Tips requested for managing your car with kids

Hi everybody..

My wife and I are expecting twin girls in August. In the midst of all the anticipation and planning, we are wondering if there is any prep or things we can do to help preserve or at least minimize the impact of the kids on our cars' interior.

Kids will primarily be in the wagon, currently with leather seats (from an 01 GTI). The sedan has stock cloth seats in back, but they won't spend as much time in there, if at all. So, as is my usual, the questions:

(1) Anything to be done to 'prep' the car for the arrival / use of 2 car seats? I know that the seats are supposed to attach to those metal latches underneath the seats...does anything go down to protect the leather from damage?

(2) Anything to be done to protect / help minimize the impact of 2 kids in the car?

(3) Any other tips and tricks?

Something tells me we may be kidding ourselves and we're just totally screwed - but thought we'd ask. We love our TDI's, especially the wagon and want to do anything we can to help her endure.

All serious / helpful and mocking / irreverent responses are welcome. These are our first kids, obviously...I'm 40 and she's 37...so here's to hoping patience and flexibility improves with age...

matt

Twin girls?? Make sure you have Mental Health coverage in about 15 years!

But otherwise, congratulations!

I wouldn't be too worried about them while they're in car seats. They'll be strapped in pretty snuggly and won't be doing anything like spit out gum, spill juice, draw on the upholstery, etc. When they get into booster seats they'll have a little more freedom.

When they get older, I would just do the things that our parents/grand parents used to do: no eating, no drinking, no chewing gum. Don't give them crayons, stickers, markers, etc while they're back there. Limit their entertainment to regular books (since they don't make a mess).

As much as I would love to have an '03 Wagon, it is 8 years old at this point, with 10 year old interior. It actually seems like a good car to have kids in. The leather should be a little easier to clean if a kid pukes on it. The sedan would be an OK choice, but I know how much crap my friends who only have one kid have to carry around, so the wagon will be the better choice with twins.

We had a girl last year and she rides in the wagon quite a bit. As the mayor said they won't be fouling the interior too much for a while which will give you time to figure out a strategy or decide that you are fooling yourselves.

I'd suggest test fitting the baby carriers in the car prior to purchase. Some require more space than others and might require putting the front seats in unacceptable positions. Ours rides behind the passenger seat because I wouldn't be able to drive the car if it were behind the driver's seat. The same carrier fits behind the driver's seat in my benz with room to spare.

I call dibs on the wagon...

Try to get 2 rear facing seats squeezed in behind the front seats now, while you still have time to shop for a good deal on your minivan (I like the Honda Odysseys, nothing ever breaks, imagine that). If you're over about 5'8, you'll be driving with the steering wheel wedged against your chest. I tried to imagine 18 months or more driving with my knees under the dash in 2003 (sat in it on the dealer lot with the seat wedged in the back for about a half hour: silver wagon, heated leather, 5 speed, traction control, sunroof; I still get tears in my eyes thinking about it), and couldn't do it. Also, you'll have some permanent dents in the back of the front seats.

Otherwise, just get used to the smell of rotting milk, after the lost sippy cups explode from bacterial action way up under the front seats, too far for any shampoo attachment.

Welcome to the other club (parents with VW's).

[edit: Honeydew beat me to it, but I still call dibs on the wagon]

oh, man....the test fit of baby carriers. Excellent point. We'll get on that ASAP. I'm just barely 5'9 and the wife is 5'2", so maybe we'll be fine.

This wagon is beautiful...we love it...we MUST be able to keep it....MUST....oh, man, tears in my eyes indeed....

Dang, I was hoping you'd have to sell the wagon, but if you're committed and 5'-9", you can probably deal with it. My wife's 5'-7", had no trouble. I'm 6'-1", there was no way.

I had 764's in my Golf for a while, I thought I'd get a ticket, had to take them out. No self control when it can go that fast.

and that looks like a beautiful wagon from your signature, keep it forever.

Congratulations!!! Your life will radically change forever, most likely for the better...

MayorDJQ said:

Twin girls?? Make sure you have Mental Health coverage in about 15 years!

Click to expand...

Good point... (better make that 12 years...)

