Should they be in a booster?

hsal · December 2011

I watch 2 4year old twins. They're actually 4 1/2 and weigh 34 and 33 lbs. They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?

ToBeMrsT · December 2011

I would definitely keep them in a 5 pt harness. My DS is almost 4 and will stay in his 5 pt harness as long as he fits in the seat.

Mrs Manners · December 2011

Boosters are illegal in our state until 40 lbs, 4 years AND 40" tall. Ds will reach all those requirements when he turns 4 next month and I will NOT be moving him to a booster. He will remain in a 5 pt harness as long as possible (which is a long time in the frontier 85).

jlw2505 · December 2011

Once over age 4 (in most states) it has more to do with maturity of the child (can they actually stay seated correctly in the booster and height. They do list weight limits but how the child fits into the seats is a huge part of it. My 5 1/2 year old is in a highback booster seat and has been for a while now but I know a lot of kids around her age who have not made the move yet. I think by kindergarten, most kids are in the highback boosters.

bim38106 · December 2011

They don't weigh very much... Really, they're not too big until they've outgrown the 5pt harness seat. Like PP, we also have a Frontier85 and DD will be in the 5pt as long as possible. Definitely at 4.5! It's just safer.

Calliopi · December 2011

I've been concerned about my dd having to move to one because she's too tall. She's only just turning 4 but is 42 inches tall and weighs 40lbs. I feel like she is too young to be in a booster but her head is starting to reach the top of the carseat.

bim38106 · December 2011

Calliopi:
I've been concerned about my dd having to move to one because she's too tall. She's only just turning 4 but is 42 inches tall and weighs 40lbs. I feel like she is too young to be in a booster but her head is starting to reach the top of the carseat.

This is why we went with the Britax Frontier. It has the highest height limits on the market. Both my DD's are off-the-charts tall. DD1 is 42 inches and not even 4 yet and DD2 is consistently an inch taller then DD1 was at each age! But no way is DD1 ready for a booster with all the tantrums she still throws Plenty of growing room left in the Frontier (she's already outgrown a Graco one that we borrowed from my cousin).

SuperCuteBenz · December 2011

smeame14:
hsal:
I watch 2 4year old twins. They're actually 4 1/2 and weigh 34 and 33 lbs. They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?

If they are in a convertible car seat, and they are above the weight and height limit, then YES they are not in proper restraints. If they are in a 3 in 1 booster, they are absolutely fine with the harness system. I saw that the My Ride 65's limits are as follows:
Forward Facing: Minimum Weight: 20 Lb., Maximum Weight: 65 Lb. Booster: Minimum Weight: 30.0 Lb., Maximum Weight: 100.0 Lb.
If it is a comfort sport the limitations are as follows:
Rear Facing:Minimum Weight: 5 Lb.; Maximum Weight: 5 Lb. Forward Facing: Minimum Weight: 5 Lb., Maximum Weight: 40 Lb. Booster: Minimum Weight: 30.0 Lb., Maximum Weight: 100.0 Lb.
So it looks like they would still be in the limits. If it is an older graco version, I know my DD's convertible was only like 40 lbs, but she outgrew hers in height before weight with that one.

My 3 1/2 year old is approx. 44" and 50 +/- a few pounds, she is well within the limits of the Nautilus. She will be nearing close to the weight limit for the harness by the time her birthday comest around, so when she turns 4 she will be on the high back booster with seat belt.

Kind of goin off topic: My question about boosters with five point harnesses: Are they not considered to be imilar to a convertable until the harness straps are taken off and you utilize the high back booster then it is considered a booster? I don't understand why people say that they are not allowed in certain states when with the harness it is like the convertible. Please correct me if I am wrong.

They are saying that it is illegal to be in a booster in some states before a certain age, etc. The Nautilus is not considered a booster until the harness is removed. It is considered a 3-n-1 seat, which was a marketing mistake, because most 3-n-1 seats are rear-facing and this causes some confusion. It would be considered a combo seat and not a convertible, because it does not rear-face like a convertible.

