When do you start booster training?

T

triscuitsmom

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #1

Just wondering what everyone's personal feelings are. I was talking to someone who said she is going to start as soon as her child was 4 and 40 pounds (not full time... he'd still be harnessed most of the time).

That got me thinking because I think Tobias will probably be rearfacing to 4 years and possibly over 40 pounds (we'll likely be buying an XTSL when they get to Canada and if we do we'll have have the 45 limit) and he'll probably still have shell above his head rearfacing at that point.

Is it safe to go from rear facing to booster training? Is it safer to harness and then start booster training at a different time? This is assuming of course a child who "gets it", not a child who can't handle being in a booster. I don't know if that will even be Tobias (I actually think it might not be) but I was just wondering what others thoughts were if we are talking about a neurotypical child who can handle staying in position and is both 4 years and 40 pounds.

If not... when do you start?

TIA!

 

J

Jan06twinmom

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #2

I think it's safe to go from rf to booster training since that is what we would do if we were in Sweden!

I'm not comfortable with the idea of booster training at 4 years and 40lbs. I have 4 year old twins - who will be 5 years old in a month (January 6). I completely see how they do not have the maturity to sit in a seatbelt only at this point. My idea is that we should do booster training when our children are about to outgrow their harness seat or when they are at least 6 years old.

My DS is about 52lbs and 46in tall and he doesn't have the ability to sit still and follow directions in the car. We'll start booster training probably in late spring/early summer when he gets closer to outgrowing his Radian. He'll only go in a booster in our 2nd vehicle and the nanny's car when he outgrows the Radian.

His twin sister is much smaller. She's about 39in tall and weighs in at 34, maybe 35lbs with her shoes on. I'm waiting until she is at least 6 years old and at least 37lbs before I'll consider booster training her. Originally, I was going to wait until she hits 40lbs, but I've read enough to feel comfortable with booster training her if she is close to 40lbs but old enough that her bone structure is stronger.

I'm not sure if I answered your question though!

Melanie

 

libranbutterfly

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #3

My daughter turns 5 in January, and I plan to start booster training this spring. I will have to rely on other people to drive her places after that, so that is why I am booster training. She will remain harnessed at least 7% of the time until she outgrows or we need the other seats for younger siblings.

I think. I am sill not sure about the idea.

 

Qarin

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #4

I started booster training with both kids at around 4.5- in DD1's case, she was still quite a bit under 40lbs (but fit very well in her Parkway); DD2 was 40lbs. They switched to using a booster seat in DH's car (1x/month, at most, short trips) at that time, and in grandma's car (2-3x/month, short trips) between 4.5 and 5. In fact, both were in booster seats for the past 2.5 weeks, while we were visiting my parents in Los Angeles (daily drives, freeway, several 1.5+ hour trips), and to be honest the just-turned-5yo was better than her just-turned-8yo sister at not fidgeting around and leaning out of position, though neither was unacceptably bad about it (both, by th way, have made no comment at all about being back in their usual harnessed seats, except for DD1 who wished out loud that we could have taken her Nautilus with us to LA). Neither one of them is especially impulsive or defiant, and both knew the safety importance of seatbelts and having the belt in the right place- I would not have put them in a booster for even short trips if they were otherwise, and would just wait out the maturity.

 

Murphy's Law

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #5

I started with my dd at 4.5 and 36 pounds. I know that's smaller than the recommendation but it was necessary for us due to the sitter's car and circumstances. Dd turns 5 in a couple of weeks and is about 38 pounds now. She's a great little booster rider when the need arises. She is still harnessed both my and dh's vehicles. She uses the booster twice per week (10 minutes each ride) with the sitter.

 

rochelle

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #6

DS1 who just turn 5 last week is still too immature for booster training. I will wait for him to be at the top slot of his Frontier in harness mode to start booster training. He is 39lbs and 45" tall.

 

Lea_Ontario

Well-known member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #7

With my DS, it was right about his 6th birthday.
DD's been in a booster two or three times total now and she's 5yr 4ms.

 

unityco

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Dec 8, 2009

• #8

I've recently started with my newly-4yo. I started him because he's huge - he's over 50lbs and already over the top slots of his Radian, and doesn't have much room left in his Nautilus. I didn't want him to suddenly max out his harnesses and have to start a booster cold-turkey.

4 *is* too young. We've not had great success so far. :thumbsdown:

 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #9

libranbutterfly said:

She will remain harnessed at least 7% of the time until she outgrows or we need the other seats for younger siblings.

Click to expand...

That's very specific

I'll probably start booster training DD when she hits 40 lbs. I'd probably let her ride in a booster very ocasionally starting next summer, but in the winter I want her harnessed until she outgrows the Regent.

 

Mom2FiveGirls

Active member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #10

DD#3 is 5 years old (6 in April) and around 36-37 lbs. She was in a backless booster *gasp* before I became educated on car seat safety a few months ago. She was no where near ready to be in any booster, much less a backless one! She's harnessed in a Nautilus now and will remain that way for a while. She has ridden in DD#1 or DD#2's turbo boosters (high back) a couple times on short trips when the older girls weren't with me and she has done pretty well. She needed a little reminding not to mess with the seatbelt and to stay sitting up though. I won't be comfortable with her in a booster full time for a while. DD#4 is 4 years old and 34-35 lbs. She's also harnessed in a nautilus (but rides in DD#5's RFing MR whenever she can (whenever DD#5 isn't with us)) and I haven't even thought of booster training her and probably won't start for another year or more.

 

steph_s

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #11

My one child will turn 6 in March and he is just now in the past month and a half been booster training. My other kids (foster kids) start booster training when they are mature enough. I don't have a set time to start booster training. They must be over 4 and they must be over 40lbs, but otherwise it really depends on their maturity. I had a child who was 4 years old and 42lbs who rode better in a booster seat than she ever did in a 5-pt harness (she could undo the straps) so she was in a booster at 4. I've had others who were 6 or 7 and couldn't sit properly in a booster seat and needed to be harnessed.

 

Heather86

Member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #12

Connor will be 4 in February and wants a booster because his friend K has one my compromise is when he hit's 40 pounds we'll buy a booster and start training on short trips. This makes him happy at the moment. I'm okay with it because he's 33 pounds fully clothed. I got a bit of time before he hits 40. I figure around 5 and 40-45 pounds.

He's also asking to turn around I told him if he rides rf the rest of the winter I'll flip him so this spring he'll prolly go ff permanently Unless he forgets...

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Dec 8, 2009

• #13

a lot depends on what is doable... if someone simply can't afford to harness, what can you do... but assuming they could afford to harness them wherever, I wouldn't choose to booster train till I needed to...

at least not until age 5... that's what I did with Ruthie... (the boys had been in boosters earlier and moved back into harnesses when we were able to fund it)

Even then, maturity has to be factored... as well as anything along the lines of special needs.

but after watching Belle's Gift on Youtube, I haven't been able to stomach the idea of any child under 5 in a booster whenever it is possible.