All the best,

Yuri

Best thing you can do is go buy you two pairs of decent weight bath towels. Fold in half and place under the baby seat base. They will help keep it cleaner under the seat bases and there will be occasional spills, pukes or other things. When one gets dirty, just pop the base out and change the towel.

One trick that I learned about getting the bases as tight in the seat as possible, is that I put one knee in the middle of the base with all my weight on it before I tightened up the straps. With 240 pounds on the base, it was easy to get the straps tight enough that our carrier wouldn't move.

BTW...when you go look at carriers, take a good look at the ones with the twisted handle.....much easier on the elbow. Don't get suckered in to getting a carrier that has too much growth space, as you are better off moving to a bigger one as needed. Both of our boys outgrew carriers fairly quickly. In fact the youngest hit the weight limits for most of them by the time he turned two. He's 4 1/2 now and is 44" tall and over 50#'s.....I'm raising a linebacker I think...

Ok, I sent a copy of this thread link to my wife and this is her response:

"Ok, first off, we are freaking keeping that wagon. End of discussion. I do not want to have to choose between our daughters and our bola..." ('bola' is Uzbek for 'child'; my wife lived in Uzbekistan for a while...)

her love of this wagon is one of the reasons she's so flexible about letting me dump money into the sedan (can you say "big turbo someday soon?")

cvairwerks: ok, my wife and i are comparatively little people...our kids probably won't be 50lbs until they're like 15... ...thanks for the tips on the bases / handles. My wife will be reading this as she is the resident baby researcher...i do the tdi research in the family, of course...and spend waaaay too much time on tdiclub...

dieselox: funny on the 764's. Plan is to take the nozzles out of the wagon, put the 764's from the sedan in adjusted for best mileage, then new nozzles for the sedan. We'll see....Wagon goals are for highest mileage.

thanks for the congrats and great tips guys...keep 'em coming...

kiva822 said:

My wife and I are expecting twin girls in August.

Click to expand...

Congrats Matt! We're also expecting kids #3 and #4 in October - we've graduated from Passat wagon to Eurovan.

You'll fit fine in the Jetta wagon - we have no problem packing the four of us in the Jetta sedan for a weekend getaway (can you call it that when you're taking the kids with?).

They sell nice seat covers designed to tuck into the fold of the seat and protect the leather...here's an example: http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=-wOuTa6rM4-C0QGxzZTECw&ved=0CDoQ8wIwBg#

Hello and congrats!

I didn't have a problem with milk/bacteria since my wife nursed (not practical with twins, I imagine). My daughter's almost 11 now. Here's what I think I've learned, and this coming from a person who's loved his MKIII to freakish levels for 13 years: I think all the times I've lost my head over something spilled were a waste of aggrevation and blood pressure. Thanks to a Bissel "Little Green Clean Machine" and Resolve carpet cleaner, there's nothing that's been spilled on my cloth seats that hasn't come up. One of her friends recently spilled a little cherry slurpy on the seat. Five or six years ago I might have blown a gasket (not at her friend). But I brushed it off and cleaned it up later with the Resolve.

The ONLY stain that hasn't come up is actually on the carpet. I'm not sure what it is. Could be a Tootie Roll... I'm not sure. But I suspect a pro might be able to dissolve it and get it up. For the thicker "shag" in carpet, especially since it's more out of sight than the seat, I'd recommend nice, large floor mats to catch the stuff that gets tossed or dropped down there.

Another option to consider if you really want to cover everything is a set of seat covers designed for those who transport dogs. No, kids are not dogs. But protection is protection, right?

Good Luck,

Scott

Definitely keep that wagon Mrs. Kiva822! You'll surely find carriers that fit well, just try before you buy.

I got one of those fitted canvas covers for my truck rear seat, mainly to protect the leather from the dog after he's been swimming in the ocean and rolling in the sand. It protects the seat from general spills really well though and cleans up easily.

I would second recommendation of towel under the car seats and planty of baby wipes etc thats easily accessable. You may also get sun shades for you back windows cause kids get sunburned easily.

Stealth TDI said:

I didn't have a problem with milk/bacteria since my wife nursed (not practical with twins, I imagine).

Click to expand...

One kid per "nozzle"?

Stealth TDI said:

My daughter's almost 11 now. Here's what I think I've learned, and this coming from a person who's loved his MKIII to freakish levels for 13 years: I think all the times I've lost my head over something spilled were a waste of aggrevation and blood pressure.

