OT: Carseats - Do you use one for your toddler, or do you use a booster?

[tlbwriter]

I just switched last month to a full-back booster seat for my DS4. He meets the requirements for one, but it certainly hasn't been easy. My babysitter took him one day somewhere and somehow the back has come off, just this week. It doesn't easily fit back on. This weekend I'm going to get my husband to fix it back. Just without the back, he is all over the place, leaning against the door, taking his seatbelt off before we get to where we're going. I thought it was age 4, 40 inches. And that's what he is. I don't know, I don't feel as comfortable, though. I want to switch back. I made a mistake, though. This week all I've said is, "If you don't stop, we're going to use the baby seat again." So now it's as if it would be a punishment if I go back. Don't know what to do. I've made a mistake, a huge mistake and then I made it worse!!

What kind of booster do you have? I know with mine (Graco TurboBooster) the back can come off pretty easily if you remove the seat from the car. It's not difficult to put back on, but it's a little tricky if you've never done it before. Do your seatbelts lock if you pull them all the way out and then let them ratchet back in? If so, try that to keep him in place. And if that doesn't work, move him back to the harnessed seat and tell him that boosters are for big kids, and since he can't sit like a big kid in his seat, he's not ready for one yet.

 

[WDWorBUST]

I just switched last month to a full-back booster seat for my DS4. He meets the requirements for one, but it certainly hasn't been easy. My babysitter took him one day somewhere and somehow the back has come off, just this week. It doesn't easily fit back on. This weekend I'm going to get my husband to fix it back. Just without the back, he is all over the place, leaning against the door, taking his seatbelt off before we get to where we're going. I thought it was age 4, 40 inches. And that's what he is. I don't know, I don't feel as comfortable, though. I want to switch back. I made a mistake, though. This week all I've said is, "If you don't stop, we're going to use the baby seat again." So now it's as if it would be a punishment if I go back. Don't know what to do. I've made a mistake, a huge mistake and then I made it worse!!

If you ask my dd what my number 1 job is she will tell you - "to keep me safe". I think a 4 year old is old enough to understand if you tell them that mommy made a mistake and although they aren't a baby anymore they aren't quite big enough for this seat to be safe for them that they can understand that. And if they don't like it they'll just have to get past it - their safety is your priority (obviously you feel that way from your post) and they may be mad about it for a while but he will get over it. Good luck.

 

[bumbershoot]

FYI both of those sited have outdated info for WA, so before anyone relies on them for their state's law (which would actually be against the spirit of this thread, lol), check further.

If you ask my dd what my number 1 job is she will tell you - "to keep me safe". I think a 4 year old is old enough to understand if you tell them that mommy made a mistake and although they aren't a baby anymore they aren't quite big enough for this seat to be safe for them that they can understand that. And if they don't like it they'll just have to get past it - their safety is your priority (obviously you feel that way from your post) and they may be mad about it for a while but he will get over it. Good luck.

Yep. My 3 year old has heard me tell him that I made a mistake more than once, and is always OK with what I need to do to correct the situation.

Sounds like the sitter broke the seat...anything in your agreement regarding such a problem?

If the old convertible seat still fits (you mentioned saying "baby seat" but I doubt he has been in an infant seat this whole time!) just switch back.

 

[tlbwriter]

Sounds like the sitter broke the seat...

Not necessarily. Many high-back boosters convert to a backless booster, and the back can come off easily.

 

[Elmo888]

I just switched last month to a full-back booster seat for my DS4. He meets the requirements for one, but it certainly hasn't been easy. My babysitter took him one day somewhere and somehow the back has come off, just this week. It doesn't easily fit back on. This weekend I'm going to get my husband to fix it back. Just without the back, he is all over the place, leaning against the door, taking his seatbelt off before we get to where we're going. I thought it was age 4, 40 inches. And that's what he is. I don't know, I don't feel as comfortable, though. I want to switch back. I made a mistake, though. This week all I've said is, "If you don't stop, we're going to use the baby seat again." So now it's as if it would be a punishment if I go back. Don't know what to do. I've made a mistake, a huge mistake and then I made it worse!!

I agree with the other posters. Just tell him that you made a mistake and learned that he will be much safer in 5 point harnessed seat. I would just make it clear that it isn't a punishment. I would tell him that it was your mistake and that his safety is the most important factor (more than his happiness). If you take the blame, he will probably understand that it isn't a punishment.

Besides the fact that kids are safer with a 5 point harnessed seat, the other part of 4 years old and 40 lbs is maturity. Some kids just aren't ready to sit in a booster seat until they are a bit older. If he is too big for his convertible seat, I would find a 5 point harnessed seat with a high weight limit (65 lbs or 80 lbs). Buying a new seat might help soften the blow of going back to a harnessed seat. Please post if you need some seat recs (here or some of the other boards mentioned in this thread).

 

[WantToGoNow]

Ds6 is in a Evenflo Big Kid Deluxe Booster (high back) in one car and a Evenflo Bolero combination without the harness in the other. Dd3 outgrew the standard harnessed seats just after her 2nd birthday by height. She is now riding in Apex 65 seats in both cars which will harness her until 65 lbs. My ds6 (46" tall) still fits in the Apex 65 seats just fine but since I had already made the very bad decision to put him in a booster and year earlier, he refuses to go back to the harness. I wish I had found these seats earlier and he wouldn't have known the difference.

 

[pooh4evr]

our seats come apart all the time they just click back together - if it is a convertible one anyway.

 

[mhm]

My oldar dd turns 5 next month and is in a booster, and has been for nearly a year. I had wanted to keep her in a 5-point until she was 6, but we had to move her because she is tall (95th percentile) and it's all in her torso. (She's also broad shouldered, so I was only able to find one high back that didn't scrunch her up.) Younger dd is only 9 months, and is in a Britax Marathon. DH will switch her to rear facing as soon as she hits 20 lbs, which will probably be at about 14 months, although I'd rather keep her rear facing longer. She'll stay in the Marathon until she gets too tall for it, at which point we'll see what's available to keep her in a 5 point longer.

 

[thepeach80]

DH will switch her to rear facing as soon as she hits 20 lbs, which will probably be at about 14 months, although I'd rather keep her rear facing longer.

If you want her to stay rfing, why don't you keep her that way? DH wants to turn Evan sometimes too (he's almost 3), but there's no way I'd let him make a decision when I know it's not the safest thing for my child. Perhaps he just doesn't know how much safer it is? Show him this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8 and perhaps he'll agree and you can make the decision together. Otherwise I simply tell DH over my dead body and he'll get over it.

 

[grlpwrd]

My 4yo and my 2yo are still in their Britax carseats. Yes, still rear-facing.

I had used booster seats for my older 3 dd's until they outgrew the maximum weight and height limits.

I remember reading about Anton Skeen while living in WA. Anton was a child who died in 1996 in a rollover crash because even if he was properly restrained according to state law at the time, the seatbelt did not protect him during the crash. The Anton Skeen Law changed things.

 

[grlpwrd]

If you want her to stay rfing, why don't you keep her that way? DH wants to turn Evan sometimes too (he's almost 3), but there's no way I'd let him make a decision when I know it's not the safest thing for my child. Perhaps he just doesn't know how much safer it is? Show him this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8 and perhaps he'll agree and you can make the decision together. Otherwise I simply tell DH over my dead body and he'll get over it.

I frequent car-safety.org and I recognize that youtube video! Thanks for posting it.

Rearfacing is the safest, for sure.