it happened...had to make a not so great situation work

ginny4

New member
main van's brake line broke this morning. got home safely from church. we had LOTS of plans for the afternoon we needed to attend so the old van was the only one left.

we have sooooo outgrown this van.....the best situation to fit all six of us was my eldest son (11yo) up in the front & me in the rear with no headrest. so i was the only unsafe passenger. we started off with my eldest in the rear but switched mid way cause he was upset that i was risking his life. i figure i'd rather risk mine than his. i thought the front would be better for him.
i thought for a moment to booster my 4yo to open up a headrest position seat but um i just couldn't do it....i might have if it was a 10min drive but it was a 45min drive each way

would you booster a new 4 yo (june b-day, over 40lbs, no booster experience) so that you can have a headrest?
 
ADS

Chameleon

New member
would you booster a new 4 yo (june b-day, over 40lbs, no booster experience) so that you can have a headrest?

I would never ride without a headrest, that's worse than a lap belt to me. So I would have to say yes, because I feel that it's not UNsafe to have a child that meets the guidelines to be in a booster actually be in a booster vs compromise my safety to be around to take care of them without having a neck injury.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I wouldn't. I have ridden without a headrest before, I'd rather be unsafe myself than have my kids unsafe. And my kid was NOWHERE near booster ready until almost 6. So if you think she's not ready and that's why she had no booster experience? NO.

I also do not agree that riding without a headrest is worse than a lap only belt. Lap only belts are much worse all around, IMO.
 

hsjwmom

New member
Assuming he fit, I would have boostered your son in the Monterey. Would that have been an option?
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
(I think if I were you I might get a RSTV for the 4 year old though. An old-style one, because they're more confining when not tethering. If it happens again, that way you can put her in the non-headrest position, she's probably tall enough to still have head support especially since the RSTV doesn't raise her any higher on her seat.)
 

Chameleon

New member
I wouldn't. I have ridden without a headrest before, I'd rather be unsafe myself than have my kids unsafe. And my kid was NOWHERE near booster ready until almost 6. So if you think she's not ready and that's why she had no booster experience? NO.

I also do not agree that riding without a headrest is worse than a lap only belt. Lap only belts are much worse all around, IMO.



I do not agree with your statement that her child would be unsafe. Have you not seen the lap belt study?
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
What? What are you talking about. I was talking about a situation where I put MYSELF in a non-headrest position because it was the only way to have my KIDS all be safe.

But in any case. I am not sure which study you're talking about-- I've seen several. I've also had experience, lots of it, with non booster ready 4 year olds.
 

Chameleon

New member
What? What are you talking about. I was talking about a situation where I put MYSELF in a non-headrest position because it was the only way to have my KIDS all be safe.

But in any case. I am not sure which study you're talking about-- I've seen several. I've also had experience, lots of it, with non booster ready 4 year olds.



Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree about what constitutes safe.

The lap belt thing doesn't apply to this situation. That was just an aside.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
So, you really believe that a child who is not ready to sit properly in a booster is safe in a booster? :confused:
 

Chameleon

New member
So, you really believe that a child who is not ready to sit properly in a booster is safe in a booster? :confused:

Depends on the child. So do you get to decide then when they are ready? I know of a few 4 year olds that have sat perfect the first time they rode in a booster. It happens. I really don't understand your attitude showing through your post.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I have seen many, many 4 year olds who are sat in a booster and cannot sit still. I know that my 4 year old would not be able to without reminders every 3 seconds (and maybe not then-- and what if we crashed right as I was yelling at her to get back in her seat the right way???) I noticed a marked change in my child's ability to sit still, follow directions, and especially to do things that were unpleasant even though she didn't want to because she knew they were important for her health and safety at 5 years, 9 months. When those signs happened, all at the same time, that's when I knew she was ready for a booster.

