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Pre-School and Daycare
soontobecapek
member
S/O carseats
soontobecapek
member
when do you switch to a booster? My cousin switched just after her 2nd birthday, which I thought seemed early, A is still in his convertible, and K is in her carrier. I guess I am just wondering if I have to buy K a convertible or if I just buy A a booster and move K into his seat. She is only 15 lbs so she has a few more months...
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Re: S/O carseats
was it a forward facing to booster type seat? still 5 pt harness? I believe the rec was 4yr and 40lb for a car shoulder strap booster seat. dd is 4 1/2 and 32lb... she is still in her britax decathelon with room to grow. I cannot imagine her staying in her seat with just the shoulder strap even in a booster... she's too narrow.
as far as the law... that varies state by state. not sure what the aap recommends... but some are recommending the child stay rearfacing until age 2.
it was a highback FF that turned into a booster, I don't remember whether or not it was a 5pt though.
A is only 35lbs, so maybe I'll wait., but on the topic of staying in a seat. Does anyone have problems with DC taking their arms out of the straps? I thought maybe it was too loose, but it isn't DS is actually sliding the chest piece down and pulling his arms out. He doesn't attempt to get out of the seat though, just his arms...
Ditto. DD#1 is 4.5 and only 32lbs as well. She's in her Britax.
Depends on the state laws where you live, if your state even has a law about this.
In Maryland, where I live, the law is:
Child must be in a 3- or 5-point restraint carseat until 4 yrs AND 40 pounds.
Child must be in a belt-positioning booster until they are 6 yrs AND 60 pounds.
In some states, people can begin using a belt-positioning booster when the child is about 30 pounds (or whatever is the minimum weight and height requirement on their brand of booster seat!)
I followed the law, although many parents I know pushed it and let their kids sit in a booster seat when they were just 3. My DD didn't hit 40 pounds until she was over 5 years old. Currently she's almost 10 and she still sits in a belt-positioning booster because she weighs just over 60 pounds and the seatbelt in our van is too high for her shoulder. When she rides in DH's car, she now just sits on the seat, because the seatbelt is in an appropriate position for her.
DS was already 40 pounds when he turned 4, and we switched him to a booster right after his birthday. He'll be 6 in a few weeks, but he's only about 45 pounds now, so it will be a WHILE before he's out of a booster seat!
I won't switch DD1 to a booster until she outgrows her Marathon. She's still got quite a lot of room to grow in height before she's too big for it, and I'm sure she'll outgrow the height limit long before she'd hit the weight limit.
We've already got DD2 in a Roundabout 50. She hated the infant seat and does so much better in the convertible.
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
My 6 year old is still in a Graco Nautilus with the 5pt system.
I won't go backless until he outgrows the height of the car seat 5pt harness slots.
My 5yr old ds (46lbs) still sits in a 5pt harness and will until 65lbs. My 4yr olds also still sit in a 5pt harness and will unti 65lbs.
A lot of people move their kids to a booster way too soon. Not only weight size but maturity. To sit in a booster with the seat belt your child should sit straight up, not lean over, turn backwards, put the strap behind them and leave their legs straight down. I dont know of any kids under 6 (esp not 2) that would sit like this.
Check out this site and it may change your mind on moving your child so early. A 5pt harness could save their life.
https://www.kyledavidmiller.org/ <---- Read some of the stories as well!!
We have 3 of these and my kids (and I) love them. They really like the cup holder and the cubby holes on the inside each side of the arm rests.
DH is installing DS's convertible car seat in our van right now. That makes 3 Marathons in my van and we have two Costco Seneras (also convertible seats but much cheaper) for DH's car. For now, we'll use the infant seat for DH's car if he has to carry all three (assuming all three fit), but we'll get DS another Senera for that car eventually.
As many of the pp said, it varies by state. Most states I've heard of have the 4 years old AND 40 lbs law, but I know it's not all of them. In Texas, it's 4 years AND 40lbs. DD#1 just barely made it to 30lbs at her 4th birthday, but it's not a big deal to us. She'll be staying in her Marathon until she hits 65lbs (limit on the seat) or she gets to be 7 or 8 and starts asking to get a "regular" seat (which might happen first since my kids are itty bitty peanuts). DD#2 and DS will be the same way.
The 5 point harness is so much safer for them than a seatbelt. IMHO, DD#1 is definitely mature enough for a booster. She rarely falls asleep in her seat and never messes with her straps, but she's *much* too little and it's just so much safer for her to stay in the 5pt harness.
My kids LOOOVEE the cubby holes for sure too!! They love the cup holder as well because it's another spot to hide toys in if there isn't a cup already in it.