Vent Slightly OT, but I don't get it!

annikaelisa

New member
Two people made this comment to me (in a group with others, so not me directly) in the last two days! Somehow they think moving their kids to BPBs means they have "freedom" and the kids can get in and out themselves. One has been using her Nautilus as a BPB for her 4yo (probably just a bit under 40lbs) for awhile now. Didn't understand it since he has plenty of growing room to still harness. The other said how she had just moved her new 3yo and 4.5 year old to BPB boosters and how nice it was. Her kids are tall and the older one is definitely over 40lbs by looks, but a 3yo? Really? Since it was a conversation with others (who didn't comment really), I felt awkward saying anything. If someone asks, I definitely tell them, but hard to tell someone something they are all happy about is a stupid decision on their part.

On the plus side, my SIL was going to sell (well, she says give away) my oldest niece's infant carseat (who will be 11 in a month) at our garage sale that went through all her three kids plus other SIL's three kids (the youngest two being 4&1, you do the math...). I stopped that and she threw it out. I told her to cut the harness, but at least I physically saw it in the trash. I told the other SIL "nicely" how it was expired when she used it for her 4yo (same one who is using the BPB Nautilus) but obviously didn't sink in since she continued using a ten year old seat for her third child. So glad that thing is now trash!
 
ADS

annikaelisa

New member
Oh and I should say I still have my (very tiny) 7 year old in a harnessed seat still and he gets in and out no problem. I've heard the car pool excuse. Well, my 7yo can buckle himself in and our if his harnessed seat (Radian) just as quickly as he would a seatbelt. Even my 4yo is now great at buckling himself in and out of the Frontier. I just double check it like you should do with any seat. I know there are plenty of 5-6 year olds who are ready for boosters, but I don't get people wanting to put their 3-4 year olds in them!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Yeah, I hear ya, I feel the same way whenever anyone comes in and complains their kid is 'too big' for their convertible. I look at the tiny 3 year old, and ask what seat they are in, and it's inevitably something the kid clearly has 2-3 more years to fit in. (Or they put their kid in a Turbo, and then simply fail to notice the seat has no straps...really? You missed that? And they can't even seem to 'see' the harnessed boosters lined up, all six choices right there next to the Turbos...yeah, I work at BRU)
Anyway, yeah, those of us who know every step up in carseats is a step down in safety, and that car crashes are the number one cause of death, are certainly not of a mindset that 'freedom' is something we want for our kids in cars!
 

JCsMomma

New member
I also think a harness is easier for most kids to buckle! My DS was buckling himself, first in a Nauti and then his Frontier from around 4 years old. When he started riding in a booster full time earlier this school year (he's almost 7) he had a much harder time. He's pretty good now with his Monterey in a position with a short fixed belt stalk, but I definitely think a harness is easier for kids to master.
 

daniele_ut

New member
I totally agree with you, DD can buckle herself so much more easily in her harnessed Nautilus than a booster. I'm starting to booster train her because she will be riding to or from school with another family who can't keep an extra seat installed and it seems more practical than re-installing her Nautilus every day. She'll be nearly 6 by then, however.
 

skylinphoto

New member
My son is 7 and still cant buckle most harnesses but has been boostered and easily buckling himself in since he was 5.

Sooo, not that its right obviously..but I can see the whole "its so mich easier!" mindset about moving to a booster early. Just like people turn em ffing early due to convenience. ..sigh.

But at 3 I cant see the convenience part of them buckling themselves....because the kids probably take for...ever. (sandlot style forever)..

Convenience trumps safety with the 'it wont happen to me' things for most people unfortunately.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using Car-Seat.Org
 

Athena

Well-known member
I've never understood it. Even my 4 year old can buckle herself into the Frontier and the Nauti was even easier for her. She's almost 5, but has been able to do it for a while. Yet, when I tried my 6.5 yo in the Nauti as a booster, she couldn't buckle it. She can buckle some boosters, but it's certainly not easier for her. The only part I get is that boosters are easier to install, but given how easy the Nauti is to install and I'd be latching and tethering it as a booster, I'm not sure it isn't quicker for m to install it as a harnessed seat. So basically, I totally sympathize.

P.S. I also find it frustrating when the kids are little because I have the extra challenge of kids outgrowing seats more quickly and only wish I had it so easy to keep my kids RFing and harnessed longer.
 

MotoMommaNH

New member
P.S. I also find it frustrating when the kids are little because I have the extra challenge of kids outgrowing seats more quickly and only wish I had it so easy to keep my kids RFing and harnessed longer.

