Question How do you answer the question: Why is your child still in a harness (and not a booster)?

Athena · May 23, 2010

When it comes to ERF, one can site the research and the recommendation of the AAP. But I don't recall any research to support keeping a preschool aged or even kindergarten aged child in a harness. My DD (who is 3 1/2 and will turn 4 late summer) is harnessed, but I think some of her friends may be moving to boosters. If one of the parents asks me why she is harnessed, I would like to be able to provide a helpful, succinct answer. When a friend noticed DD's new seat, she asked if it still had straps. Maybe she was asking because she was concerned about my DD or just curious, but maybe she was asking because she is thinking about what to do with her own DD and I missed a good opportunity to share what I have learned.

On the related topic of ERF, no one has asked yet about my RF 23 mo. But someday when someone asks why she is she still RF, I was planning to say something about following the AAP's recommendation. Has anyone else tried that? If someone is really interested, I would certainly be willing to elaborate. But if someone is just being snarky, that should be all I need to say, right?

TIA!

BookMama · May 23, 2010

"She fits, she's comfortable, and it's safer."

If they ask about who says it's safer or why it's safer, then you can go into details but I've found that this explanation works well for most people.

wendytthomas · May 23, 2010

For ERF I say that since 2002 the AAP has recommended that children face the rear to the limits of the convertible seat. If they ask more I then state that a 2007 study showed that children are up to 500% safer up to and beyond 23 months, the AAP put out an article in their journal Pediatrics to stop saying 1 and 20, and that the BBC published an article stating parents should wait until children are four to turn them forward. That normally gets people at least thinking.

For the harness versus booster at that age, I state that there's a study showing that children under five are at increased risk of head and neck injury in a booster (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-01/esv/esv19/05-0330-O.pdf), and that most don't have the maturity to sit properly and in position for the entire ride until between five and six. They're also generally then about the right size for a booster.

Wendy

autumnlily · May 23, 2010

BookMama said:
"She fits, she's comfortable, and it's safer."

If they ask about who says it's safer or why it's safer, then you can go into details but I've found that this explanation works well for most people.

I've said this word for word for both my harnessed 4.5 year old and my ERF 2 yo twins.

BabyKaykes · May 23, 2010

BookMama said:
"She fits, she's comfortable, and it's safer."

If they ask about who says it's safer or why it's safer, then you can go into details but I've found that this explanation works well for most people.

:yeahthat:

MommyBoha · May 24, 2010

My 7 year old is still harnessed. By HIS choice. He says hes more comfy and feels safer

BookMama · May 24, 2010

MommyBoha said:
My 7 year old is still harnessed. By HIS choice. He says hes more comfy and feels safer

Yes, as my DS got older (i.e. well past an OK age for boostering) I added "and he prefers it" to my spiel. :thumbsup:

stephie1012 · May 24, 2010

DD is going to be 5 and all her friends are already 5. All in boosters but her. I tell them shes still to wiggly for a booster seat. Then they say what do you mean...and i get to explain why her not sitting still could be dangerous.

my2kidsSafe · May 24, 2010

i usually just say that i have the seat and it harnesses to 80 lbs or so and she still fits in it. Then i say this was she is safer than in a booster and i don't have to buy a booster yet.

menfusse · May 24, 2010

It only came up a couple of times for us when A was still harnessed at 5 and 6. I said the fits, she's comfy and safer; but added because she isn't able to sit still and keep the seat belt positioned in a booster yet. She's just too fidgety so I kept her harnessed.

It hasn't come up with E because of her size. Still too little for boosters, even though she would probably sit way better than A ever did at 5 or 6.

mommyfrog · May 24, 2010

I say because they won't sit still so a booster is not safe for them yet. People are always amazed there is a seat that harnesses to 80 pounds. And I tell them there are several actually. In our 15 passenger Dodge van there is also a lack of shoulder belts, which is why I originally looked into a higher weight seat. Now I'm getting a Ford van so there will be mroe shoulder belts.

