Vent Wanting a "big boy" seat--mostly vent, one ?

[a_js]

I was talking to a neighborhood mom and she was asking me which carseat I got (she was taking her groceries in, I was installing our Nautilus). She said it was good that it converted to a booster because he'd want to be in a booster when he goes to kindergarten, because a booster is a "big boy seat." eh? He's got a 16" torso now, the Nautilus goes to 19" in the torso, and there's no way I'm moving him out of a harness before he's outgrown it--whether he wants me to or not. But the other thing is, he thinks his "race car seat" is really cool. For those of you with older kids, do they really care what seat they are in? Give me your :twocents: please..

 

[Morganthe]

Every kid who is dd's age is already in a backless booster. She's noticed it, but she thinks they look very uncomfortable and 'Not safe as houses.' (her words. :ROTFLMAO: )

I'm noticing that attitudes and expections really come more from adults than the kids. I've heard "Bored" more times said by adults that their kids will be for whatever activity, than if the kid is left alone to own devices. It's kind of a programming for what the kid SHOULD be, than what they truly are.

So, as far as I'm concerned, it's the same thing with the whole "Big kid" seat baloney. The kids don't know any better. It's attitudes that are started, then reinforced by the adults around them.

When her friend gets in my car, she happily uses the Tiffany Parkway. Her mom has tried to foist her backless booster on me, but no, I won't have it in my car. She's 4 years old and the Parkway fits her nicely. (VERY TALL child -- around 47" - no kidding, really). She talks sometimes about the backless to dd, but dd is that self assured that her BIG KID SEAT is HERS! She couldn't use the Regent before she grew, so for her, it's big kid enough.

Besides, that time driving home, when she was in the rental just after I picked it up, and the Parkway slightly tipped to one side because of how it sat -- that was enough for her to want her solid 5pt racing harness back.

 

[Yoshi]

That mindset drives me bonkers. Every single 4-5 yr old in DD's preschool was in a booster of some sort. DD noticed it, but only observationally. I told her that her seat was safer, but then she started worrying about her friend who rides in a backless booster at age 4. I felt bad for making it seem like her friend was in danger (even if she is) because my DD worries about everything and I didn't want to add to her worry level. But parents ought to shut up about that "big kid" nonsense, really.:twocents:

 

[babyfloridagator2003]

My DS starts Kindergarten next week and has NEVER even question the seats he rides in. Over the weekend we went on a playdate with his BF where I drove my truck so there was him in his Radian65, His BF in an Evenflo booster and his BF's little sister in a Graco Harnessed seat (not sure which one) but it went to 30 RF and 40 FF) I wish I could have put her RF as she is only 13 months old, but I couldn't fit the seat in RF in my truck and her mom doesn't have her RF in her car. He never even asked why Emily was in a Booster and he wasn't. I'm really lucky that he is one of those kids who really doesn't know any different and just knows that there are rules for mom and dad's car that not all kids follow.

I say do what you feel comfortable with and to heck with what other people think. I heard a lot about keeping my DS RF until he was 27 months old, and the fact that he is 5 1/2 and harnessed, but he is my son and no one will make me feel that I'm harming him by having him in a harnessed seat.

 

[Shaunam]

I'm not sure DS even knows what a booster IS! Of course he's only 3 1/2 and I don't think he pays attention to what other kids are riding in. And all his little friends are harnessed anyway. Even if he shows a preference, I'm not necessarily going to just let him ride in a booster. He'll have to pass all the requirements first and "but all my friends ride in one!" is not one of the requirements. LOL

 

[tanyaandallie]

Maybe my dd is the oddity here, but she definitly knows that all of her friends sit in boosters and she would love to sit in a booster full time. She has a Parkway that she rides in on occassion and she loves it. I do think that the parkway/booster is more of a novelty for her though. I think if she were to sit in the parkway for a longer trip she would want her frontier. It's so much more comfy. She loves her Frontier but she thinks boosters are cool and wants to be big so she can ride in one all the time. Not happening yet.

