wwyd?

Babywearing Meghan · Jul 7, 2009

my almost 7 year old just outgrew the height of her radian about a month ago, so we started using a high back booster for her, She got an earful about sitting in it correctly ect, she was very good about it for weeks, but recently I will catch her bending down for something or twisting around in the seat belt, and scold her about it.

but last fri was the icing on the cake.. She was in the parkway, and I was driving home from NH to ct, and the kids were having an animal cracker fight (augh lovely) I am tuning it out cause what ever I need to drive, till I look in the rear view mirror and see my 7 year old practically dodging across the back bench seat of my minivan seat belt out of the slot in her booster, arms out.. I pulled the car over and was just flipping out, she sat back down properly and was fine the rest of the ride home, it shook me a lot though.

I then noticed next time we drove the the seat belt keeps slipping out of the guide.. what is up with that?

So that said, I did much to her dismay sit her in a frontier and she still has a little room.. not much, like 1/2 and inch to till she is at the top slot, but still.. do I really can not afford one so I would have to sell a few things first, but do I get one and make her ride in it till it is out grown? then just give it to Fiona (who will probably be ffing by then since she is close)

Or do I just lecture her each time she gets into the booster and hope hard that she listins..

she will be 7 in a month, and she is 60 lbs

carseatcoach · Jul 7, 2009

A child who cannot ride safely in a booster cannot ride in one. Since she seems to want to be in a booster, I would impress upon her that it is her behavior that determines booster-ability. If she is not willing or able to ride safely despite that motivation, it must be back to a harness for a while.

Babywearing Meghan · Jul 7, 2009

well I just sat her in a radian and buckled it while she protested her head off, I then made her listen to me, and told her she would go back in that seat if she could not sit in her booster properly, she promised and was crying.. but I am not sure what to do.. like I said we can not afford a frontier or regent at this moment in time, (we are flat broke for some time.. Hubs company cut hrs on them and they are supposed to get unemployment for the days they cut but the woman at his office has not submitted the forms yet and it has been over a month)

kandamom · Jul 7, 2009

I have a similar issue with my 7-year-old. He doesn't actually get out of the booster, but he leans forward sometimes. I actually still have his old regent, which I was planning to either sell or use once ds2 is forward facing. I did the same thing you did - I sat him in the regent, tightened the harness, and told him that he would ride in it unless he sits properly in the booster. He's been sitting better after that, but I think I might still bring him to our local cpst, who is also a sheriff. I think that hearing it from the sheriff might make more of an impression than hearing it from me. It frustrates me, because I think a 7-year-old should be able to sit properly. He's been a little better lately, but I don't think he fully understands what the consequences could be if he is leaning out of position at the wrong time.

Best of luck,
Rebecca

Misty-Bug · Jul 7, 2009

would locking the belt make a difference? She doesn't sound booster ready because of her actions. Can she be closer to you? Like in the center row or something? Keep a better eye on her?

Babywearing Meghan · Jul 7, 2009

Misty-Bug said:
would locking the belt make a difference? She doesn't sound booster ready because of her actions. Can she be closer to you? Like in the center row or something? Keep a better eye on her?

I really cant, because I can't rear face any seat in my third row, and I have two rear facers. so they are in the captains chairs.

I can't afford a seat with a harness that fits her height wise till I sell some other seats. I mean this is nuts she is almost 7 It makes me so mad that she has out grown the radian harness but is not booster ready... She has always had an awful time sitting still, and she gets wound up easily, but I thought by now she would be ok.

I did take them to a car seat safety check thing and the woman in front of her told me "oh you can take her right out of the booster in a month.. I was like "over my dead body, she just got out of a harness" so that was no help.

She sits fine for the most part but sometimes I have to get after her, usually she will drop something and freak out cause she knows better than to bend down and get it, but that last trip when I caught her with leaning across the seats and being all bouncy just shook me too badly.. she was so improperly restrained in that seat at that moment!

Dillipop · Jul 7, 2009

Did you know that the radian allows a child to use the harness even after the shoulders are above the slots? I believe up to an inch above. Maybe she still fits? Although not ideal (I don't really like the idea of using a seat above the slots, but this seat DOES allow it) it would keep her safer than a booster and wouldn't cost you any money.

TerisBoys · Jul 7, 2009

I agree with Misty - if your van has switchable retractors - lock her seatbelt until she learns to sit right.

Maedze · Jul 7, 2009

If she's under 51" and if her ears are within the shell of the seat, you can continue to use the Radian with the shoulders over the top slot.

I'd install the Radian in the car next to her booster and warn her that the least little bit of monkey business, you will pull over and put her directly in the Radian.

