I have a medium sized SUV and 2 kids (a 2 year old and a 5 year old). My older child can buckle himself into his seat and hates the canvas tote I have in the middle seat that is full of toys and books because he has to slide it forward everytime he buckles up. Other than putting toys on the floor in a container or the back of the seats I don't know how to deal with this. Any ideas? Does anyone know of a organizer that doesn't sit over the buckle? Or that hangs in the middle seat instead of sitting on it?
thanks!
Really? Moving something each time so he can buckle is a problem? Well, this sounds like a great opportunity to teach him how to deal w/the small things in life so when the bigger problems hit, he'll be ready.
I just wanted to bring this to your attention (and the attention of others) that this is a really, really bad idea to keep lots of toys and books and games in the car like that. ANYTHING in the vehicle should be secured completely, (maybe in the pouch on the back of the seats, because (God forbid) in an accident--it's been proven that something as small as a cell phone can crack a child's skull upon impact--all of this stuff can become projectile missiles!
I have a 6mo, 2yr, and 4yr old, and we just let them take one toy per trip out. Sometimes two if I'm in a generous mood, lol.
But on long trips they each get to pack their own little backpack full of toys, and when the trip is over, the backpacks and toys go back inside the house. Maybe this would work for you :)
unless it's a long trip , I don't put them in the car. If it's a long trip I have a seat back organizer that goes on the back of the seat in front of the kids.
I also have two small bins ( think shoe box size) that I use pack with their stuff in it keeps it all together and limits the amount of stuff they can take.
I would say probably a mesh or canvas bag that is designed to hang over the back of the front seat is your best bet. However, I am not a big fan of tons of toys in the car either, and I don't like it when DD has insisted on bringing a toy with her, and I've caved in, and invariably it gets lost. It's not anything particularly valuable, but I will hear about from DD for months - asking where it is, why did it get lost, can we get another one, she misses it, etc. I let her bring her special stuffed bear (which must stay IN the car while we are out) and say no to everything else. She will sometimes still whine about it and keep asking, and then I just remind her of the things that have gotten lost already, this is one of our rules, and it's not going to change.
Start cutting back on it.
When my son was about 2, there were a few toys (stuffed animals) I allowed to migrate in and out of the car, but we started to get worried about losing them (and we love ALL our stuffed animals).
So I started whittling it down so there was one thing he could take.
After awhile, one of his friends at day care lost his lovey (a teddy bear) and after that I told my son the safest place for his favorite stuffed animal was at home in his bed.
It would be there waiting for him when he got home and no one else would break it or steal it and it couldn't get lost.
That ended all the toy stuff in the car by the time he was about 4.
By the time he was in kindergarten a few of his friends were still losing things and my son was really glad we figured out a way for this not to happen to him.
We only allow our boys (5 and 2) 1 item each on a short trip for errands. Most of then time it is just a small car or book.
Sounds like you might need to cut back or even take the tote out completely.
We just bring a toy each time and bring it back in when we get home. I hate having so much stuff in the car.
We have the One Step Ahead organizer for my daughter's toys/books/games in my car. It straps to the back of one of the front seats and hangs over the rear of the seat. My daughter can easily reach all of the pockets/compartments to get her stuff. This one is well-made and works well for us.
When my first was 2 yrs, I had tons of toys in the car--when the second came along I just felt so overwhelmed. Now, they can take whatever toy they want in the car, and when we get home it comes out of the car. No storing toys or books. there is one toy and one book for emergency meltdowns in the back panel behind the passenger seats that's it. Makes it a lot easier.
But to answer your question I don't think there is any other type of storage option except for the over the seat canvass type of devices--but since my kids are in the middle row it never really worked for us. I didn't like them kicking at the back of our seats.
