When did you go from car seat to booster?

[_queenie_]

I'll try to keep my DD4 in her's for another year or so, I'm afraid that by five, if not younger (she's quite tall), she'll be too big for her Decathalon. We're running out of space in the car as it is, and the kids will only get bigger. We do already have a backless booster that we got a few months ago for rental cars, DH's truck, etc. She's not real fidgety, and though I do feel safer with her in a 5pt, it's just what works. Obviously, an accident can happen anytime, but since it's only used ocassionally I feel okay. I guess the real answer is to switch when your child is not only big/old enough, but when you personally feel alright with them sitting in a booster. If you don't feel comfortable, why rush it?

 

[Colinsmom]

My older DS will be 6 in September and is 50lbs and 51" tall. He rides in a Regent in my car, a Radian 65 in DH's car (basically outgrown, though, so need to replace with a Regent) and a Parkway in grandma's car and our sitter's car. He's still within the limits of the Regent, and it is safer than a booster in every way.

 

[lucigo]

I recently bought my 5yo DS a Graco Nautilus, and I highly recommend it. Its only $127 at Wal-Mart and will go from a 5pt harness (to 65 lbs) to seat belt to backless booster (100 lbs).

http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=8J00BRV&productID=1402&tab=features&CategoryID=&subCatID=

Its got little cubbies perfect for small toys and a nice cup holder too

 

[teresajoy]

Your 10 year old is still in a carseat? Just making sure I'm reading that right.

I spelled out "TEN years old" so that there would be no misunderstanding. You did read it right, she is TEN years or, 146 months old, and she is in a 5-point harness carseat, NOT a booster. My fourteen, yes, 14 year old neice still rides in her booster, because she is very short. Neither one of them think a thing of it.

I'll try to keep my DD4 in her's for another year or so, I'm afraid that by five, if not younger (she's quite tall), she'll be too big for her Decathalon. We're running out of space in the car as it is, and the kids will only get bigger. We do already have a backless booster that we got a few months ago for rental cars, DH's truck, etc. She's not real fidgety, and though I do feel safer with her in a 5pt, it's just what works. Obviously, an accident can happen anytime, but since it's only used ocassionally I feel okay. I guess the real answer is to switch when your child is not only big/old enough, but when you personally feel alright with them sitting in a booster. If you don't feel comfortable, why rush it?

I was going to suggest the Graco Nautilus, they are much narrower than the Britax Regent, so space won't be an issue, and the height limit on it is pretty tall (Lydia is almost 48" tall, and she still has pleanty of room left in it)

I recently bought my 5yo DS a Graco Nautilus, and I highly recommend it. Its only $127 at Wal-Mart and will go from a 5pt harness (to 65 lbs) to seat belt to backless booster (100 lbs).

http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=8J00BRV&productID=1402&tab=features&CategoryID=&subCatID=

Its got little cubbies perfect for small toys and a nice cup holder too

Took the words right out of my mouth!!! I payed $159 for ours though! Not fair! Thanks for posting the link!

 

[Manda]

Since you have a Britax seat that does still fit him, what would be the benefit of switching him to a booster? It's one thing if he was outgrowing his current seat and you needed to purchase something new. But you have the safest option right now and it still fits fine. Why change that??

My son was in a Roundabout until almost 4 (when he was close to outgrowing it) and we upgraded him to a Regent. He occasionally rides in a booster when he's in his grandparents car, but it's rare. I feel much better when he's in his Regent and he prefers it, too.

 

[aggie98]

DD is 4 and is stll in a car seat. We have a Britax and a Radian but am looking at that Nautilus for my parents car to replace a Marathon. Thanks for the link!

I plan to keep her in a car seat as long as I can.