At 7, for a neurotypical child, this is purely a discipline issue and I'm pretty confident the right consequence and level of parental fury will solve the problem :thumbsup:

Babywearing Meghan · Jul 7, 2009

Dillipop said:
Did you know that the radian allows a child to use the harness even after the shoulders are above the slots? I believe up to an inch above. Maybe she still fits? Although not ideal (I don't really like the idea of using a seat above the slots, but this seat DOES allow it) it would keep her safer than a booster and wouldn't cost you any money.

yea we used it to an inch above the harness.. though when I sat her in it in the house a few minutes ago I was shocked to see that the harness was at shoulder level.. it is a newer model than the one she was in, I sold her old one, this one is my replacement one from when Fionas harness was fraying... maybe the newer ones are taller? I am still a little stuck cause I can not install radians in my third row They pull towards me about 4 inches even though I cant move them side to side at all at the belt path.

christineka · Jul 7, 2009

I'm beginning to have an issue with my ds leaning forward because he wants to learn to drive. Next time he does it I'm going to lock the belt on him. I'd move him to where he can't be a back seat driver, but he can only buckle in one spot. The girls have issues buckling, but have more practice and patience.

andre149 · Jul 7, 2009

I would try (if you can) locking her seatbelt and telling her that she'll have to ride like that until she shows you she can sit properly all the time. I had to do that with my neice (had just switched to a booster at the time) and 2 trips later I could leave it unlocked with no problems.

LuvMyGirls · Jul 7, 2009

If she's only been out of the Radian and in a booster for about a month, but neither the Radian nor the rear-facing seats can go in the third row, how did you get everyone in? Have you gotten a new vehicle since switching her to the Radian?

As far as installing the Radian in the third row for emergency backup, a piece of thin bumpy shelf liner should stop the forward slide.

Pixels · Jul 7, 2009

Dillipop said:
Did you know that the radian allows a child to use the harness even after the shoulders are above the slots? I believe up to an inch above. Maybe she still fits? Although not ideal (I don't really like the idea of using a seat above the slots, but this seat DOES allow it) it would keep her safer than a booster and wouldn't cost you any money.

There's no one inch over the slots rule. It's strictly based on standing height and tops of ears below the top of the shell.

Maedze said:
If she's under 51" and if her ears are within the shell of the seat, you can continue to use the Radian with the shoulders over the top slot.

I'm pretty sure that current manuals state 53". It was 49", then 51", then 53" I believe. You'll need to check your manual, and if you want to use the seat past the limits in your manual, contact SKJP.

LuvMyGirls said:
As far as installing the Radian in the third row for emergency backup, a piece of thin bumpy shelf liner should stop the forward slide.

It will stop the forward slide, however, that's a false sense of security. It won't hold in a crash. If the install isn't good without the shelf liner, it doesn't magically become a good installation with it.

Babywearing Meghan · Jul 7, 2009

LuvMyGirls said:
If she's only been out of the Radian and in a booster for about a month, but neither the Radian nor the rear-facing seats can go in the third row, how did you get everyone in? Have you gotten a new vehicle since switching her to the Radian?

As far as installing the Radian in the third row for emergency backup, a piece of thin bumpy shelf liner should stop the forward slide.

It's been a problem since I got the van in January actually, I had her in an APEX 65 back there at first, (but Julianna was at the absolute limits of the seat) which installed ok back there, then when she out grew that, I Turned Fiona ffing and used the latch in the way back to install her seat and put Julianna in the second row, which I was not thrilled with.. but was a temp solution, since they install fine in the second row with seatbelt.

then about a month ago when I realized she was out of the radian I put the booster back in the third row, and then put Fiona back rfing in the second row. If I have to at this point I can turn Fiona ffing in the third row and put Julianna in the radian in the second row again but that will only happen if locking the belt wont work.

I will try the shelf liner I had asked before about what to do for it and I got a lot of belt stalk twisting which really did not make much of a difference.. 4 techs couldn't even get it in for me.

NannyMom · Jul 7, 2009

I don't know much about it...but what about a 86Y with her booster?

Babywearing Meghan · Jul 7, 2009

I am sitting here feeling like a bad mom cause I cant get a frontier for her at the moment, so Fiona could be rfing, and she could be in the harness again, wwyd turn Fiona ffing in the center of the way back so Julianna can be back in the radian harness, or Keep Fiona rfing in the second row and lock the seatbelt on the booster, she thinks if I do that it will cut her head off when we break, she was flipping out, about that more than the harness and she wont listen to reason that it wont.

also she is really at the absolute limits of my radian.. I mean barely fits in it, what is the height difference between frontier and radian?

NannyMom · Jul 7, 2009

Don't feel like a bad mom. You're a good Mom because you're trying to keep them all safe! I would go ahead and lock the seatbelt on her. She's freaked out that it will cut her head off, maybe that'll encourage her to sit properly. If she continues to lean out of the seat with the belt locked, I'd considering turning Fiona FF at 3.5yrs.

Maedze · Jul 7, 2009

LuvMyGirls said:
As far as installing the Radian in the third row for emergency backup, a piece of thin bumpy shelf liner should stop the forward slide.

No, shelf liner should NEVER be used to make a poor install appear good.

Maedze · Jul 7, 2009

NannyMom said:
I don't know much about it...but what about a 86Y with her booster?

Oooo.......OP, I think NannyMom might be on to something here. That or a Ride Safer Vest, which your daughter will probably hate

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