I have an almost 4 year old who, when in his carseat, complains his back hurts. Whrn do you switch from a 5 point carseat to a booster? I read somewhere that they should/can switch when they are 4 AND 40 pounds or when their shoulders are past the top seat belt slot. Also, i have an 8 year old whos probably almosr 60 pounds...whats the law for that? Does she stay in the booster??
You know, you don't have to guess about this. All local police & fire departments have at least O. child safety seat technician. You can call for a FREE eval. Why guess? Get the facts from a trained professional.
I moved the kids into boosters as soon as they were 3. It just fits them better. If the seat doesn't fit there isn't any safety in it.
I switched my son to a booster when he was 4 years old. He has a convertable seat that he has been in since he was 4 months old, and he uses that as his booster now (goes up to 100 pounds). He is 5 now. My daughter who will be 8 next week (who is VERY tall, size of some 10 year olds), is out of her booster and just uses the seat now.
The law is less of an issue than safety. Car seatbelts are designed to lay properly on a person who is at least 4'9" If your 8 year old is at least 4'9" she can move off of the booster, otherwise she should continue using a booster.
Should and can are very different words. If he's 4 years old and 40 pounds he can switch. If he still fits in a 5 point harness (his shoulders not above the top setting for the straps) he should stay in a front facing carseat. If he want to move him to a booster, definitely use a high back booster with a guide for the shoulder strap to help him keep it placed properly on his shoulder.
California law allows 8 year olds not to use the booster anymore, or if the child reaches 4'9" in height before age 8, they no longer have to sit in a booster. Legally you don't have to have her in one, but if she still fits in it, it's safer for her to use it until she reaches 4'9".
My kids both switched to the belt positioning booster when their shoulders reached the top notch of their Britax car seats. It was at age 4 for one of my kids, and the other one was 5.5 (she's really small for her age!). Poor kid is going to turn 8 in June and is nowhere near tall enough to be out of her booster yet, but she haaaaaates her booster seat. :(
For the four year old there are booster seats with a five point harness. That is a good solution. For the older she should stay in a booster u til I think 4'8". Some boosters go to 110lbs but most 80 lbs.
In California, the law for being in a booster is they must be 8 years old OR 4'9" tall. Technically, your eight year old is not required by law to be in any sort of car seat or booster at all. However, if she's shorter than 4'9", you may want to consider keeping her in the booster, since the seat belt will not hit her in the proper place until she's taller.
As for your younger one, what seat is he in now? Technically, yes, at age 4 and 40 lbs you can move to a booster. However, it's not as safe as a harness and, if you can, you should keep him harnessed as long as possible.
My son is 5.5. He's almost four feet tall and weighs close to 50 lbs. We have a Britax Frontier in my car and a Graco Nautilus in my husband's. Both are five point harness seats that can later convert to both a high back and backless booster. It's great. He has always sat in them harnessed and doesn't complain at all about the comfort of either one.
We also have a Graco High Back Turbo Booster for him, that he uses when riding in the car with grandparents or friends. He's not harnessed, but it's convenient for trips in other cars. I don't ever use this one in my car, which he rides in almost every day, but only with friends or grandparents.
The way I look at it, more protection is always better. If they can be harnessed, that's definitely safest and best. If a harness is no longer an option, a booster is best until they are 4'9" or taller.
My son was in the 5 point harness until he could operate the seat belt all by himself, which was just a few months ago around his 6th birthday.
CA law says they have to be in a booster until age 8, and yes, the booster is 4 and 40 pounds, but my son is 6 and 44 pounds, and he's still in a belt positioning booster that is latched in.
I see no reason NOT to keep our kids as safe as possible for as long as possible, but you should look at his carseat to see if something is poking him, or if the straps are high enough. In a forward-facing seat, the straps should be just ABOVE his shoulders.
