Extended Harnessing~Are they Embarrassed??

[momof2kiddos]

I have decided to keep my lil ones harnessed in my car for as long as possible but when they reach 5 yrs old and 40+ pounds they will use a HBB when going with other peoplpe for short trips.

My Dh is VERY supportive of everything I do and our child's saftey,but he thinks our kid's will be embarrassed by thier peers.So I was wondering if your children are and what they think of extended harnessing?

[Minniemouse]

Bethany is 5.5yo (will be 6 in July) and in kindergarten.

Last week when I ws picking her up from school one of her friends got in the FRONT seat of her mom's van.

Beth: Mommy, XXX is sitting in the front seat.
Me: She is! Should she be sitting there?
Beth: No, it isn't safe, why does her mommy let her sit there then?

Out of the mouths of babes!

I take moments like this to reinforce how sitting in the back seat is safer, how her 5pt harness in my car (Husky) is safer than her booster in daddy's car, etc. Of course then we had to talk about how she is safe in the booster but she's safER in the Husky... and how lucky she is to still fit in it :)

[Amaris]

There are several kids in my sons kindergarten class who ride in just the seatbelt :eek: The rest are in boosters of some kind, he's the only one still in a harness. He has asked why his friends aren't in "safe seats" like his. The only answer I had for him was that their parents must not know about big boy seats like his. He's very comfortable in his regent, and to my knowledge his friends haven't said anything to him about being in it. A few parents have asked me why he isn't in a booster though!!

[joolsplus3]

Oh goodness, no! My 9 yo loves his 'big blue seat' (Husky) and as old as age 7 was asking if he could take it in his friend's car (his 9 yo friend w no booster!). If you brainwash your kids effectively (uh... expound on the virtues and safety of harnessing...in a fun way!) then they are never embarrassed... and they feel bad that their friends don't get to be as safe as they are!

:)

[lynsgirl]

My kids aren't embarrassed either :). My two oldest kids are 10 and 8 and both ride in a Husky/Regent. My 5.5 yo doesn't realize there are other options hehehe (he's 41 lbs and in a MA). You have an advantage here, since your kids are younger. By the time they're older and still harnessed, *more* kids their age will be harnessed. It's been slow to catch on, but more people are doing it. The embarrassment factor should be even lower for your kids than for ours ;) lol.

[Yoshi]

I have never given this any real serious merit, the idea of my child being "embarrassed" about a safety issue. When my son had to wear his bike helmet while his other friends didn't, he got over it. Now that he is 18, and not yet licensed, he is only able to get rides home from 2 kids we know well. If they are not available to give him a ride, he has to call home and I will pick him up, while his other friends just hop in any old car. My rules- for safety. Is he embarrassed? Maybe, but he copes with it and just says, "That's my mom- the safety freak."

When my daughter is Kindergarten age, and still harnessed, I will tell her she is safer, and will ride that way until I decide otherwise. Young children do not necessarily become embarrassed unless some adult says something like, "Oh, you still ride in a baby seat?" Kids usually side more with their parent's values until about age 10-12, when peer pressure kicks in more. As our kids grow up, hopefully more and more of their peers will be harnessed longer, and it will be the norm. HBB are NOT appropriate for kids that do not meet the 5 step test and are not mature enough to stay properly restrained. 5 years old may be to soon, it may not be, it depends on the child. Your husband's fears are not uncommon for men- they don't want their sons to be ridiculed, or "babied". Safety comes first in my family.

[musicmaj]

I showed both my 5 year old and my 6 year old crash tests of a forward facing harnessed and a booster. My 6 year old is happy to be harnessed when she can and is not embarrassed. (We only have one hwh seat right now and the 5 year old needs it when he is in the car. She only uses it when he is not there.) She actually wishes she could be rear facing since she also saw that crash test. She always tells my 18 month old that he is lucky to be rear facing.

[mominabigtruck]

My oldest is almost 5 and loves all of his seats, his husky included. Almost none of the kids in his preschool even ride in boosters and he is the only one in a harnessed seat. The other day my mom picked him up and I left his cowmoo parkway there for her and when I got ready to leave half the class was out in the hallway trying to sit in it and the little girls were rubbing the wings saying how soft and pretty it was. I think in general its the other parents that make kids feel bad about carseats, not the kids, because they're the ones telling their kids they don't have to sit in a carseat. I think if you buy any kid a nice, comfortable seat they're going to want to sit in it because its more comfortable then being in a regular seat with an adult seatbelt riding up on them.