Click to expand...

Well said. These are VW's after all. If we were driving Bentleys the frustration might be warranted.

My Grandfather nearly sh!t a brick one time when my sister & I were goofing off and she managed to spit her gum on the floor of his '85 Caprice. I was probably 7 and she was 5. It didn't even stick to the fabric.

i have 3 kids, ages 4,3,2. 2 boys and a girl. ive had 2 cars with lether seats. here is what i have learned in my crash course;

seat protection is not as important as you might think when it comes to the car seat its self. once they are locked in good, they dont move. the knee in the seat to tighten them down is how the NTSB recomends you tighten them down. you will have 2 clips per seat in the fold of the rear seat. there is also a third one on the deck for a foward facing seat. SOP is to get the seat in there, put your knee in the seat with as much weight as you can on it, hook the left and right clips, clip part facing down, and get then as tight as you can. this will be a bit uncomfortable to do with the baby seat/baby carrier systems, cause you have to do this with just the base in. keep in mind that they will be in rear facing seats. so please test fit first. those things take up more room foward to back than any other seat. also make shure that NO MORE than 1/4 of the base hangs off, and thats pushing it. the seat covers are a great idea with one flaw, i have yet to find one that has provisions for the baby seat safty hooks. and any place there is an opening, kids will find a way to get crumbs and any thing else in there. i have found they are a waste of time and money for what i (we) would buy them for. if the car is not at lease tinted, do that now. and i would still get the sun screen for the back windows. as far as the floors go, get those big heavy duty rubber floor mats with the lip on them. as they will contain most any spill, and the possable bottles exc from rolling around till you have to use your nose to find them. and even then, i would still check up under seats and other unsuspecting places.

for seating confort, i wouldent worry about it to much, again. i have no problem fitting me and the wife plus all 3 kids in my car (02 jetta sedan) with the only issue i have is my 3 and 4 year old boys kicking the back of my seats.

all in all, enjoy them. kids are great! and big congrads daddy o'! welcome to the club. prozac and mental health will become your friends

They make protectors for your car seats that go under the child seats that do a good job of preventing permanent indents in the car seat.
Also, if you get ones that are made to be water proof, they keep the seat clean and dry if you forgot to pack diapers and you have to make a 20 minute ride home and your baby can't "hold it" after soiling the last one. Long story.

Get yourself one of those enclosed roof carriers. Put the kids in there....never let them see the inside of your TDI...this way they willl not be missing anything.
Then when they are of legal age you can let them sit inside of your TDI...while it is parked in the driveway . Then they turn 35....you can take them for their first ride ( a birthday treat)...a quick trip around the block.
_______________________________________________________________________________
The above process will ensure that your progeney will "leave the nest" post haste...and restore harmoney to your life.
_______________________________________________________________________________

great stuff, folks! I'll let you know what we choose, adopt, etc. Great ideas here...as well as entertaining snark

congratulations!!

Just realize that beginning in August your only job is to write checks and drive people places for the next 16 yrs or so.

good luck and enjoy the journey

Congrats on the kids!

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
Benjamin: Just how do you mean that, sir?

Cover the back seats like my Grand mother did with her living room furniture.

May I suggest this as a solution?



Benefits include:

Easier to clean paint than leather
Lower interior noise volume
Ingested bugs add valuable protein to their diet
Children won't take up valuable interior space (important when making a Costco run)
Pedestrians can interact with the children when stopped at red lights

Disadvantages:

Disapproving looks by busy-bodys
May distract other drivers, causing accidents around you
Clearance issue in some parking garages
Extra drag will lower MPG a bit
Possible visit from Child Protective Services

Congrats!!! We just had our first - she is almost two weeks old and she is INCREDIBLE!!!

I did not use the LATCH system since we put our one car seat in the middle position. We put a black hand towel under the seat base just to protect but nothing from the seat seems to be digging into the interior at all. You don't want anything to think or squishy under the seat base.

Since you will have two, you can't use the middle position and you don't have to use the LATCH system - although it may be handy. It is just as easy to use the shoulder belt provided you install correctly - much the same as USARMYTDI wrote out.

