3 in the back !!!!!!

[snala]

Hi all.

I've got dc3 due in December. The only way I can fit all of them in the car is to have dc1 on a ' bubble bum' in the middle of the back seat or in a high back booster on the front seat with an airbag.
The air bag can't be turned off/ disconnected at all.

[snala]

Sorry phone has a mind of its own
The car is a Honda accord sport 2004 with inset rear seats. Dc1 will be just 5.

Kiddiecare said those are my only options
Any ideas? Can't change car or afford multimac.
Tia

[snala]

Cheeky bump

[mamababa]

The airbag isn't an issue with front facing seats so you can do that

[mamasmissionimpossible]

We had this probablem with dc3 born in Feb. I'm afraid we changed the car to a toyota verso (7 seater), as we could not get three seats across the back of our skoda, no matter what the combination of seats. Sorry I hope someone comes along with a solution.

We did want high back boosters for the older dc, which are bigger, so perhaps basic booster seats would be ok.

[Sleepwhenidie]

Multimac...look here expensive but not as expensive as changing car!

[Sleepwhenidie]

Sorry, just saw your second post ... no other solutions that I am aware of.

[Sleepwhenidie]

I think the airbag is an issue with forward facing seats too, surely because the child would land face into the airbag, unlike an adult whose chest would land on it?

[gemma4d]

Sleepwhenidie beat me too it. I have 2 kids and a normal size car, contemplating 3 kids so have been watching threads these matters for a while.

From previous threads, some people are dubious about bubble bums as a permanent solution, and Which? would like to get booster cushions banned as high back boosters are massively better. Some people say its just down to the combination of car seats - that most seats wouldn't fit but they have found 3 random car seats that all go in.

Don't know if that helps or not, I will be lurking for any more ideas...

[silverfrog]

whereabouts in the country are you? any chance you can get to the Incar Safety Centre at Milton Keynes?

I am due dc3 this summer, and we recently spent the afternoon there, with them trying all sort of combinations of seats - took them nearly 3 hours, but they did it (they like a challenge!). it meant 3 new seats, but far cheaper than changing my car...

[silverfrog]

link here

they are very helpful on the phone too.

[gemma4d]

mamasmission what Skoda do you have? I have a Fabia.

[PissyDust]

The airbag is an issue with having children in the front even when over the correct height. The seat needs to be sitting as far back as possible but that can't be done when you have a rear facing seat or high booster behind that seat.

we used to put the rear facing seat in the middle and then plug in the high boosters either side and then slide the children in.

Easier now 2 are on booster seat only and 1 on a high booster.

[silverfrog]

oh, the 3 seats I now have are:

high backed booster (for dd1 - aged 7; had a hbb before, but had to change it to get it to fit)
extended rear facing toddler seat (up to 25kg) (for dd2, aged 5; had an erf seat before, but had to change it to get it to fit)
infant rear facing seat with base. (new for dc3)

car is a honda crv, which has the crappiest seat configuration possible for 3 seats across - the seat belt for the middle seat is off centre, meaning the seats we have are the only combination possible...

[thisisyesterday]

we have 3 across the back in a volvo v70, and had 3 in the renault scenic too (tho that was a bit tighter i think)

we have 2 extended rear-facing seats, and one high-backed booster

[thisisyesterday]

(pics on my profile)

[thisisyesterday]

2004 honda accords are selling on auto trader for around £2000

you ought to be able to get a more useable car for that, if selling yours is feasible?

[Just5minspeace]

Galaxy- room for children, friends and luggage!

[snala]

That was worth the bump!
Selling the car is not an option, neither is the multi mac.

I didn't think you could have a child in the front with an airbag, I know it's ok legally but I think I read something about a child being decapitated by an airbag.

Legally he doesn't have to be in a seat if the car is unable to take 3 seats but that's not an option either.( obviously)

I will give the people at Milton Keynes a call I think. Thanks for the link.

[thisisyesterday]

ok, so if you can't swap the car, and you can't fit them in, and you don't want him in the front or on a booster I'm not really sure what else anyone can suggest :(

[snala]

He will have to go on a booster, the bubble bum. It's the only one that will fit.

I was posting to see if anyone had experience of the same thing or knows more about air bags etc than me .

If it was as easy as changing the car I wouldn't have posted.

[snala]

I didn't mean that to sound so arsey lol!

[mamasmissionimpossible]

gemma4d - We had a skoda octavia. We thought it was roomy enough for three car seats. How wrong were we!

Please don't put the baby in the front seat with an airbag, as if the airbag activated it could seriously hurt or kill them :(

[DorisIsWaiting]

If you can't turn the air bag off could you pay to have it removed?

[thisisyesterday]

i would still ring in car safety centre, or go and visit them if you can. or the ladies in rayleigh in essex

i would not trust a word kiddicare said. unless they've seen your car and tried seats in there is no way they can know if you;'ll fit other seats in tbh

that said, i wouldn't be as worried having the 5 year old just on a booster if he is in the middle as he will have some protection from the seats either side of him. not ideal though, as you know

and you didn't sound arsey! I can appreciate that it's a sucky situation.
out of sheer nosiness, can i ask why the car can't be changed?

[snala]

I'm not considering putting the baby in the front at all. The option is for my 5 year old to go in the front on a high back booster.

I have spoken at length with Honda and all the airbags are connected. They can't be removed or switched off separately.