4 yr old and booster

[MommeeOfAPrnzess]

We are going in December for 7 days to Disney
We are getting a car as we are going to Universal a day or two and we like to come and go as we please
My question is:
Should we take her booster seat with us or not??
Thanks!!

 

[KariC]

Yes. Unless she is REALLY tall for her age and the backseat seatbelt hits her at the right (and safe) spot. You won't be able to use it on the plane (I assume), but you can gate check it if you're worried about it getting lost. Or, just go to WalMart or Target and purchase an inexpensive one.

For more info on boosters, etc., you could check out www.car-safety.org....there are people there that can explain why much more competently than I can!

Have a fun trip!

 

[bear_mom]

You might want to check Florida's law, most states have gone to 6/60 or 8/80 requirements for booster seats.

Personally, my 7 year old will not travel in a vehicle with seatbelts and not be in a booster seat for a long time. Granted, she does only weigh 44 pounds.

Emily

 

[abookworm]

Unless you are going to rent one thru the car rental-absolutely! Tourists are not exempt from the law

 

[MamaOfTwoPrincesses]

Since you can't use the booster on the plane, you may want to see if you can rent one from the car rental place.

 

[jodifla]

Unless you are going to rent one thru the car rental-absolutely! Tourists are not exempt from the law

Except for Florida law says that 4 year olds can ride with a seat belt.

We bring a backless booster when we travel. It packs easily in a duffle bag along with his clothes.

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

I would. My 9 year old is still in her booster. I wouldn't take her's with us on vacation, she's probably tall enough now, but she's still very tiny and I know she's safer in the booster that's installed in my car.

 

[TheDizMom]

I would not dream of putting my 4 year old in car without her booster. I don't worry so much about my driving but you never know about someone elses. Take it! Graco makes a backless booster that is only about $17 and will fit into a soft duffle bag very easily to check it. When we took my son down we did this and since we come from the frozen tundra we were able to put our winter coats in with it so we didn't have to deal with them on the plane. If you travel a lot a booster you can travel with is a good investment, but if you won't ever use it again put it on e-bay when you get home. Of course I don't know how much a rental car place charges for one but I wouldn't imagine it to be less than $17. As for using it on the plane unfortunately you can't because booster seats require a shoulder harness.

 

[all4fun]

We are going in December for 7 days to Disney
We are getting a car as we are going to Universal a day or two and we like to come and go as we please
My question is:
Should we take her booster seat with us or not??
Thanks!!

I would take it.... Just fyi, but here's the 5-step test to see if your dc is ready to move up from a bpb to just a seatbelt.

Try this 5-Step Test to learn when the adult seat belt properly fits your child.

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the vehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat without slouching?
3. Does the lap belt stay on the top part of the child’s thighs?
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the chest and shoulder?
5. Can the child stay seated this way for the whole trip?

If you say no to ANY of these questions, or if your child puts the shoulder part of the seat belt under their arm or behind their back, your child still needs a booster seat.

And I'll go one step farther by posting a link to this poignant and sad video explaining why it's a good idea to keep even older kids in a 5-pt harness seat (this is NOT the Kyle Miller video) :

Belle's Gift:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04


Hth.

 

[mcgypsy]

If you go to the ONE STEP AHEAD catalog online and check the travel/safety section, they have an approved car "harness" that's great for travel. It hooks into the car seat and then around your child like a life vest and hooks in the front. They are WONDERFUL, fairly inexpensive, and will fit in your suitcase easily as they are smaller than a sweatshirt. I bought two for my kids several years ago, and use them everytime we go anywhere on vacation and might need a cab.

 

[chrismom2005]

you know your child size if an adult seatbelt will not fit then you should bring the booster my ds is almost 6 and weights almost 50 pounds and the seatbelt doesnt fit him right and he needs a booster still

 

[lclark0621]

I saw a Disney (Cinderella) themed commercial yesterday on TV about car seat & booster seat safety.

"4 foot 9 is the magic number" to be out of a booster.

http://www.boosterseat.gov/

http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=41

DS is 3.5, but will be in a 5pt car seat as long as he possibly can! Then he will move into a booster seat.