To the OP, I would not say that they need to be in boosters. I think a lot of people move their kids to boosters way before they should be. My DD will be 4 soon. She is 38" and 30lbs. No where near big enough or mature enough for a booster. In fact, we will be moving her to Recaro ProSport in January, and I would guess that she will remain harnessed in that seat for at least another 2 years. I am in no rush to move her to an unharnessed seat. There is no reason for it.

penguingrrl · December 2011

It really depends on your personal preference and their maturity. In order to move to a booster a child needs to be able to sit correctly 100% of the time, meaning no slouching, slumping, reaching for toys that are out of reach, unbuckling their seatbelt or putting the shoulder belt behind their backs. Size and age play a role, but maturity is the more important criteria. There is no evidence that a properly used booster is any less safe than a properly used harness, and a properly used booster is far safer than an outgrown harness.

My 4 year old is a in a high back booster because she outgrew her radian (one of the taller harness height seats on the market) for height. The only other seat that would have given her significant harness growth was the frontier, which fit in neither our car (we tried) nor our budget. She has never once given me an instant of doubt that she has the maturity for a booster, so I feel confident that she's safe. She's also tall and all torso, so our options were limited (43" tall, with an over 17" torso and 39 lbs at her 4 year appt). She has been in it for a few months and we're perfectly comfortable with it.

FYI, a harness is outgrown when the kid's shoulders are above the top slots that the harness comes out, when the tops of the child's ears are above the top of the carseat shell or when the child hits the weight limit.

howleyshell · December 2011

hsal:
They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that you discuss this with the children's PARENTS.

They're not your kids.

Chances are if you'd simply discussed it with the Mom she would have explained all of this to you.

My oldest is 5 1/2 and still not 40 lbs.

I plan to keep him in a 5 point harness as long as humanly possible.

I've watched a 4 year old wiggle down in a seat belted booster until the lap belt was around his neck. He would have been decapitated had we been in a serious high speed accident. His Mom had no clue he was doing this in the back seat as she drove. There's more to a child's readiness for a booster than height and weight limits.

I'm sure it's inconvenient for you to have all 3 of them in huge heavy seats that are tough to get in and out of your car but it's what's in the best interest of the twins.

Chances are that the mother is doing what she feels is in the best interest of her children.

ToBeMrsT · December 2011

howleyshell:
hsal:
They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that you discuss this with the children's PARENTS.
They're not your kids.
Chances are if you'd simply discussed it with the Mom she would have explained all of this to you.
My oldest is 5 1/2 and still not 40 lbs.
I plan to keep him in a 5 point harness as long as humanly possible.
I've watched a 4 year old wiggle down in a seat belted booster until the lap belt was around his neck. He would have been decapitated had we been in a serious high speed accident. His Mom had no clue he was doing this in the back seat as she drove. There's more to a child's readiness for a booster than height and weight limits.
I'm sure it's inconvenient for you to have all 3 of them in huge heavy seats that are tough to get in and out of your car but it's what's in the best interest of the twins.
Chances are that the mother is doing what she feels is in the best interest of her children.

haha totally what I wanted to say!

kelbrian · December 2011

Not at all, especially given their weights. My DD will be in a five point harness for as long as possible.

ilovemygirls · December 2011

I'm assuming that you are hoping to get fixed carseats out of your car? fwiw, my 7yo DD just hit 40lbs and is still in a 5pt harness in my car. As is my 4yo, who is close to 40lbs. However they are in 30+ lb high back boosters in my DH's truck. He is in & out of two different trucks every week & as my girls are mature enough to sit properly in a booster that is made for 30lbs & up, I was fine with moving them. If I were you, I'd talk to the parents to see if they are comfortable moving them to boosters in your vehicle. For me, I want them in their 5pts in the car they are in the majority of the time, but I am okay with them being in their boosters in other vehicles.

hsal · December 2011

howleyshell:
hsal:
They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that you discuss this with the children's PARENTS.
They're not your kids.
Chances are if you'd simply discussed it with the Mom she would have explained all of this to you.
My oldest is 5 1/2 and still not 40 lbs.
I plan to keep him in a 5 point harness as long as humanly possible.
I've watched a 4 year old wiggle down in a seat belted booster until the lap belt was around his neck. He would have been decapitated had we been in a serious high speed accident. His Mom had no clue he was doing this in the back seat as she drove. There's more to a child's readiness for a booster than height and weight limits.
I'm sure it's inconvenient for you to have all 3 of them in huge heavy seats that are tough to get in and out of your car but it's what's in the best interest of the twins.
Chances are that the mother is doing what she feels is in the best interest of her children.

I actually asked because a family I previously worked with had me only use a booster seat, not a high back with a 3 year old and that's all I knew. My LO is only 6 months so I haven't gone through it myself. Not inconvenient, just not what I've seen before.

