Time for a Booster?

Too soon.....boosters are just not as safe as a 5 point harness, plain and simple.

However, I know I may go overboard in the other direction as i still have my 10 year old in a no back booster and my tiny 7 year old in a 5 point harness.

I got the Britax Frontier for my son. I used the 5 pt harness until he was about 6. At that point I did a trial. I converted the seat to a booster and had him buckle himself in. If he couldn't do it, then he wasn't ready for the booster mode. He was converted back to harness mode. He finally got it after a while and by that point, we were both ready for it. My daughter is now going through that transition and she had to see what it was like to use a seat belt. Backless boosters are VERY easy to buckle but my baby was just getting out of her Britax Marathon and I still wanted that side impact protection. Plus, I noticed that the Marathon was getting a little narrow for her shoulders and she was starting to reach the max ht for shoulder straps. With the Frontier, she still has room to grow up and out. Hope this helps.

If you do some research on this, you'll find that 5-point harnesses are much much safer for kids as compared to boosters. Boosters are really the bare minimum - even the nicer high-backed one. A 4-year old was killed in Pittsburgh just last week when he was thrown out of his booster seat in an accident. Tragic.

Yes, a booster is easier to get your child in and out of. But the 5-point harness is much safer. My 6-year old still rides in his seat with the 5-point buckle.

I switched my oldest to a high-back booster when he was 4. He has been fine in it. I believe the only thing that makes the high-back different is that the seat belt goes through a slot at the top of the booster so that it doesn't rub the child's neck. We switched him to a back-less booster when we noticed that he was tall enough to not need the seat belt positioner.

The question I would be asking is whether or not she's mature enough to handle the freedom that comes with a booster seat. When my brother and SIL first put my niece in a booster, she announced from the backseat, "Look, Mommy, I can wiggle out of my seat!" Yep, she was back in a 5-point harness later that day. She's fine now, but she just wasn't quite ready.

My youngest is 3 1/2 and over 40 pounds, but it's going to be awhile before we switch him. He would unbuckle himself, be dancing around the van and probably climb into the front seat and say, "Hi, Mommy!" Definitely not ready!

As long as she's going to sit properly (without wiggling or being silly) and won't unbuckle herself until the car is parked, I think you're good to go.

Seat belts are perfectly safe. The reason a 5-point harness is safer for younger, less mature kids is because they will try to wiggle out. Seat belts are perfectly safe. I'm sure she'll be fine.

My son is 4 1/2 & still in his car seat but I started calling it a "booster seat" 2 yrs ago. He is 39 lbs & 42 in. tall so still good for it. I plan to keep him in it til he gets too tall for it. I am sort of safety neurotic & not ready to give up the 5-point belts. To help he buckles himself in & likes that independence. Plus he likes being up high to see all around. Maybe point out those benefits to her?

Everyone I know moved their kids around age 3 to a booster. When they were about 4 or 5 they went to a backless on. The seat belt only has to fit across the right part of the chest so the backless booster is only to add height.

I think a lot of moms just wait and wait. I don't know that there is any real safety issue. We've been hit by a drunk driver and the kids were all fine in their boosters but of course we don't drive on interstate highways every day.

I switched both my kids when they hit 40 pounds. For my daughter we did it on her 4th birthday. For my son, we was almost 5 years old because he was on the smaller side. As long as she is 40 pounds, I'd say it's ok.

Check the laws for your state because it can vary.

Our oldest moved into a booster at three, but second child had to wait until she was four.

Boosters are pure joy compared to car seats! You will love it! Super easy to transfer to other vehicles, which makes playdates and visits a piece of cake.

Brands don't make much difference when it comes to boosters (they really just need to align the child properly with the seat belt). We do like the Graco TurboBooster line, though.

I would ask her why she wants the booster if she still fits and see if it's just that she wants to be FF or wants a cup holder or something that wouldn't require a new seat yet.

