Would you ERF or EH an older child when the younger was a "step up?"

Would you leave your older RF/EH when the younger switches?

  • Yes, I would do both.

    Votes: 21 87.5%
  • Yes, but only RFing.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yes, but only to EHing.

    Votes: 2 8.3%
  • No, I would switch them both.

    Votes: 1 4.2%

  • Total voters
    24

cmm7

New member
The title says it all, but this is what got me thinking.

I live down the street from a family with two children... probably about 3.5 and 5 years old. The younger one is a boy and the older a girl. The boy is probably a good 3" taller than his big sister and I would say quite a bit heavier as well. The boy is in a MA, the girl a TB, and they RFed longer than the norm (I don't know them personally, but their house is on the corner of my bus stop so I have been watching them for 4 years, LOL), but despite being smaller the girl was turned at about the same age as her little brother and now, though smaller, is in a booster.

If you had two children with the younger one being bigger, would you leave the older RF while the younger FF? How about harnessed?
 
ADS

HEVY

New member
I would leave them both rf until they no longer could and then leave them both harnessed until no longer could. And I would have to do my best to explain to the older it's for her safety.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I think it would depend on the age gap, and how young the younger was when having to move to the next stage. Would I keep a 7yr old in a harness when 5yr old outgrows it? Nope, I'd be fine with 7yr old in a booster. I'd also be fine with a 6yr old in a booster too provided they're mature enough, even if they've just cracked the 40lb mark.

However, I don't fall in the camp of EH as long as absolutely possible. I think there comes a point where a booster is a better choice. For me that age is sometime between 6 and 7 at present, I guess we'll see how I feel as my dd gets to that age. ;)

If I was rf'ing the younger to the limits of the seat and the older was at least 3yrs old when the younger hit the limit, I might move the older one to ff'ing at the same time... it would really depend on the child and situation. While weight & height is the indicator that forces most kids to move from rf'ing to ff'ing and then to a booster, age is really more reflective of skeletal development. So I'd feel much better about ff'ing a 25lb 3yr old, than I would about ff'ing a 35lb 18mo old.

Hopefully that makes some sense... I think it would really vary a ton on the age gap between kids and just how much before the older one the younger was having to be graduated. The bigger the age gap the more likely I would be to move the older one at the same time provided the older met the requirements to ff or use a booster etc.
 

natysr

New member
I didn't vote.

My decision on what I did with the older child would not be based in any way whatsoever on the younger child.

If I had a 25 pound 2 year old and a 35 pound 1 year old. I would RF the 2 year old and FF the 1 year old. No questions asked.

If I had a 30 pound 5 year old, and a 35 pound 1 year old. I would FF the 1 year old. What I would do with the 5 year old would have nothing to do with the 1 year old, and would have everything to do with other factors such as the 5 year olds comfort at that point. Are they complaining of feeling cramped (not do I perceive that they are cramped).
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
I didn't vote.

My decision on what I did with the older child would not be based in any way whatsoever on the younger child.

I agree. being fair is not giving each child the same thing, but doing what's RIGHT for each child. If the younger is bigger than the older my response is "Oh, well."
 

TerisBoys

Well-known member
I agree - every kid is different. Our nuclear family is a prime example.

C is my ex's step-daughter. She's 7.5yo. 41#, about 42"

Ryan is my son - he's 5.5yo. 45#, 44"

Ryan hit 40# at about 3.5yo - he used an OHS Futura in their van until he turned 4, and then "it broke" (at least that's what they told me). After that they used a bpb for him (Cosco highback - uck) or I moved *MY* Futura if they were going out of town.

C *just* hit 40# about 6mo ago. She's been harnessed in a Cosco hbb (yes, she fit - she's a peanut) even though Ryan was in a bpb.

Not that I agree with their reasoning - but they stuck to the 4 *AND* 40 law for both kids. And now with the new 8/80 law going into effect this summer, poor C may very well graduate HS before her mom lets her out of a booster LOL.
 

cmm7

New member
Hmm... maybe my options weren't clear enough. The first one is the option of leaving the older child RF/harnessed despite what the younger is doing. Sorry about the confusion!
 

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor
I have a friend that moved her children from RFing to FFing to booster both at the same time. (2 1/2 and 18 months, 5 1/2 and 4). The girls are about 18 months apart but the same weight and height. I would probably move the oldest at the same time as the youngest. It's not just about weight, it's also about age, as the bones ossify, so the older, lighter child has different bones then the yonger, heavier child, YKWIM?
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Sam is PEEVED that he's still in a booster. He doesn't mention it very often anymore, but when he turned 10 he announced "Thomas was 10 when he didn't have to use a booster anymore, so I can stop using one, too!"

Um, no. Sorry, dear, Thomas is 50th percentile, and you're bottoming out the growth chart. He's going to be 12 next week and he *might* pass the 5-step test in our car this year. I'm sure I'm going to get an ear-full when Fighter moves out of a booster at a younger age than he did/does. Sorry kid - if anyone ever told you life was fair, they were lying. :eek:
 

BabyKaykes

New member
Sam is PEEVED that he's still in a booster. He doesn't mention it very often anymore, but when he turned 10 he announced "Thomas was 10 when he didn't have to use a booster anymore, so I can stop using one, too!"

Um, no. Sorry, dear, Thomas is 50th percentile, and you're bottoming out the growth chart. He's going to be 12 next week and he *might* pass the 5-step test in our car this year. I'm sure I'm going to get an ear-full when Fighter moves out of a booster at a younger age than he did/does. Sorry kid - if anyone ever told you life was fair, they were lying. :eek:

Defrost is my hero.....:love:

Once again, my 4.5yo gosdon is 2" taller than his 7yo sister. He's 38lb and 51" tall, she's 80lb and 49" tall. Her torso is much longer than his and she is starting to outgrow the backs of her TBs. Their parents (my cousins) think that because their son is tall (understatement of the century!) he should just go backless, too. It was a huge fight to convince them to get him a highback. Especially since Bryce KNOWS he's bigger than his sister.

Tayte would think it was more unfair for them to go backless at the same time, simply because she's older. AH, the joys of parenting!:cool:
 

TerisBoys

Well-known member
This is the whole thing that bugs me about AGE limits with state laws.

Yeah - C turns 8 this fall. But she's the SIZE of a large 4yo. Legally she can ride UNSAFELY in a seatbelt once she turns 8 (we've got an "8 or" law).

Legislations/Decisions like this need to be made by SIZE. Not age. On the other end of the spectrum is Faeanne's nephew who DOES pass the 5 step test in his mom's car (checked Sunday) but by law (he's 6) should be in a booster.

Sorry - rant off. Taxes have me grumpy <wanders off mumbling about a certain trucker who'd best be glad he's in AZ and not anywhere nearby>
 

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