I figured I would ask here and see what most people's reaction was before I approached the mom and made it seem like I was undermining her... I was just looking for information, thanks for your help anyways.

howleyshell · December 2011

hsal:
I figured I would ask here and see what most people's reaction was before I approached the mom and made it seem like I was undermining her... I was just looking for information, thanks for your help anyways.

See... here's the thing. As someone who's had nannies before I've gotta tell you that it would really upset me to know that one of them posted on a board about my kids wondering if I was doing something wrong regarding their safety.

You could have very easily had this conversation directly with her in a way that wouldn't have even hinted at undermining:

"I don't know how car seat progression works. How do you know when to move them up to boosters?"

Direct, non-conftontational, non-undermining.

Beyond that you could have researched it yourself without putting this woman and her children's business on a public national board. There are plenty of web sites that spell this kinda stuff out very clearly.

The key to a good nanny-family relationship is being able to have these kinds of conversations in an open way that don't put anyone on the defensive.

I would be upset if I found out that someone I hired couldn't discuss this with me directly. I just feel like your post was unprofessional for someone in your industry.

klang621 · December 2011

howleyshell:
hsal:
I figured I would ask here and see what most people's reaction was before I approached the mom and made it seem like I was undermining her... I was just looking for information, thanks for your help anyways.
See... here's the thing. As someone who's had nannies before I've gotta tell you that it would really upset me to know that one of them posted on a board about my kids wondering if I was doing something wrong regarding their safety.
You could have very easily had this conversation directly with her in a way that wouldn't have even hinted at undermining:
"I don't know how car seat progression works. How do you know when to move them up to boosters?"
Direct, non-conftontational, non-undermining.

Beyond that you could have researched it yourself without putting this woman and her children's business on a public national board. There are plenty of web sites that spell this kinda stuff out very clearly.

The key to a good nanny-family relationship is being able to have these kinds of conversations in an open way that don't put anyone on the defensive.
I would be upset if I found out that someone I hired couldn't discuss this with me directly. I just feel like your post was unprofessional for someone in your industry.

WOW...harsh!!! that's the point of these boards...to get opinions, thoughts, advice. I think its horrible of you to put someone and their professionalism down for asking a simple question...note to self, never work for you.

hepcats · December 2011

I think it would take a very shrewd and bored individual to find out who the OP is and, thusly, determine the identity of the family. She's not said any identifying information other than that the kids she's watching are twins. There's not a whole lot there in order to figure out who she is, so I don't see that as a valid concern. I do agree that if there were an actual concern being voiced here that it is absolutely best to discuss it with them directly, but just a "hey what's your experience" question seems completely innocent to me.

Gwyneddlesliegrace · December 2011

howleyshell:
hsal:
I figured I would ask here and see what most people's reaction was before I approached the mom and made it seem like I was undermining her... I was just looking for information, thanks for your help anyways.
See... here's the thing. As someone who's had nannies before I've gotta tell you that it would really upset me to know that one of them posted on a board about my kids wondering if I was doing something wrong regarding their safety.
You could have very easily had this conversation directly with her in a way that wouldn't have even hinted at undermining:
"I don't know how car seat progression works. How do you know when to move them up to boosters?"
Direct, non-conftontational, non-undermining.

Beyond that you could have researched it yourself without putting this woman and her children's business on a public national board. There are plenty of web sites that spell this kinda stuff out very clearly.

The key to a good nanny-family relationship is being able to have these kinds of conversations in an open way that don't put anyone on the defensive.
I would be upset if I found out that someone I hired couldn't discuss this with me directly. I just feel like your post was unprofessional for someone in your industry.

Funny, as someone who has had nannies in the past I would be totally ok with someone looking out for the safety of my child.

How dare she research car seat specifications when she is transporting someone child!

Magenta728 · December 2011

howleyshell:
hsal:

I figured I would ask here and see what most people's reaction was before I approached the mom and made it seem like I was undermining her... I was just looking for information, thanks for your help anyways.

See... here's the thing. As someone who's had nannies before I've gotta tell you that it would really upset me to know that one of them posted on a board about my kids wondering if I was doing something wrong regarding their safety.

You could have very easily had this conversation directly with her in a way that wouldn't have even hinted at undermining:

"I don't know how car seat progression works. How do you know when to move them up to boosters?"

Direct, non-conftontational, non-undermining.

