how doable is it to forgo vehicle with third row with two kids and incoming baby?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t have a third if you don’t want a minivan. The cool part of your life is long since over...

OP here. I am absolutely aware the cool part of my life is over (e.g., I currently drive a volvo). For me, I would prefer an SUV over minivan for height on the road and perceived better safety in case of crash. I also used to drive my mom's minivan while I was in college and I HATED parking that thing.

Minivans all have cameras now, so they are pretty easy to park. And the sliding doors make them so much easier for the kids (and adults) to deal with the this crowded area.

[Anonymous]

Our good friends have 3 kids and *gasp* a Honda Accord. It’s totally doable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t have a third if you don’t want a minivan. The cool part of your life is long since over...

+1

[Anonymous]

Why can't the 2 older kids buckle themselves (and get I/out of the 3rd row by themselves).? My middle two kids are the same age and have no problem.

As your kids get older, as in the next few years when they go into the tween years with major growth spurts, the leg room (and head room) will really start feeling cramped in that 3rd row.

Did op say what SUV he or she was considering?

[Anonymous]

We have 3 kids and even a big 2 row SUV is misery with everyone touching one another. Kids are 10,5, and 2 so we only need 2 car seats in there. We got a Pilot with the 3rd row and can drive in peace again. We put the 5 year old in the HBB in his own row and it has worked well. Just get the 3rd row.

Fwiw, when I was growing up with 2 siblings, my parents held off for years on a minivan until they couldn’t take it anymore. They said getting a 3 row vehicle saved their sanity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t have a third if you don’t want a minivan. The cool part of your life is long since over...

OP here. I am absolutely aware the cool part of my life is over (e.g., I currently drive a volvo). For me, I would prefer an SUV over minivan for height on the road and perceived better safety in case of crash. I also used to drive my mom's minivan while I was in college and I HATED parking that thing.

Yup - the better safety in fact is just a perception, largely driven by marketing.

The higher rollover rates in SUV's negate any safety benefit of driving around in a tank to say nothing of the fact that these cars make everyone else on the road less safe and are terrible for the environment not that it is realistic to expect Americans to start caring at this point.

Not sure why an 8 year old is still in a booster but we did lots of trips with 2 kids and a third in a baby car seat comfortably in the back of our mid-size car. Sure it was a hassle getting the baby strapped in and the kids squabbled but so what? That is sort of what we signed up for when we had kids.

Hopefully our kids will still have an inhabitable planet when it is their turn to decide to be parents - folks driving 18MPG SUV's when there are cars getting twice that mileage aren't helping.

But hey we all need to he high off the road. And have freedom. Or so the commercials all tell us.

[Anonymous]

I have 3 kids and have only owned sedans. No problem.

[Anonymous]

Millions of people do it all the time

[Anonymous]

3 kids in a Honda Fit. Radian harness car seats and britax convertible.

Just get the right car seats and any car just about works.

That said we eventually got a highlander for carpooling. No captains chairs, just car seat and booster on 2/3 split and 1/3 split slides forward for rear access

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t have a third if you don’t want a minivan. The cool part of your life is long since over...

OP here. I am absolutely aware the cool part of my life is over (e.g., I currently drive a volvo). For me, I would prefer an SUV over minivan for height on the road and perceived better safety in case of crash. I also used to drive my mom's minivan while I was in college and I HATED parking that thing.

Yup - the better safety in fact is just a perception, largely driven by marketing.

The higher rollover rates in SUV's negate any safety benefit of driving around in a tank to say nothing of the fact that these cars make everyone else on the road less safe and are terrible for the environment not that it is realistic to expect Americans to start caring at this point.

Not sure why an 8 year old is still in a booster but we did lots of trips with 2 kids and a third in a baby car seat comfortably in the back of our mid-size car. Sure it was a hassle getting the baby strapped in and the kids squabbled but so what? That is sort of what we signed up for when we had kids.

Hopefully our kids will still have an inhabitable planet when it is their turn to decide to be parents - folks driving 18MPG SUV's when there are cars getting twice that mileage aren't helping.

But hey we all need to he high off the road. And have freedom. Or so the commercials all tell us.

Don’t get all environmental when you have 3 kids. That 3rd kid is by far the worst green choice than buying a freaking hummer. And I have 3 kids, I just own my choices.

[Anonymous]

What about a Ford Escape or the new VW? They look cool and can accommodate everyone.

[Anonymous]

Look at the traverse or ascent. We have 2 kids and are happy with the third row.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t have a third if you don’t want a minivan. The cool part of your life is long since over...

OP here. I am absolutely aware the cool part of my life is over (e.g., I currently drive a volvo). For me, I would prefer an SUV over minivan for height on the road and perceived better safety in case of crash. I also used to drive my mom's minivan while I was in college and I HATED parking that thing.

Yup - the better safety in fact is just a perception, largely driven by marketing.

The higher rollover rates in SUV's negate any safety benefit of driving around in a tank to say nothing of the fact that these cars make everyone else on the road less safe and are terrible for the environment not that it is realistic to expect Americans to start caring at this point.

Not sure why an 8 year old is still in a booster but we did lots of trips with 2 kids and a third in a baby car seat comfortably in the back of our mid-size car. Sure it was a hassle getting the baby strapped in and the kids squabbled but so what? That is sort of what we signed up for when we had kids.

Hopefully our kids will still have an inhabitable planet when it is their turn to decide to be parents - folks driving 18MPG SUV's when there are cars getting twice that mileage aren't helping.

But hey we all need to he high off the road. And have freedom. Or so the commercials all tell us.

Why is it weird to have an 8 year old still in a booster? My kid is 7, but no way will he be tall enough to not be in a booster at age 8. I mean aren't they supposed to be 4'9 before they are out of a booster. My 7.5 year old is 46inches. He has a long way to go!

[Anonymous]

I don’t know any 8 year olds still in boosters.

We have a minivan but when we take my DHs car short distances all 3 are miserable. The lack of sliding doors means every time they open the doors they could ding the car next to them. Your oldest two are about to start hitting growth spurts and they will need leg room. My 12 yo is 5’6 and can barely cram into the backseat with three across-nowhere for his legs to grow and he is not nearly done growing.

[Anonymous]

I drive a subaru impreza hatchback and have 3yo twins still RF (in diono radian rxts) and a 5yo in the same seat in high-back booster mode.