[AdventureMom]

Nolan LOVES his Marathon. He's 4 and only 35lbs so no booster anytime soon. But he sees kids in the front seat or not in a car seat and comments that they're not safe and why don't their mommies and daddies put them in a car seat, etc. :thumbsup: I tell him that some people just don't know that it's not safe, but lucky for him, his mommy/daddy have learned alot about safety... :D

He really doesn't mind. He loves being in his carseat. I think they get used to it. I remember not wearing a seatbelt as a teenager, back before everyone became so safety-conscious (yes, I'm aging myself here - LOL!). But now, I feel naked in a car until my seatbelt is on. I think it's the same way with kids: they get used to being harnessed and they like that security....?

We recently took one of Nolan's friends, B, with us to see "Go Diego Go Live". He's in a booster in his mom's car but we put him in Nolan's MA and put Nolan in our spare seat (Triumph). B totally wigged. "I want to get out. I don't like these straps. Can you make it looser?" (Um, no such luck in our car, kiddo!) Nolan was just staring in disbelief. I think it's what they get used to.

[SamPacey&Joshua]

If you brainwash your kids effectively (uh... expound on the virtues and safety of harnessing...in a fun way!) then they are never embarrassed... and they feel bad that their friends don't get to be as safe as they are!

:)

LOL, I agree! I think if we really teach them the importance of car safety and do it the right way, they won't be embarassed. I also think when they do get the comments and what-not about being in seats, that's when we teach them about peer pressure and not going along with others just because.

[groovymom2000]

6 years old here and not embarrassed either. In fact, he prefers to ride in his Husky, if only because I'm not constantly nagging at him to sit back, sit up,stop touching your brother, etc....:rolleyes: Car seat safety is non-negotiable in our house, and always has been.

[CarSeatPoncho]

Who knows what the popular practice will be in 4-5 years? I think the (very lucky, very safe) kids whose moms are on this board are on the leading edge, and as time goes on, it will be less and less of an "oddity" for children to be harnessed at 5 or 6 or more.

I think showing children crash test video will make the point to them! I still remember those Volvo commercials in the 70's with crash test dummies! Car crashes are really really horrible and scary.

[Simplysomething]

My almost 7 year old is not harnessed. He is in a booster. I can't think of any of his friends that still are. Now, come July, the law changes from age 6 to age 8 and they'll all have to be in them again.

But, you know, he has expressed...concern. He's a very sensitive kiddo, and has been embarassed. I know the OP was concerning extended harnessing, I'm just saying is that yes, embarassment can happen, but it's not the same as being embarrased because your mom bought you the wrong kind of sneakers, kwim?

This past weekend, my 4 year old nephew told him..."I don't like your car-seat". And that really bothered DS1. But he knows why he must ride in a booster.

[mamato2]

Exactly what Joolsplus3 said! My 9 and 5.5 year old are more concerned about the other kids NOT being as safe as they could than what friends think of them. I mention whenever I can the importance of being as safe as you can and that involves being harnessed.
My 5 yr old is getting tired of her RA though, LOTS of boosters at preschool, only a rare few are still harnessed at 4 and 5, so I'm thinking of getting a RYS for her. I hope that a new and less 'toddler like' seat will keep her feeling good about being harnessed. When she is too heavy (hmmmm 2 years maybe?) she will move to a Husky and big sis to the RYS in booster mode.
My 9 yr doesn't even mention using a booster full time anymore. She knows the booster is for others cars and she's very comfortable in her Husky (jealous when a younger kid has to use it actually!!!).
C.

[Erika Ruth]

No one has mentioned that kids like being in the carseats because they can see better. My daughter BEGS to be in the carseat on the airplane because she wants to be able to see.

My kids will be harnessed in 5pt until they outgrow them because I have real experience with rear end accidents, and HOW bad the seatbelt can kill your shoulder (I still have nerve damage in my left arm from the seat belt) I would not have that problem had I been in a 5pt! :)

Erika

[djma]

My oldest is only 4, but he has never questioned why he's still harnessed. We did have him in a booster when he turned 3 (I know...bad decision, but we didn't know any better at the time) and moved him soon after to the Radian. He loves being able to buckle himself. He has recently asked to be RF like our youngest. Like the others, if you tell them it's for their safety, they'll understand. :)

[Morganthe]

DD is only 3 1/2 and LIKES her car seat. She's very insistent on a tight buckle. When it eventually becomes an issue, I'll tell her to pretend she's a race car driver, airplane pilot, or in the Space shuttle. I'm sure there's other exciting jobs out there that I'll think of by then that use harnesses & special seats too :D

[Mama2J]

Well Justin's not technically extended harnessed yet, and has never known any other way to ride in a car. However, his cousin is 4 and rides in a booster, and he will probably be in a booster in his dad's truck soon, so I'm sure there will be questions about that. I can only hope that I can educate him enough about safety to not care what others think.

