(sigh) I may need to move my almost 8yo out of her HBB (long)

mamabear

New member
lately the belt twists something awful every time she buckles (she buckles herself). Lately she has been begging to get out of her high back. She is the last 2nd grader in a booster at all, much less a highback and is getting teased. I thought she was just carelessly buckling herself to make a point about not wanting to be in the booster anymore. Today she asked me if she could do the 5 step test (yes she really knows what that is and can't wait for the day she passes:rolleyes:)

So we go out to the car. I tell her before even doing a 5 step test we need to see if she has outgrown the HBB by height. I click the headrest up a notch, so no. She goes "AWwww man!!" then I think maybe the headrest needs to go up permanently and maybe that's why the belt has started twisting (even though the belt guide at her current position was still above her shoulder) OK, the result with the headrest in highest setting was terrible. The belt guide for the booster was actually HIGHER than where the seatbelt comes out of my car!!! it made the belt go straight out from the car, UP almost 2" into the belt guide, then back down across her body. OK, so we will not be using it that way. She technically is in the highest setting for the HBB. Next we tried the 5 step test "just for fun". It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. belt placement was pretty OK actually. Lap belt a little high but otherwise not too bad. Her knees don't bend at the seat edge though. She still has time until she passes.

But now I'm thinking a backless may not be so out of the question.Another reason being that I only have her in a HB for the headwings but she has bad sitting posture and slouches out of the headwings pretty much anyway (she has low tone/core strength and we see an OT for this).Also I don't like the shoulder belt twisting inside the belt guide every time. it is actually starting to fray the edge of the seatbelt. This is a new seatbelt that Honda replaced for me free, so needing to replace it again won't be something I wanna try to do. Her current seat is a JANE INDY and the only other booster I have is a TB which she has outgrown by height.

Her height is 4ft 3" and she weighs 64-65lbs


What should I do???
 
ADS

Shaunam

New member
I would do a backless. 8 is about the age where I would let the child have some say (nothing based in fact, just that it IS the age where all other kids get to ditch the booster per the law, so I would let my child ride in a less obvious booster). I would also stress that she needs to sit correctly though.
 

mommy-medic

New member
If the higher option in her current seat causes the seatbelt to go up, I would try her out in a backless and see how the belt fit is for her in that. Is she fighting the booster during rides? Would she do better in a backless? Obviously (and she knows) that she doesn't pass the 5 step test, but at almost 8 she *may* do better in a backless.
 

mamabear

New member
I would prefer to see a low-tone child in a highbacked booster. Can you get one that is taller?

I don't think taller is going to work becasue the belt guide would be higher than where my seatbelt comes out of my car, kind of defeating the purpose???

She isn't severe low tone. More like borderline, she almost didn't qualify for OT but I pushed it. She basically sits like she has bad posture and her shoulders curve forward. the end result is her head is only about 25% contained in the wings VS a child that sat straight up and leaned back into the wings.....does that make sense???

It just makes me question is keeping her in for the purpose of the wings is sort of pointless since the wings don't do much for her now...

I hope that makes sense...my original post was long..
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
A slight low tone may actually be improved by going backless if she gains leg support. My DS was low-tone and his front to back seated posture was better in a NBB, although I had to keep him in a high back because he needed the lateral support as well.
 

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