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Parenting
At what age did you move your child to a high back booster?
I transitioned Trevor at 6 yo - I never thought I would make it 6 years in a harness. I hope to make it to 5 with K. Normal? I get the side eye when I mention this to most of my friends. Most transition their kds by 3.5 yo.
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Re: At what age did you move your child to a high back booster?
I'd say normal on the nest. Not probably IRL.
IDK. I see more and more doing extended harnessing. Unfortunately, I see a large majority of these people doing it in seats that are outgrown.
Kaden William 11/4/06 and Dawson Michael 6/30/10
Dawson's first birthday - at the zoo
Not sure about that, but I will harness to at least 5 with Kayson. He is a light weight. Trev is still harnessed in my DH's car, but I think that will have to change. I'm sure he has outgrown the Nautilus in that car.
Kelly Monaghan's 5K - 5/15/11 - 3rd Place in AG
Walk the Talk 5K - 5/18/11 - 31:12 PR
Ridley Run 3.1 - 4/14/12 - 1st race of the year, 32:45
I did at 4 with my oldest. Since we don't have a second car/backup carseat and have a possibility of 4 different people doing pick up at school in an emergency we decided to go for a bubble bum booster in her backpack (if DH got her it would be in a taxi). I wanted to test to make sure she could and would sit correctly in a booster before committing to it (my backup plan was to get a maestro and leave it in her cubby). She sat so exactly perfectly that we've rarely used her harness seat since transitioning.
The other piece that pressured us to try a booster earlier was that she's tall and all torso and had about half an inch of harness height left in her SK radian, which is the highest harness height booster that fits in our beetle due to a strangely shaped backseat. So I wanted to be sure before she entirely outgrew the radian that she was okay with sleeping and everything else in the booster. She sits perfectly 100% of the time, even sleeping, so we recently took the radian out of the trunk and are leaving it home.
Her sister will be in a harness much, much longer because she's far less compliant and I'm pretty sure she won't be able to be trusted in a booster at 4. Luckily we'll also have a second/larger car by then so we won't be as limited in our seat. If she outgrows the radian before she's booster ready we'll get a frontier (which does not fit in the beetle in any way, shape or form).
I know in our state the regs for a booster are 4 years old and 40 pounds. My 6.5 year old is still in a five point harness because he is still fluctuating between 41 and 42 pounds! But, my SIL switched both kids at 3 and they weren't close to 40 pounds... I guess they didn't want to buy another carseat?!
Now, if my DS needs to go with someone else for an emergency or a playdate, he will sometimes have his booster which I feel is safer than incorrectly installing a 5 point harness, but he is also 6.5 years old!
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
DD was 4.5 and over 40 lbs.
DS1 just transitioned to a Britax Frontier and he is turns 4 in a few days. We are still using it harnessed.
Massachusetts does not have a harness law:
7 years and younger and less than 57 inches
must be in a child restraint being used according to manufacturers instructions. So of course, that means RF until 1/20, but boostering is acceptable when allowed by the manufacturer.
Here is MD's child restraint law:
7 years and younger and either less than 57 inches or 65 pounds or less
Most states do not have laws about harness vs. booster.
I have a select few of IRL friends that still have their 5-6yo in a harness. Most of them went to a booster at 4 and some at 3. Mine are both still in a harness and I plan on keeping it that way for awhile.
ETA: Ryan is barely 40lbs., if he weighed a little more I'd be more willing to switch a bit sooner.They both ride in a booster in DH's car but it's really rare that that happens.
Both of my kids moved to one this summer when they outgrew their Blvds. DD is only 4 y/o, but the same size as DS and mature for her age. DS had tried it out a few times at 5 y/o and was not mature enough. He's doing much better in it now.