[momof2kiddos]

Thanks everyone I am glad to know that this isn't an issue with most kids.We are just going off our younger brothers and sisters because my youngest sister is 8 and she is just in a regular seatbelt and has been since will 5 *I think* and she would be so embarrassed if I made her ride in a carseat,even though I know she is safest in one.But like a PP stated it's because that is all she knows.Dh says that at age 6 they should be mature enough for a booster full time,so I will argue with him when we get there.:fencing::D

[skaterbabscpst]

Plus, I'm mean to my kids. I'll flat out tell them I'd rather have them embarrassed than dead or seriously injured.
CJ will be in middle school next year. Barring a serious growth spurt, he'll still be riding in his Parkway for a while yet. :whistle:

[JaRylan]

My oldest is almost 5 and loves all of his seats, his husky included. Almost none of the kids in his preschool even ride in boosters and he is the only one in a harnessed seat. The other day my mom picked him up and I left his cowmoo parkway there for her and when I got ready to leave half the class was out in the hallway trying to sit in it and the little girls were rubbing the wings saying how soft and pretty it was. I think in general its the other parents that make kids feel bad about carseats, not the kids, because they're the ones telling their kids they don't have to sit in a carseat. I think if you buy any kid a nice, comfortable seat they're going to want to sit in it because its more comfortable then being in a regular seat with an adult seatbelt riding up on them.

Next time there is show and tell at school you could send his husky and parkway along with some phamplets. ;) I wonder if many of the kids went home and told their parents that they want a cool cow seat.

[broken4u05]

My 5 year old godson wants his "car" booster seat from the movie more than the radian but he doesn't really care.

[Yoshi]

Thanks everyone I am glad to know that this isn't an issue with most kids.We are just going off our younger brothers and sisters because my youngest sister is 8 and she is just in a regular seatbelt and has been since will 5 *I think* and she would be so embarrassed if I made her ride in a carseat,even though I know she is safest in one.But like a PP stated it's because that is all she knows.Dh says that at age 6 they should be mature enough for a booster full time,so I will argue with him when we get there.:fencing::D

Courtney, a lot of this information about extended harnessing and booster laws is relatively new, and you and your DH are relatively NEW parents, too, considering your oldest isn't even 2 yet. It is great that you are educating yourself about car seat safety and extended RF and harnessing- "the more you know...", as they say!!! There is no way for you to know the magic age your kids will be old enough/big enough/mature enough for a booster seat full-time. Your husband may be right and at 6 your kids may meet the requirements. BUT, don't forget: height and weight play a role in their safety, too. My daughter is almost 4 (in two months) and she is as tall/heavy as some 5 & 6 yr. olds. I have seen some TINY Kindergarten students in my teaching days, and they would just be UNSAFE in a booster seat, IMO. Many of them used just the seatbelt, though.

Have you and your husband watched the "Kyle" video or the "Belle" video on Youtube? they both highlight the importance of a 5 PT harness in keeping kids safer in the car. One child (Kyle) was ejected and died as a result of injuries due to theoretical seatbelt failure, and the other (Belle) died as a result of injuries sustained from the seatbelt itself damaging her internal organs. To me, a 5 PT harness is just plain SAFER, and if my child died because I was afraid she would be embarrassed, that would be a tragedy.

[scatterbunny]

Hayley has never been embarassed about still being harnessed, and believe me, it has been questioned WAY too many times to count--by adults, by kids older than her, kids her own age, kids slightly younger, even. She's 5, almost 6, and articulate enough to not get embarrassed and just say to them, "because I'm safer in this!". :D

If I hadn't spent the time talking to her over the years and educating her on why we choose a harness, showing her the crash test comparisons, maybe she would not feel as secure and confident about it as she does.

Most kids her age are not even in booters around here! Yes she is happy and proud to be in her harness.

