just curious - when do you push it?

pj2rc · Jul 15, 2010

when you are transporting other people's kids in your car, and the parents are more "leniant" than you are with seats ... at what point do you push it? And in what situations ... ie, you are going to be driving the kid infrequently --- doing a favor or occassional carpooling, vs. regular passenger?
Personally, if the child is younger than mine, I make the kids ride at least as safe as my kids. I wouldn't feel right using lower standards for a younger or similar sized child, and I've had the seats to spare. But this week I or my mom had to transport a friends grandsons a few times who are older ... 2 6 yrs olds (A & C) and 1 10 yr old. A & K aren't made to ride in seats and A doesn't wear the belt correctly either. I made the 6 yr olds ride in boosters, but didn't force the issue w/ K. (I never got the chance to see K and his brother C in the seats they were with my mom to see how they fit, she borrowed my car because it could fit everyone). I was very proud my mom -- who tends to need reminded to use her own belt correctly, hates making the kids harnesses tight, hates ERF and hates that DD1 isn't in a booster --- said she pulled the car over and told A she wasn't moving again until he put his belt on correctly and if he did it again, reports were going to be filed w/ parents!

Maedze · Jul 15, 2010

I follow best practice in my car. Under 3 rides in a rear facing seat, under booster maturity rides in a harnessed seat, and if you don't five step, you ride in a booster. I've never made an exception :shrug-shoulders:

pj2rc · Jul 15, 2010

I guess ideally I would .. but if I don't know the kids weights, I don't want them in seats they are too heavy for. In the situation above I never got to see K in the car, so I couldn't check for 5 step ... and truthfully, my kids are too young to worry about it, so I haven't bothered familiarizing myself with it!

smileybrea · Jul 15, 2010

I would follow best practice but I haven't transported any younger one's. I have my friends daughter every week. She was in a NBB (most of the time

) and not tall enough. Her mom wouldn't buy her a HBB despite my best efforts so I bought her the Turbo and told her why she needed the back.

safeinthecar · Jul 15, 2010

Maedze said:
I follow best practice in my car. Under 3 rides in a rear facing seat, under booster maturity rides in a harnessed seat, and if you don't five step, you ride in a booster. I've never made an exception :shrug-shoulders:

This is me too. I some kids to VBS the last two days. Age 14, 4, and 5. The 4 and 5 yr olds did fine in boosters. I had to remind the 5yo a couple of times to not to reach up and over to flip the ceiling vents open and closed, but otherwise they were fine. I didn't have a harness available for them and I was a last minute draftee, so I went with what I had and trained big sister to keep an eye on them for proper positioning.

myliljunebugs · Jul 15, 2010

I always follow best practice also, if they don't want their kid riding safely then they don't ride in my car. I did have a cousin who took her kids in her own car instead of riding in mine because I refused to allow him to not use a booster (5 years old, about the size of my son but heavier. Legally allowed to not use a booster)

mydogteaser · Jul 15, 2010

I figure if it's my car then it's my rules. I regularly drove my friend's dd. She just turned five in May. She rides in a LBB in her mom and dad's cars (and has since she was three) and I bought a HBB just to transport her. I am not comfortable having a child that young in a LBB. She told me all the time how much she liked the seat in my car better than the ones in her parents' cars. I did always have to fix her seatbelt after she buckled herself. My friend always says how convenient it is to have her buckle herself, but since the child never did it properly with me, I know she's not doing it properly with her mom either. And sadly my friend doesn't check to be sure it's right.

carseatcoach · Jul 15, 2010

Best practice, but not necessarily the bestest of best practice. A 34# 3.5yo can FF if he rides that way in his parents' cars. A 39# 5.5yo can be in a highbacked booster if he rides that way in his parents' cars. A 60# 8yo can be in a backless booster if she rides that way in her parents' cars.

ginny4 · Jul 15, 2010

i admit to not always doing what's best however.....i do follow the law at least. i haven't transported anyone younger than 5yo. so a booster if i have one available. recently i transported one time 2 boys 8 & 10 & they are MUCH smaller than my kids. could've used a booster no doubt. i didn't make them but when they pulled the shoulder belt under their arm i told them they MUST fix it properly. they listened immediately. thank goodness. its sad that their parents probably let them do that tho.

christineka · Jul 15, 2010

I've only transported kids 5 and up. I had them ride in boosters. If I were to transport a younger kid, I would insist upon a harness. Probably 2 and under rfing, 3-4 either direction depending on their weight, what seats I have available, and how they are already installed.

