Would you reharness a 6yo boy?

christineka

New member
So, most wouldn't reharness a 10 yo girl. How about a 6yo boy? He's been in a booster for maybe 6 months. I got him a vivo so he wouldn't fall over while asleep. That part is great, but he leans forward and sideways a lot because he is very interested in learning to drive a car. I locked the belt on him once, but he moved himself sideways, then the belt got tighter, and he couldn't really fit back in place.

My latest car seat solution involves putting ds in the radian. He has years before outgrowing the seat. I'd buy him the longer crotch strap and the new chest clip. This way he could sit in the back with up-front buckles that he could do up on his own. I'd let him sit in a booster in other vehicles. If we go this route, I'm planning on the arrangement working for a year to a year and a half. Would it be okay to harness a boy to 8 years of age?
 
ADS

BookMama

Senior Community Member
That part is great, but he leans forward and sideways a lot because he is very interested in learning to drive a car. I locked the belt on him once, but he moved himself sideways, then the belt got tighter, and he couldn't really fit back in place.

Sounds like he's not really ready for a booster - if my DS were in a booster and sat like this, I'd definitely consider re-harnessing him.
 

ChristyH

New member
My son will be 6 in 2 months, I have a Vivo for him for short trips but he is harnessed at all other times and plan for him to be as long as possible.

Even on short store trips I have to keep and eye on him and remind him to sit still so I know he's not ready for the booster full time. If he has to be harnessed until he's 7 then I have no problem with that.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
AJ is still harnessed b/c Evan distracts him. He's almost too tall for his GN though and will get a booster in Feb. I'm hoping he's ready.
 

ginny4

New member
i agree doesn't sound fully ready so yes i'd reharness.

HOWEVER i get a lil concerned that when DS3 needs the regent (when he outgrows the FPSVD) then my DD (areound age 6) will have to be in a booster. i'm booster training her but i'm nervous that she won't be good enough in a booster to stay there & i won;t have a seat that she can get reharnessed in so i'd have to buy another. i don't want to have to do that.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
Yes. It sounds like he is not really ready for a booster yet. J is still harnessed at 6, and I doubt he'll be ready for a booster when he turns 7 in the spring.
 

3plus2isme

New member
We bought PWSG for DS to start using in my car. He's ready, sits properly and yet I went out and bought an XT for him to use til the baby needs it. He still has room in it (about an inch in the torso I think?) and I just feel more comfortable with him in it. Plus, he likes buckling that a lot more then a booster in a 3 across situation which is going to happen within the next 12 weeks!

So, yes. I'd def re-harness a 6 yo esp. if he can't sit still like you're describing.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
I agree that it doesn't seem as if he's ready to be boostered.

I would definitely reharness a 6yo who cannot use a booster properly: I would do that long before reharnessing a 10yo who *can* use a booster well.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Sounds like he's not really ready for a booster - if my DS were in a booster and sat like this, I'd definitely consider re-harnessing him.

Ditto. If he can't sit properly, and you need to put a Radian in anyway for buckling space, he'd go back in a harness.
 

danivdp

New member
I'm going to start saving up to do it to my DS who was 7 in July. I have to tell him to sit properly in his booster ALL THE TIME. It's getting old. He can't even get the belt path correct when he's buckling.

My dilemna is Regent or Truefit. I have one of each already...I'm going to try to install them next to each other in the back and see if I can get a good install, and figure if I can get three of those seats next to each other :eek:
 

christineka

New member
Just get things straight- I would put my 6 yo in a harness before putting my almost 10yo in one. I am trying to figure out the easiest way to stuff 6 kids in seats in my van in a way that won't cause screaming and crying fits every time we go somewhere. (As is currently the case.) My kids are short. My oldest girls could fit in the radian for about a year. I think that means they would fit even longer in regents. My son has years before outgrowing the radian. I am looking at options to keep the big girls in boosters, but the difficulty of buckling between seats is such, that harnessing may be the easiest option.

My kids are already very odd for sitting in boosters. The kids at school see the ones in the middle row. If I was to harness my older kids, I'm most likely putting them in the back row where they would be less visible. Already, their boosters are so big that people call them "car seats" and ask why I am making such "big kids" sit in car seats. I do not give rides to other kids due to the simple reason of having no room. It won't be my kid sitting in a harness next to a kid in just a seat belt kind of situation. I'd keep the boosters around just in case they should happen to ride with someone else.
 

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