[canadianmom2three]

I have to say that there have been times when my big kids (10,7) have been embarassed, and they aren't even harnessed (no harness seats here to their weights), just in boosters. They clearly understand the necessity and safety of riding in the booster and are glad to do so, but I know that there have been times when they have been embarassed. Our family went on a trip with another family with kids the same age, and their dd rides in a noback turbo, while our dd (7) was at the time in a highback turbo - she begged me to take the back off for the trip, she didn't want to look like a baby she said. Also, DS (10) is happy to ride in the booster on long trips and says it is more comfortable, but if I pick him up from school and the booster is in his seat, he will pick another seat in the van, or toss it in the back so his friends won't see him sitting in a booster - this is fine because he is big enough and well passes the 5step test, and actually I'm just happy that he wants it on the long trips, because he tends to need more reminders not to slouch etc... The youngest (4.5 harnessed in a Radian) is the only one who I can truely say doesn't seem to be embarassed. Yes he wants to be in a booster like the big kids, but isn't embarassed not to be.

[papooses]

My kids have felt sorry for other kids who aren't as safe -- they understand that it's about HEALTH & SAFETY ... peers will embarrass for many things, but that doesn't make it more important than health & safety.

[joolsplus3]

I have to say that there have been times when my big kids (10,7) have been embarassed, and they aren't even harnessed (no harness seats here to their weights), just in boosters. They clearly understand the necessity and safety of riding in the booster and are glad to do so, but I know that there have been times when they have been embarassed. Our family went on a trip with another family with kids the same age, and their dd rides in a noback turbo, while our dd (7) was at the time in a highback turbo - she begged me to take the back off for the trip, she didn't want to look like a baby she said. Also, DS (10) is happy to ride in the booster on long trips and says it is more comfortable, but if I pick him up from school and the booster is in his seat, he will pick another seat in the van, or toss it in the back so his friends won't see him sitting in a booster - this is fine because he is big enough and well passes the 5step test, and actually I'm just happy that he wants it on the long trips, because he tends to need more reminders not to slouch etc... The youngest (4.5 harnessed in a Radian) is the only one who I can truely say doesn't seem to be embarassed. Yes he wants to be in a booster like the big kids, but isn't embarassed not to be.


I have to admit, it's easier here on our street where more parents are educated about car safety than average... there's a 5th grader still in a booster (size 7 pants are a little big on her, she's teeeeeensy!), and the law is about to be to age 8, and another parent already thinks the law is 4'9" (who am I to argue with her?)...so my kids aren't the only odd ones out, plus they ride the bus to school, so it's not an everyday oddity for them to still be in seats, too....

[momof2kiddos]

I just wanted to posts and Thank everyone SOOO much for taking the time to respond.First and for most my kids WILL be harnessed as long as they can,I am praying they make it to 10 years old without outgrowing harnessed seats,but hopefully I will be lucky enough to have 5 point seatbelts out by then:whistle:

My dh just doesn't want our children to be embarrassed but he knows that I get the final say over our kids:p I mean I carried them for 9 long months & I gave birth to them so I have that right;) ....I am going to try to teach my kids why they are harnessed and all the saftey benifits but if the get embarrssed so what??It's not the worst thing that can happen to them.My reason for this posts was so my Dh could read it and see that other older kids are very happy being harnessed and he did and now he is on board with me...Why is it men can't just agree,I mean they KNOW we are right they just need proof:shrug-shoulders: :p

[thepeach80]

I know, old thread. :) I worry more about Evan being embarrassed to ride rfing at 4, than AJ being embarrassed about being harnessed still. :) Though Evan is rather unobservant so I don't even think now at 3 he's noticed his friends aren't riding rfing. Some of his friends (and cousins) are already in boosters at this age too. AJ loves his seat, the blue one that is low. That's his description of the Radian vs Evan's BV. There aren't any other kids in AJ's class that I can tell that are in harnessed seats, several have been seen riding w/ no seat at all which is illegal here. His teacher has pamphlets I provided her to pass out to the class hopefully this week. I wanted them out before Thanksgiving break! He asks about riding in a booster sometimes, but I just tell he's safer and this seat will hopefully keep him from going to the hospital unlike the booster seat. He's fine and never gives me any grief about using his seat, neither does Evan. Ilana also prefers her seat to most people. :p She's not my outgoing child and would rather sit in her SS1 than have strange people hold her at church and she sleeps like a dream in it when we're away from home. She's definitely my carseat girl!

[cryswilkins]

I know that this sounds bad, but I don't really care if she's is embarassed. I am the parent, I make the rules.