 

[mom2aredhead]

I guess I was starting to feel like I was the only one that still kept my son in his regular car seat. The convenience of just popping in the backless booster is really tempting, but not worth giving up the safety factor. He's in my car a good 80% of the time, and my husband has a Apex booster in his truck (he outgrew our spare seat) for the other times, which also has the 5pt harness. Bottom line, I guess I feel safer that way, which is why I didn't run right out and buy one after his first ride in it.
My friend (whose car we were in) said that although her son sits well in the car, he no longer falls asleep in it because he can't get comfortable without the support around his head. We do a lot of trips to grandma's (once/week) where we stay for dinner, take a bath, put on pajamas and we purposely leave at bedtime so he falls asleep early into the hour ride home.
I don't know why, but I was thinking it would be silly to strap him in the Wizard and drive him to kindergarten. But if it's not bothering him, I don't know why it's bothering me.
So, thanks for the moral support. I'll leave him in the Wizard for a while longer!

 

[jodifla]

I guess I was starting to feel like I was the only one that still kept my son in his regular car seat. The convenience of just popping in the backless booster is really tempting, but not worth giving up the safety factor. He's in my car a good 80% of the time, and my husband has a Apex booster in his truck (he outgrew our spare seat) for the other times, which also has the 5pt harness. Bottom line, I guess I feel safer that way, which is why I didn't run right out and buy one after his first ride in it.
My friend (whose car we were in) said that although her son sits well in the car, he no longer falls asleep in it because he can't get comfortable without the support around his head. We do a lot of trips to grandma's (once/week) where we stay for dinner, take a bath, put on pajamas and we purposely leave at bedtime so he falls asleep early into the hour ride home.
I don't know why, but I was thinking it would be silly to strap him in the Wizard and drive him to kindergarten. But if it's not bothering him, I don't know why it's bothering me.
So, thanks for the moral support. I'll leave him in the Wizard for a while longer!

One note: I'll say that these boards and the people who respond to these boards skew VERY heavy on Britax and 5 point harnessing.

At my son's bus stop, I don't see any Kindergarteners in car seats anymore.

 

[justhat]

One note: I'll say that these boards and the people who respond to these boards skew VERY heavy on Britax and 5 point harnessing.

At my son's bus stop, I don't see any Kindergarteners in car seats anymore.

My daughter is 4yo, but her school goes through 6th grade. Each summer they send a notice home stating that they will not put a child into a car without the proper car seat restraint installed. If you choose to not abide by the DC laws, you can park and put your child into your car yourself, but the school will not release a child in the pick-up line if the appropriate carseat is not there. Additionally, your child will not be allowed on field trips when cars are used if you do not provide an appropriate carseat restraint.

The school is very strict on this rule. Not sure if it has anything to do with that specifically, but most of the kids in my daughter's class (which is 3-6yos) are in 5 point harnessed carseats, not backless boosters. I know this because of the field trip thing, as I've had to install several carseats in my car to transport the kids. So it's not like I'm purposely peering into other cars to spy on their safety procedures. But out of the 28 3-6yos (and 14 of those kids were 5 or 6), I would say 3 were in boosters. One of which was a very small 3yo (actually, 2.5yo when she started and she was in the booster then), and the other 2 I know of were large 6yo boys. There could have been 1 or 2 more as I didn't really write it down or anything, but going from memory, that's all I can think of.

So while I don't care what others do, I just wouldn't think that your kindergartener would be made fun of for being in a carseat given that I know of many who still use them.

 

[CastleCreations]

I guess I'm the bad mother. My 6 year old rides on the seat, at the police/fireman's suggestion. She was in a booster, with a back, and when I stopped at a car seat check, they said she was way too tall for it, and it was safer for her to ride on the seat. They said as long as her knees come to the front of the seat, and she fits in it like an adult, to use the regular seat belt. My 5 year old, uses a booster seat, but it's a backless type, (that I don't really care for). Half the time she is also buckled into the seat belt on the seat next to her sister.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

In Indiana the law says 40 pounds and age 4. My DD didn't hit 40 lbs until about 4.5. All of my kids went into boosters with a back.