No way would I put my DS at 4 years old in just a seat belt.

 

[ameraumi]

I saw a Disney (Cinderella) themed commercial yesterday on TV about car seat & booster seat safety.

"4 foot 9 is the magic number" to be out of a booster.

http://www.boosterseat.gov/

http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=41

DS is 3.5, but will be in a 5pt car seat as long as he possibly can! Then he will move into a booster seat.

No way would I put my DS at 4 years old in just a seat belt.

Just a side note, because of this commercial, DD repeatedly asked for a Princess booster seat for Christmas!! That was one gift I did not mind hunting down since I knew it would not be tossed aside in a few months.

 

[momto2girls]

Absolutely! I wouldn't even consider driving around without my 4 year old being in a booster!! In fact, my almost 7 year old isn't ready to ride without a booster.

 

[ceroarty]

Except for Florida law says that 4 year olds can ride with a seat belt.

We bring a backless booster when we travel. It packs easily in a duffle bag along with his clothes.

I'm not sure if the law has changed recently but my sisters just received a 125 ticket in North Port, Fl. She did not have a car seat for her 4 year old. BTW, she is really tall for her age. I wouldn't chance it.

 

[PrincessHeart]

If you are renting a car, Hertz will guarantee you a booster seat or your car seat of choice. Also some minivans come equipped with built-in boosters. The last time we needed to rent a car I checked several companies and only Hertz would guarantee that the 5-point harness seats would be there for me. That was 2 years ago, so other rentals may have changed thier policies by now. That would be easier than lugging car seats around. The hertz rep actually said they would not let me leave the lot without my children properly restrained and that is why they guaranteed car seats if they were reserved. My son is almost 8 and is still in a booster.

 

[LaraK]

My kids are in the car for two and a half hours a day on Baltimore/Washington DC corridor traffic every day. I just took my 4.5 year old DD out of a 5-point because she hit the 50lb mark and outgrew it. I think I'll purchase a cheaper booster to take down with us for her. DS is still in a five point, but is a very tall 2.5...I'm going back and forth on whether to put him in a booster or a car seat...the problem is he is too tall and heavy for a "regular" car seat and I have a special one for him at home that I REALLY don't want to lug with us.

 

[lclark0621]

How much does your 2.4 year old weigh?

My DS still has some good room in his Britax Marathon (it goes to 60 lbs), but is starting to get close on height. So I am getting him the Britax Regent car steat, it goes to 80lbs & has quite a lot more room for height.

Even at almost 4, there is no way I would be putting my DS in a booster only.

 

[jodifla]

I'm not sure if the law has changed recently but my sisters just received a 125 ticket in North Port, Fl. She did not have a car seat for her 4 year old. BTW, she is really tall for her age. I wouldn't chance it.

Well, I don't know what she got the ticket for. This is from the FHP site, the official Florida Highway Patrol site:

What Florida Law says about...
Child Restraint Requirements


All children under the age of 18 must be buckled up while riding in any car, pickup truck, or van on Florida's roads, no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle.
Children through the age of 3 must be secured in a federally approved child-restraint seat.
Children ages 4 through 5 must be secured by either a federally approved child-restraint seat or a safety belt.
Drivers are responsible for buckling up the child.
The cost to a violator will be a minimum of $60.00 plus $10.00 court costs.

 

[all4fun]

My kids are in the car for two and a half hours a day on Baltimore/Washington DC corridor traffic every day. I just took my 4.5 year old DD out of a 5-point because she hit the 50lb mark and outgrew it. I think I'll purchase a cheaper booster to take down with us for her. DS is still in a five point, but is a very tall 2.5...I'm going back and forth on whether to put him in a booster or a car seat...the problem is he is too tall and heavy for a "regular" car seat and I have a special one for him at home that I REALLY don't want to lug with us.

There are several seats that harness to a higher weight limit (65 or 80lbs) now and a few that have taller top harness slots (besides the Regent). One that you might consider for travel is the Safeguard GO. Here's a site that has a list if you care to look: http://www.carseatsite.com/bpbnicheseats.htm#Niche Seats 2-1/2 yrs is really too young to go into a bpb. It's not just about size - it's about maturity.

Hth.