wendyroo Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My older son is turning 4 this week. I also have a not quite 2 year old and I am 20 weeks pregnant with number 3. When the baby is born the oldest will have to move to the back row of the van where I will have to squeeze past the infant seat to help him buckle and unbuckle. What are the chances he will be able to do it himself in the next 4ish months. Is there anything I could be doing to help him learn? If it matters, he is harnessed in a Britax Frontier 85. He is not heavy enough (and probably won't be for at least another year) to use it in booster mode. Currently, he puts his arms through the straps and sometimes manages to buckle and unbuckle the chest clip. He understands the mechanics of the crotch buckle, but lacks either the strength or coordination to buckle or unbuckle it. Are some car seat brands easier for kids to manage on their own? Thanks, Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmvaughan4 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My six year cannot unbuckle the crotch buckle. He's in a booster now, but he still can't unbuckle DS3's seat. He never tried to unbuckle while I was driving. DS3 can't unbuckle the top or bottom, but he's never been interested in trying too hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Sorry mine couldn't do the straps on their carseats. They managed the regular seatbelts much easier. I was so happy when I switched them to booster seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 None of mine could ever buckle or unbuckle themselves until they moved to a booster. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My almost 5yo is in a Frontier 85 and cannot unbuckle it. I also have a 3yo and am also 20 weeks pregnant. My plan was to move the two older boys to the back, put baby in one of the middle seats, and fold the second middle seat down to make buckling/unbuckling easier. Unless there's some major safety issue I'm forgetting, it seems like the easiest plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeschoolMamaOfTwo Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 A solid 4, probably more like 4.5 for DD, she's been in a Britax Boulevard forever. DS was 4 as well, in a Britax Marathon and then a Britax Regent. They could unbuckle much sooner than buckle but at 4 they could do both, with a lot of "show me" (them pulling as hard as they could on the straps after fastened to show me it was correct). No idea why the difference, I never really cared if they did it themselves because we have easy access to them in our vehicle but they always wanted to. My DD is stronger than average I think (well she is stronger than DS for sure). Not sure if that makes a difference since DS was also the same age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My oldest could buckle and unbuckle his Marathon straps a little past 4. I needed him to help, so I encouraged him to try every day while I got everyone else in. One day, he finally did it. Now he's in a booster and we're starting over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My older son is turning 4 this week. I also have a not quite 2 year old and I am 20 weeks pregnant with number 3. When the baby is born the oldest will have to move to the back row of the van where I will have to squeeze past the infant seat to help him buckle and unbuckle. What are the chances he will be able to do it himself in the next 4ish months. Is there anything I could be doing to help him learn? If it matters, he is harnessed in a Britax Frontier 85. He is not heavy enough (and probably won't be for at least another year) to use it in booster mode. Currently, he puts his arms through the straps and sometimes manages to buckle and unbuckle the chest clip. He understands the mechanics of the crotch buckle, but lacks either the strength or coordination to buckle or unbuckle it. Are some car seat brands easier for kids to manage on their own? Thanks, Wendy Well it looks like I am in the minority here but my DS could unbuckle his Britax Frontier85 at about 3.5-4 and could buckle it himself between 4-4.5. He is pretty big and strong for his age. At about 5 he could unbuckle his brother for me and can almost buckle him as well ( although I always double check). He sometimes rides in a booster in DH's truck and has a ton more trouble buckling a regular seatbelt. That is a big reason he is still harnessed! I'm not sure if the is anything you can do to help him except practice but I think it must take a certain amount of strength and coordination. I have had a lot of Britax carseat and find their buckles to be easy enough. In fact I just got a Maxi Cosi seat for DD and I have a much harder time with the buckles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My kids were in 5-point harnesses until age 4.5. They could buckle them no problem (had been able for some time), but could not unbuckle the crotch buckle. I'm pretty sure it's designed that way - they don't want kids to be able to open it. For that matter, it was hard for me with my arthritis. Once they moved into boosters they were able to do it all on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My 3.5 year old just learned this weekend. She can’t unbuckle yet, which is fine. All of mine have been around the same age, somewhere between 3.5-4 yrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 When I had three, I took out one of the middle seats. I put two in the back and the baby in the middle. It was much easier to load and unload with that set-up. I would do the same with four - put three across in the back and the baby in the middle. I currently buckle my 2yo in the back, and it's a pain to get in and out of the van every.time.we.go.anywhere. It's even worse to try to take a sleeping toddler out