When did your kids move to a booster/start booster training? (moved to Carseat Chat)

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walnutgold

New member

• Jul 25, 2016

• #1

I'm hoping to move my 5yo to a booster before the triplets need convertible seats. What has been your expirience with booster training and moving to one full time?
FYI the triplets have not been born yet, I'm just planning very far ahead lol

 

Brianna

New member

• Jul 25, 2016

• #2

I would just explain the rules and give it a couple test rides. J rode in backless boosters occasionally after 4, but was harnessed full time until 6.5. At 6.5 I took the harnesses out of his seats and again reminded him of the rules. I'm not sure I would have wanted him in a booster full time when his twin siblings were born though (he was 5), I think he would have been too tempted to move out of position to look at them or find the pacifier that they dropped. His excitement over them was very hard to contain!

 

Dillipop

Well-known member

• Jul 25, 2016

• #3

Re: When did your kids move to a booster/start booster training?

It'll depend on the kid. My oldest probably could have gone full time to a booster at 5 but he was 5-7 during the time of "harness to middle school!"

My next kiddo needed a harness until he was 7 and probably could have benefitted for longer but did ok with the highback.

My current 5 year old is in a booster full time other than long trips. She does awesome. She occasionally rides backless but needs some reminders when in a backless.




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katymyers

Active member

• Jul 25, 2016

• #4

Re: When did your kids move to a booster/start booster training?

I insisted on harnessing until age five for all my kids and then began allowing occasionally booster use, for short trips in vehicles without other kids to distract them. At six, I allow booster use in all other vehicles but our main vehicle and then when my kids start first grade, I switch over to a booster full time.


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flutie128

New member

• Jul 25, 2016

• #5

Re: When did your kids move to a booster/start booster training?

My DS was harnessed until 6.5 and my DD was harnessed until about the same time. DS is 12 and completely out of a booster and my DD is 8 and mostly rides in a HBB though she just started riding in a backless in my mom's car since she was too tall for the back of the turbobooster in that car.

 

krasota

Well-known member

• Jul 25, 2016

• #6

Re: When did your kids move to a booster/start booster training?

Mine was okay for occasional short booster rides after five-six , but needed a harness for any longer trip (over 45min) for a long time. I still kept the harness as an option on road trips until he was 8.5 and outgrew it--he needed it if he was at all tired at 7.5. If he slept, he slumped. At 9+, he's in a no back very nearly full time, but we keep a back on hand for road trips. He still needs the extra support if he's tired.

It really depends on the kid.

 

Ninetales

New member

• Jul 25, 2016

• #7

We did a backless when we were on vacation. She was 5 then. We moved her to a high back full time when #3 was born and I needed 3 across. That was when she was 6. We've since moved to a van but the layout of it means she's best in the back, and the booster is easier for her.

 

geekKT

New member

• Jul 26, 2016

• #8

I switched DS to the Nauti in booster mode right after he turned 5 and he did perfectly so he stayed in that and then shortly after moved to a HBB. He has been fine. Has never ridden in a backless but totally could, as long as we weren't on an all day road trip.

DD is a lightweight and will probably be a bit older though before she meets minimums.

 

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Hrsutlow

New member

• Jul 26, 2016

• #9

We tried booster training my oldest at 6, but it was very evident that she wasn't ready to ride in a booster even for short trips. We tried again at 7 and found that she did good in a high back for short trips. She was nearly 8 when she was ready for a booster full time. My second child is currently 6 years 4 months and we started booster training him at about 5.5. He rides in a booster in one of our vehicles, and although he's totally ready to be boostered full time, he prefers riding harnessed in his Frontier CT for longer trips. I'm thinking that we'll convert the Frontier to booster mode in September when school starts.

 

finn

New member

• Jul 26, 2016

• #10

We booster trained at 4, both kids did really well, on their 5th birthdays they both were switched to high back boosters and have been awesome they go into low back boosters as they outgrow the high backs

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Jul 27, 2016

• #11

My kids have not been ready to start training until 5 1/2+ due to both muscle control and maturity, and have gone full time at 7 1/2, 6 years 9 months, and around 8 respectively (but that last kid has epilepsy and we were waiting until her seizures were well-controlled.)
The eldest got too slumpy before 7 1/2 when asleep to go full time though she used a booster progressively more and more.

 

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carseatmama007

New member

• Jul 27, 2016

• #12

Began booster training at 5 years old in secondary vehicles. I didn't feel comfortable full time boostering until she was 40+ lbs. She hovered between 40-42 lbs. for a looong time. Finally around 7 she's now 45+ lbs, and I'm comfortable with it, just waiting for a sale on the seat I want

 

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chelsi82

New member

• Jul 29, 2016

• #13

One of my twins went pretty much full-time at 5 years 4 mos and her sister is OK around town, but needs the harness at night or longer trips-- probably will for awhile, and they'll be 6 in a month.

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jacqui276

New member

• Jul 29, 2016

• #14

DS is 4yrs 6mo and has ridden in a booster for short drives over the past couple months. He primarily rides harnessed still though and will until he outgrows his RXTs (which we are unfortunately not far away from).

 

bubbaray

New member

• Jul 29, 2016

• #15

After age 5 once they reached 40lbs. So 5y 2-3m

 

MotoMommaNH

New member

• Aug 1, 2016

• #16

5.5 ish....and that was only because his Defender was crashed and it made more sense to replace it with a booster. Still training as he tends to put his feet up or cross legs, so long trips are in his Frontier CT.
At this age they start to carpool or do camp vans etc. So I wanted him to have good practice and a good idea of how everything should fit.

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danceintherain

New member

• Aug 1, 2016

• #17

I just started my barely 6 year old at booster training today. I'm not sure when I'll be ready for him to be in one full time. It may be more dependent on how our car situation changes over the next few months. One of our cars doesn't have top tether anchors (pre-2000) so he shouldn't be harnessed FF in that vehicle. I figured it would be a good place to train him.

He still sleeps in the car a lot, so that's a big factor.