View Full Version : The car problem and three+ children?
I'd like to have number 3 next year, but my husband's bug bear lies with the car. We have a subaru forester with two large carseats in the back.
DS1 will still only be 3 if #3 happens next year and there is really no room for a third seat of any description in the back of the car. DH really doesn't want to get another car (we've only had it 18 months).
What do people with 3 or 4 or more kids do?:detective:
Sheer Bliss
25-01-2009, 18:46
Car manufacturers need to start re-designing with the new car-seat regulations in mind...IMO!
We have a subaru ourback, and had the same issues accross the back seat. So we bought a commodore wagon in preparation for the third baby....which turns out, is twins!! So we are putting an extra *dickie* seat int he boot for DD! The backseat of older wagons fir 3 seats across OK, but the newer ones (like the holden sports wagon) are narrower accross the back, and hae smaller boots, so dickie seats dont' always fit well. Holden have atually stopped fitting dickie seats near us, as the newer models just done have the room! And holden don't even make them anymore, so you have to get a independant company one.
We looked at the vans and people movers, and i'd love a chrysler voyager, or a kia grand carnival, but it's just not in the budget ATM. And then when you do move to the biger cars, you often loose boot space.
DH mentioned a Pathfinder the other day, so I'll just have to convince him that he'll get one of them if we can have another baby!!
MountainGirl
02-02-2009, 10:30
I have a 4yr old a 2yr old and a 7month old,..and I can fit 3 carseats in the back of my Alfa Romeo (not a large car),... just get a compact S'n'S seat for the baby!
Didn't realise they did compact seats. Will have to have a look at them - thanks for that!:)
Hi there we have a new Mitsubishi Pajero and we can fit 3 in we brought 2 new carseats for DD1 4yrs & DD2 3 yrs which are the safe n' sound Hi-liner with a H harness and DD3 6 mths is in safe n' sound platinum it's tight but it fits fine. When they get older and bigger they can go in the back too as we have the 7 seater!!! I called Britax the safe n' sound people and they where really helpful I measured the back seat and they helped me work out what would fit!!!
littlebopeep
03-02-2009, 16:44
DH mentioned a Pathfinder the other day, so I'll just have to convince him that he'll get one of them if we can have another baby!!
We have a pathfinder and we can only fit two car seats in there, no room for a third at all!
2girls&1boy
03-02-2009, 16:48
We have a Toyota Camry Altise and fit 2 booster seats & a S & S compaq in it. THere is not much room but they fit and the kids are not on top of each other too much,
RAAFMummy
03-02-2009, 23:10
YES have another baby, its just a car and you will find a way. I have Three kids under 4 all in car seats, its tight and a hassel to get 3rd but they never complian. We were in the car for 5 days travelling to the other side of AUST. you'll come up with something remeber there is the Baby bonus you are able to use that towards a car loan, Maybe :yelclap:
mum of 3
04-02-2009, 15:07
i have a hyundai sedan i have 2 carseats and a capsual its a little squeez but we manage fine up grading soonish though we want no4 soon lol
FiveInTheBed
04-02-2009, 15:24
I have three in Maxi riders...(the sns compaqs are a good idea...but remember they continue to grow at rapid pace and with the new car seat laws coming in it is best to have a car that will safely fir three big car seat/boosters)
We have a Kia Carnival grand - traded in our 11 month and 23 day old Subi forrester in!!
The fact a love about it is you can play around and configure the seat any way you want...there is five anchor points and the back row seats stash away - great for road trips!
We figure we have this car for long while, there is room for friends of kids or friends with kids or relatives!!
good luck
MummyCharmzy
04-02-2009, 15:34
We had 3 carseats across the back in Holden commodore and an older Camry. 2 in MR's and a capsule and then 2 MR's and a safe nsound seat. #4 came 12 months after #3 though so we quickly upgraded to a chrysler grand voyager (7seater people mover and I dont reccomend it... I'd go for a tarago any dayover it)
We decided before our BFP this time around that we were upgrgading our 7 seater to a 12 seater to make it more comfy for family holidays and because I was babysitting 2 other children 5 days a week and we could not fit enough car seatsin.
We started looking and then got our BFP so it was essential to upgrade as we would not have got 5 carseats into the chrysler and although the eldest is 7 we are not comfortable having him just on the normal seat, he is in a tethered booster. So we got a ford Transit and havent looked back. Yes its big but its no issue really, I can have my 4 and the babysitting kids all in there safely and still have room for anyone else that wants to tag along. The boot is huge, I can fit my twin pram and single pram in there fully set up, I never fold them honestly dont even know how to fold one of them lmao
http://www.atsb.gov.au/pdfs/child_restraints.pdf
This seems to be the latest info from the government on car seats. I definitely want to keep DS1 in the biggest seat possible for him for as long as I can, and in a 5 point harness (forever?!:laughing:).
I might have to plan a due date for #3 for after DS1 is 4!! that way we can fit them all in a bit better!
DH cringes at the thought of a big people mover (no offence intended) he's just a bit car mad, and figured the subaru was a good compromise over the sporty mazda we used to have!!!:)
RAAFMummy
07-02-2009, 23:02
I'd like to have number 3 next year, but my husband's bug bear lies with the car. We have a subaru forester with two large carseats in the back.
DS1 will still only be 3 if #3 happens next year and there is really no room for a third seat of any description in the back of the car. DH really doesn't want to get another car (we've only had it 18 months).
What do people with 3 or 4 or more kids do?:detective:
At least you and your husband have came to a agreement. Next year we are trying for #4 which is odd to talk about as i had #3 11wk ago, i will have four under 6yrs.I think that you always knew the out come. We'll good luck to now and the future...
We have a 7 seater toyota kluger and it fits all 3 kids in the middle row and we can pull out the back 2 seats if need be. I recommend getting a 7 seater in case of future children. I am so thankful that we have a 7 seater now that we will hopefully have a fourth bubba. Nissan pathfinders are quite good also from what I can tell.
I agree with going to have a look around for a more compact style of child restraint - it's a MUCH cheaper option than upgrading a perfectly good car that you love.
Rather than a seat with a 5 point harness, have you considered a slimmer style of booster seat and using a H-harness with it? Depending on your DS's weight it should be fine for him by then, and places like kmart have plenty to choose from (the brand Infa Secure comes to mind??)
Good luck! Upgrading cars is a bit of a cow - we went for the Kia Grand Carnival when #4 arrived and thank goodness we did because even I didn't contemplate me wanting a #5 but here we are pregnant and I'm so happy that we're have the space!!!
When I got pg with #3 I thought we'd fit all three in the back of our Hyundai Tucson 4wd. Now I've realised that this car, which is the same width as our Commodore is not going to fit our two booster seats plus a bay capsule or baby seat. I tried putting my 5yo on one of those seats that just goes under his bottom, but I found it harder to do up his seat belt, the seat moved about which I wasn't happy with, plus it doesn't give head protection. We've decided to buy a Kia Grand Carnival before baby is born so we can have the kids in seats that we are happy with. I will be sad about selling my Tucson, but then that's just silly when I'm over the moon about our new bub on the way.
canberramomma
11-02-2009, 13:59
We used to have a car seat and a baby seat in our old Ford. Became a bit of a worry when the last bub came along (there were more bottoms than seats), but we have just bought a 2nd hand Tarago and it's fabulous.
I have other friends who have 3 kids and foster as well and they have a station wagon with a d!cky seat. It works well for them.
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