[hsjwmom]

I remember this thread, I'm glad you revived it...I actually have something to add now. While we're waiting on dd2's Regent (hopefully will arrive within the next week), dd1 is in a booster. She liked the novelty of it and was excited. Well, yesterday, she told me she doesn't think her booster is safe enough! I reassured her that it was fine as long as she stayed still and didn't lean forward all the time. She makes sure the belt is locked! So really, far from being embarrassed, she would RATHER ride in her Regent.

[amy919]

Not at all! My daughter will be 5 in a few weeks and it was a battle to get her to give up her MA. She would have lasted at least another year in the MA. She's very petite at only 35 pounds, but I needed the MA for my younger daughter. My oldest happily upgraded to her "big girl seat", the Regent and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I don't think she knows one other friend who is still harnessed and it doesn't bother her in the least. Yes, she has been "brainwashed" :rolleyes:, but she's probably more fanatical about car seat safety than I am. She's thrilled that she won't outgrow her "Princess Throne" as she calls the Beast for a very long time. Plus, she thinks she's cooler than all of the other kids in boosters since she rides like a race car driver. Of course, her excuse for that is because her mommy drives like a race car driver :p.

Honestly, though - she'll show off her seat to all of her friends and we've never got one negative reaction. All of her friends want one. Sadly enough, most parents I run into are amazed that seats even exist to harness their children past 40 pounds.

[Susan in MI]

My kids are not embarrassed. In fact, my older two have asked me to buy them a Husky/Regent. My oldest is too tall for one now, but she begged for one before she got too tall. My 8 yo still says she wants one. The Regent wouldn't really work for us, but I figure she wouldn't be embarrassed if she is asking for one.

My youngest has sometimes said she wants to ride in a booster. The neighbor girl told her that the MA is a baby seat. She hasn't mentioned it again since I told her that the same neighbor girl used to fight over who got to ride in the MA when she was 7. My youngest is nearly 5 1/2 but only 35 lbs so she won't be full time in a booster for some time. She has ridden in the Parkway 3 or 4 times for very short trips.

[mommyto4kiddos]

My 8 year old is suprisingly. He is in 2nd grade and we went to teacher conferences, and a little girl from his class was walking out the same time as us. He stood by the car with out getting in for a while, til she and her parents passed us, then he got in the regent and got buckled. He likes it and prefers it over a booster with 3 across since its very hard to buckle but i think he's worried if word got out, he would be teased. It was sad for me to see him scared to get into the car. He does know he's safe and i don't want him dead thats why we do things the way we do. If he ever said he didn't want to ride in it anymore and wanted to go into a booster, I would be totally fine with that too.

[Niea]

My kid's not old enough to be embarassed yet, but if she gets to be that way when she's older than I'll just have to continue the brainwashing ;)

Actually, whether they are embarassed or not, I think it teaches a good lesson for later in life. My parents kept me in a booster until I was 8 (it was a shield booster, but I guess that's not bad for it being 1988) and I was embarassed. But I was small and even back then my parents realized the seatbelt didn't fit me right without it (not to mention I'd always put it behind me). But you know what? It turned out to be one of those things that "you'll appreciate when you're older".

I've never backed away from safety because it wasn't "cool". At 16, when I drove my friends around I buckled up and insisted everyone else do the same. I think being in a booster at 8 gave me an appreciation for safety and thick skin for when someone commented on it.

[kelandmad]

DD is 6.5yo and in first grade, she loves her como and being harnessed she was in HBB, but we asked her what she wanted she said she wanted to be harnessed so I plan to keep her harnessed as long as possible. haven't come to a situation yet where she was embarassed.

[skaterbabscpst]

Joy doesn't even know that other kids her age are in boosters....:whistle:

[ZephyrBlue]

On occasion, my 7.5yo has commented that she's the only one she knows who still rides in a regular carseat with harness; none of her 7yo friends even ride in boosters anymore. We've talked about how harnesses are safer than boosters, but a booster is safer than just a seatbelt when you're still too small for the seatbelt to fit properly. She's a tiny kid- 41lbs and in the 10% for height. After I showed her crash test videos with boosters vs harnessed seats, she felt much better about still riding in her Regent. The friends that we carpool with use boosters (they are 4 and 6), and they used to think it's weird that our big kids (7.5 and 4.5) still use regular carseats with harnesses, but the 6yo has been asking to sit in our Radian instead of the booster lately when she rides with us, so on one hand I feel heartened, but on the other, I feel awful that she would still happily ride in a harnessed seat and her parents won't put her back in one :(

Bottom line is, I make the safety decisions in this family (well, sometimes I let DH have a say ;) ) and the kids have to get over it if something upsets them. There is room for compromise in lots of areas, but safety just isn't one of them.

