Question driving someone else's child, harness or booster?

I'll betaking another child along on our field trip today. She is 5 1/2, and quite petite and light for her age. somewhere btwn 40 & 50 lbs, closer to 40lbs than 50lbs. My son has Regent, Frontier, and Monterey. Its a 30 minute trip each way. My son is used to alternating between booster (for shorter trips, never when there's a chance of him sleeping) and the Regent (most of the time). I think I'd like them both in the same type of seat, either both booster, or both harnessed. But the the girl is used to being in a booster, has been in one since she was 3. I'm waffling b/c 1)I'd like them both using the same typs of seat and 2)its a longer trip, one on which its possible they both may fall asleep on the way back (its a water park).

Also, I will have my 11 year old seatbelt only sister with me. It would be nice if all 3 of them will fit in the back, but the Frontier and Regent aren't the narrowest seats around. If my sister has to be up front, so be it. Its an '06 CRV, so it has airbag sensors to shut the airbags off.

So...what would you do? Just booster her as she's used to, and harness my child (5 years, 53lbs, learning to use a booster, but harnessed most of the time), booster them both and try and keep them awake on the trip home, or harness them both and deal with her possibly taking issue with that?

I'd booster. Incidentally, it's way more important that your 11 year old sister be in the back seat than that a 5 year old be in a harness.

I would rather have an 11yo in the backseat than a 5yo (who can use a booster properly) harnessed.

ETA: Kids can sleep in highbacked boosters.

Yes, they can, and do. There is no inherent danger to sleeping in a high back booster. My 5 year old does it frequently.

OK. That helps me decide. I know they CAN sleep in high back boosters, but my son's head flips forward whenever he does. Guess I never asked whether that was unsafe or not, but it doesn't seem like it can be good. In the Regent his head just goes to the side.

But I should be able to fit the Monterey, Frontier, and my sister back there, I think.

The seatbelt fit is the important part. When your son gets tired, ask him to tip his head back or to the side, if it bothers you.

I would booster too, if she was under 40 lbs I would harness. I've told all my friends if their kid rides in my car kids under 5 will ride in a harness and kids under 2 will ride rear-facing.

emandbri said:

I would booster too, if she was under 40 lbs I would harness. I've told all my friends if their kid rides in my car kids under 5 will ride in a harness and kids under 2 will ride rear-facing.

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Well, I ended up using boosters for both. However, once I sat her in the Monterey I really wished I had brought harnessed seats. Even on the lowest setting, the Monterey was several inches too tall! Which likely means (since she's not at all a pudgy child) that I'll just bet she's either under 40lbs, or hovering really close to it. But, she sat alright in the booster. My son did fall asleep in his on the way home, but perhaps the slant of the seats in my mom's car is different than in mine - his head didn't slump over.

littleangelfire said:

harness them both and deal with her possibly taking issue with that?

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I babysit so I deal with harnessing other people's normally boostered children more than I would like. I generally install the car seat ahead of time and then the child has no options. A three year old that was a little under 40 lbs and boostered with her parents sat in a harnessed seat in my car. I had to install it with her there but once it was in there were no straps except the five point harness. She mentioned using the regular seat belt with mom and dad and I just said, "Well the only straps this seat has are these ones. And you need some straps so you don't fall on the floor." She grinned and agreed and it was never mentioned again. Didn't seem to make her feel like a baby at all once I explained it that way.

I agree, a lot of the time its a non-issue if the seat is already installed, its what's used. lol But this little girl is very outspoken and has already commented before when she has seen my son sitting in his Regent. She asked me why he had to sit in a baby seat. I explained that he sits in a booster sometimes, but that his seat was not a baby seat - just a seat to keep him safe, and actually he finds it more comfy than any other seat.

If she persists in calling your son's seat a baby seat I would put her in it.