How long does booster training take?

Nedra · Oct 2, 2015

How long does it take to booster train a typical (or maybe even slightly more mature) child? If they are older, does it go faster? Or does it take about the same amount of time at 6 years old as it does at 7 or 8 years old? Does a kid *have* to be in a HBB for awhile before moving to a backless booster? Or, if they are older, can they fit a backless booster faster?

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abigaylebelle · Oct 2, 2015

I would say it's variable. My ds never needed training beyond showing him how to sit in the booster at 4.5. On the flip side some of his friends are wiggly booster riders in third grade.
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Baylor · Oct 2, 2015

Depends on the kid. My sons just did it. They wanted to and a 4.5 they did it. I never had a problem except for sleeping in the beginning.

But I have had kids in my car in boosters that were older that I wanted to put in a harness even though they were 8.

Nedra · Oct 2, 2015

4.5! Wow! I didn't know that was possible.

My kiddo isn't "scheduled" to hit 40 lbs until at least 6 years old, so I don't plan to try until then anyway. Good to know it doesn't have to be a long process.

Baylor · Oct 2, 2015

I trained mine early even though they were not doing it full time because I wanted them to know how to do it properly and get the feel of it in case of an emergency pick up or just a trip to grandmas.

rachelandtyke · Oct 6, 2015

Mine both trained before they had 40 lbs. DS still isn't there at 6 1/2, DD1 wasn't there even at 7. Since there are seats that can fit 30-40 lbs kids well, I didn't worry about waiting until they hit 40 lbs (they were at least 35lbs at that point). DS did pretty well right from the start at age 6. DD1 needed many more reminders even though she didn't start until she was older (6 1/2 I think). I kept a booster and harnessed seat in the car for her until she was at least 7 so I could put her back in a harness when needed or for longer drives. DS went straight to booster and hasn't looked back since.

gigi · Oct 6, 2015

Either they can follow the rules or they can't. I think it is more booster readiness than training. The rules aren't complicated. Sit still and don't unbuckle are basically it. So put them in, try, and if they can't sit still or stay buckled wait a few months and try again. Every kid will be different in the age they are ready.

BookMama · Oct 6, 2015

gigi said:
Either they can follow the rules or they can't. I think it is more booster readiness than training. The rules aren't complicated. Sit still and don't unbuckle are basically it. So put them in, try, and if they can't sit still or stay buckled wait a few months and try again. Every kid will be different in the age they are ready.

I agree with Gigi. I never really "booster trained" my kids. I just put them in a booster when I thought it might be time, and either they were ready or they weren't. If they sit in an older sibling's booster and immediately put the shoulder belt behind them - not ready.

If they can buckle up and show me they know how to sit, they're ready to give it a try.

DD2 has successfully used a booster a handful of times (mostly when she was the only kid in the car), but I prefer to keep her harnessed for now (probably until at least 7). We are in the car a LOT - I drive them to/from school every day - and usually with all three kids. There is just too much opportunity for bickering and other distractions, and DD2 would move out of place a lot.

jjordan · Oct 6, 2015

BookMama said:
I agree with Gigi. I never really "booster trained" my kids. I just put them in a booster when I thought it might be time, and either they were ready or they weren't. If they sit in an older sibling's booster and immediately put the shoulder belt behind them - not ready. If they can buckle up and show me they know how to sit, they're ready to give it a try.

DD2 has successfully used a booster a handful of times (mostly when she was the only kid in the car), but I prefer to keep her harnessed for now (probably until at least 7). We are in the car a LOT - I drive them to/from school every day - and usually with all three kids. There is just too much opportunity for bickering and other distractions, and DD2 would move out of place a lot.

Yes, I agree too. I have driven with other boostered children who were CLEARLY not ready as they move far too much and do not remain in position. Sure, you can keep an eye on them and harangue them to stay in position, but if that's what it takes, then (IMO) they should go back to a harness.

