Vent!!!!

Amaris

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #1

I was picking Michael up from school today and I am so mad. There's this tiny little boy in the other kindergarten class (I mean TINY.....Isaiah's size, maybe a bit smaller) and his mom opens the sliding door of her caravan and the little boy hops in and she closes the door. I didn't get a chance to see if there was a booster but here's my question.....can a child that small actually get the seatbelt on without help?? I don't think Isaiah could, but I would never try!! This child should definately be in a 5 point harness, and probably rear facing, and he jumping in the car in probably a backless booster or nothing! GRRRR. And I don't really know how to say anything to mom because I don't know her.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #2

It depends on the kid. If he's just small, but is a kindergartner, he could be able to buckle himself. My kindergartner can't buckle herself in a booster without lots of time and usually quite a bit of frustration expressed, but I know others her age who can do it fine.

A 30-something pound child should ideally be harnessed, but some boosters (even backless) do start at 30 pounds (and as young as 1 year old).

 

T

twokidstwodogs

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #3

My 4.75 year old has been buckling herself into her Compass for six months now, though cannot buckle herself into a Turbobooster.

It's funny you said that, because I saw something similar at my daughter's child care, though with a younger child. A dad opened the rear door to his car, and his daughter, who was two or three, climbed in. He immediately got into the driver's seat. I could see that there was a seat of some kind installed in the car, so I watched. She climbed into the seat, and then her dad turned around from the driver's seat to buckle her in. But he did it *very* quickly and then turned around and drove off. Now I'm reasonably fast at buckling in my kids, but I am not that fast, and certainly not when I'm twisted around. (The seat was installed outboard, passenger side.) If he got her secured safely in a five-point harness in that time, or if she managed to do it herself, then they have serious reverse Houdini genes in that family. I didn't see a shield, and from the back, it didn't look like a booster. But I just can't see how they did it that fast!

 

Amaris

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #4

That was my thought too, she didn't even check, just drove off. I've had to buckle Isaiah into his marathon (middle captains chair in an odyssey) from the front and it takes time! I have to get on my knees in the front seat and pull down on the strap, and that's not easy. I'm not wondering about age for buckling himself, but size. I can't imagine Isaiah being able to reach back from the seat to get the seatbelt in a van, maybe a car but not the van. He would have to turn around backward on his knees, grab it, turn around and sit down then buckle it.

 

Starlight

Senior Community Member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #5

My ds has been buckling himself since before his 4th birthday, whether in his MA, Radian or booster.

I still like to check that he's got it right, especially in the booster... he occasionally twists the belt.

But it can be done...

 

canadianmom2three

Active member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #6

Well, to give her the benefit of the doubt, maybe she is like me - All 3 kids hop in the back quick as they can and I do the same in the front. But then, oldest two (7 and 10) buckle up while DS (4.5) takes off his jacket and gets into his Radian which is center 2nd row. I reach back and buckle him up, then do a visual on DD to make sure she's good (which is 99% of the time) and we're all set - up here where it's cold and snowy it is the only way I'm going to get the kids to take off their coats Maybe that is how this mom operates (just being hopefull here )...

 

Starlight

Senior Community Member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #7

Occasionally, it's okay to give the benefit of the doubt.

When I wear my mei tai, I hop into the passenger seat, undo the ties, get ds out, and then pop him over the back of his carseat and buckle him in from the front seat (he's RF, too.)

I know I'd have a heart attack if I saw someone do that (climb into the front seat, holding their kid, close the door & start the car), yet I do it 3-4 times a week, if not more.

 

Last edited: Mar 5, 2007

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #8

Amaris said:

That was my thought too, she didn't even check, just drove off. I've had to buckle Isaiah into his marathon (middle captains chair in an odyssey) from the front and it takes time! I have to get on my knees in the front seat and pull down on the strap, and that's not easy.

Click to expand...

In my van, I can reach back from my front seat to the middle row to buckle Hayley's harnessed seats and I can have her buckled in just a couple of seconds. I'm sure the level of difficulty varies by vehicle and by individual and probably by what seat the child is in.

Amaris said:

I'm not wondering about age for buckling himself, but size. I can't imagine Isaiah being able to reach back from the seat to get the seatbelt in a van, maybe a car but not the van. He would have to turn around backward on his knees, grab it, turn around and sit down then buckle it.

Click to expand...

I can see buckling being pretty easy for some kids in a highback booster because the shoulderbelt guides can hold the shoulderbelt there, instead of letting it fall back behind the vehicle seat. But it does seem more difficult in a backless because the belt isn't kept "forward" in the belt guide.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #9

starlight said:

My ds has been buckling himself since before his 4th birthday, whether in his MA, Radian or booster.

I still like to check that he's got it right, especially in the booster... he occasionally twists the belt.

But it can be done...

Click to expand...

Yep, Hayley has been buckling herself in harnessed seats (usually faster than I can get buckled in my seatbelt) since she was 3.5 years old. She's used boosters in secondary vehicles since shortly after 3.5, but still hasn't mastered buckling herself in a booster.

 

Amaris

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #10

scatterbunny said:

I can see buckling being pretty easy for some kids in a highback booster because the shoulderbelt guides can hold the shoulderbelt there, instead of letting it fall back behind the vehicle seat. But it does seem more difficult in a backless because the belt isn't kept "forward" in the belt guide.

Click to expand...

I didn't think about that....guess I'm not up to speed on boosters!! Michael won't be in one until he's 8 at a minium so I haven't really bothered looking at them too much! I'm hoping this is what's happening!

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 5, 2007

• #11

I hope so, too. I know how hard it is to remain objective and give the benefit of the doubt when SO MANY people don't use seats properly, or at all.

 

Amaris

New member

• Mar 6, 2007

• #12

It is hard. I am 99% sure that Michael is the only child in kindergarten still in a harnessed seat! The ironic part is that he is the biggest kid (at least the tallest, it's hard to guess weight with different builds) in kindergarten!! I get the funniest looks when I help him tighten his seat. Last year in pre-k there were a total of 3 harnessed kids, and the other 2 were twins on the smallish side in OHS seats!

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 6, 2007

• #13

I totally know what you mean. Hayley is/was (we are homeschooling now) the second-tallest kid in her kindy class. There is one girl about an inch taller than she is. Hayley is/was the only one still harnessed that I saw or know of. I saw many being dropped off and picked up in no booster at all, or in the front seat. I saw one girl in a Britax booster and practically hugged her mom, and then we chatted in the parking lot for almost 2 hours!

 

B

beebear23

Senior Community Member

• Mar 6, 2007

• #14

Cias can almost buckle the seatbelt by himself. Not sure about in a booster seat though b/c he's only rode in one once for about 5 min. He's currently 30 lbs. and 39.5" tall. He tries to buckle himself into the MA or WZ, but doesn't have the strength to push it down. Which surprises me since he can pull himself up 1/2 foot off the ground using only his arms while holding onto something....

BTW, I'm sure he'll be the rare few in harnessed seats in K. this fall too...

 

Amaris

New member

• Mar 6, 2007

• #15

I would love to find another parent at his school who was interested in car seats!! DH says I'm obsessed, but there's worse things to be obsessed with right? I have a few friends who are starting to ask questions but I'm trying not to push too much. I think that if they ask the questions they will be a little more receptive to the info then if they feel like I pushed it at them!!