# seat configuration in Honda Odyssey



## maybemom05 (Mar 15, 2004)

We're expecting our 3rd LO in a few days (yay!!!!) and I'm stewing about how best to arrange the seats in our van. My oldest is still in Boulevard, will be for a while, and he cannot buckle himself in. My soon to be middle LO is also in a Boulevard, he's still rear facing, and I'd like to keep him that way as long as possible - he's got about 10lbs or so to go. The new baby will be in a Graco Snugride.

At the moment, I've got the 2 captain's chairs pushed together and the kids are next to one another. I'm considering moving my oldest to the middle position in the 3rd row and moving the 2 captain's chairs apart to create a center aisle. The new baby will go behind the driver's side and my other LO will go behind the passenger's side. I could also put the 2 eldest in the back row - using the seatbelts instead of LATCH anchors, and take one of the captain's chairs out completely to make it easier for the kids to get back there. But I don't think my RF little guy can get into his seat on his own.

Anyone else have suggestions on how best to configure things?? TIA!!


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## goldfinches (May 15, 2008)

I'm trying to figure out the same thing. I also have 2 in Boulevards and they can't buckle themselves. I was thinking of putting the oldest in the back with half the rear seat folded down so I could reach through the back to buckle her. I would put the middle behind the driver and the new one behind the passenger. But, I haven't tried this out yet to see if it would work. ( I don't relish the thought of climbing through the side door into the back to buckle and un-buckle each time...)


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

I would put your oldest in the third row on the passenger side, then put the baby in the "middle" captain's chair and your middle child in the drivers side captains chair. This will make it easier to buckle everyone. I have this setup now, except I have one more child and my kids are older. Still though, I have two RF kids in the middle row and only a few months ago I was buckling my older kids. When my youngest was a baby, I would put her in the sling and carry my toddler to the car, my older two would walk. I could open the drivers side door, put my toddler in his seat, buckle the chest clip, close the door (or not if it's warm out), and go around to the other side to load my others. I sit in the middle of the third row to buckle/unbuckle my two youngest and get everyone's jackets on, etc. I have the "middle" captain's chair pushed up all of the way, I rarely have an adult passenger, but when I do it is very easy to just loosen the RF tether and slide the seats back.

ETA- with the seats like I described, you won't have to climb in to buckle anyone if you don't want to. You can just lean in to buckle your oldest. When I had three and my middle son needed to be turned FF I put him on the driver's side of the third row and folded the middle row drivers side seat down so I could load everyone and buckle everyone from there, I just sat on the seat back.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

Our captain chairs are pushed together. Baby goes in the one that is pushed over, dd (age 5) goes behind the driver. Ds1 (age 3) is in the back, on the passenger side. It works really well for us. Dd is in school, so it's really convenient having the boys on one side when it comes to getting them in and out all day.


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## VBMama (Jan 6, 2004)

Someone gave me this suggestion, and it worked out so well for us when #3 arrived: we removed the passenger side captain's chair completely and stored it in the garage. #1 and #2 went in the third row and baby in the captains's chair behind the driver. That gave me lots of room to hop in the back and get everyone buckled in, since no-one was buckling themselves in at that point. It also let me get in the car fast if it was really hot (summer) or raining (winter) with everyone and close the door behind us, then deal with getting everyone in their seats. It also left enough room for me to change baby on the floor of the car while #1 & #2 were buckled in. It meant that I couldn't take an extra passenger, but honestly, that rarely happened anyway at that point. Good luck!


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## Mama Mko (Jul 26, 2007)

My 3rd is due in August. My 2 year old is in a boulevard rearfacing in the captain's chair behind the driver's seat and my 5 year old is in a regent in the captain's chair behind the passenger seat. The seats are pushed together so the aisle is on the side. I plan to put the infant in the far backseat and sit beside them when I'm not driving. My 5 year old still can't buckle himself in all the way so this seems most convenient for now. Eventually I'll put him in the back and move the infant up to a captain's chair.


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## ledzepplon (Jun 28, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mbhf* 
I would put your oldest in the third row on the passenger side, then put the baby in the "middle" captain's chair and your middle child in the drivers side captains chair. This will make it easier to buckle everyone.


That's been our configuration when we had two RF, too.


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