[aniles]

Hi Everyone,
We are thinking about having a 3rd child. My question is this: We will probably trade in my CR-V for an Odyssey, but my husband has a Honda Fit that fits a max. of 2 carseats in the back. I will occassionally need him to pick up/ haul around all 3 kids at some point and was wondering if it's possible to put a 4 year old in a booster seat in the front seat as long as the airbag is turned off? What do you think? What do you do in these situations if you have 3 kids? What is your car situation if you have more than 2 kids? Thanks in advance!

[TyAva]

We have 3 kids and I drive an Expedition...

I'm not sure about the 4 year old in the front seat...is there any room - even for a very small booster - in the back?

Good luck!

[avoel]

My mom has watched her great niece and my two DD on several occasions. She had a rearfacing Evenflo triumph with 2 Safeguard Go seats 3 across in her buick LeSabre. It was a royal pain to install them but it could be done.


Sunshine Kids Radian seats are also really narrow and can fit 3 across in a lot of cars.

I would be worried that to make room for a rearfacing baby in the back that you would have to push the passenger seat too far forward to be safe for your four year old (too close to the dashboard/windshield even without the airbag).

[Amber76]

Don't know about your state's laws, but I'd be checking that in addition to the safety factor. I know that in some states, the only time it is acceptable to have a car seat of any kind in the front seat is if there is no available rear seat/seatbelt and there either is no airbag or it can be turned off. Since the Fit technically has a center rear seat, that might be a catch for you. Just a thought.

[SKL]

I have a Saturn Ion and I have two rear-facing car seats in my back seat. I put one in the middle and one on the passenger side, so there is room for an adult on the driver's side of the back seat. I guess that would mean a booster seat would also fit.

For safety reasons, I am keeping the car seats rear-facing for as long as the girls can fit that way (they are 2 now and they have a way to go). If you have another child in about a year, you will have at least one seat (the middle one, I guess) rear-facing for at least a year after that, maybe much longer. This will leave a little shoulder space for the "third person" in the back seat.

I am not sure it's legal for a 4-year-old to be in the front seat. As mentioned above, check your state laws.

[DPline]

I would not put a young child in the front seat unless it was an emergency. And then only with the seat pushed all the way back. Which probably would not be possible with a car seat behind it. And as others mentioned, it may be illegal in your state.

I do have three children. My oldest is 5 foot tall and out of a booster, but my younger 2 (both age 5) are in car seats and will be for a while. A Britax Roundabout and a Britax Decathalon. We only buy American cars. I currently drive a Ford Flex. We have no problem with the two cars seats and him sitting in the middle. You couldn't do three Britax seats across, but I think you could do three narrower seats. There is also a third row with two additional seating positions.
Before that I had a Taurus X with two seats in the middle and a bench in the back. So plenty of room. And before that, an Expedition. Not cheap to drive, but plenty of space.

[2forus]

We have three in car seats. I drive a volvo xc90 and all can fit in the back seat (not in our Britax). When I was working my dh had an old van that he used to pick them up from the sitter.

[w8ting4Thomas]

In our state there is an age requirement to be in the front seat unless the vehicle has no rear seat or it is not equipped with seatbelts.
I would not a child that small in the front routinely.
We have done 3 seats in the back. Tight fit, but doable. May have to get 2 sets of seats so you don't have to take them in and out - that is what we did and it was fine.

[krafmatic]

I have four kids and I drive an Odyssey, although it is a '99. I love it! I have fit three boosters in the back seat before. It is tight and the younger kids needed help getting buckled, but they fit fine.

Currently I car pool in the morning and pick up an additional two kids. So this is how I pack them in:
3 in the back (2 boosters), 2 car seats in the middle row captains chairs, and the oldest and largest in the front passenger.