When do you start booster training? & booster ?s

Melanie

New member
I'm talking best/almost-best practice, not at 3 because at 4 they can legally go into a booster type of thing.

I'm curious because DD2 is 4 and 3 mos. She's in a Frontier and will stay harnessed practically forever in my vehicle. Now that I think about it practically forever could come before long. I just moved the harness to the next to last spot.

I don't have spare car seats. Whenever I think about the additional cost x2, I just suck it up and move the seat back and forth. I normally trade vehicles if my girls are going with someone else. This all works well until they are split up. Lately DD2 has been going to the grandparents overnight while DD3 stays here. So I either move a seat for a 4 mile ride or they wind up home bound.

At some point, I'd like to have a booster for DD2 to use for these type of things. Grandparents have safe vehicles and are good drivers...not that something can't happen, but their cars have better crash ratings than mine. What age do you think is appropriate? She's listens well and, if needed, she could have an adult right next to her making sure she stayed in position.

Is a child any more safe being harnessed vs being in the correct position in a booster?
 
ADS

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
4 years AND 40 pounds is perfectly appropriate for booster training, but I'm a fan of booster training over a year or two before going to boosters full time, and I would NOT put a hyper or super impulsive 4 year old in a booster, even for a 2 minute drive - so if your dd is like that, then hold off until she has more impulse control.
 

scatterbunny

New member
4 years AND 40 pounds is perfectly appropriate for booster training, but I'm a fan of booster training over a year or two before going to boosters full time, and I would NOT put a hyper or super impulsive 4 year old in a booster, even for a 2 minute drive - so if your dd is like that, then hold off until she has more impulse control.

I agree with every word. :thumbsup: My dd did awesome when we were forced to move her to a booster as her full-time seat at 4yo...for a few weeks. Then the novelty wore off, and she was wiggly again (fine for shorter trips, but awful on longer ones). So, we got another harnessed seat as her primary seat, and continued booster training, gradually increasing the length of trips until it was clear she could handle it. She moved back into a booster full-time shortly after her 6th birthday, and handles it very well now. Only when a friend is with us do we have to remind her to not lean out of her belt.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
AJ was about 4.5yo and 41# or so the first time he really used a booster. He used it from pre-K and home one day (thinking I didn't have another option, forgetting Evan had a BV, lol). He's ridden in them on and off since then. He's 52#ish and 6 and has been riding in one all week now. I'm thinking he has maybe 6 mos or so left in his GN. He's doing well, but will go back to his GN on Sat. I'm thinking I'll let him use the booster for a week or so at a time every 2 mos or so till he outgrows his seat to get him used to it full time. He uses boosters in other cars when needed and I'm not worried about short trips like that. Evan is 4.5yo and only 33# and has never been in a booster and won't be any time soon. The soonest I can think he would be would be MAYBE next year in May if we need to take carseats on vacation, I might let him use a booster then for the ride to the cruise.
 

TXAggieTech

Active member
DS2 will be 6 in two weeks and he rode in a booster this month for the first time. He did okay and fit well but there is no way I'd want him in one with out me there telling him to sit still.

100% comfortable with fit, 0% with his ability to sit properly for more than a few minutes.
 
4 years AND 40 pounds is perfectly appropriate for booster training, but I'm a fan of booster training over a year or two before going to boosters full time, and I would NOT put a hyper or super impulsive 4 year old in a booster, even for a 2 minute drive - so if your dd is like that, then hold off until she has more impulse control.

:yeahthat:. My DD's started booster training at age 4 and were pretty good about sitting still so it worked out fine for us. Also the boosters were good for short drives by careful grandparents (esp. if said grandparents hands find buckling 5 pt harnesses a bit hard on their joints) - DDs' preschool at the time was less than a mile from MIL's house and it was good to know that if I had errands to run that would have me back too late for pickup, I could put the boosters in MIL's car before I left and MIL could pick up DDs, easily buckle their Parkways, and drive them to her house.
 

ginny4

New member
we just started booster training my DD is 5yo 44lbs or so. she at 1st did great (i wasn't there so i'm not sure) then when i was with her for a longer trip than what she was doing she was terrible. i had to remind her several times to sit back & still. OY.
 

adamsmommy

New member
We just recently trained ds. He does really really good in it. It is a Graco Turbo and I was very surprised at how well he fit. He fit better with seat belt than I do, without a booster. Seat belt never lays across my lap.

Problem we have now is he is always asking to sit in his Lizard seat. He loves the lizards on his turbo. But, it is in dh's car and he rides in there about once every 2 months or so.
 

Maedze

New member
We started at 4 and 40 :)

Bean the First is like most four year old boys...wiggly, minimal impulse control and not particularly motivated to behave himself :whistle: but he is responsive to parental correction on seating and due to what I like to believe are my mad parenting skillz, can handle shorter booster rides quite well :)
 

momto2princes

New member
My DS is 6 years and 4 months old and hasn't been in a booster yet. Mainly due to the fact that he is just 40lbs. I think he would be more than able to handle the responsibility factor he just seems too small. I have in my mind to start training him at 45lbs and would be comfortable with him using one full time closer to 50lbs. Mind you I might have to abandon that plan if he doesn't grow fast enough. I was hoping to start training him after his 7th birthday and let him use one full time around his 8th but that is all up in the air.

At 4-5 yrs not a hope. In a booster you are transfering the responsibility to them for their own safety and I think they are too young to taken that on. I like locking them into the 5-pt knowing that I am still responsible for their safety that way.
 

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