through the middle. I haven't been able to get him from middle back to bed without waking him up. When I had toddlers in the middle, they always made it into the house without waking up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kidlets4me Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My youngest could do it at 4.5ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My 6 year old is in a 5 point harness and she still cannot buckle the crotch strap. She can unbuckle it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My dd learned to do the top pretty early and the bottom around 4. She could undo the top around 4 and learn to undo the bottom right before she went to a booster around 5.5. It takes a lot of strength to get the bottom undone. My 4.5 year old son doesn't really do anything. I think he can do and undo the top strap but he rarely does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My older dd could at about 4.5, and my younger dd started to be able to right around turning 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 So those of you who put multiple kids in the back seat, are any of them rear facing? My almost 2 year old is rear facing and will stay that way until he is 3+. He is almost 30 pounds and if his seat was in the far back I think loading him would be very awkward. I did consider removing a middle seat and putting two kids in the back, but I was figuring it would be the oldest and the baby back there. I would put the toddler in the middle seat where I could load him from the side door. The four year old would be in the back where he could get into his seat by himself and I would just have to buckle him. The baby will be in an infant bucket, so he will already be buckled and I would just have to clip his seat into the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My son is in a high-back booster and can't buckle it in himself. The receiving part of the seat belt winds up tucked back under the car seat and is right on the edge of his booster, which makes it difficult. Both my kids can unbuckle themselves (and I was so glad when we got to that point). I would be worried about having a kid buckle themselves into a 5-point. Most that I've seen, they would have a hard time tightening it enough to be safe. Wiggling into the straps would have them too loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My 6 year old can unbuckle himself in his Britax and can buckle the chest piece but can not bucket the one between his legs. He's tried and tried too. Honestly, I'd rather do it anyway, or I'd at least double check him every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 So those of you who put multiple kids in the back seat, are any of them rear facing? My almost 2 year old is rear facing and will stay that way until he is 3+. He is almost 30 pounds and if his seat was in the far back I think loading him would be very awkward. I did consider removing a middle seat and putting two kids in the back, but I was figuring it would be the oldest and the baby back there. I would put the toddler in the middle seat where I could load him from the side door. The four year old would be in the back where he could get into his seat by himself and I would just have to buckle him. The baby will be in an infant bucket, so he will already be buckled and I would just have to clip his seat into the back. I don't regularly have anyone in the third row, but when I do and it's someone who needs help getting in and buckled, I often do it through the back door. Depending on what you drive, maybe you could have him climb in the seat himself from the side door, or lift him in through the back and over the back seat, then buckle him from the back where you have reasonably easy access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 So those of you who put multiple kids in the back seat, are any of them rear facing? My almost 2 year old is rear facing and will stay that way until he is 3+. He is almost 30 pounds and if his seat was in the far back I think loading him would be very awkward. Both of my kids were rear-facing in the backseat of my sedan until they were about 2.5. They were able to get themselves in & out of their seats, so I just needed to make sure the straps were done right. I put the seats right next to each other with no space in-between. That way a third person could sit on one side of the backseat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My 3 year old can buckle/unbuckle his Britax Marathon. My six year old was four when he moved to the Frontier 85 and was able to do the straps immediately. He was doing the Marathon before, which in my opinion, is harder than the Frontier. My friend has four year old twins and they can't undo the Marathon, but they are much larger (15 pounds) and stronger than my 3 year old. I think it's just a matter of practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My only RF is Piper. I had to put her in the back a few weeks ago and it was a total PITA. I had to open the back hatch, stand in the trunk and literally toss her in her seat (Britax Roundabout). The straps weren't that hard because I was standing in the trunk, but I banged her head every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 So those of you who put multiple kids in the back seat, are any of them rear facing? My almost 2 year old is rear facing and will stay that way until he is 3+. He is almost 30 pounds and if his seat was in the far back I think loading him would be very awkward. I did consider removing a middle seat and putting two kids in the back, but I was figuring it would be the oldest and the baby back there. I would put the toddler in the middle seat where I could load him from the side door. The four year old would be in the back where he could get into his seat by himself