Morganthe · May 24, 2010

She's comfy, she's happy, has more leg room, and I'm too lazy to try to dig for a seatbelt buckle on the opposite side of her booster seat every time she gets in.

It's a total PITA!!

Heather86 · May 24, 2010

He's comfortable,happy and safe why would I mess with that unnecessarily

Normally with a confused look on my face and a small spill about sitting proper in a booster and booster age,weight,size :thumbsup:

carseatcoach · May 24, 2010

I think I must project "don't mess with me", because people rarely asked, and when they did, I didn't answer beyond "it's what works for us".

SafeDad · May 24, 2010

In a frontal crash, the main advantage of a 5-point harness is for kids too squirmy to stay seated correctly in a booster. I've seen some 4-year olds who sit fine in boosters. My 5-year old is not quite there, though he does ride in a booster from time to time. Side impacts are an area where a 5-point harness may also add to the safety of an occupant in a crash. Overall, I doubt there is a huge difference if the child is properly restrained one way or another.

Heck, for older kids who prefer a backless booster for peer pressure reason, you can even make the case there is one small advantage in a frontal crash compared to a 5-point harness seat. In the backless booster, the child will generally be slightly farther back, giving them a little more room for head excursion to avoid a potential injury.

Evolily · May 24, 2010

I like "it's safe, he fits, and he's comfortable". I'm not sure I would say safER, because, well, we don't know for certain, and I'm pretty happy with a member of the general public having their 4 y/o in a high back booster (and I would actually prefer this to how many harness seats are misused).

mish · May 24, 2010

I just say I can't trust Adam to sit still. I explain that I feel he would be safe in a booster if he sat in the correct position, and why. I also say that his seat harnesses past 40 pounds and he doesn't complain, so we just leave it that way.

Qarin · May 24, 2010

Mine are still harnessed because they will NOT give up their GNs. They are both outstanding booster riders, but even after two weeks of fulltime booster use on a trip this month (we fly and my parents have HBBs ready for them) they came home and both gushed happily to be back in their harnessed GNs, free from the burdensome responsibility of staying still.

So at this point I tell people that they prefer the harness, although they are both mature enough and large enough to sit well and safely in boosters, keeping the seatbelt low on their hips and well positioned across their shoulders without moving around out of position. (I, uh, like detailing HOW one needs to sit in the booster, because I do suspect that whoever I'm talking to has never considered that before, and may never hear about it again).

Athena · May 24, 2010

Thank you for all the responses. I hadn't realized the response could be so simple. I doubt it will come up often, but I just recently had two occasions on which it did, the one I mentioned and another conversation in which I discovered that a friend her age (3 1/2 yo) is already in a booster ... I hope I misunderstood.

Athena · May 24, 2010

Qarin said:
Mine are still harnessed because they will NOT give up their GNs. They are both outstanding booster riders, but even after two weeks of fulltime booster use on a trip this month (we fly and my parents have HBBs ready for them) they came home and both gushed happily to be back in their harnessed GNs, free from the burdensome responsibility of staying still.

So at this point I tell people that they prefer the harness, although they are both mature enough and large enough to sit well and safely in boosters, keeping the seatbelt low on their hips and well positioned across their shoulders without moving around out of position. (I, uh, like detailing HOW one needs to sit in the booster, because I do suspect that whoever I'm talking to has never considered that before, and may never hear about it again).

My DD loves her GN.

I'm going to try to remember that HOW description. Since at her age I'm not even thinking boosters yet, I would not have that ready to say. At just 3 1/2 yo (like most of her friends) I would not have thought this would even come up yet, but I was wrong. I cannot imagine any of her friends at this age being able to sit properly, sit still, not fall asleep. She definitely couldn't.

Question How do you answer the question: Why is your child still in a harness (and not a booster)?

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