? about how we interpret weigh mins/maxs

Why is it that when we are are talking about car seat max weights, it is stressed that that means the weight of the child fully clothed and in shoes.
But when we are talking about min weights for specific boosters, that tends to not be taken into account and the child's actual weight tends to be focused on?

For example, if we had a 40 lbs rfing seat, I would have to turn DD ffing as she is 38-39 lbs on the scale, but 40 lbs with fall clothes and shoes on now. But it seems I couldn't count that 40 lbs if I wanted to put her in a parkway booster.

(just an example as we don't have either of those seats and she is no where near the min or max on any of our seats) Just something I've picked up on from reading threads over time, and I've wondered about it, but never asked for clarification.

Using the naked child weight for minimums, and clothed weight for maximums, is the most conservative route. You can't go wrong that way.

Pixels said:

Using the naked child weight for minimums, and clothed weight for maximums, is the most conservative route. You can't go wrong that way.

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You never know when your child might have a terrible screaming tantrum in the nude when you absolutely have to leave. Yes, I've put my child in the car seat in the nude.

christineka said:

You never know when your child might have a terrible screaming tantrum in the nude when you absolutely have to leave. Yes, I've put my child in the car seat in the nude.

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Not nude, but in just underware. Yup, been there.

christineka said:

You never know when your child might have a terrible screaming tantrum in the nude when you absolutely have to leave. Yes, I've put my child in the car seat in the nude.

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Assuming a child is not put into a booster until at least age 5-6, I think most of us, as parents, know our children well enough to know whether or not this is a possibility. Also, just in general terms of "booster readiness", I can say with a reasonable amount of certainty that any child who i would TRUST in a booster, would certainly NOT be misbehaving so badly that i would need to throw them into the car NAKED for pete's sake. If a child can't calm down enough from a tantrum to put clothes on, they certainly could NOT be trusted to sit in a booster. A much younger child, or a child with special needs, I can see this happening, but a child of that age or lack of maturity level should definitely be in a harnessed seat of some sort, so the whole idea of them meeting a "minimum" weight limit would be a moot point.


I agree with pixels..by doing it that way, you are being the most conservative you can be, therefore the safest. I wouldn't feel the NEED to do it that way though, for example , if i had a 7 yo 39 lb kid who was 40 lbs with shoes on, I'd be okay using that weight to meet a minimum weight limit. Obviously not with a 39 lb 3 year old. I'd use every excuse possible to keep that child harnessed.

I agree with Jess, especially about tantruming and booster readiness.

I tend to assume that posted weights are "carseat ready" weights, including clothes and shoes and dinner.

I am generally less concerned about minimums rather than maximums, because it's easy enough to get a 30# booster and I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be okay with a 29# child in a booster.

Just to clarify, the naked kid I put into a seat went rfing, so yeah, no weight minimum to worry about. I have had my dd1 ride in a booster wearing only a t-shirt and panties once. She got car sick. We drove from the gas station (Where I washed up as best I could) to the salvation army store to find dd something else to wear. I've also had kids ride in their seats wearing only bathing suits, which are generally pretty light.