and I would just have to buckle him. The baby will be in an infant bucket, so he will already be buckled and I would just have to clip his seat into the back. No, I don't have a rear facing seat in the back. When I load and unload kids, they all go in the same side door regardless of where they sit. When I had three little people, they went in the door, I followed them in, and then I closed the door. Just getting them in safely was an accomplishment. Also, I live in MN, so loading quickly was a requirement with our winters. For me it's easiest to put the baby seat in the middle b/c the infant seat is heavy and awkward to lift in and out of the back seats. Whereas even if your toddler is rear-facing, he should be able to crawl into the seat by himself. No matter how you load 3 littles, it's going to be work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My 7yo was still in a 5 pt. harness until the end of last year. She had been able to buckle her self for quite some time, well over a year. My 5yo started being able to buckle IN at about 4 1/2, but he couldn't always get himself out of the crotch buckle. I always had my oldest help him, as I couldn't reach him any longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 So those of you who put multiple kids in the back seat, are any of them rear facing? My almost 2 year old is rear facing and will stay that way until he is 3+. He is almost 30 pounds and if his seat was in the far back I think loading him would be very awkward. I did consider removing a middle seat and putting two kids in the back, but I was figuring it would be the oldest and the baby back there. I would put the toddler in the middle seat where I could load him from the side door. The four year old would be in the back where he could get into his seat by himself and I would just have to buckle him. The baby will be in an infant bucket, so he will already be buckled and I would just have to clip his seat into the back. I have three children, soon to be 4. I have always put my rear facing children in the middle row, on the edge (we have bucket seats, not bench, so there is no middle seat). When this baby is born, I will have 2 in boosters in the back, my 2yo (3 when baby is born) front facing in the middle row on one side (our new car won't allow for her convertible seat to rear face without putting the passenger side seat all the way against the dash. :( ) and the baby RF in the other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I have three children, soon to be 4. I have always put my rear facing children in the middle row, on the edge (we have bucket seats, not bench, so there is no middle seat). When this baby is born, I will have 2 in boosters in the back, my 2yo (3 when baby is born) front facing in the middle row on one side (our new car won't allow for her convertible seat to rear face without putting the passenger side seat all the way against the dash. :( ) and the baby RF in the other side. This is how we had Jax and Piper when they were both rf, she was in a Snugride and he was in a Safeseat, I had to load them both because he was only 19 months when she was born. I check Jax after he buckles, but it is so much faster for him to do himself while I do Piper. I just have to check the chest clip and pinch the strap, done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 It really depends on the seat. My almost 6yo can do it in most of our carseats, but not his Nautilus. He is in the back seat of the minivan. There is *just* enough room between the middle seat and the side of the van for me to reach back to undo the bottom (he undoes the top). I hate it; but I like him in that seat, soooooooo.... My almost 5yo cannot do any of the bottoms; but he wouldn't be able to. His fine motor is rough at best. He has been able to buckle in, except for the short time he had one of the Nautilus, since last summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I would be worried about having a kid buckle themselves into a 5-point. Most that I've seen, they would have a hard time tightening it enough to be safe. Wiggling into the straps would have them too loose. Yeah, I don't know how someone could tighten a 5pt from inside the seat. My olders can't get the straps tight enough from outside of the seat when they buckle in the littles; I'm sure my littles wouldn't be able to tighten them enough from inside the seat. Logistically I don't even know how it would be possible with our 5pts. My 2yo is in a Radian, and I have to bear down on the tightening strap, and I still have trouble getting it tight enough. I don't think it can tighten by being pulled upward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My ds was probably close to 6. He could click others in before that, but I still needed to check. The amount of pressure needed "should be" too hard for a young child. The Frontier is an excellent seat, I wouldn't change it. Can you move his seat so it's easier to reach? You might also try sitting the infant seat out of the way, buckling the Frontier, then clicking the infant into the base. I'd keep him harnessed in the Frontier as long as possible, at least age 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My 6 year old can buckle herself, but she can't unbuckle the crotch strap. You may be crawling back there for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 It really depends on the seat. My almost 6yo can do it in most of our carseats, but not his Nautilus. He is in the back seat of the minivan. There is *just* enough room between the middle seat and the side of the van for me to reach back to undo the bottom (he undoes the top). I hate it; but I like him in that seat, soooooooo.... My almost 5yo cannot do any of the bottoms; but he wouldn't be able to. His fine motor is rough at best. He has been