would it be terrible to booster?

[Unregistered]

Here's the delimma: The seat my son sits in when he rides in his grandparents' car is expired. We don't have any extras we can give them. DS is 5 yr 8 months old 42" tall and 37 pounds. I know that the recommended weight for boostering is 40 pounds. But on the other hand, budget is a major issue for us right now, and we're going to be looking at buying multiple new seats within the next 6 months anyway b/c I'm pregnant with twins, and I'm wondering if it makes sense to go out and buy a harnessed seat just to get DS through these next 3 pounds. The hb turbo booster says it's rated for kids at least 30 pounds. But I still hesitate b/c he's so small for his age. So, would it be horrible to booster him on those occasions (once, maybe twice a week at most) that he rides in my parents' car?

 

[TechnoGranola]

In Canada out boosters start at 40# so I'll let someone from the USA address the booster issue. But thought I'd offer up another suggestion. Is swapping cars an option? I used to do that with my parents. I'd take their car for the day and they'd use my car with the installed seats.

Another option could be installing your current harnessed seat in their car on the days they have your son. But this really is only practical if your seat is super easy to install in both vehicles and that you have to time to do it (not rushing and missing any steps).

 

[Aurezalia]

I think it's a common thought that boostering at 5y and 40#, 6y and 35#, and 7y and 30# is acceptable. (In the US - as pointed out, in Canada boostering starts at 40lbs.) 5y8mos and 37# is acceptable, especially if budget is a big concern and the seat is only being used very very part time. He's small, but unless he has special medical needs you haven't mentioned, he has the SKELETON of a coming-up-on-6yo, and that is very different from being 4y and 37#. It's a decision I would be comfortable making. :twocents:

Another option is to buy a seat that you need to/could use for one of the babies down the line anyway. He would probably fit in an Evenflo Sureride (SUPER high top slots, and relatively inexpensive), and then once he outgrows it/hits 40lbs, you could just pass it down. No wasting money that way.

 

[Unregistered]

letting them use one of the other isn't really an option b/c sometimes my dad picks him up from school while I'm at work... would be a huge hassle to have to go over there the night before to install the seat. And since that's the situation, switching cars isn't really an option, either (plus, I have serious doubts that they would go for that).

Might look into the evenflo option... but then I wonder how quickly we would need to get a booster for him anyway.

 

[carseatcoach]

Assuming he's capable of proper booster behavior -- many, but definitely not all, kids his age are (my own kid wasn't so I'm not making any judgements here) -- I would be okay with him in a well-fitting highbacked booster.

 

[sirrahn]

My youngest DD is tiny. She was only about 34lbs at 6.5yrs and going into 1st grade. At that point I let her switch to a Turbo booster, and it fit her very very well. As long as he's mature enough to sit well, that should be a perfectly fine option.

 

[lpperry]

I would be ok with a booster for an almost 6 year old in these conditions.

When my stepdaughter was 5 1/2, so outgrew her combination seat. She was 38 pounds and wasn't 6 yet, but we didn't want to buy another ff seat when we were going to move her to a hbb in just a few months. I almost bought a Nautilus, but she is too much older than other other kids to pass things down to and I knew that my kids wouldn't need a ff only seat because the convertible seats we buy will get them to booster age. So, we did good fitting hbb in dh's car. In my car she still rode in a convertible seat.

 

[Baylor]

Absolutely I would booster. It is the best option for you. It is age appropriate and you can make sure you father knows how to buckle him and your son is old enough to understand what right looks and feels like. My children will tell anyone who buckles them or is attempting to drive that it's not right.

auto correct hates me

 

[monica-m]

Provided that the child has the required maturity to be safe in a booster, I absolutely would booster.