moving from harness to high back booster?

[jenand22]

My ds (who just turned 4) has low muscle tone - should he stay harnessed longer than average? What is the average age to move from a harnessed seat to a high back booster?

Currently my dd is 5 - turning 6 in May and she is still harnessed. She has been complaining about being in a baby seat, but I just tease her and tell her she'll be in that seat until she's 12 She does sit in a graco turbo booster in her daddy's car. I just have her in a GN and it fits her well and I just haven't had the urge to convert it to a high back booster.

 

[wendytthomas]

With low muscle tone, I'd harness until it seems like he can sit up properly for the entire ride. That may be longer, may not. Unless he has skeletal issues, I wouldn't worry about anything beyond his own ability to sit up.

At five years old, if she sat properly, a booster is fine.

Wendy

 

[henrietta]

My son has low tone, also. He moved into a high back booster (one w/a lot of support) at 6 yrs old and 40 lbs. He's done really well. He was harnessed up till then in a Regent, which he still fits in, but I can't install it in my car w/the belt path it requires when kids reach 40 lbs.

If you are worried he'll outgrow his current harnessed seat, the Britax Frontier is very supportive and taller than others. Henry loved the Regent that was similar.

The Nautilus is a great seat, but w/poor tone, he may find it really uncomfortable. My son hates it, but every kid is different. He's hated a lot of seats, b/c of his sensory issues.

hths

henrietta

 

[Pixels]

NHTSA recommends keeping kids harnessed for as long as they fit in their seat or until they turn eight years old.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/Traffic Injury Control/Articles/Associated Files/4StepsFlyer.pdf