Debating moving to a high back booster

We do a lot of traveling in our car (frequent long distances due to living in a rural community). I recently got a Chrysler Town and County Mini Van. My only disappointment that I discovered when we left the lot as we installed the car seats was that it only has one teether for the very back seats. I have three kids (all currently in 5 point harnesses). One is 4 and 30 pounds, one is 5 and 36 pounds, and the other is 7 and 43 pounds. The two older ones really want to sit in the very back next to each other. Technically, according to the law and car seat requirements my 7 year old could be in a high back booster seat to make this work. I'm a strong believer in extended rear facing and rear faced everyone until 4 or 5 and also 5 point harnesses as long as possible. I could put my youngest in the very back and let the older two sit in the middle seats (everyone in 5 point harnesses) or I could leave my oldest in the back with a 5 point harness and move the next oldest into the middle seat with a 5 point harness.

Would you put this 7 year old 43 pounder in a high back booster seat to make these kids happy or would you keep him in a point harness? My mind is telling me that the 5 point harness is worth upsetting them and just letting it not be a choice for them. But if he's just as safe in a booster seat then why not let him sit in one. He is 7 1/2 years old, sits well in the car, and is very mature for his age if this matters.

Carolyn

It sounds like your oldest is old enough, big enough, and mature enough to safely ride in a high back booster. I know how hard it can be as a parent to first move a child out of a five point harness and into a booster seat! There comes a point where one isn't statistically safer than the other as long as the child fits well in the booster and will stay in position. In this situation, I wouldn't hesitate to move him into a high back at all.

Agreed. But that 3rd row is tricky, so some specifics:

1) Buckling a booster right next to another car seat gets tricky. Since your kids are lightweights, you should be able to use lower anchors to install the car seat for the 5 year old and leave plenty of buckling room for the oldest, unless you have an extremely heavy harnessed seat.
2) Those outboard seats have a shoulder belt that is really far forward, and doesn't play well with the belt guide on lots of high back boosters. It does work well with the Evenflo Big Kid.

I would move the oldest into a booster to make the kids happy. [emoji4]
I agree, he is probably ready for one.

Just make sure to try a booster before you buy it (or buy somewhere you can return it) because boosters can be a pain in certain seats.


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Assuming he will sit correctly I would switch him as well.