 

[zactayaus]

My 5yo ds is very content in his harnessed seats. He sees his sister in her HB boosters but has only asked one time to have a seat like hers. I just told him when he gets older then he can have a booster and he was fine with that. My 10yo dd however is really starting to become embarressed of her HB booster. None of her friends use boosters. I am contemplating letting her use a NBB but I don't have side curtain airbags so it concerns me a little. She'll remain in the HB's at least until the end of the summer and then we'll see.

 

[wendy1221]

My oldest has Asperger's, so if he noticed (I'm sur ehe did, he notices everything) he never mentioned it to me, and he doesn't care what other kids do. My almost 5 yo, however, did really really want a big boy seat. He was in a Regent, but we got a Frontier last week after dh was in a car accident. He's VERRRRRRRRY happy with it. THe fact that it LOOKS like a booser is the key, he doesn't care that it has a harness instead of using the seatbelt. He told me it's "the best seat ever!"

 

[cdncasper]

The girls love their seats and are now trying to convince their parents to buy them Radians for the parents vehicles. They know they are not big enough for boosters though I would put K in one if it was an emergency. I think I may have to leave my extra booster at their place since they are still putting her at 42lbs in the AOE harness while in their moms car. Booster in that case would be better.

 

[safeinthecar]

My DS (9 yo on Wed) rides in a 5 pt in some cars, a booster in others, and just a seat belt in other cars (he's 4 ft 6in tall and DOES pass the 5 step test in some cars for short rides).

He is fully aware that other kids his age don't use 5 pt harnesses, or even boosters anymore (he is in 4th grade). he's not embarrasses at all about his seats. He's said more than once that he can't figure out how his friends get comfortable without at least a booster, and if I happen to take out his 5 pt and not put it back for a few days, he will get annoyed with me and order me to put in his Husky.

When friends ride with us, he will offer them the 5 pt seat if they fit. In his mind, he's being very generous by offering to use a less comfortable form of restraint so his friend can be more comfortable. For the most part, his friends jump at the novelty of riding in a "race car harness" or booster.

I've had a few that complain about riding in a "baby seat" over the years, but my kids are quick to tell them that "baby seats" have handles. They are also quick to tell them that I will not move the car until they either sit in a seat or grow longer legs to fit properly.

 

[mommytojoshmadty]

My eldest who is almost 5 (countdown to Saturday) comments alot that other kids are in boosters or even just a seatbelt, and why doesn't he?? We don't know anyone with a kid his age still in a harnessed seat. I knew friends who put their kids in boosters as soon as they hit 30-33lbs which is limit over here.
In the UK, we don't have HWH seats past 40lbs - so for most it is a booster or nothing. My son is only 34 lbs so he has a long way to go yet. I just tell him that he is soooo much safer and that he is in his racing car seat - as all racing drivers have 5 point harness.
If he persisits, which he hasn't done in a while - I get him to jump on the scales to see how heavy he is - and say that if he is 40lbs - he can have one!!!
He is in a Recaro Young Sport, so at least it looks less babyish than some car seats.

 

[bobbysgirl7103]

I have a 5, 6, and 8 yr old in school and still in harnessed seats. They don't care that they aren't in booster seats like everyone else. I just tell them that these are safer and I want them to be as safe as they can be in the car. None of them wants to be in a booster. They know that the Regents and Radian are more comfortable than a booster any day.

 

[courtfrog2]

My DD who is almost 9 next month going in the 4th grade has no problems with her Regent. She have a highback booster in my mom's car and as a backup for friends, but in my DH's van and in my van we have Regents and she is perfectly fine with it. She points out other kids who only sit in boosters at younger ages, but not because she wants to, but because she feels sorry for them. She has a ways to go in her Regent so I'm guessing she'll be just fine staying in it. She says it's way more comfortable.

When I take her friends places and they are small enough to fit in the regent, I will put the other regent in my van and both will sit in them. No complaints from her friends (other 4th graders) either. They think it's cool.

