Small 5 yr old

My DD will be 5 soon and weighs 36 lbs so we still have her in convertible child seat (vs. a booster). Little brother is one and must be moved to convertible seat (vs. carrier) - is it okay to move DD to a booster, even though she's not 40 lbs yet? I am very new to this site (discovered it thru internet search) and welcome feedback / advice. Thanks!

Well, first, where do you live? In some places it would be illegal to move her before she is 40 lbs. After that, I think it depends more on personal comfort level- some people are comfortable boostering a 5 year old before they reach 40 lbs and other people aren't. I'm not sure we have any conclusive proof that one is safer than the other for a child that age IF they can sit properly in a booster. I don't think many people here would endorse moving a still 4 year old to a booster full time, though.

It would also be helpful if you'd post what seats your kids are in now along with approximate weights/heights (preferably torso heights). That way we can have a clearer picture and provide more specific suggestions for your situation :thumbsup: .

Also, there is no reason a 1 year old must move out of the infant seat. Many infant seats will accommodate children past their 1st birthday. What is important is if he still fits the seat. He would need at least 1 inch of hard shell above his head and be under the weight limit for your seat. Since, to be safest, he will need to rear face for at least another year (preferably to the limits of his convertible seat) it doesn't really matter if it's a properly used infant seat or a properly used convertible seat, when it comes to safety

You could get your daughter a combination seat. That has a harness that you remove later and then it turns into a booster. I'd look at the Graco Nautilus, Britax Frontier 85, and Recaro ProSport.

Wendy

More info would help, but for me, no, I wouldn't put your 5yo in a booster. My youngest son is almost 6 and just hit 40# according to the scale at the Dr and is still harnessed in a Nautilus.

Also you may want to consider how old your convertible is. If you've had it your daughter's whole life, there's a good chance it's nearing expiration, and you're going to need new seats for both children.

Thanks for the great advice. I did check existing seats and we're good till 2013. I think based on feedback and reading other threads, I'm going to buy a convertible car seat for DD and move existing for son. Thanks to everyone.

I'd get a combination, rather than a convertible seat, unless you plan on rear facing her.

Wendy

mmadams said:

Thanks for the great advice. I did check existing seats and we're good till 2013. I think based on feedback and reading other threads, I'm going to buy a convertible car seat for DD and move existing for son. Thanks to everyone.

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Can you tell us WHAT seat you have? I'm concerned that you may have a combination seat for your daughter, not a convertible. If it's a forward facing only seat, it's not an appropriate choice for the baby.

Your baby needs a convertible to remain REAR FACING for several more years.

Likewise, if you do have a convertible, you want a COMBINATION seat, not a convertible, for your daughter. A combination seat goes from harnessing to boostering later on.

There is really a lot of important information you need; it would be great if you could post back

wendytthomas said:

I'd get a combination, rather than a convertible seat, unless you plan on rear facing her.

Wendy

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:thumbsup:

Definitely consider a combination seat for your daughter, rather than a converible that will be outgrown much sooner!

At 5 years and 36 pounds, it might be OK to consider a high back booster. She would be above the minimum weight ratings for various high back models, but not for backless models. If she can remain seated properly for a whole trip without squirming out of position or putting the shoulder belt behind her arm or back, she would be quite safe in a frontal crash. A combination seat used with the 5-point harness should still provide her with better side impact protection, even compared to a high back booster that has some side impact protection.