seats!!!

Okay, so this fall, I will have 2 extra kids to take with me to and from school. I technically have enough room (enough seatbelts) in my car, so I need to make it work.


Here's the seats I have:

MA (DD's seat, currently RF'ing, but she is 3, so she *could* be FF'ing )
RA 50 (DS2's seat... 8 months old... has to be RF'ing)
NA (DS1's seat, though he doesn't like it... we're going to sell by Sept... and he's ready to at least start booster training )


Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 (I loathe this seat, but it's okay for emergencies)
SS1
Graco Snugride: only goes to 22 lb, and it's rear harness adjust, so I hate it


Here's the kids I have:

MINE...

DS1: 6 in Sept... 40 lbs... 16 in. torso... 47 inches tall
DD: 3 1/2... 28 lbs... 13 inch torso... 36 inches tall
DS2: 8 months... ~21 lbs

MON/FRI...
K: 2... 25 lbs... 12.5 in. torso... 33 inches tall (mom has her FF'ing )
K: 6 months (not sure of weight... but close to my baby)

TU/WED/TH...
A: 3 1/2... ~ 30 lbs... not sure of height, but I can check later when she's here)
C: 7 months... not sure of weight, but at least 21/22 (he's out of his Graco Snugride)




Okay... are you confused yet?? If you have made it this far thank you!!!

I have a 2006 Pathfinder... I'm thinking getting a dedicated booster OB for DS1 would be the easiest so that I can access the back seat, but if I do that, I still want a harnessed option for him for longer road trips). I'm also thinking something with a non-rethreading harness for at least one seat would be good.

What seats would you reccomend?? And where?? I would prefer to keep my kids in their seats, and in the 2nd row since I will always have them, and not always have the daycare kids, but at this point I just need to get 5 seats in my car safely.

** Mom's have both said they will get seats for my car (they are friends, so they may just split the cost, and I will kick in if I need to).

If moms are willing to get seats for your car, I would suggest 2 Boulevards if they can spend that much - you obv like Britax - because the harnesses can be adjusted to be the exact right height for each kid with the twist of a knob without uninstalling. I understand that's a lot of $ tho, so here are my other thoughts.

Is your Alpha Omega and Elite? If so, it has the front red wing tab things to adjust the headrest from the front. This makes it a great seat for various kids to be in. Another one of these (even though you said you don't like it) could be a good option and stick the 2 occasional kid seats in the back. Also Safety First has the new 3n1 that goes to 50lb FF and 35 RF that is the same concept except no red tab things, so you hafta adjust from the rear - which you have access to if the seat is RFing.

Using the seats you have, I would say leave your 3 in the middle, and put the SS1 in the back for the two interchanging babies, and the AO in the back for the older 2 occasional kids.

If they will both fit (the older occasional kids) in RFing, I would install it that way, and then you can open the back of the vehicle and load the back passengers over the back of the rear seat. I almost prefer RFing in the back for that reason, I don't have to lean and contort over the middle seats.

I am not familiar with your specific car - don't have experience putting kids in and out of it, so if climbing in and out of the back is not an option, it may be easier to put your oldest in the BPB outboard as you said, your youngest RF in the RA50, a SS1 in the other outboard position - either base or no base and just buckle it each time - so that it could be easily and that seat folded down for easy access to the back. then put your middle child in the back FF behind that seat - you would still have fairly easy access to her when you clicked the base out, and the other 2 interchangeable older kids FF next to your middle DD in the back.


Those are the options I would play with!


ETA You refer to the Eddie Bauer 3n1, that's what I meant by the Alpha Omega - Same seat if you are not familiar with that

in my car i would put the your baby behind driver your son in a booster behind passenger third row your dd rf outboard driver side put day care baby outboard
third row than the ff daycare toddler in the middle

Is your Alpha Omega and Elite? If so, it has the front red wing tab things to adjust the headrest from the front. This makes it a great seat for various kids to be in. Another one of these (even though you said you don't like it) could be a good option and stick the 2 occasional kid seats in the back. Also Safety First has the new 3n1 that goes to 50lb FF and 35 RF that is the same concept except no red tab things, so you hafta adjust from the rear - which you have access to if the seat is RFing.

The headrest does adjust from the front, just not the harness

Using the seats you have, I would say leave your 3 in the middle, and put the SS1 in the back for the two interchanging babies, and the AO in the back for the older 2 occasional kids.

I don't *think* the SS1 will fit in the 3rd row... it's too narrow. (front to back) Maybe w/o the base though. I'll have to try that.

If they will both fit (the older occasional kids) in RFing, I would install it that way, and then you can open the back of the vehicle and load the back passengers over the back of the rear seat. I almost prefer RFing in the back for that reason, I don't have to lean and contort over the middle seats.


The whole back end does open, so that could work