I'm not saying THIS 4 year old is not ready for a booster-- just that if her mother feels she is not, then I would follow her instincts on that, because in my experience, more 4 year olds I have met are not ready to ride in a booster for 45 minute trips than are ready for that.
 

ginny4

New member
i have several boosters & more than enough to put DS3 (4yo) in one. tho i'd have to get it out of its box & put it all together. i bought extra turbo when they were really cheap. i'm sure he'd fit much better in the turbo than the monterey

i've never tried DS in a booster so i had no idea how he'd do. in the regent he is either really calm or really antsy. you never know....tho next to his sister is almost a guarantee he'll be more active & that's where he'd have to be in the 2nd van.

the van has ridiculously low seatback in the rear. my shoulders tower over the back & when i tried the 4yo in the back sitting on the apex his head was well above the backseat which is WHY i had to put him in the 2nd row witht headrest to support the apex. i'm not sure he'd really have enough support for long in a RSTV

i did what i thought was best at the time.....the main van is in the shop today & liekly to get it back tonight
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Not sure how your setup is, but would it be an option to put your 4yo in the non-headrest position in the booster, leave the 11yo up front, and you sit in the back, with headrest -- so that you are next to the 4yo to remind him to sit still? I think that's what I would have done.
 

hsjwmom

New member
It was late last night, so I was totally unclear. I meant that I would have boostered the 11yo in the Monterey if he fit. Or possibly the 10yo, freeing up a spot with a headrest.
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
I probably would have boostered the 4 year old and then sat next to him in a headrest position. That way it was ME next to him telling him to sit still and at 4, with contant reminders, a neurotypical 4 year old should be able to sit still for 45 min with a parent next to them. They are old enough to listen with you right there.

But it's done. Glad it all went well and hope you get your van back.
 

amyd

New member
I probably would have boostered the 4 year old and then sat next to him in a headrest position. That way it was ME next to him telling him to sit still and at 4, with contant reminders, a neurotypical 4 year old should be able to sit still for 45 min with a parent next to them. They are old enough to listen with you right there.

But it's done. Glad it all went well and hope you get your van back.

That's what I would have done too (well, except I can't sit in the back so I would have made DH sit there and make him sit still).
 

karlatta

New member
I probably would have boostered the 4 year old and then sat next to him in a headrest position. That way it was ME next to him telling him to sit still and at 4, with contant reminders, a neurotypical 4 year old should be able to sit still for 45 min with a parent next to them. They are old enough to listen with you right there.

But it's done. Glad it all went well and hope you get your van back.
This.

I had to booster my 4yo when my car broke down and there was no way to fit another harnessed seat into my friend's car (I put all my Radians in, but there was no way to fit another Britax or Titan - the only seats I had left). Even though he wasn't ready for booster riding on his own, he did fine for a 30 minute ride with me sitting right there next to him reminding him to sit correctly.
 

Pixels

New member
Statistically speaking, a child is safer in the back seat in a lap-only belt with no head support, than in the front seat with head support and a lap-shoulder belt.
 

ginny4

New member
It was late last night, so I was totally unclear. I meant that I would have boostered the 11yo in the Monterey if he fit. Or possibly the 10yo, freeing up a spot with a headrest.

no both the 10 & 11yo are too big for the monterey so that option would be out

I probably would have boostered the 4 year old and then sat next to him in a headrest position. That way it was ME next to him telling him to sit still and at 4, with contant reminders, a neurotypical 4 year old should be able to sit still for 45 min with a parent next to them. They are old enough to listen with you right there.

But it's done. Glad it all went well and hope you get your van back.


sometimes i try not to have to explain it all but i guess without its hard to imagine what the problem is.
the van has 2 captain chairs in 2nd row that have tether anchors retrofitted
the rear has a bench with VERY low seatback & no tether anchors.
it was me, DH, both my 10 & 11yo are just in seatbelts. my DD is boostered & my DS3 (4yo & over 40lbs) is harnessed in a regent or apex.
Boosters work great in the rear since they din't need headsupport. so if i boostered the 4yo as well as the 6yo they would be best in the rear seat. the 2nd row would be for my 2 older boys so they have headrests. I could sit near my 4yo (i in 2nd row & DS3 kiddy cornered in the rear) but not next to him & put my 11yo up front like i had. ok i might try that if the need comes up again.
 

karlatta

New member
Hi again. Are you using the Apex in this van? If so, I wanted to make sure you remembered that the Apex65 has to have vehicle seat support up to the top of the child's ears. It sounds like it would be okay in the captain's chairs of the van, but not the rear bench.

And I don't know the weight of your 4yo, but the Regent has to be top tethered after 50 pounds, so keep an eye on that weight if you're using the Regent in the 3rd row where you don't have a top tether. (They haven't changed this, have they? I stopped paying attention to Regents a while back.)
 

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