Vent Why?? Why?? Why??

tweetykl

New member
Why is it that all of my friends are putting their children in boosters and they are only 2?????? :eek: One is using the EB 3 in 1 (I think). He is probably 36 inches and 36 lbs. and is turning 3 in October. Another friend is having a baby in October. Her son turned 2 in May. He is 27 lbs and probably 34 inches. She does not want to spend the extra $100 to get a harnessed booster for him. What info can I give them to help them decide if this is truly the best idea for their kids? I was really hoping to find checklist for booster readiness. I don't want to offend but I want them to be informed. I am thinking of blogging it where I know they are going to look instead of emailing them. What do you think?

Personally, my son is getting a Frontier or Nautilus when his sister grows out of the SS1.
 
ADS

Ali

New member
I am NOT a tech, but here is some general info I keep in Word for non-carseat message boards. There are also some links.

Forward facing harnessed seats are outgrown when a child reaches the weight limit, or more commonly when the child's shoulders are above the top harness slots.

If the child is 4 years AND 40lbs, then he may move to a booster with vehicle lap shoulder belt seatbelt. If not, then the child needs a larger FF harnessed seat. There are many seats that harness to 55-80lbs. Some are the Britax Marathon, Decathalon, Boulevard, Frontier and Regent; the Sunshine Kids Radian; the Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE; the Graco Nautilus and the Cosco/Safety First Apex.

Stay away from: The Alpha Omega 3-in-1 seats only harness to 40lbs and most 40lb weight limit seats are outgrown before a child is mature enough for a booster seat. They also have very low top harness slots, so are outgrown by height at around 2 or 3 years old. The Graco Comfortsport also has very low top slots.

A child should ride in a booster with vehicle lap/shoulder belt until he or she reaches approximately 4'9" (around age 12) and then can move to just the adult seatbelt if he passes the 5 step test and the seatbelt fits him correctly.

Importance of harnessed seats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2kO8AxKbrM&feature=related

5 step test
http://people.delphiforums.com/SKATERBABS/5steptest.html
 

tweetykl

New member
2 Year Old ~ Booster?

My friends are all putting their kids in boosters. I wanted to get some great info to share with them on how unsafe this is. Anyone have some great stuff to share?

Also, would you email it to them or would you just post some stuff on the family blog on why you are not putting your child in a booster yet? Trying to go the least offensive route but still wanting them to get the point that I love their children and worry about them.
 

laurenrachey

New member
Just wanted to add to what the PP said above. (I am assuming those were the Kyle Miller and Belle's gift videos - sorry I didn't click as I'm typing on an iPod). Anyway, if you go to the Kyle Miller Foundation website, read Kyle's story from his mother's point of view and Belle's mother also wrote a long story under the personal stories on the KMF website. To me, hearing another mother's words was and still is shattering to me. The videos are hard to watch but the stories are equally hard to read. Both have a profound effect. If that doesn't get to your friends with 2yo's in boosters, I'm not sure what would. If you decided to blog it, I would post the videos and links to the stories.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Why? Because most manufacturers do not include age requirements in their manuals (although brain research reveals there should be) -- also, in part, I think, because we are pushing booster use when kids outgrow their harnesses: too often that bit about keeping kids harnessed until they reach their harness limits just doesn't sink in....

However, the following article post has proved helpful for most of the families I've shared it with > Ready for a Booster?
 
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tanyaandallie

Senior Community Member
It is very frustrating to see parents who you know and love putting their little children in boosters. Honestly, I think they do it because they just don't know any better. On a field trip last year my dd and with one of her friends and her mom. She asked me (just out of curiousity) why Allie was still in a harness. Keep in mind at the time Allie was only 4. Her dd was 4 as well and VERY tiny but had been in a booster a long time. She told me her mil had already purchased boosters for her ds who had JUST turned 3. Even though he still fit in his harness. She honestly had no idea why I still had Allie harnessed or that it was not safe to move her 3 year old to one.

I sent her a handout on EH and told her that it is simply safer. I have no idea what she did. I hope the info I gave her at least convinced her to keep her little 3 year old in his harnessed seat. All you can do is try and educate. At the end of the day you can't force them to make the right decision.
 

3acorns4Christy

New member
It is frustrating. My friends also do the same thing, even though they know the information. Because it is "easier". Pisses me off.

Hopefully you can get through to your friends.
 

tweetykl

New member
Just to update, ALL of my friends are doing this! It is just shocking. I offer up information and they really are going the "easier" route. These are kids that are barely going to be 30lbs. and 2 or 3. Just shocks me.

Personally, I am going shopping for a Frontier tomorrow. My son is the biggest one out of all of these kids at 39" and 39 lbs and he is going to be harnessed the longest I possibly can. They all think that it is a waste to buy such an expensive seat but it has a 9 year life and my daughter will get it next. Guess I better make it girly later on.
 

Wineaux

New member
For people who complain about the higher cost of a seat, I just remind them that they are bying it to use over a 5-6 (or more) year time period, and so divide the cost by that much. It shows how little you are paying per year to keep your child safe.
 

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