What booster would you suggest

My 7 y/o dd rides in a latched Nautilus and uses the seat belt. She is approx 50" tall and 50 lbs (tall and skinny). She rides very well with the seat belt. The problem is I have had to move the headrest up so high to get the belt to cross her shoulder correctly that it is blocking my rear view. I drive an 08 honda odyssey and she sits in the 3rd row middle seat. Hubby thinks we need to get her a new booster (I am agreeing)...I really want something that latches b/c I have rear facing 14 month old twins in the middle row and they are in there a lot when she isn't (and I can't really climb back there and buckle the seat every time...I have a very bad back). So...any suggestions on lower profile boosters that latch. I am more comfortable to keep her in a high back...but if it's not necessary at this point I would switch her to low back.

Thanks,
Amanda

Boosters in the middle of the Ody are just view blockers, you won't find one much narrower than the GN, I don't think. I've variously learned to use my side mirrors more (kids don't shrink and they sit in the back for 15 years, I have to think of myself as a cargo van driver some days, lol) or flat given up on a booster in the middle of my third row, at least a highback one (Recaro Start is big and square and really made me blinder than the rest).
Maybe a Monterey or a Parkway SGL? Those can be LATCHed, used backless, or put the back on for long trips (plus you can hand it down later, so you'll get plenty of use out of it)*...though the Santa Fe is the backless version of the Monterey and might be a good choice.



*edit, now that I see the age difference in the girls, maybe not, lol!

Welcome to driving with big kids!

Jools is right, there's really not much you can do about it. It really bothered me at first, too, until I realized after re-arranging things that my boosterless 13 year old blocked my view with his head nearly as much as my boostered 8 year old. The point of a booster is make an adult seatbelt fit a child, so if it doesn't make them about as tall as an adult, it's not doing it's job, yk?

The best you can do is just get your side mirrors adjusted and learn to use them more. I also walk around behind my car before getting in and pay attention to what's behind me (which we should be doing regardless, because there's still a lot you can't see even if the back seat is empty). Oh, and I taught my kids to help me when backing out. It's really fun when they all four yell "Clear!" at the same time.

You could technically get a Ride Safer Travel Vest instead. The child sits on the vehicle seat with those, so her head wouldn't block your view. But while they're safe enough, they're not very convenient and are better for travel or occasional, use since you have to put the vest on and take it off every trip. It would be more hassle than getting used to the side mirrors, yk?

Welcome to driving with big kids!

Click to expand...

Yeah, that!

My 8-year old, 50", 67-lb DS1 rides in the center of the 3rd row of my Sienna in a PWSG. He has 1 click left before the PWSG headrest is totally touching the ceiling.

I got used to it...and, actually, I think having his big 'ol bobble head right there makes me even more cautious. I know my visible spots very well and I use them frequently. I have a rear-view/back-up camera that I use faithfully, as well as my side view mirrors and the rear view (I can see through the outboard spots of the rear view window well).

I agree... you're just gonna have to get used to not being able to see if you have a booster or person riding there.

keep in mind that the booster only blocks it as much as a relatively petite adult would.

Thanks everyone. I am used to working around it too and I think it bothers him more than me. I just thought maybe it was worse b/c the nautilus seems to sit a little higher than some other boosters I've seen. She's comfortable in it and it's a good fit to her though so I'm happy with it.

Thanks a bunch!

Strange as it sounds, I never once thought about driving with big kids, ever. Mine are 4 kids under age 5. We have the Odyssey. It now occurs to me this could be a problem. I must be able to see. I am so crazy about that I put special mirrors on the van, a backup beeper, and rear-view wide mirror and a special stick on mirror in back. Just try to find a blind spot on my van, ha!!! We are a giant beeping machine with my sensors and such!!!

I never used my mirrors in the car. And I still actually look every time I do anything in the van. That's just how I am (though I do use the mirrors to HELP in the van since seeing 360 degrees around the van would be tricky).

When I am in the situation of blocked view, I'll have to do backless if it's a problem. I won't risk not seeing. And I'll put the kid most capable of moving his/her head out of the way for a second in the right place. But for now they are little and hopefully I can keep carseats and someday high-back boosters as long as possible.

Complicated.