:yeahthat: I'm so jealous of people with small or even average sized kids because it would be so easy to Rf or harness longer! And when they move them to that next step earlier for no reason, its so frustrating because you wish you had it that easy!!
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Ok, well, my now-9-year-old NEVER learned to buckle herself in the harness, in 7 1/2 years riding in one. My now-7-year-old got it just a few months before she outgrew her Frontier by torso height (she's tall...) My 5 year old tries but can only do one side of the buckle.

It IS wonderful to have the 9 and 7 year olds both able to buckle, and only have to put in two of the kids. I don't argue with the convenience on that! I would of course never compromise safety on that but once kids are a certain age- 5 1/2 to 7- where they can sit properly in a booster, I won't fault a caregiver valuing convenience more highly than they did before in the equation.

That of course doesn't mean it should weigh that heavily at 3 years old!
 

featherhead

Well-known member
My dd is 5, almost six and has a way easier time buckling her Monterey, even with our long floppy buckle stalks. Bonus for me, she can unbuckle herself and her sisters once we are parked. Then I just have to open the door and let them out. So way more convenient for me.
 

glockchick

New member
Yep. Mine could never do a harness themselves either. DS is 5 yrs and 3 months and just started being able to buckle and unbuckle his FR85. The rest never did do it themselves and if I were to harness Kaleigh, she still wouldn't and she's almost 7.
 

HEVY

New member
DD was about 6 when she started to buckle her harness and it was easier and quicker to learn that properly than it was to buckle in a booster, in fact the last time she used one she still had a bit of an issue. So for her a booster was harder than the harness, but each kid is different.
 

lmiranda8681

New member
I still buckle my 2 who are in boosters, even my 7 year old can not buckle himself. I think they're more of a pain than anything, when you can barely squeeze your hand in there if its next to another seat!
 

acoro

New member
I guess I don't understand why someone would buy a seat like the nautilus & not use it for its main purpose as a high weight harness.

My eldest was well over 7 & not small at all for his age, before I took the harness out. My middle guy is 5 next week & I've not even considered removing his harness! Not to mention the fact he's not even 40 lbs!
 

featherhead

Well-known member
I guess I don't understand why someone would buy a seat like the nautilus & not use it for its main purpose as a high weight harness.

My eldest was well over 7 & not small at all for his age, before I took the harness out. My middle guy is 5 next week & I've not even considered removing his harness! Not to mention the fact he's not even 40 lbs!

Because the seat is easy to use, because they like the cover, because it fits in their vehicle, etc. There are many reasons for choosing a seat.

I have two FrontierXTs because they are the only forward-facing harnessed seat that installs in my vehicle. That doesn't mean I have to harness my girls till they are 8 or 9. Once I believe they are ready for a booster, then that is what they will get, regardless of whether or not their harness is outgrown. And so my almost 6 year old is in a Monterey, even though she still had a couple clicks left, and 25 lbs before outgrowing the FrontierXT.
 

acoro

New member
Because the seat is easy to use, because they like the cover, because it fits in their vehicle, etc. There are many reasons for choosing a seat.

I have two FrontierXTs because they are the only forward-facing harnessed seat that installs in my vehicle. That doesn't mean I have to harness my girls till they are 8 or 9. Once I believe they are ready for a booster, then that is what they will get, regardless of whether or not their harness is outgrown. And so my almost 6 year old is in a Monterey, even though she still had a couple clicks left, and 25 lbs before outgrowing the FrontierXT.

Oh no I get that totally. But a three year old? Why even buy a nautilus?
 

scariestone

New member
I'll be another odd (wo)man out. My DS was never able to buckle any harness and the only one he was able to unbuckle was the multitech. It took him a couple month because my backseat has short, floppy belt stalks but he learned to buckle himself into his booster and now gets it in the first try 99% of the time. BUT he didn't move to a booster when he was 3. He was 5 years 3 months and only put in a booster because he outgrew the harness on his nautilus and the fr85 was not an option because the straps are so close together they squeeze his neck. He was also RF until he was 4. I only have one friend with kids but she put her oldest into a NBB at 3 and turned the middle FF at 18 months even though she has no top tether anchors in her car. It seriously makes me cringe because I love her kids. We've had long talks about car safety but its not something she's "into". :/ At some point you have to say your piece and let it go because people aren't going to change their minds.
 

sunflower

New member
1 of my kids in a booster, had it easier with the harness, than with the seatbelt.
I put my 2 oldest in boosters 4 months ago. They were 8, and 6 3/4. They weigh the same.
 

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