Well, it looks like we are not going to be able to afford a new van in time for the new baby. So we are stuck with our minivan, and it is about the worst kind you can have for lots of kids. Not only does it have only one sliding door, but it has those idiotic "captains chairs". SO you truly, truly cannot reach the back seat as an adult. Also, the back seat, the thrid row, has no head rests! It just didn't come with them, the 1996 Ford Windstars' third rows just are a bench, so if your kid's head whips backward, I guess their head comes off? Sheesh.
Right now we have Mickey and Casey in the back row. We have Greta and Charlie in the middle 2 chairs and I drive. There is no way we could get the fifth child in there without...well, I really don't know. I guess we could do the baby-bucket-carseat in the middle of the back row and have Greta and Mickey sit on either side, but then the whole no-headrests thing...and who is going to get her back there? I cant reach, certainly, so I guess we would need to hire a miniature chauffeur to do that. Then we would have to put the 2 little boys in the captains chairs, and again, who would reach all the way over to do their straps?
I wanted a full size van, like a church bus. But our tax return, again, went to the heat bill and a few household items and 300$ in copays/medicines from being sick.
So I thought of an idea. I was thinking that Greta could sit up front with me if we got the airbag disabled. So I looked it up online and it turns out it is kind of controversial. But I found this article and thought it was quite interesting. On the occasions when we all go out as a family, Steve can crawl back and do all the seatbelts, I guess. I sure cant. I will seriously get stuck.
Even if I couldn't get a nice big van, I wish we had our old van. It was also a 1996, but it had 2 sliding doors and the middle row was a bench seat that sat 2 kids. I could easily access every seat in the car, and they all had headrests, thank you very much! It was a Dodge Grand Caravan and it was awesome.
Heres the thing, though: How do you sell you own van to get a different one if it is your only vehicle? How do you get your only vehicle sold and then go look at new ones when you now are without a vehicle? Do you see what I mean, there we are, lets say, standing in our driveway with $2000 cash in our hands from selling our current van-- what now, roller skate? I just do not understand.
I see other minivans and vans online all the time that are the same monetary value as ours, but how to negotiate the transaction is blowing my mind. Never, ever get a one-sliding door minivan. You cant access most of the seats in the car. Even if you are willing or able to crawl through the ketchup and legos and baby wipes and grind your knees into the snow scraper and the leaking sippy cup and the spilled sunscreen, even if you don't care who sees your pants spilt or what happens to your spine or sanity, can you really run to multiple stores in a scenario like this? And what about when it is snowing, and the whole floor is black water?
Who invented the 96 Windstar, and why why why?
About the Author
- Housefairy
- United States
- I have been a young Mama and an older Mama. I have been a homebirthing Mama and a 3 time c-sectioned Mama. I am very cutting edge and very old fashioned. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have five children whom we homeschool with a very eclectic approach. I am a reformed closed-minded/ know-it-all AP/granola snoot who doesn't play those Mommy Wars anymore. I am first and foremost a feminist kindred spirit and friend to mothers, with a penchant for all things colorful and human and real. I am an interesting character and so are you. You will not like everything I have to say but I hope you visit often and can find something useful or good or true out of my writings.
New baby Eskarina! 4 months old
Sonic and Steve (Dada, Daddy, Kitty)
Joy (Mama)
Greta age 11
Mickey age 8
Casey age 5
Charlie age 2 1/2
8 comments:
I feel your pain on this one... when I had my 4th child I had a Durango with the 3rd row. No room whatsoever. The minivan still works for us but I understand the want for more room!
Our Mercury Villager was this exact same set-up. I HATED it, and was so glad when it died and stranded us in podunk-Idaho so we had an excuse to buy a new van. I've LOVED our Chevy Venture with the middle row with 3 seats, the back row with 3 seats, and the doors on both sides. Now, though, we have to sell it so that we can use the other van we've been given (no complaints there). The other van is a 2000 Toyota Sienna, and is much smaller, but we won't have any payments and that is a good thing. I'm still a bit sad, though, about having to sell my van. I truly do love it.
I hope you can find a workable solution to this dilemma. I don't know who invented captain's chairs, but I think they should be shot!
:::rethinking my thought of "captains chairs would be nice"::: I have a 97 Gran Voyager that I ADORE. Isabella (7) and Diego (4) are in the 3rd row. Diego is old enough now that he straps himself in his harness. Isabella undoes it for him, he can't. She also unbuckles Aidan, 26 months, (2nd row, behind the driver, he is still rear facing and she hands him whatever he needs). Maybe instill Greta's help in getting everyone buckled/unbuckled?
Grand Voyager is the Plymouth version of my beloved Grand Caravan--arent they awesome??
Greta does go back and help Casey but Charlie beats her to death when she tries to buckle him-- I WANT MAMA TO DO IT!!!!!
nice huh?
If we had two doors, I would simply access anyone who needed help on either side. Arg.
hey Joy
I'm an occaisonal reader of your blog, and I too have an old van with four kids.
it might be possible for you to look around and purchase a 'new' old back bench seat with head rests. Just make sure it's compatible to replace it. Ask a dealer and then look in auto trader, or the junk yards, or an auto parts dealer. You might even be able to get a new back bench seat with three head rests if lucky.
or even getting a used bench seat for the middle row might be an option.
I have a bench for the middle seat instead of captains and even though I can't reach the back seat at all - my bigger kids sit back there.
good luck!
erin
i feel ya too. I have an old caravan w/ one door and bench seats. it's old and ugly and starting to rust, but i've had it for 5 years and the only work i've had to do is the brakes. it just keeps going(thankfully). i put my new little one in the middle, it was the only place i could reach her. i wanted a new van this year too, but w/ gas prices, i'm looking for something smaller. i've only got 3 kids, and i figure they can all squeeze in the back seat(!)
Miserable!
When we got our latest van it was very early (and cool) spring. I forgot how stuffy the back of the Town & Country can be! Even in 70 degrees the kids' faces are all red and they're sweating back there. D-U-M-B!! The 2008 model fixed that with middle windows that open - but we couldn't afford one :-(
So while the seating isn't as ridiculous as yours, it's still uncomfortable for those in the back.
I love the idea of looking for a "new" old back bench with headrests to replace the one that's back there. Brilliant. My guess is that a used back bench goes for much less than a whole different vehicle! Have you checked to see if they made an add-on headrest to secure to the bench you have? Shouldn't they have recalled such a dumb design!?
I wish you much luck with whatever you end up doing. It seems so hard to find the "perfect" vehicle!
We home school with 5 kids and if you can I suggest the eurovan. We have the one with two of the seats facing the rear bench seat, its great. Lots of room a fold down table, a shelf in the back. The back has so much room we have our double stroller in the back and can still hit the grocery store. The only problem we have is now my wife is expecting twins and we don't know how we are going to refit our van to accommodate everyone.
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