Question No booster in center back seat OR lbb in front seat- what would you do??

[#1babysitter]

I'm a nanny for a 1 and 3 year old full time during the week. I also babysit a 9.5 year old boy on occasion and until he starts school he will sometimes be coming with me and the two other kids to go swimming. My problem is there is NO WAY I can fit a LBB in between a Frontier 85 and a RF Marathon. So do I put him in the center with no booster or do I put him in the front seat in his low back Monterey? Someone said I could put him in the booster in the front seat of a car that doesn't have head rests in the back. So can I put him in his booster in the front seat in this situation? This will be happening 1-2 times a week for the next 2-2.5 weeks and is around a 6 min drive to the pool. Even if I could fit a LBB between the car seats it would be impossible to buckle.

Alex

 

[carseatcoach]

What do his parents think? It should be their decision.

Is there a headrest and shoulder belt in back? How close is he to five-stepping in that position?

 

[#1babysitter]

What do his parents think? It should be their decision.

Is there a headrest and shoulder belt in back? How close is he to five-stepping in that position?

No it really shouldn't be their decision. I'm the one driving him. They don't give a s***t. The DAY he turned 8 he was out of his LBB and riding in the front seat of his moms car. He has been riding in the front seat of his dad's truck without a booster since he was 6. And when he did use the LBB his parents didn't make sure he used it properly at all. He started riding in a HBB at age 2.5!

Yes there is a headrest and shoulder belt in the back. Not that close. He's all leg so the shoulder belt part of the seat belt comes way to close to his neck so he puts it behind himself. That's why he's still in a LBB.

 

[An Aurora]

Regardless of their prior history, you need to ask them about it. Just a simple "hey, would you mind if I put Joey up front? I can't fit all three kids in the back" would cover you.

 

[joolsplus3]

I assume the two harnessed seats can not fit next to each other in the back...? Or is there some other reason that you have to keep those younger kids separated? A Harmony Youth Booster, the 13.99 one at Walmart, might work in the middle, though, that might be worth a try.
I've had to put my own kids in the front due to difficult three-acrosses from time to time, I at least can push the seat all the way back, adjust the belt to fit ideally, and am right there to remind them to sit properly if they so much as move an inch out of position

 

[LISmama810]

If he doesn't pass the 5-step test, and you CANNOT fit a booster and two harnesses seats back there in any position, you have three choices:

1) Get new seats that will work 3-across.

2) Put the boostered 9-year-old up front.

3) Put the forward-facing 3-year-old up front.

Putting him in the back without a booster is not an option at all.

With 2 or 3, I would not do that without express parental permission.

Can you start a new thread (if you haven't already) with your make/model and the seats available and see if other people have done three-across with them?

 

[#1babysitter]

His parents have already told me multiple times that they don't care where he sits. He can sit in the front seat and they are talking about sitting there without a booster. When he turned 8 and stopped using a booster in his moms car I told her I'm making him use a booster until the seat belt fits him properly and she is fine with it since it's my car my rules.

The Frontier 85 and RF Marathon do not fit next to each other. I can't afford new seats and I would rather not have to switch out seats 1-2 times a week when I have all 3 kids. I will try a Harmony Literider but I doubt it will fit. I think my best bet is to put the 9 year old in the LBB in the front seat. Here's another problem though. I cannot put the seat all the way back because the RF Marathon is behind it so I can see the 1 year old in the baby mirror when I'm driving. Should I switch the Marathon and Frontier?

 

[joolsplus3]

Well, most important is that the driver fits comfortably and safely back from the airbag (10 inches from center of steering wheel to chest), so if the MA causes problems there, then no, don't switch seats. And sometimes pushing the passenger seat ALL the way back keeps the shoulderbelt from even being ON the kid's chest (you do want the belt to be in good contact with the body).

 

[jacqui276]

Since his parents are ok with him being in the front, I would put him in the front in his booster with the seat pushed back as far as it goes before considering having him sit without a booster in the back. You can put a harnessed seat up front as well, but I would be more comfortable with the backless booster because he will be further from the airbag than the kid in the harnessed seat.

 

[LISmama810]

What year is your vehicle?

I wouldn't necessarily be concerned about having the front seat ALL the way back, as long as it's back "enough." The problem with putting the FR behind it and then pushing the passenger seat all the way back is that you might be increasing the risk of head injuries to the kid in the Frontier. But that will depend on your car.

If you have advanced airbags, then likely the airbag wouldn't harm the booster kid in a regular position.

 

[hrice]

What about a Bubble Bum? They are crazy narrow. I have also found the Cosco Topside to fit very well in tight spaces.

Or a Maestro for the 3yo? That would free up some room. You could also swith the 3yo to the Radian and get a Scenera for the 1yo.

 

[#1babysitter]

If I put the Marathon behind me my seat will fit fine. I'm short so I have it pretty far forward. The Bubblebum is out because it requires the child to put the red clips on the seatbelt every time and he is not going to be able to do that without help. He just learned how to buckle the Monterey without any help. His parents never made him buckle his booster the right way so he had a hard time doing it himself the right way in my car. They would let him buckle the seatbelt over the armrests.

Getting new seats is out, I don't have that kind of money. I just bought the Frontier 85 and a cow Marathon cover so that was a huge dent in my wallet.

My car is a 2006 Lexus RX400h. It has side impact airbags.

 

[LISmama810]

It likely has advanced airbags then, or at least the newish precursors that behaved in essentially the same way. So the airbag won't explode with the same force as the older ones, meaning that the risk to small front seat passengers isn't as great.

I'd still put him back as far as you reasonably can (while still ensuring good belt fit), but I wouldn't sweat not being able to get it all the way back.

 

[hrice]

The Bubblebum is out because it requires the child to put the red clips on the seatbelt every time and he is not going to be able to do that without help.

My 10yo leaves it buckled and just slides in and tightens the belt. That is an option to keep him in the backseat.

 

[Unregistered]

I dont see a problem putting him in the back center without a booster as long as its not a lap belt only. I think an almost ten year old might fit properly to ride without a booster. It's worth checking to see how the belt fits. Usually center seats are "humped" or smaller.

 

[#1babysitter]

I dont see a problem putting him in the back center without a booster as long as its not a lap belt only. I think an almost ten year old might fit properly to ride without a booster. It's worth checking to see how the belt fits. Usually center seats are "humped" or smaller.

I already stated previously in the post that he does not fit without the booster. If he did he wouldn't be in one. Age does not matter. What matters is the seatbelt fitting him properly and it still does not without the booster. My center seat is not humped but it is smaller. That doesn't help though.

 

[#1babysitter]

Okay so I have a new problem. I put the low back Monterey in the front seat today to see how far back he would sit from the airbag and I can actually get the seat almost all the way back with the RF Marathon behind it. The problem is that my front seats are curved unlike my back seats. So the Monterey does not sit flush with the seat back meaning there is a gap. I have attached a picture of it. Is this okay? If not I would have to find a booster that is just as wide as the curve and I think that will be impossible. It is only 11 inches!