The law then says a booster until age 8. At my DS's 8 year doctor appointment our doctor said he recommends boosters until 10. I will say my DS 9 is the only one of his good friends still in a booster. Luckily, it doesn't bother him. My doctor gave a height for the regular seat belt, but I can't remember it. The doctor said it was an average 10 year old height.

All 20 of my DD's kindergarten class were in boosters. I know this because we all drag them in for field trips unless we are the driver! They are not allowed on a field trip without their booster.

 

[zoemurr]

Your 10 year old is still in a carseat? Just making sure I'm reading that right.

My DD is 9.5 and also is in a harnessed Regent (as is her 7yr old brother). She is tall for her age but still has room. She is comfy and safe, and doesn't want it any other way. NY law is up to 8, so she still has quite a few friends that use their seats.

We do have boosters for when we need to be in other cars, but convenience can't trump safety.

 

[all4fun]

My ds is 5 and still rides in a 5pt harness seat in the family vehicle. The CDC says that between the age of 1 to 14, motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of injury and disability, and are responsible for 20% of deaths in that age group. After reading the leading research out there on the subject, I don't see any reason to rush my ds up to the next step. Maybe because he's my only child, and he's already beat the odds given he was a micro preemie that is doing very well now...I'd rather not take my chances with his safety in the car. Even the safest drivers can have accidents.

To the pp who said the fireman told you your dd was too tall for her booster. He may very well have been correct about the booster being too small for her, but that doesn't mean there isn't another booster out there that would probably keep her safer in a crash. Many times, this is exactly what a backless booster is for (when the child is too tall for most High Back boosters, but still needs a boost for the seatbelt to fit correctly). Of course, if the tips of her ears are above the back of the vehicle seatback/headrest, she still needs a taller HBB. There is more too it than just her legs bending at the edge of the seat. This thread on car-seat.org explains the booster seat and Five Step Test kids should pass before graduating out of them. I do hold police and firefighters in high regard, however sometimes they don't always give out the best child passenger safety advice. Here's

The 5 Step Test
If you answer "No" to any of these questions, your child must be in a booster seat:
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Is the lap belt touching the top of the thighs, not the tummy?
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTERS CAN NOT be used with only a lap belt!
(See your car dealer for a lap/shoulder belt retrofit.)

some cpst's will add a 6th step - feet flat on the floor.

And the difference between a High and Low back booster, safety wise, is side impact protection. Research has shown that a high back booster provides about 70% more protection in a side impact than a low back or no booster does. Again, it comes down to, every step "up" in car seats is a step "down" in safety.


hth

 

[cruiserkaren]

I spelled out "TEN years old" so that there would be no misunderstanding. You did read it right, she is TEN years or, 146 months old, and she is in a 5-point harness carseat, NOT a booster. My fourteen, yes, 14 year old neice still rides in her booster, because she is very short. Neither one of them think a thing of it.

Whoa. And I thought 146 months was pushing it.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

 

[thistle922]

To those that want to keep their kids in their car seats for as long as possible, and to each his/her own, please realize that there are expiration dates on your seats. I know my Britax expires after 6 years, so even if you think you're doing the best thing by keeping them in thier harnessed car seat, it does no good if you're carting them around in an expired seat.

 

[HeatherSue]

One note: I'll say that these boards and the people who respond to these boards skew VERY heavy on Britax and 5 point harnessing.

At my son's bus stop, I don't see any Kindergarteners in car seats anymore.

Yep, we tend to be fanatical about our children's safety! Even if it means "embarassing" them! Actually, I've never noticed that my kids, or my nieces, have been embarassed about their carseats.

Most buses don't have seatbelts, so that may be why you don't see kindergarteners in carseats there.

Whoa. And I thought 146 months was pushing it.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Yep, I guess! I think you're missing the point, though. My niece is short for 10 and more the size of the average 7 year old. So, if she were 7, she would be required by law to be in a booster seat in Michigan. There is no sense in not keeping her as safe as possible.