I would strongly suggest a child seat inspection service. In WA state we have a safety restraint coalition and they provide free child seat inspections. My wife and I thought that was invaluable - as we installed the seat before the inspection, they looked it over (I installed correctly which I felt good about )and more tips on how to safely and effectively use the child seat, as well as watching us install the seat base again and putting a doll in the straps. Just search for something like it in CA - if you want you can see the WA state website to give you idea on what to possibly search for - www.800bucklup.org.

Besides the car seats - it is really good not to have items in the car that could injure your babies in an accident - just get rid of any clutter that might be in the car. Maybe a simple way to look at it is if it didn't come in your car when new get rid of it.

Good luck with your new additions - it is an incredible life changing (for the better) event! Congrats!

Well since my children are primarily in my wifes car ('10 colbalt 4dr) we use the latch system and the sholder belt. On ft hood they have the same classes that timmy wrote about. And this brings up a verry good point; DO NOT BUY USED OR SECOND HAND CAR SEATS! After just 1 accident, they are no good any more. This is so important that most of the safty seat inspection places will give you a new car seat if you give them your old one. Other places to go are your local fire department or police station, as they should have trained personell to help show you how to instal correctly and how to correctly strap the child in. The beltsfor the sholder straps need to be adjusted so that they come out of the seat back below the sholder, much like a 5 point harness. The chest clip thing neds to be "nipple" level. And it needs to be snug on the baby. When in the car, don't leave the handle up on the carrier. And if you forget, dnt put the dangling toys there; the are a choking hazzard and can become aprojectile in a collision

That was excellent info UsArmyTDI!

ALWAYS GET A NEW CAR SEAT!! And when shopping for them make sure you install them in the car to make sure driver and passenger will be comfortable. That could be tough depending how tall you and your wife are. Car seats have gotten bigger so that they can last longer as your child(ren) grow. We are currently using the Chicco KeyFit 30 and it is great. We tried the top rates safety first and it was no where near to fitting in our Jetta.

In regards to the handle it depends on the maker of the car seat. Our Chicco says it is ok to leave in the upright handle position - also confirmed by seat tech. Always read those manuals, there is a lot of valuable info for your precious cargo.

greengeeker said:

Congrats Matt! We're also expecting kids #3 and #4 in October - we've graduated from Passat wagon to Eurovan.

You'll fit fine in the Jetta wagon - we have no problem packing the four of us in the Jetta sedan for a weekend getaway (can you call it that when you're taking the kids with?).

They sell nice seat covers designed to tuck into the fold of the seat and protect the leather...here's an example: http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=-wOuTa6rM4-C0QGxzZTECw&ved=0CDoQ8wIwBg#

Click to expand...

We used these from day one with our first daughter eight years ago and the second daughter three years later. They can be a little awkward once they get into booster seats but work great otherwise.

Greengeeker - I knew you were having your third child but did not hear about the fourth. Congrats!

I work at a hospital and we offer training like what TDI_Timmy and UsArmyTDI are referring to for child seat safety. Maybe your hospital does too?

One of my kids left a box of crayons in the back seat and they melted all over. What a mess. They also got loose with a sharpie and drew all over the steering wheel. There were stickers all over the place. Luckily, that was in my prior car, a 2000 Malibu, so I gave it to my sister for her to deal with all that when I picked up my 2003 wagon.

I'm in the mental care need phase. It is amazing how much squabbling two sisters (9 and 12) can get into. It just never ends. The idea of sticking them up on the roof rack, now THAT is worth a lot of therapy.

what hurts me with my 3 is my PTSD. i have next to no paticents any more and i have a temper to boot. but i never did think about the hospital. for hood has a team and thats all they do is set up a tent and give away car seats and show you how to install them properly.but, as you can tell (im 24 and have 3 kids ages 4 3 2) soldiers reproduce a lot! lol.

They make special mats for installing under the car seat. Keeps the material nice and clean. its easy to remove and clean. I would def invest in some.
Also nice deep rubber floor mats for the rear.

avoid juice and milk in the car if possible.
Water is all my little girl may have in my jetta due to the grey cloth seats

Namakan said:

Greengeeker - I knew you were having your third child but did not hear about the fourth. Congrats!

Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I'll have to take it easy on the tdi service for a while.