I know this is a strange question, but here goes. My son just turned 7. He is about 53 pounds and tall. Obviously he is outgrowing his 5 point harness. Although the seat is supposed to go up to at least 60 pounds, the tops of his shoulders are getting higher than the top straps of the seat. SO, despite the weight limit of this seat, it seems as though he is outgrowing it by height. I went out and bought a Graco booster the other day. It appears that you just place the seat in the car and use the seat belts as normal. The booster is not actually attached to the seat at the bottom. We have read the manual that came with the seat and this is how it instructs the seat to be used. Is this normal for booster seats? Should they be attached to the seat of the car in some way? I know this is a stange question, but he is my oldest and we have never used boosters before....thanks for answering.
ETA: I loved the you tube video. There was never any question on using the booster for sure. I am in a safety related career so this is REALLY important to me anyway. I am just trying to make sure that we are using it correctly.
We have 3 boosters. 2 latch, one doesn't. I believe the intent of the booster is to simply have the child sit higher so a regular seatbelt fits across their body correctly. I think by the time a child is old enough/big enough to fit in a booster they don't need quite the restraint as a younger, smaller child. Personally I prefer the ones that latch so they can't shift.
The seat you have will not attach. It is intended to use as you describe.
It is a good idea to have a booster that latches (many do) in simply because it provides a bit more side impact protection (think stability), and otherwise you have to buckle his empty booster when he's not in it (so it does not become a projectile and hurt you or someone else in the event of a collision).
But the seat you have is fine to use, of course. Just buckle it in when he's not in it, too.
A booster sear does two things: It places the child higher so the seat belt fits properly, and it supports the child's uncontrolled forward and back motion should you end up in a collision or braking quickly.
Instead of the child's body alone being forced against the seatbelt, the booster moves with the child's body and disperses the energy, which results in a lower impact on your child's body and lessens the likelihood of seatbelt injury.
If you try to latch or secure a booster that isn't meant to be latched, it disables the booster's ability to support your child's body in a collision or when you have to quickly stomp the brakes. It seems odd, but when you consider it from a physics perspective, it starts making sense.
If you want your child to be better secured, there are manufacturers who have boosters with 5-point harnesses and latch systems.
♥
C. Lee
As others have said, these boosters are designed to simply position your child correctly so that the belt hits in their body in the proper areas. They are not designed to provide any additional protections.
That's why they promote keeping your chilld in the 5 point harness as long as possible. It sounds like you have already done this though and it is time to rely on just the seat belt.
In PA our kids no longer need a booster after the age of 8 and so many pounds. You're almost there if FL's laws are the same.
The base does not connect to the car, but there is a strap that connects to the shoulder strap to hold it at the proper height for the child. There are a lot of online resources to ensure you're using it correctly, but you can also usually go by a local babiesrus, fire house, or police station and ask them to check
We use a booster seat and a separate strap that cinches the seat belt lower so it doesn't come up to his neck.
We love one that works like this (we didn't buy this exact one, but it will give you a good idea of how they work): http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
A highway patrol officer gave a talk at my daughter's toddler class a few weeks ago. He told us those backless booster seats are next door to useless. They'll just slide right out from under your child in the event of a rear-end collision. He recommended buying one that at least has a back on it, and ideally one with the 5-point harness.
The seat just positions the child so that the seat belt fits correctly. You should be fine.
Whoops, wrong question, sorry!
Booster seats work by lifting the child up so the seat belt fits properly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T0RxvTD6SM
Add: I figured you knew the safety reasons, but I also figured this was an appropriate time to share a good informational video. I love you tube, it's filled with treasures.