To those that want to keep their kids in their car seats for as long as possible, and to each his/her own, please realize that there are expiration dates on your seats. I know my Britax expires after 6 years, so even if you think you're doing the best thing by keeping them in thier harnessed car seat, it does no good if you're carting them around in an expired seat.

All of the carseats that seat older/bigger kids are fairly new models. The Regent and the Nautilus have only been around for 2 years, I believe. So, there is no way they would be expired already.

Elisa: You need to get that girly a booster seat! I'm sure they make one that will work for her! I would think the backless boosters would work since you wouldn't have to worry about her being too tall for it.

 

[5 for WDW]

Our daughter will be 5 in October and is very comfy in her Britax Regent. We bought it right before she turned 4. She will be in it until she grows out of it. She is going into Kindergarten in September and she will still use her seat. 90% of kids in Kindergarten at our school are still in boosters with and without 5 points. Most kids up to age 8 are still in regular boosters either with a back or without. My daughter does not think anything of it because it is what she is used to. But, she is also the child who has no problem riding in a car seat on the plane because she has always done it. She will be 5 when we go to WDW in December. She is too big for the car seat that we normally use for flying and I certainly won't be lugging her Regent with us. She is not going to know what to think, lol.
My boys are almost 11 and 8 1/2. They are in regular seatbelts but, I check to make sure they are adjusted correctly each and everytime we get in the car. They really love that let me tell you.

OP, I would leave your son right where he is. Safe and sound.

 

[Minniemouse07]

My dd is 7yo (well will be in a few weeks) and is sitting in a harnessed Graco Nautilus in my car... harnessed. She had a Britax Husky up until late December when my car was totaled (the kids weren't with me, thank goodness). She sits in a Turbobooster in my dh's car (not used as much). Dd has about .5 of room before she will outgrow the harness in the Nautilus. Once she outgrows it we plan on having her sit in her booster seat until she passes the 5-Step test...no matter her age.

Ds is 2.5yo and was rear facing until January/February when he outgrew both of his seats. I replaced his Britax Boulevard (from the totaled car) with a Britax Regent and the Britax Advantage (originally dd's and expired in February) with a Nautilus.

FWIW, I'm a CPST so I have been presented w/ a lot more safety information than the average parent...but I'm proud to say that the majority of our friends that have children also keep them rear facing and in 5pt harnesses until they outgrow them.

One of the things that I tell my friends and parents that I assist w/ car seats...

Moving a child from rear facing to forward facing, or from a harness to a booster is NOT a milestone or something to look forward to like taking first steps or going on the potty. Both of these changes make your child less safe than they were before so you should be reluctant to switch them, not eager!

Oh, and we also always use car seats on airplanes. Dd's last flight in one was when she was 3.5yo... her recent flight at 6.5yo (none in between) was w/o one. Ds rode in his Britax Boulevard rearfacing during our flight in December, he was 2yo.

 

[jack hannah bananah]

My oldest (8) was the only kid in his group of friends to still be in a booster (one that came up behind him). Many of their younger siblings weren't even in boosters. When he was asked why he was still in a baby seat, my husband quickly replied, "that's not a baby seat; it is a racecar seat." That was a good enough answer for the friends. No one said anything again, and my son never complained. The only reason he is not in it now is that his younger sister needed it and he doesn't.

 

[jack hannah bananah]

I must agree wholeheartedly with my sister!! My daughter is 5 and she outgrew (by strap height) her Britax Wizard a few months ago. I got her the Britax Regent and she'll use that puppy until she gets too tall for it. It's so important to keep your kids in a 5 point harness AND tether strap as long as possible. It's worth the extra hassle to keep your kids as safe as possible.

I was convinced by this youtube video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ&feature=related

and this one helped reinforce it:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04&feature=related

Here's a video with LOTS of older kids in 5 pt harnesses.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kVVCwZid4To
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I just read this and watched the video. Now that I am done crying... I will be putting my 5 yr. old back in her 5-pt harness today. And my 8 yr. old will once again be back in his racecar seat.
Thank you for this reminder.