able to buckle in, except for the short time he had one of the Nautilus, since last summer. <3 the Nautilus. My 2 oldest have them and my third will be getting one this summer. Yeah, I don't know how someone could tighten a 5pt from inside the seat. My olders can't get the straps tight enough from outside of the seat when they buckle in the littles; I'm sure my littles wouldn't be able to tighten them enough from inside the seat. Logistically I don't even know how it would be possible with our 5pts. My 2yo is in a Radian, and I have to bear down on the tightening strap, and I still have trouble getting it tight enough. I don't think it can tighten by being pulled upward. My straps don't need to be tightened all that often??? They are set and don't loosen easily, so that isn't really an issue for my seats. I've never needed to tighten them every time they got in the seat. I'm pretty uptight about car seat safety, so I do ensure that everything is set just right. My 4 year old could still buckle himself in and so could my 6yo(who is now 7). They are both in a Nautilus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 So those of you who put multiple kids in the back seat, are any of them rear facing? My almost 2 year old is rear facing and will stay that way until he is 3+. He is almost 30 pounds and if his seat was in the far back I think loading him would be very awkward. I have 2 rear facing right now in the back of a station wagon and 1 in a booster. At one point I had 3 rear facing. My lightest child is in the middle but if a bigger child was in the middle I would have them climb in themselves. I sometimes lift my son who is pretty big into his rear facing seat and it isn't bad. I got used to it. He will be forward facing soon and only the 2.5 year old will be rear facing in the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My 3 (almost 4) year old is in a frontier and can completely buckle herself in. She can't undo herself. So, I think you have a chance that he will at least be able to get himself in soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My older kids could buckle and unbuckle themselves around 5. We always completely loosen the straps when we unbuckle- it makes it easier to undo the crotch buckle and easier to get into the seat. They can tighten their own seats by pulling up on the strap after they are belted in. I will check visually and if it looks suspicious I'll pull on it but I've never had them not tighten it enough. Usually if I need to correct something it is that the chest strap is too low or the buckle isn't completely snapped. I don't think I'd want a 3yr old buckling herself rear facing unless a sibling was next to her that I trusted to check the straps and buckle for me every time. I'd want a visual check at least, and climbing back to look at it defeats the purpose of having the child do it independently. My youngest is 5 and can buckle herself but still can't unbuckle. I really wish she could. She's small for her age but usually I think of her as being strong for her size. With my older girls, I made them practice every day until they could do it. Actually, I think my one DD with a disability never could unbuckle hers and her sister did it for her. When I had 2 rear facing in the back seat of our van, I took out one middle seat and that gave me space to climb in with them. We had their seats together so there was one window seat for an adult. It was not really a comfortable space and I was the only one who could fit there, but it did give whoever was helping a spot to sit and made it easier when we were buckling and unbuckling them in. I had two infants back there, so it would not have been possible for them to do anything independently. I very much preferred the arrangement of two in the back and one in the front for 3 kids than 2 in the front and one in the back. The empty space also was convenient for diaper or clothing changes in the car with the doors shut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Buckling the seatbelt was difficult when in a booster seat because it was a tight angle for the buckle. My boys were in boosters until age 8. Buckling was no problem when they were out of a booster seat. My almost 5 year old is still in a 5 point harness and there is no way she could do that herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My two oldest are still in 5 point harness...they can buckle and unbuckle no problem...they started around 4. My 3 yo can unbuckle his but not do it up yet...but he has started trying and can do it occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I just assumed Jax couldn't do it, he is very small, just a little over 30 pounds at 3.5. One day Logan made him keep trying until he did it. It took several minutes and quite a few attempts, but eventually he could do it. I would have never had the patience to let him sit there and fumble with it for 5 minutes. I kept buckling him for a month after that until one day Logan told me he had buckled himself in every time after that, when he was just with him. So I made him try, of course, he whined and told me he couldn't do it, but eventually he did. The only problem we've had is if he's wearing a certain pair of jeans or cords, he can't get it in. He also has to do the bottom first, then the chest clip, if he tells me he can't do it, it's nearly always because he's done the chest clip first. I still check him after he's buckled, and Asher knows how to pinch the straps to make sure they're tight enough, if they're not, I tighten them because he can't. I don't have almost seven hundred dollars worth of carseats in my car to be lax about car seat safety :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somo_chickenlady Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 As a CPST I would never trust