TyAndCheyMommy · Jul 15, 2010

Luckly I usually have an appropriate seat avaliable- as my kids are wide ranged in their seating needs... IE my daughter is still rear facing and my son is forward facing in a high weight seat. I also still have our infant seat and a few smaller seats that my kids outgrew.
I really don't like transporting any kids unless they are completely properly sercure in the seats. If it is a last minute thing and I don't have the appropriate seat and neither do they- I either go home and get it or decline driving them.
I would feel completely horrible if something happened to that child when they were in my vehicle.

emandbri · Jul 16, 2010

I tell my friends before hand that all kids under 2 will ride rear-facing and all kids under 5 will be in a harness, and if a kid doesn't fit without a booster they will use one. Nobody has ever given me any trouble about it.

scoutingbear · Jul 16, 2010

Haven't transported any really little ones that the parents have cared how they rode. But under 2 is RF, 4 or under is harnessed, and then it depends on what I can fit in my car. So far, about 50% of the time the 5 year olds have been harnessed too. Even A's best friends who normally ride in HB boosters (crappy ones, but boosters) I have harnessed depending on the seats and they were okay with the idea. And the kid next door who normally rides in a NB Booster, I have him in a HB in my car and no one has said anything. With most of A's friends being 6 or over at this point, they will ride in a booster until they pass the 5 step test. I actually have handouts of it in my car to hand to any parent who questions that or questions the reason that A has to be in his RSTV or HB turbo in their cars.

Mommypooh · Jul 16, 2010

I follow letter of the law. I offer more, but I will put a 4 and 40 lb child in a booster.

I almost was going to have to deal with this tomorrow. I am going to cinci for an event and I was going to be taking my three kids, another mom and her son and my hubby. I have no idea what the boy rides in in moms car, so I was just going to put a booster in my van and insist he ride in it if mom had nothing for him.

He for the record is 6 years old. I would bet that he is in nothing knowing Ohioans.

My friends with 6 kids I usually put their 2 year old FF but that is cause he is over 35 lbs and I don't have any seats to RF him in and he is FF in their vehicle. all the others ride in boosters in my vehicle or when I drive theirs. They do not make their oldest two sit in boosters.

But I won't argue with a parent if what they want is legal. I will argue to be legal beyond that I respect other parents choices, the same as I would want them to respect mine and use my seats correctly.

babyherder · Jul 16, 2010

I always discuss seats with parents first. If the parents and I can't agree on an arrangement we're both comfortable with then I don't drive the kids. I generally do more than the parents do but so far no parents have cared. I respect their choices (that's why we discuss transportation before I do it) but also ask that they respect the fact that if something happens to their kid in my care, I have to live with that.

AtTheSouthDam · Jul 16, 2010

My car? Over 35# or 3 years can ride FF. Over 5 years can go in a booster. Most of the kids I drive that are 5 and 6 can still fit in the harness seats I have butI know they ride in boosters with their parents and I use the time to briefly educate them why they can't put the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back. I tell them how to sit properly and where the belt should hit. I like to think they will remember this in their own cars

I haven't driven anyone I would not booster yet, even the 9 year old across the street who is slightly smaller than my 6 year old.
I also haven't had anyone small enough to RF.

menfusse · Jul 16, 2010

I've always made kids ride in appropriate seats, even before having kids. I babysat my way through college and summers when I was home. Most of the kids I cared for were not in seats unless they were infants. I had at one point a 6, 4, and 3 year old all un-restrained in their parents car. The 4 and 3 year olds were as small or smaller than E as both were preemies that never quite caught up and had a mom who was only 5 feet tall and 95lbs soaking wet. When with me, they were put into seats always. Nobody every questioned. I even ran into the dad one day on our way to do something and he reached in and hugged them and never asked. Go figure.

I had one 5 year old ask me why I made her and her 8 year old brother ride in boosters and I just said it's the rules in my car and that was the end of it.

So, luckily, I've never ran across any issues. Given the opportunity now, I would RF to 3-barring strong objections. Until 2 regardless of parents feelings. Meaning up to 2, they ride RF or they don't ride at all. Harnessed until at least 4 AND 40lbs, but beyond depending on maturity of child. Boostered after that until they fit otherwise.

BabyKaykes · Jul 16, 2010

I generally take whatever seat is provided and make it work for the kids in the car.

I was handed a backless booster for my barely 3yo, 30lb niece a few months ago...I wanted to scream (I just KNEW she was still in her Cosco high back - with harness). I put DS in the booster, DN in his Radian until we picked up my BFF - then I borrowed her Scenera for DN.

That was on a whim, though. I generally know what kids are going to be in the car and provide my own seats, which usually just involves installing an extra Nautilus. If the spare kid needs to be RF, they get the Radian.

simplychels · Jul 16, 2010

The standards I use for my daughter are what I use for other children. If I wouldn't let my DD ride a certain way, I will not be letting Sally's child ride that way. My conscience couldn't do it, no matter how infrequent/short/whatever the car ride was.

So I guess you could say I push it every single time because at no time am I going to let my safety standards slip.

Anne · Jul 16, 2010

I haven't had many situations arise to see how I would really handle it. I would at least follow minimums and proper fit. No exceptions there. The only situation we've had is with my half-sis. When we have her I make her use her backless booster in my car because she doesn't 5 step in it. If we go in my mom's SUV (she's my dad's kid), I let her go without because that belt fits her. She doesn't use it at all anymore with her parents. She tried to tell me she didn't need it anymore but I didn't make it up for discussion. My smom is fine with it. She knows she still needs it in my car and provides it.

ETA: she just turned 9

just curious - when do you push it?

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