He have a Britax too. It kinda annoys me when people see moving to just a booster as a mark of maturity or ability in a child. My son is 4 1/2, 42lbs, 43 inches and he loves his seat! The best part is that if he is tired, he can lay his head and not have floppy head like he does when he has to ride in grandpa's car in just the booster. You cn buy a high back with the head/neck cushions, but why spend the money when you can just keep her in the carseat? I plan to keep him in the Britax until at least 5.

I'm with the others, check the laws in your state. I would keep her in the 5 point harness as long as possible. We have the Britax Frontier also. My son was in it from age 3 until he was almost 6. We just converted him to the booster seats. He is 49 inches tall and 58 pounds. His 4 year old sister now uses the Frontier. She could be in a booster too but it's just not safe. She is 44 inches tall and 38 pounds. I think here they have to be 40 inches. She does fit the requirements on the boxes too. For her we will wait and for him, he knows that if we go on a long trip that he will be back in the Frontier and she'll use the other 5 point that's in hubby's car. The Frontier fits them to 100 lbs and can be used with the harness or lap belt.

My 3 1/2 year old is currently in a high-back booster. We were going to have to boot her out of her old car seat so her sister can use it (sister finally outgrew infant seat) so I decided on a car seat, then pulled up several color variations and let her choose which one she wanted. She chose a pink and brown, and was VERY excited. I made a point of telling her it was the last car seat she would ever use (hopefully) since it converts to a backless booster as well. She has done very well with it, and I also made a point of telling her that if she didn't sit in the seat right (sitting up, not slouching; putting her arm over the shoulder strap as opposed to under, etc.) that I would put the harness straps back in and she would have to use it that way until she was older. She continues to do well with it. If you think she's ready and you are comfortable with it, I say give it a shot.

We have the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1, and I like it a lot. Easy to assemble, easy to latch.

My 3 yr old daughter is 40in 36lbs and has a high-backed booster that she really likes (especially the CUP HOLDER) We are only in cars 3 or 4 times a year and didn't want to buy another 5 point harness car seat (because her infant brother now uses her old maxicosi)

I moved my older son to a booster at 3. We bought him a Compass High Back booster (the top rated booster on the market at the time). With my younger son, we put him in a Graco Nautilus at 3. That has a five point harness and Latch to use until 65 lbs., and then when they get too tall (which my son did at about 7 and 50 lbs.) for the five point, you can use it as a booster with the strap.

I will probably not use a booster until 5-6, but the real test of readiness for a booster is NOT age or weight, it's maturity (provided the child meets at least the minimum age, weight and height requirements, of course. But most kids need harnessing past those minimums).

The 5-step test for readiness for a booster seat is:
1. Child sits all the way at the back of the seat (no slumping)
2. Child's knees bend at the edge of the seat (legs are long enough for knees to reach edge)
3. Does the shoulder belt cross between the arm and neck? (it must not go over the neck)
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? (no wiggling, slouching, falling asleep, etc.)
Here is a link to the 5 step test, but this is a pretty standard measurement for booster readiness, you can find it lots of places. http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.pdf

The last one is the biggest test of maturity, the others are about fit and size. My guess is most 4 year olds -- especially one that's only 39 inches -- are not ready. Please do not put your child in a booster until she meets the readiness requirements, as it is not safe to do so until then. If she does meet ALL the requirements, then feel free to switch her. One thing I feel strongly about, however, is that car seat changes (switching to forward facing or a booster) should be delayed as long as is reasonable or until the child simply grows out of the previous stage, because typically every switch makes the child less safe in the event of an accident.

Too soon! My seven year old can barely sit properly in one. They fidget, loosen the belt, put their legs up, etc. my huge 4.5 year old is in a britax frontier booster, she knows it's safer than the regular belt and that she doesn't have an option, although she doesn't seem to care what kind of seat she's in!

You can buy a graco nautilus hat is a five point harness, with a cup hold
er that the turns into a high back booster then a regular booster. My five year old still uses the 5 point harness, but likes that it looks like a big girl seat.

I LOVE my Sunshine Kids/Diono Radian carseats. They have the 5 point harness, but they also convert into a high back booster. Or, they also make one that is just a booster. Look into these if you want. My kiddos aren't old enough to move out of their carseats yet, so I don't know when to move them..sorry~