a 4 year old to do it on their own, even if they were physically capable. You still need to get back there to check that he did it correctly, anyway. Do you have captains chairs or two bench seats? If you have captains chairs, can you remove one of them and put two in the far back seat? That would give you extra room to get back there to help with buckling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Buckle in, somewhere around 3 for my son, much later for my daughter. Unbuckle, around 4 or 5 for my son and I do not remember if my daughter ever could, it takes a lot of strength. She might have moved up to a booster by that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I have a 6 1/2 year old in the same seat. She was around 5 when she learned to unbuckle (really, when she was finally strong enough to) but 6 before she could reliably buckle. She was able to buckle sometimes before that but I always had to check to ensure she had pushed the crotch strap buckles in hard enough to latch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I am in a similar situation and my 4.5 has no hope of being able to unbuckle hers any time soon. This may or may not be helpful, but what we've done is completely taken out one of the captain's chairs in the second row in our minivan. I put the 4 year old and two year old on the back row and the baby in the other captain's chair. This way, i can reach all three of them without any hassle and i also have a nice open area where they can stand and wait for me while i unbuckle them all when we get out of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 4yo even with the 3 piece clips for all 3 kids. different brands ae easier_-harder based on require strength and cordination needed. my kids are all very tall so thier fingers were longer/stronger at that age than some kids so that could be the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 You also might want to check on the LATCH/tether situation in your back seat. We have an '09 or '10 Sienna and only two of the seats have tether and LATCH anchors, so when we put people back there, the have to be in the middle or on the right side, though I guess since he is RF you wouldn't need the tether and could use the seatbelt. With mine, because two are FF, they have to be in those seats right next to each other and I can't get a good fit, even if I put the rf with one of the FF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFA323 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Our third was born when DD turned 4.5. She had to move from rear-facing to forward-facing in a Frontier 85. We found that she could loosen her own straps and buckle/unbuckle loose straps. When we stopped, she would loosen and unbuckle. When we got back in the car, she would buckle the loose straps. I would just have to tighten the straps and check the buckles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 You also might want to check on the LATCH/tether situation in your back seat. We have an '09 or '10 Sienna and only two of the seats have tether and LATCH anchors, so when we put people back there, the have to be in the middle or on the right side, though I guess since he is RF you wouldn't need the tether and could use the seatbelt. With mine, because two are FF, they have to be in those seats right next to each other and I can't get a good fit, even if I put the rf with one of the FF. We have an '08 Sienna. There are only lower LATCH anchors for the passenger and middle back seat. There are, however, tethers for all 3 back seat. They are annoying because the anchors are located on the bottom of the far back wall meaning the straps angle from the seat back through the truck/cargo area to the far back wall. Multiple anchor straps will make it more difficult, though not impossible, to fit in strollers and other bigger cargo. I'm sold on taking out a middle seat and putting two kids in the back and one the middle. However, I'm hesitant about putting my rear facing toddler in the back - I just can't picture the logistics of getting him in/out and buckled/unbuckled. I'll probably throw his seat back there for a while and try it out. I'm more leaning toward putting the 4 year old and the baby in the back and the toddler in the middle. At least to start with the baby will be in an infant bucket seat so he will already be buckled and I'll just have to snap his seat into the base. Thankfully I have 4ish more months to think through all the options. Thanks, Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My nearly 5yo cannot manage it in her Frontier 85. I have had RF toddlers in the third row though, in various combinations (I had 3 RFing for over a year). It isn't terrible. I'd either loaded and buckled from the hatch or climbed back and sat next to them while buckling. Removing a seat and having two in the back is easier for me than one in back and two in the middle, IMO. In your place, I would put the preschooler and the newborn in the way back. I think it is easier to get the baby seat back there than buckle a toddler. Once the baby is old enough to need a convertible, then you need to rethink of course. Then, I would probably put the toddler in the way back, because the toddler can probably climb back themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 6, maybe? They had Regents. Now they're in Parkway SGL boosters and it's like starting from scratch with Sylvia. She keeps twisting the belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robyn Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Ds6 is in the third seat of our van in a Frontier 85. He can buckle and unbuckle himself but I do have to climb back there often to untwist or tighten his straps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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