When I moved my older two to boosters, around age 7 and 6, I told them the rules and said they'd be back in their harness seats if they didn't follow the rules. They were absolutely fine right off the bat. I watched pretty carefully the first few rides (and also when we took long rides and they fell asleep), and we never had any issues.

Carrie_R · Oct 6, 2015

I kind of feel like we overuse booster training. For MOST kids, where we harness them to maturity, it's unnecessary. I *did* have a kiddo I booster trained. Newly 4y, maybe 45lb, harnessed with me (nanny) and Mom. Dad had a harnessed seat installed in his car, which he would... sit kiddo in. He was a safe driver, so no one in his car needed to buckle. (Mom didn't agree but deferred - his car his rules.) I got Mom's buy-in to booster train him. Kiddo and I talked beforehand about how we sit in a booster. First ride was short - under two miles - and he did great. No way could he have sat still for a multi-hour car ride, though. Once I was confident he could buckle on his own and cruise around town without a problem, I swapped his harnessed seat with a LATCHable booster. He remained harnessed with me until I stopped watching him, and in Mom's car until he was five or six, but at least he had a CHANCE with Dad.

I want to say it took me a month. He was a pretty chill, mature kid, though.

MamaChirpy · Oct 6, 2015

Carrie_R said:
I kind of feel like we overuse booster training. For MOST kids, where we harness them to maturity, it's unnecessary. I *did* have a kiddo I booster trained. Newly 4y, maybe 45lb, harnessed with me (nanny) and Mom. Dad had a harnessed seat installed in his car, which he would... sit kiddo in. He was a safe driver, so no one in his car needed to buckle. (Mom didn't agree but deferred - his car his rules.) I got Mom's buy-in to booster train him. Kiddo and I talked beforehand about how we sit in a booster. First ride was short - under two miles - and he did great. No way could he have sat still for a multi-hour car ride, though. Once I was confident he could buckle on his own and cruise around town without a problem, I swapped his harnessed seat with a LATCHable booster. He remained harnessed with me until I stopped watching him, and in Mom's car until he was five or six, but at least he had a CHANCE with Dad.

I want to say it took me a month. He was a pretty chill, mature kid, though.

I can't even fathom the stupidity of these parents.

Mama to 4 little stair steps
www.chirpylove.wordpress.com

Carrie_R · Oct 6, 2015

I worked with the family for ten years. Dad adored his children, but his risk-benefit analysis did not fall in line with mine. It was one of my first lessons in "we educate, parents make the decisions." I loved that child like he was my own - 50 hours a week with a child from the time their age is counted in weeks will do that to you - so yeah, it was a tough lesson.

Realize, too, that there are contributing family factors that may not be appropriate to discuss on the Internet. Everyone has their own biases, things that are important, beliefs that may or may not fall in line with those of others. Things that were important to the family that seemed disproportionate to me. At the end of the day, judging in this one area was only going to put strain on an otherwise excellent working relationship, so I did the best I could.

Did I hate it? Yeah. I prayed every day that Dad was right and my viewpoint was never the one to be proven accurate. But it's very hard to overcome gut feeling with statistics. We see it every day in other parenting debates - vac, infant safe sleep, etc.

The point here was to give an example of when/why actual booster training might be necessary. Now that we have plentiful HWH seats, it's usually not.

joolsplus3 · Oct 6, 2015

Didn't read other responses, but I'd say approximately.....

forever.

I swear, I have to remind my teens to sit up, push the belt down, don't put your feet on the dashboard...oh, and my husband needs reminders when he's a passenger

It's not that bad, but really, I don't believe in booster training...put 'em in the belt, tell 'em to sit still, sometimes every trip, sometimes less often. (edit, at least at age 4 or 5, my improperly boostered 2.5 yo didn't understand not to unbuckle, so it happened on the freeway... oy. Sometimes I'm 'booster training' and '5 step testing' the adults... the kids would be fine if mom knew that the belt couldn't be behind their back, it's like a sideways way of getting basic belt education into the parents by pretending it's for the kids...like the warning on the hairdryer..."warn children of the risk of electric shock"

)

How long does booster training take?

Nedra

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