 

[BookMama]

DS is 7, and has been very aware of what other kids his age ride in. (Mostly nothing, until the new child restraint law went into effect last month.)

He asked for a new harnessed seat (Nautilus) to replace his Parkway a few months ago.

'Nuff said.

 

[dhardawa]

Emily was in a Marathon until almost 8 (and then for a little bit when she was 8 because she thought it was so cool that she and Max had the same car seat). After 8, she went into a Parkway. About six months later, she became VERY aware that none of her friends were in car seats, and if they were, they were in low back boosters. She wanted to be in a low back booter SOOOO bad. So, I started researching and decided that since I have side air bags and because I could buy a backless booster with LATCH (we were horrible about buckling in the empty booster) that I'd let her get the Clek Olli. It took me awhile to get used to looking in the rearview mirror and seeing no booster, but now she and I are both very happy.

 

[mish]

Ryan is 8 and had been in a backless booster. He asked to be put back in a high back. Sometimes he asks to put the harness in the Nautilus and use it that way.

Two weeks ago at bible school one of the kids in his class was asking everyone if they were in a booster seat and then making fun of them if they were. It kind of hurt his feelings, but not because he was embarassed about his seat. He was just upset about an older kid making fun of him. He has repeatedly told me he is much more comfortable in a booster seat and he doesn't want to get rid of it.

 

[cowgirlsmommy]

I have a 5-year old nephew who is in Kindergarten. He currently has a Graco Nautilus. He fell in love with it when they brought it home the 1st time. He has absolutely no problem riding in a 5-point harness and will yell at you if you even tease about putting him in a booster. He'll also tell you that he'll tell his aunt (me) you were going to put him in a booster and have her yell at you too.

 

[MomToEliEm]

My DD hasn't been teased any while in kindergarten last year while riding in her regent. There really haven't been too many opportunities for her to get teased though as most kids don't see the other kids in the drop-off lines.

She does use a booster in the after-school care van as I required it. She was the only child in a booster seat, but she never complained (at least not yet).

She did say she wanted to ride in a regular seatbelt this summer in the summer schools 15-passenger van, but I told her that she was still required to use the booster seat as it was safer. She is the only child out of the two vans that uses a booster seat, and I know it must be uncomfortable. Since I am already uncomfortable with her riding in a 15-passenger van, I wasn't going to make her even more unsafe by riding in that with only a regular seatbelt (possibly even a lapbelt). At least with her in the booster seat, she must sit in a lap-shoulder belt position (I did write up a letter for the daycare stating my requirements for traveling in the van).

 

[loufrando]

My dd is almost 5 and rides in a Regent/Husky in my and dh's cars. Since she outgrew the MA, we bought a Parkway at the beginning of this summer to use in other people's cars and for friends so she has ridden in that a few times over the summer. She actually prefers the harness; she says it is more comfortable.

The first time she rode in the booster she was scared to death; she had her little hands clenched onto the sides of the booster seat. I think it just felt way too 'loose' for a kid who has never in her life known anything else than a super tight 5 pt. harness. I can relate though, after years of riding in a seatbelt, if dh pulls out of the driveway before I've put it on, I feel 'naked' and like I'm going to slide right off the seat or something. Very uncomfortable.

I think all this 'big kid'/'babyish' hooey is kids repeating what their parents are saying to them. Kids don't come up with this stuff on their own. Sad.

 

[bobandjess99]

Dd hasn't had anything much said yet, but let me tell you, any *adult* who dared tease my child (over just about anything really, but especially carseats) would be getting a big ole can of whupazz opened on them. NOT cool. If someone got rude about it, I have zero problems getting rude right back...but always prefer to remain polite, helpful, and informative. If it was another child, I would probably just focus on the teasing itself, not the topic, because i wouldn't want to scare them if they are riding unsafely, you know? ("teasing isn't very nice. We don't tease.")