? carseat/booster needed for 6 yr 41lbs 46"

[yeahdisney]

Help. Do I need a carseat or a booster for a 6 yr old, 41lbs, 46" tall child in Flordia? Today my husband said I dread getting through the airports with all the stuff. Rent one. Man I'm too cheap I could spend that money at disney. Were renting a car for $155. Only planning on driving to Disney and back. Or if we are back in the hotel and we want something to eat, husband will get it while I'm with the kids, sleeping. Or if buses way to slow just using the car to get to the park. No serious driving. Yes I say safety first. But I just don't know cause she just turned 6 so I wasn't thinking about not having one. We have to use a booster until age 8. Thanks in advance. Leaving one week.

 

[JennsBabySky]

I'd get a backless booster and bring that with you. They are only like $15 at Walmart or Target. They are small! Your 6 year old is really too small to be without at least a booster. The seatbelt won't fit your child properly and your child is too important to risk! But, carrying all that gear is a huge pain. Get the backless booster (cheaper than renting) and it is a great spare for carpooling (small, easy to store, easy to install).

 

[tjmw2727]

Florida law only requres a carseat until age 3 beleive it or not after that they just require a seatbelt. So the answer to your question is, no you don't need to bring a booster. I am one who does use one on vacation however, it to me is worth the little bit of hassle. I have also purchased the backless booster mentioned above for my dd, just turned 7 about 43lbs and 48". I paid $12.00 on sale at Walmart. It is small enough to fit into a duffle and checked through with luggage. IIRC they don't count a carseat against your allowance.

Here is the FL verbage:

4. What is Florida's Child Restraint Law?

All children 5 years of age or younger must be properly restrained no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle. Children through age 3 must be secured in a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child safety seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a safety belt may be used. (FL Statute 316.613).

Have a wonderful trip.

 

[sskem96]

What about a "safe fit" seat belt adjuster? It's a kind of triangular fabric piece that the seat belt goes through to help position it properly on the child. These were pretty popular before a lot of states upped the age for boosters. I have seen them in some stores in the baby section near the car seats and in some stores in the automotive section. I'm pretty sure Target sells them with different characters on them. My DD will be 8 in a couple weeks and will officially no longer need her booster seat, which she barely fits in anyway. She weighs 80 pounds and has gotten hips recently, so her booster has become quite uncomfortable. I plan to buy her a safe fit to use after her birthday so the seat belt fits her better and doesn't rub her neck.

 

[JennsBabySky]

sskem96:
Nope, those seat belt adjusters are NOT okay. If the seat belt isn't fitting her properly, that adjuster will not be enough to make the fit okay. To see if your daughter is ready to transition to a seatbelt, I'm cutting and pasting the guidelines from car-seat.org:

Children are not ready to be in a regular lap/shoulder seatbelt until:

They are tall enough so that their legs bend at the knees at the edge of the seat; and
They are mature enough to remain seated with their backs flat against the back of the seat and not slouch; and
The lap belt sits high on the thighs or low on the hips (NOT on their tummy!); and
The shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest (NOT on their arms or neck!)

Some organizations will also give limits like 80 or 100 pounds, 4'9" in height or 8 years old. These are rough guidelines, not absolute limits. The criteria above are most important.

Hope this helps,
Jennifer

I am so obsessive about this (compounded by a recent local accident involving a 2 year old in a carseat and a six year old in a seat belt. The six year old was killed instantly. I don't know if a booster would have prevented his death, but I wouldn't want to live with that doubt in my mind. I feel so badly for this family).

 

[Jridou]

We also use one of the small backless boosters when we travel with my 41 # 6 year old. They're like $15 at Wal-Mart.

Seriously, why risk it?

 

[talicskai]

Two years ago we took an older style car seat (booster style) we bought at a yard sale for $5. We left it with Hertz when we flew home and they said they donate them to charity. That way we only had to drag it one way and didn't have to spend a small fortune renting one. It worked out really well and I felt good about donating it to someone who does not have one at all. Have a great trip!

 

[sskem96]

Jennsbabysky, I just PMed you.

 

[yeahdisney]

Yesterday I bought the backless one at Target. I wanted one anyway. My husband is the one who has to load and unload at the airport. I shared with him your posts. So thanks 5 more days til Disney

 

[Jennyh]

Can I ask about bringing a car seat for a 2 year old? The airline has said that once a child is 2 years old, a car seat is not necessary, but in early January we will be at Disney for the land/sea package and am wondering about Disney transportation. We have purchased the Disney transfers and will be using their shuttles/busses. Are we required to bring our own car seat, or will they have some available? Thanks

 

[HenDuck]

I know lugging a carseat through the airport is a pain in the butt. However, we will be doing it again this trip, even though DS can technically ride in the plane without one and we can rent one from the rental car company. It really is a peace-of-mind issue. I have done so much research on carseats before finally purchasing our Britax that I just don't trust other seats. You don't know what was done to the ones the rental car company rents out.

We all feel better knowing DS is as safe as possible in his carseat. Even if we travel to a state that has less stringent carseat standards, I will keep DS in his carseat until he can safely sit with a regular seatbelt.

Also, if you read the FAA website, they do recommend that kids sit in a carseat on the plane, even though it is not required.

JMHO

 

[JennsBabySky]

Actually, for the disney transfers carseats are not an option (yours or theirs). The transfers are via large buses without belts. Statistically a child without a carseat on a bus is safer than a child with a carseat in a car (because of size of the vehicle, training of drivers, compartmentalization of seating). It is best to have the child sitting in his/her own seat and not on your lap (otherwise child becomes your airbag during a crash).

When we used the disney transfers this September, we brought a carseat for the plane, but I didn't use it for the transfers. As the previous poster said, it is safer to use the carseat on the plane (a 2 year old can slip out of the belt on the plane because they are smaller). However, using a carseat is not possible with disney transfers.

 

[missypie]

I'm a lawyer and our firm use to represent several of the major auto manufacturers. Those lawyers told me to keep my kids in car seats as long as they could possibly fit. I guess a seat belt can cause major internal injuries in the event of an accident.

 

[JennsBabySky]

In general, the internal harness of a carseat is safer because it distributes the crash forces among a larger area. Once your child is 40# (for most, but not all) carseats, you would need to switch to a booster. It is not safer to have a child who is too large for a carseat to be in the carseat just to avoid the seatbelt (not that anyone is saying to do this). Lap/Shoulder belts are safe when used properly (right size to use belt properly). However, lap only belts are not safe for anyone (not even adults)!

 

[swilphil]

How much does it cost to rent car seats/boosters when you rent your car? I know they are kind of gross when you rent them, but it's better than nothing.