[azgirl71]

DD will be harnessed as long as possible! We do agree that when she starts kindergarten that *IF* she is still RF that we will let her turn FF. The harness still stays though. I think as long as they know it is a safety issue they will understand better. They may get embarrased, but let them know lots of kids are harnessed for a long time. SHow them one of Papooses albums so they see they see it is cool. :twocents:

[skaterbabscpst]

LOL At Kindy she'll be the coolest kid in class if she's still RF!

[azgirl71]

LOL!! That is certainly possible ;). If The came up with a seat that had 40 lb RF limit she would definately make it. Although if she is like my oldest DS she won't even weigh 35 lbs until the end of 1st grade...:love: Her seats will expire at 5.5 yrs-6.5yrs, so unless she still has lots of room in one of them or there is a higher RF seat then she will FF.

[dd9736]

on the telling them the truth angle, I have a friend who's 5y/o is in a HBB, i had to remind him several times to sit properly, (I knew she couldn't see him, though ever since, when we're in the van, he sits 3rd row passenger side)When we were waiting for her at 1 stop, i had a little talk with him, and he told me his cousin rode without a booster, and put the belt behind him, i told him, very clearly, that he wasn't being safe when he did that, and that he was much safer in his booster with the belt properly in front of him, and that he needed to sit properly to keep himself safe, and he responded, the rest of the ride, he was perfect, so you just have to let them know why you're doing it, and keep reminding them

[cdncasper]

The girls are not extended harnessed yet but now that Kelsey is at the 40lb mark I had to have a talk with her dad about the carseats they use (AOE) and let them know that she can't go into a booster yet. About 5-6 kids (that I have seen) out of 15 are still harnessed at their preschool and none of them are 4 yrs yet. Most of them are not even 40lbs yet either. The girls know that the harnessed seat is safer and we talk about it all the time. They will be harnessed in my vehicle until the Radians don't fit or we get the Regents in Canada. My car, my rules.

[bethng]

I showed both my 5 year old and my 6 year old crash tests of a forward facing harnessed and a booster. My 6 year old is happy to be harnessed when she can and is not embarrassed..

I showed my 6.5 year old the crash tests too and she happily sits in her dc. Never even gives it a second thought now.

[Kellyr2]

My kids' friends are all either in boosters (most backless) or nothing. They aren't embarrassed at all. They know it's non-negotiable, and that what other families do is up to them, but that in our family we have our own rules. That applies to things other than just carseats, of course. I've never seen them act embarrassed at all, though. The only reason Aaric ever begged me to let him ride in the PW full time was because he wanted a cupholder. Moving his Husky to the outboard position (instead of the 3rd row middle) solved that, since there is a cupholder there.

[papooses]

Something else to consider is that it's not necessarily about forcing the kid to do whatever you say ... but, the parent is the primary source of everything in a child's life & kids learn more from observing our actions than the words we say -- if it's obvious that the use of a harness is out of sincere love & responsibility to keep them safe, then peer pressure isn't going to matter that much :twocents: Plus, going against the grain of harmeful peer pressure at a young age can, I think, set the stage for fostering a healthy ability to go against the grain of harmful peer pressure later in life, too! (some peer pressure can be positive, though: like when the rare extended harnesser influences friends to buckle up safer) :thumbsup:

[beebear23]

Cias is 5.5 and not embarassed at all. he likes his seat. His friends that ride w/us ride in the Parkway and everyone is fine w/it. C gets to ride in the Parkway sometimes to, so he's happy about that and doesn't feel left out.

I just remind him that the Regent is safer and I want him to be as safe as possible, no matter what.

[strollerfreak]

Oh goodness, no! My 9 yo loves his 'big blue seat' (Husky) and as old as age 7 was asking if he could take it in his friend's car (his 9 yo friend w no booster!). If you brainwash your kids effectively (uh... expound on the virtues and safety of harnessing...in a fun way!) then they are never embarrassed... and they feel bad that their friends don't get to be as safe as they are!

:)

Exactly...and I'm so not above brainwashing my kids...I mean everyone knows that you don't want to go to Chuck E. Cheese because "they have gross pizza". :thumbsup: :whistle:

Oh, and to be on topic for once...my DS1 will be 7 in January and has had no issues...he's actually never rode home with a friend, but if he did, he'd use a hbb and not even question it.