Day 1 of booster training

Holly · Sep 10, 2010

I let Hannah ride in our new Turbo Booster this afternoon. I want to get her used to it and make sure she can sit in it properly so when she has to use it w/ other people, I will know she's safe.

First off, why in the world do (some) people rush to put their kids into boosters? What a huge pain in the butt! It is SOOOOOO much harder and time consuming to buckle her in now! Maybe because we have 3 across so there is a seat so close to it, but the arm rest gets in the way too. She definitely can't buckle herself in and it's a pain for me to do it.

Second, she loved it and she wants to use it all the time. I've told my kids no booster riding until they are 5, and then it's only sometimes. No full time using a booster until they are 6. Abby wants to ride in it so bad, I am nowhere near ready to let her out of a harnessed seat even for a minute.

Thirdly, What a freakin pain, seriously! Is it only so bad when you have 3 seats across, or is it always a pain? Do any boosters have arm rests that flip up out of the way while you buckle, or have no arm rests like the old parkway? When was the last time the old parkways were manufactured?

I have to keep my promise to Hannah, but I am so not ready to do this full time starting next July!

christineka · Sep 10, 2010

Hannah sure looks like she enjoys the new seat! I'm letting my 5 yo ride in parkway when dd1 isn't in the van. It isn't too much of a pain because there are no arm rests in the way, but I have to buckle her. She can buckle herself into a 5 point. I had a ffing radian with outboard turbos in dh's car and boy was that a royal pain! That's why I don't have turboboosters anymore. It's a fine seat for putting in other people's vehicles (without 3 acrosses), though.

stayinhomewithmy6 · Sep 10, 2010

Yes, boosters in 3 across is a huge pain. We have a new PW SG and an old PW. I hate the PW SG. We simply cannot use it in our 3 across. The regular old PW is so awesome and I am still so sad that they stopped making it. I don't know if you have room for it, but the Monterey is pretty good next to the Radian. There is actually enough room for kids to reach their hand in between to buckle. I've never tried a TB. Our current 3 across (and we have a seriously tiny bench seat) is RN XT, old PW, Monterey. The PW SG doesn't even fit where the Monterey is now.

Holly · Sep 10, 2010

So is it just the Turbo that is the pain or is it all boosters that have arm rests?

An Aurora · Sep 10, 2010

I think it's all boosters. We are booster training Mali as well, and she did great the first few rides, but as soon as the novelty wore off, she started wriggling and flopping around way more. So just be prepared to have a few little regressions before she 'gets it'. DD has asked to be RF again, so she's RF in my car and in the Turbo in DH's car which she rides in once or twice a week, for the 10 minute ride to school.

Aurezalia · Sep 10, 2010

It looks like it fits her well! How much does she weigh now?

christineka · Sep 10, 2010

Holly said:
So is it just the Turbo that is the pain or is it all boosters that have arm rests?

I haven't had a lot of experience with different boosters, but from what I've known- it's boosters with arm rests that don't flip up. The bodyguard is fine because the arm rest/ belt lockoffs flip up. The parkway is great because there are no arm rests. The vivo worked better for us in a spot previously occupied by a turbo because the arm rests angled out, but still doesn't work in some positions. The harmony literider has very small "arm rests" (more like belt guides) that are very angled and so it works well, but it's a backless booster.

Holly · Sep 10, 2010

Aurezalia said:
It looks like it fits her well! How much does she weigh now?

She is 34 or 35 lbs and 41 inches tall.

Holly · Sep 10, 2010

Also, this must be easier in cars that have rigid belt stalks, ours flops all over so I have to grab it and hold it still while I buckle making it even harder.

christineka · Sep 10, 2010

Holly said:
Also, this must be easier in cars that have rigid belt stalks, ours flops all over so I have to grab it and hold it still while I buckle making it even harder.

I've resorted to taping the belt stalk to the booster in one spot. Rigid belt stalks are a million times easier to buckle into, but not usually for installing radians.

stayinhomewithmy6 · Sep 10, 2010

Holly said:
So is it just the Turbo that is the pain or is it all boosters that have arm rests?

Unfortunately, I think it's all boosters. The Radian and Monterey just happen to puzzle well because they're both skinny at the base.

Holly · Sep 10, 2010

What are the chances of being able to find an old parkway that still has some life left before expiration? When was the last time they were made?

christineka · Sep 10, 2010

Holly said:
What are the chances of being able to find an old parkway that still has some life left before expiration? When was the last time they were made?

I had some 2007s offered to me. I think 2007 is the latest they were manufactured.

BookMama · Sep 10, 2010

Yeah, boostering in a 3-across is a pain in the rear. That's why my DS was in a Radian until he turned 9 (he totally didn't mind being harnessed - actually preferred it). I suppose there must be some vehicles with large back seats that make it easy, but I sure haven't encountered them.

I have to keep my promise to Hannah, but I am so not ready to do this full time starting next July!

So don't!

Explain to her how very hard it is to get her in the booster and that she can use it when she rides alone with DH in the truck, but in the red car she has to stay harnessed. She's old enough to understand that. Heck, I had told DS that he could move to a booster full-time when he turned 8, but once I discovered that he could not buckle a booster in our 3-across at the time, which meant that I couldn't use the pickup lane at school (charter school, no buses, too far to walk), we both decided that harnessing would be better. Tell her that when she can buckle herself, she can use the booster full-time.

ketchupqueen · Sep 10, 2010

I have Ems in a tight 3 across in a Turbo quite frequently. We leave it buckled, and she slides in and out under the lap portion. Of course that doesn't work until they don't need the belt locked for training purposes.

tl01 · Sep 10, 2010

I agree, putting in the seatbelt with a booster does take a long time. We have a pw and gettung the belt just right is a pain. I much prefer my harnessed seats.

christineka said:
I've resorted to taping the belt stalk to the booster in one spot. Rigid belt stalks are a million times easier to buckle into, but not usually for installing radians.

My low (almost flush with the seat) rigid stalks make for awesome one minute Radian installations.... Ffing and Rfing.

Qarin · Sep 10, 2010

Are you trying to buckle it while the seatbelt is going under the armest? Don't. Buckle it however you can, and then route the belt through the right places under the armrests. That's how my kids do it, anyway.

Holly · Sep 10, 2010

Qarin said:
Are you trying to buckle it while the seatbelt is going under the armest? Don't. Buckle it however you can, and then route the belt through the right places under the armrests. That's how my kids do it, anyway.

Thanks! I'll try that tomorrow!

NannyMom · Sep 10, 2010

J is 7, and even he had trouble buckling the (old style) Parkway in their 3 across. So much so that Dad got irritated, and told A no more booster, just seatbelt. J could then buckle easier and faster.

I'd just leave her in the Radian as long as possible. Maybe by the time she outgrows it, there can be a better seat arrangement. Or, a new narrower booster

Holly · Sep 10, 2010

Christine, assuming I can find an old style parkway around springtime, could I come over and try your parkway to see if it would work for us before I buy one from someone? If it's possible to come up w/ a good arrangment involving a booster for Hannah, I'd still like to let her switch full time when she is 6, but if it's going to be as obnoxious as this turbo, I'll keep her in the Radian longer.

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