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Do you have a spare booster for your kid's friends?
- Thread starter Melanie
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Victorious4
Senior Community Member
Yep, I've always kept spare seats for friends/relatives 
Defrost
Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Yeah, about a billion...
My car is pretty full, but I am willing to put my oldest in the front seat so someone else can ride with us. We re-arrange as necessary; usually this means my kids all go "down" a step (back seat to front seat, backless booster to only a seat belt, highback to backless, harnessed to highback booster), but that's because my kids are all highly protected in their usual seats anyway, and it's fine for them to use the other seats when the situation needs it.
Nobody rides in my car unless they're properly restrained - I don't care if their 3-yo rides in a backless booster in mom's car, they won't do it in my car! I make this very clear to everyone as soon as the topic comes up, and all my friends/family are used to it by now. (Heck, my sister's even been known to use it against me: "Can my dd ride with you? Because otherwise we're going to double-buckle because everyone won't fit in my car...")
My car is pretty full, but I am willing to put my oldest in the front seat so someone else can ride with us. We re-arrange as necessary; usually this means my kids all go "down" a step (back seat to front seat, backless booster to only a seat belt, highback to backless, harnessed to highback booster), but that's because my kids are all highly protected in their usual seats anyway, and it's fine for them to use the other seats when the situation needs it.
Nobody rides in my car unless they're properly restrained - I don't care if their 3-yo rides in a backless booster in mom's car, they won't do it in my car! I make this very clear to everyone as soon as the topic comes up, and all my friends/family are used to it by now. (Heck, my sister's even been known to use it against me: "Can my dd ride with you? Because otherwise we're going to double-buckle because everyone won't fit in my car...")
stayinhomewithmy6
Senior Community Member
I currently have a Parkway and a WZ for a spare, but like others have said, the oldest, whether it is my kid or a friend, rides in the booster seat and the younger kids all ride in the harnessed seats. When I still had E RF, it was the same way. If I had a younger kid with me, that kid would get the RF seat and E would use one of the FF seats. Over the years, we've had many many spare seats, both harnessed and boosters, and I have now limited myself to just these 2.
DS's seat is a Safeguard, so bigger kids go in that and DS goes in the Uptown - he's 3.5 yo but the Uptown will last us another 12 months easily. Once that's outgrown, I'll get another spare/travel seat. So far, no other parent has questioned me on the car seats. I tell them I have a spare seat, so we don't need to uninstall their seat, and everyone agrees that's easier.
I have a couple of backless spares I use, but generally I'll put in one of Piper's other seats. Depends on the need and age/weight of the child. *Normally* the older child would be in the booster, but Piper is SO protective of her booster that she will throw a tantrum worthy of a two year old if I let someone sit in it. So generally provided the child will fit in Piper's harness, they'll ride in that (Piper is six, her friends I carry are usually five and seven, so it's not a huge deal). My seven year old neighbor is outgrowing my Wizard, though, so I'll either have to start putting in a Radian for her, or make sure Piper realizes that T cannot ride in the Wizard anymore.
Wendy
Wendy
i had an extra turbo but i gave it to my nephew. i do have a AO (booster mode only now since i tossed the harness in the trash) if absolutly necessary. my mom has a set of seats so i can always pick up a seat from there if needed. she only lives in town.
really my car is quite full with 4 kids. so i rarely take anyone else. IF my DH needs to take our 2 boys AND an extra boy to a cub scout event i will take one of our 5 points out & get a backless from my mom's car. DS#1 will determine which he & the friend gets to sit in. if he is smaller than him he gives the friend the HBB if taller the backless.
really my car is quite full with 4 kids. so i rarely take anyone else. IF my DH needs to take our 2 boys AND an extra boy to a cub scout event i will take one of our 5 points out & get a backless from my mom's car. DS#1 will determine which he & the friend gets to sit in. if he is smaller than him he gives the friend the HBB if taller the backless.
ZephyrBlue
New member
Yes. 8yo DD is harnessed in our primary vehicle, but uses the Monterey on rare occasion when she rides in DH's van. We use the Monterery as a spare for friends, as well as the Compass B510. If friends use a booster in their own vehicle and I'm not comfortable w/them in one in our van, I put the 8yo in the booster and the younger/smaller kid in DD's Nauti.
scatterbunny
New member
Yes, we have spare boosters. I have a Fisher Price Safe Voyage booster, two Britax Bodyguards, and a Compass B510. My daughter is 7 now, and all her friends are either in boosters or just a seatbelt. They use one of our extra boosters when riding with us, or sometimes they'll use dd's Regent, and she uses the booster.
Right now I don't have a gender-neutral harnessed seat, only the Madison Regent, so if we have boys riding with us, they get one of the boosters. I have one friend (AndieW here) who has great, appropriate seats for her boys, so when they ride with us, we use her seats for them (Nautilus for her 6yo, Scenera for her 7mo).
Right now I don't have a gender-neutral harnessed seat, only the Madison Regent, so if we have boys riding with us, they get one of the boosters. I have one friend (AndieW here) who has great, appropriate seats for her boys, so when they ride with us, we use her seats for them (Nautilus for her 6yo, Scenera for her 7mo).
Adventuredad
New member
I don't have any extra car seats. If my kids go in another vehicle I first transfer their seats. If another kid is in my car, I refuse to move before a proper seat is transferred.
I'm lucky to be able to use taxis as well for the kids. The largest xaxi company, with thousands of cars, has equipped 70% of the fleet with Swedish rf seats which always accompany the taxis. That means I can still transport the kids safety in a taxi when there is no other option.
I'm lucky to be able to use taxis as well for the kids. The largest xaxi company, with thousands of cars, has equipped 70% of the fleet with Swedish rf seats which always accompany the taxis. That means I can still transport the kids safety in a taxi when there is no other option.
Morganthe
New member
:yeahthat: Exactly!
Parkway rides in the car 100% of the time now, so either we can take an extra passenger or dd can use it in a friends's vehicle.
*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*
New member
I always have a low back in the back of my van cargo area-just in case.
I have these extra seats(remember I do home daycare too, but I always have at least 2 extra boosters in my garage)
My rule is if you are in my car you have to be in a saftey seat of some sort if too young/too small to use the seatbelt. My 11 year old nephew rides in nothing in my sister's car, but rides in a HIGH Back in my car.
If a child is 4 years and 40 pounds they go in a booster, if I have no HWH seats available. Usually though if they fit in an extra HWH seat, they go in there-even if they hate it! ;-)
~FPSVD
~SCENERA
~Graco base
~FPSV booster
~Graco High back booster
~Graco LBB
~COSCO LBB
I have these extra seats(remember I do home daycare too, but I always have at least 2 extra boosters in my garage)
My rule is if you are in my car you have to be in a saftey seat of some sort if too young/too small to use the seatbelt. My 11 year old nephew rides in nothing in my sister's car, but rides in a HIGH Back in my car.
If a child is 4 years and 40 pounds they go in a booster, if I have no HWH seats available. Usually though if they fit in an extra HWH seat, they go in there-even if they hate it! ;-)
~FPSVD
~SCENERA
~Graco base
~FPSV booster
~Graco High back booster
~Graco LBB
~COSCO LBB
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