Does anyone has a 7 y/o still harness here?

lourdes

Well-known member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #1

I have posted before about the situation but it hasn't improved, this child will not sit still, she leans forward to pick something from the floor, she wiggles out of position 90% of the trip, doesn't matter what you say or do she will not sit still, she is 7.5 y/o she weights 44 pounds, I am worried about head loads with harnessing a 7 y/o........ She has a Turbo Booster with Safe Surrounds and we have a Radian but the head wings falling on her shoulders is an issue.... Any help? Am I over reacting????

 

tiggercat

New member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #2

I have a 10yo that still needs reminders to sit correctly in a booster at times. Some kids have a harder time than others. She doesn't do anything overtly dangerous but she w iggles and leans and drives me craxy watching her in the rearview mirror. My 6yo is actually better in a booster than my 10yo. (6yo normally rides harnessed)

ETA: if you have a harnessed seat she fits in, I would harness her. There is no evidence either way for booster vs harness for mature kids, but it doesn't sound like she can sit properly.

 

BookMama

Senior Community Member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #3

tiggercat said:

ETA: if you have a harnessed seat she fits in, I would harness her. There is no evidence either way for booster vs harness for mature kids, but it doesn't sound like she can sit properly.

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I agree. My oldest was harnessed until age 9 (only way we could do 3-across in our Focus - he couldn't reach to buckle a booster) and I didn't have any qualms about it. DD2 may be harnessed that long not for 3-across reasons, but she is fidgety, bickers with her siblings a lot, and moves around to get things out of her backpack, etc. (We are in the car a LOT because I drive them to/from school every day.) I don't have any qualms about keeping her harnessed longer, either.

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #4

We are in the car a lot, we live far away from the school, from everything, so in the morning is when she behaves better, but that's about it, I have the Radian but the head wings falls on her shoulders, and the baby is using it for now.... I was considering buying a Nautilus but it's hard for us right now, but if we have to we will. This weekend was a draining one with her in the car not staying still....

 

BookMama

Senior Community Member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #5

lourdes said:

This weekend was a draining one with her in the car not staying still....

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It's worth noting that if she's really that bad in the car, it's not just unsafe for her - distracting the DRIVER (and it sounds like that's happening) could be unsafe for everyone. That's one of the reasons I'll keep DD2 harnessed longer - for her safety, and so that I'm not distracted by worrying if she's wiggling around or trying to get her to sit still while I'm trying to drive.

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #6

BookMama said:

It's worth noting that if she's really that bad in the car, it's not just unsafe for her - distracting the DRIVER (and it sounds like that's happening) could be unsafe for everyone. That's one of the reasons I'll keep DD2 harnessed longer - for her safety, and so that I'm not distracted by worrying if she's wiggling around or trying to get her to sit still while I'm trying to drive.

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That's exactly how it is

 

Suzibeck

Active member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #7

My 7 1/2 yo does well on most of our day to day driving but anything over 20 minutes or so and she gets wiggly. We live in a small town so most stuff is 15 minutes or less, if we are going to the closest larger town I have to remind her a lot, that is 30-40 minutes. Anything longer than that I harness her in our ProSport. It is too distracting for me to have to watch her so closely. Her sisters help but on longer drives they tend to check out and not pay attention.

 

Mary_Ann

New member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #8

DD1 is turning 7 in 2 weeks and she's still harnessed in our cars because of our 3 across.

 

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brightredmtn

Well-known member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #9

DS was harnessed until a few months after his 9th birthday.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Oct 6, 2015

• #10

My 7 1/2 year old is still harnessed because she has epilepsy and the idea of a seizure in the car terrifies me.

 

B

bnsnyde

New member

• Oct 8, 2015

• #11

Up to 8 for my son. He was getting lazy with the harness tight enough (or it twisted) and then it was safer to use the booster.

 

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rysdaddy

New member

• Oct 11, 2015

• #12

Our seven year old is still harnessed. In a safeguard seat. I am on looking for the next seat to harness him in. He is only 44lbs. He has gluten and diary issues. So he is small. The belts are getting small. We pick him up at school and he thinks nothing of getting in that the seat. It is funny you say she cannot sit still. Because my son has learned to turn off the back air/heat with his foot because he is still harnessed. We also have a 19 year old that on long trips needs to be told don't remove the top lap belt to lay down to sleep.

 

katiesmommy

Active member

• Oct 11, 2015

• #13

Not currently, but my now 10 year old was harnessed till she was just over 8 for the same reason. Fwiw she's in a backless now (outgrew the highback) and is does great with only very occasional reminders.

 

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carseatmama007

New member

• Oct 16, 2015

• #14

My DD will be 7 in 3 months, and she too is still harnessed in a Radian. I recently just removed the cover to tighten the headwings so they'd stop falling down. She never complained about it, and they never fell on her shoulders, but they seemed to keep falling a little lower than where they should be. Tightening them seems to have helped! My DD sits in a booster just fine, but she's harnessed right now because 1) I'm too cheap to buy a seat when she has one that works perfectly well 2) The higher end boosters I want seem very heavy, and I can't LATCH in my off-center LATCH hooks. LATCHing is non-negotiable to me with the heavier boosters and being in the center is non-negotiable. I'm hoping to get a new car in 1-2 years (not for this reason LOL our car is on the outs..very old!) and hopefully it will have better LATCH in center or side airbags so I'll feel better about putting her on the side So she may be harnessed until 9 (her Radian was manf. Jan 2010 and her 9th birthday is Jan 2018.. right when it expires! lol).

I do sort of worry about head loads, and also more obscure things like what if the car was on fire or sinking in water , I can't get her out as fast of a 5 point as a seatbelt. Also she can't get herself out a 5 point harness, so I worry what if I was knocked unconscious, she'd be stuck in her seat for whatever reason, and that makes me uncomfortable. BUT.. there's good and bad with everything.. always something to worry about!! She's perfectly safe in a harness or booster, that I know

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Oct 16, 2015

• #15

I do sort of worry about head loads, and also more obscure things like what if the car was on fire or sinking in water , I can't get her out as fast of a 5 point as a seatbelt. Also she can't get herself out a 5 point harness, so I worry what if I was knocked unconscious, she'd be stuck in her seat for whatever reason, and that makes me uncomfortable. BUT.. there's good and bad with everything.. always something to worry about!! She's perfectly safe in a harness or booster, that I know [/QUOTE]

Ha! I have the same worry!!! I told her how to get out since she can unbuckle the Radian, she can reach the metal thing that holds the harness tight so she release the harness and move toward completely, then she has enough room to wiggle out of the seat, it takes a few minutes but that's better than nothing in case on an emergency that she needs to get out of the car and I can't help her, I don't know if that's ok but was my best bet

 

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starshine514

New member

• Oct 22, 2015

• #16

I have a harnessed 8 year old (50.25"). It's easier for three-across and she still fits. She is starting to complain about it, though. So, we're going to shake up the seating situation soon when we move the baby (well, toddler) out of her infant seat. Her 10-yr-old sister recently 5-stepped out of her booster, so the 8 yr old should be able to buckle easier.

She feels like she's the only one still in a harnessed seat. Most of her friends don't even booster anymore (8 is the legal age here).

 

msg221

Well-known member

• Oct 23, 2015

• #17

My goddaughter will be 7 1/2 next month and I still had her harnessed in my car. It's been a long time since I have driven her so I don't know if she has improved any, but I'm glad she is so petite because I can keep her harnessed for much longer if need be. She will actually be in my car on Sunday and I thought about trying her in the Oobr to see if her booster riding has improved since we are only going about 3 miles from home.