Beyond that you could have researched it yourself without putting this woman and her children's business on a public national board. There are plenty of web sites that spell this kinda stuff out very clearly.

The key to a good nanny-family relationship is being able to have these kinds of conversations in an open way that don't put anyone on the defensive.

I would be upset if I found out that someone I hired couldn't discuss this with me directly. I just feel like your post was unprofessional for someone in your industry.

Confused OP never said that she couldn't discuss this with her employer directly. She came to this board asking for opinions. Why do you care? Are you her employer? Seems like she just wanted additional information before approaching her employer.

howleyshell · December 2011

To all of the OP's friends who came over from her regular board to defend her I do think it's nice that you guys stick up for each other like that.

However... I stand by my stance that her post was unprofessional.

hsal:
They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?

Please re-read her original post.

She didn't say: "Hey... I'm new to this and need some info on car seat safety in this age range" I wouldn't have batted an eye lash at that. That's a request for information from a board of Moms with kids in the appropriate age range.

What she said essentially was: 'I feel like what the mom is doing is "STRANGE" and she should be doing something different than what she is doing.'

She posted on a public message board that she disagreed with what the mother was doing. Unprofessional in my opinion.

I would be unhappy if my nanny did this especially when all it took was a simple "playing dumb" moment with the mother to feel her out on her reasoning for the seat she's got her kids in.

Her post seemed some what disrespectful to the mother of these children. It could have been handled more tactfully.

Disagree with me all you'd like.

hepcats · December 2011

Meh, to-may-toe, to-mah-toe IMO. You have every right to your opinion. I guess my point is that boards such as this are useless if one can't seek advice, opinions, etc. She said she thought it was strange and was seeking input, not that she thought it dangerous, stupid, fill-in-the-blank and was looking to commiserate or denigrate.

klang621 · December 2011

howleyshell:
To all of the OP's friends who came over from her regular board to defend her I do think it's nice that you guys stick up for each other like that.
However... I stand by my stance that her post was unprofessional.

hsal:
They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?
Please re-read her original post.
She didn't say: "Hey... I'm new to this and need some info on car seat safety in this age range" I wouldn't have batted an eye lash at that. That's a request for information from a board of Moms with kids in the appropriate age range.
What she said essentially was: 'I feel like what the mom is doing is "STRANGE" and she should be doing something different than what she is doing.'
She posted on a public message board that she disagreed with what the mother was doing. Unprofessional in my opinion.
I would be unhappy if my nanny did this especially when all it took was a simple "playing dumb" moment with the mother to feel her out on her reasoning for the seat she's got her kids in.
Her post seemed some what disrespectful to the mother of these children. It could have been handled more tactfully.
Disagree with me all you'd like.

I think its disrespectful to put words in other peoples mouths...she didn't say that what the mother was doing was strange...it seemed strange to her....IMO two completely different statements.

JsMama11 · December 2011

howleyshell:

hsal:
They're still in 5 point harness graco carseats. That seems strange to me, I feel like they're too big and should be in boosters. What do you think?

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that you discuss this with the children's PARENTS.

They're not your kids.

Chances are if you'd simply discussed it with the Mom she would have explained all of this to you.

My oldest is 5 1/2 and still not 40 lbs.

I plan to keep him in a 5 point harness as long as humanly possible.

I've watched a 4 year old wiggle down in a seat belted booster until the lap belt was around his neck. He would have been decapitated had we been in a serious high speed accident. His Mom had no clue he was doing this in the back seat as she drove. There's more to a child's readiness for a booster than height and weight limits.

I'm sure it's inconvenient for you to have all 3 of them in huge heavy seats that are tough to get in and out of your car but it's what's in the best interest of the twins.

Chances are that the mother is doing what she feels is in the best interest of her children.

Overreact much? OP is clearly not going to go out and buy new car seats for these children. She's just wondering if anyone else thinks it's strange. As a former nanny I would never tell a mother I didn't agree with something she was doing. I's not our job to give our opinions, it's our job to look after the children the way we are told.

rattlecanqueen · December 2011

people who care for children and teach beg, borrow, and steal any and all info they can. its naive for people to think theirchildrens' teachers don't talk about them with coworkers or even messege boards. however as long as the anonymity of the child and circumstances are protected its legal. she certainly wasn't slanderous or libelous , and the childrens' anonymity was protected. this isn't an employment board either, so i do not see where professionalism is a requiste for a post here (not that she wasn't).