5 children, their carseats, a double buggy and one Zafira. My head's in a spin!

[Ceolas]

Please come and talk calmly to me ladies

I'm expecting DC5 in August. Atm we have a Zafira and until this time next year, it really won't be possible for us to get something bigger.

DD3 will be a week or two short of 2 when the baby's born so the first issue is do we get a double buggy? I wondered about using a sling and a single or a buggy board for the first few months but the more I think about it the more I think I'd rather have both of them fastened in! Especially for dashing up and down to school (at the last minute!)

So I went to Mothercare this morning, convinced there would be nothing to fit in the miniscule boot space. It turns out the only double that will fit with all the seats up is the Phil and Teds. After I've removed the second seat and both wheels . Oh, and it's £450! but cheaper than a new car...

A couple of others would fit if I folded a back seat down, meaning DD1 (9.5 years old, 137cm tall) would have to sit in the front, with an airbag.

If anyone's still with me, the options as far as I can see are

1. Get a bigger car - just keep buying the lottery tickets.

2. P&T in the boot and all kids in middle/back seats of car.

3. Cheaper double with DD1 in front.

4. Don't get a double buggy.

Help!!!

I'm not a fan of slings but as I see it - by Christmas DD3 will confidently be walking to school on the school run and baby can go in the pushchair from Christmas onwards - maybe make a big deal out of how the baby can't wait to go in the pram just like dd3.

Meant to sya put the baby in a sling until Xmas.

I managed for quite a long time with my 3 youngest in a double buggy and a sling. Babe was probably about 9 months when I put a buggy board on the back of the double buggy and made the eldest (of the 3 younger ones) walk or ride on the board.

Are you looking at umbrella fold buggies? I would have thought the Maclaren would fit in a Zafira as it fitted in hatchbacks that we had as courtesy cars on occasion. Maclaren that I used was suitable from 3 months and the sling tided us over but I think there are some suitable from birth.

I personally wouldn't be happy having eldest son in front and what about when dp is there too?

we have 5 children and a zafira. Our answer is a roof box! We couldn't fit a double pushchair in the boot - in fact we could only fit an ancient pushchair that is falling apart and not suitable for a newbaby in the car (I had a mountain buggy already which can't fit).

I hate the zafira with a passion.

But like you we can't afford a new car atm.

What kind of pushchair do you have in the roofbox, Pollyanna? I'm about 5ft 4. Can't imagine hauling a double pushchair above my head! Roofbox would be handy for holidays though.

Cant you fold the pushchair and put in the frontseat area?

Never thought of that MrsM!

Most of the time DH isn't with us. He has his own car for work.

I would go with a sling for baby no.5 as long as poss, and then 2yo to walk or buggy board. Mine are 18mths apart and this worked fine for me!

Oh I mean don't get a double buggy - just use the single one!

Firstly, you will need a double buggy and the P&T is the best there is imho.
You can fold it with the double seat in place, but it's a bit bulkier.
You can also buy them for £300 new, don't by from Nevercare they are extortionate!

Secondly, I have a Galaxy and with the seats up in the back the P&T only just fits. It doesn't fit in the back of a friends Zafira, even with the seat down it's a squish to fit anything else in.

Thirdly, what will happen if you all want to go out as a family (with Dh)?

I would say with 5 children you will need a bigger car, or at least I would need a bigger car than a Zafira.

hth

A sling is fine, but with a 2 year gap (I've had 2 of these) a double will be needed for the first 6 months. Then you could move to a buggy board if the dc4 is able to ride on it safely.
My ds1 would not have been safe, but dd1 was fine with a buggy board, depends on the child I suppose.

Aren't roof boxes expensive? We need one this summer for camping but looking at them they are about £300-400 .
Keeping the Zafira is looking like adding up to a bit, between that and a £300 P&T!!

Our galaxy only cost us £1200!

My cm has got a graco side by side in the boot of her zafira on its side it is the duosport I think - mothercare do a similar one. also different models (of the same pushchair IYSWIM) have slightly different size wheels so that may make a difference.

They're about £100 new, huge basket and come up very cheap on ebay!

I have a 2 year age gap and after trying for a month without I got a double side by side umbrella fold buggy which was absolutely rubbish, the side I pushed the toddler on left my arm in agony for days after using it. I have a P & T now which is great. I bought it 2nd hand and know that in 6 months if I don't need it anymore I will get nearly all of my money back.

It's a nightmare juggling system. The other thing to think about id how you are going to get the children in the back seats? I have a grand sceinic and to have three children if fitted seats across the middle of the car would mean the eldest having to climb in the back via the boot space, as he is a very tall (5'9") 13 year old it's a no no. In the end I have had to remove one of the middle seats, fit a stage 0 isofix and a stage 1 isofix on the middle row, a high backed booster on one of the back seats and the other back seat free for DS1. It leaves no boot space however a bit more leg room for DS1 with the one middle row seat removed or there is no way he would fit in the back. I have found the whole experience an expensive waste of time and with only 4 kids I will be moving up to a larger people carrier (with sliding side doors!) next time as this car just doesn't do the job it claims to.

Oh just to add to that, no double buggy here, I have always used a sling and a pram/buggy. Not much will fit in my boot once the back seats are up anyway!

Cargirl, I tried the Graco and it wouldn't go

I am pretty resigned to the fact that I need/want a double buggy for the first 6 months or so.

But, we seem to have come up with a solution of sorts. DH drives a smaller car to work, but it has a much bigger boot. 3 older kids are at school and I can walk them there and back. I think we'll end up with me driving smaller car with DD3 and the baby and hopefully fit a double in the boot. If we're all out together at the weekend one of us can take charge of DD3 whilst the other has baby in a single buggy or sling.

Holidays? Probably not happening for a while!

So much easier in the old days when all 9 of us kids could pile into seats and boot of a morris marina!

Ah yes, DH has fond memories of going on day trips with 7 kids stretched out in the boot of his dad's eastate car.

This is the double buggy we have.

www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B00116QM54/sr=1-5/qid=1236986457/ref=sr_1_5/277-5142686-8639223?ie=UTF 8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42804041&mcb=core

It folds flat and then folds in on itself making it quite small and great if you don't have much boot space. Also it is not as expensive as some.

Hiya - have you tried the cosato duet lite? its an umbrella fold in line duo - I have a Galaxy and it fits in the boot really well - also are u using the middle seat? If it has only a lap belt britax do several seats suitable. Sorry if this doesn't help - am just tossing up ideas!

I had a McLaren side by side for DS2 and DD, that fit in the Zafira with all the seats up. I have a P&T now (I have to take the second seat off anyway and it's not too hard to take the wheels off) but I've just traded my Zafira in for a Citroen C8.

Car prices have really dropped recently - have you had a look recently to see whether your budget would stretch to something a little more suited to your needs?

Thanks for the suggestions. We tried the cosatto and the maclaren twin techno. Both were too long to fit in the 'boot'(!).

Current car loan is not paid off until Feb 2010 and DH refuses to get into negative equity on it. Just have to live with it until then.

Driving his car I'll have a lot more scope in buggies though.

Have you looked at the Marco Sky pushchair. It is a tandem but takes up no more space than a normal umbrella fold pushchair. One of the seats (can't remember which is suitable from birth.

Can I ask are you generally pleased with the zafiria as there's some really good deals on them right now and I'm considering one, would have one less child than you though :-)