What Do I Do with a 37Lb 4Yr Old?

The law in Michigan is very ambiguous, and one of the worst laws in the country. The safest choice is a 5 point harness. Sometimes parents have to make tough decisions because of this. I had to invest in new seats because when my youngest son was 18 months old, his trunk height brought him to the top of his harness height!! I had to buy a seat with a higher harness weight that had more heights for the shoulder straps... You should wait as long as possibly to switch to the Booster, and not do so until she can sit with her butt ALL THE WAY back in the seat, and have her knees still bend... That is the tough part... My almost 5 year old is still in his 5 pt.... In case this helps...I am also a car seat safety inspector...

I would keep her in the 5 point harness. As stated by someone else, it is by far the safest. My son was almost 8 before we took him out of the harness. That decision was based on height and weight guidelines for the seat. He also asked when he could stop using it. My answer always was "when you are big enough for it to be safe". My almost 11 year daughter still uses a booster seat because she feels safer and can see out the window. As long as she meets the booster guidelines, I'll let her stay in it.

Hope this helps.

K.

I would reccomend looking into the Britax booster seats, I know they are expensive, but the quality is exceptional and they are very comfortable for the child. I got rid of my Graco carseat for a Britax and would never go back.

Dear S. S.,

If you have the money to buy a new carseat, I would do that and also buy a booster seat. Your daughter is well worth the cost of a new car seat. I would destroy the car seat you have that is not safe so that you are not responsible for any child being injured. I would also write a letter to the maker of that 5-point harnes carseat and ask for a refund. You had no way to know it would be worthless when you bought it.

You are going to need a booster seat soon anyway, so if you can afford it now, buy it now to have it the minute you need it. My granddaughters gave me heck for making them sit on top of a booster seat for quite some time, but I did not listen to them and told them they were safer that way. I did not care that they got angry at me because their safety riding in our vehicles was more important to me than their feelings. The seatbelt sits in the right place on little ones while they are sitting on top of the booster seat which is sitting on top of the car's manufactured seat.

L. C.

My girls, like your daughter, have been in an Alpha Omega since they were less than a year. Our girls have always been tall and skinny and around 3 they moved to the belt positioning position due to their height (the shoulder straps were at the highest point and the 5-point was positioned incorrectly). We got the car seat because of the ratings and have never had an issue with it, or a concern either. One thing to consider, as we noticed this with putting the booster seat from my car into my husbands car was that belt positioner didn't fit as nicely in the van as my sedan. You may have it positioned wrong (check your user manual). If so, then go to a place like Babies R Us that might let you put a demo in your car to see what it looks like on your daughter and see if there is a proper fit (I think they offer this).

Our almost 5 year old is actually almost to the 52" height cut off for that car seat and is only 43 lbs (but is 50"). My husband has the Alpha Omega's, I have a Cosco Traveler Booster Seat - but there again it cuts off at 52" as the top height and it doesn't convert to a backless (a decision I have come to regret as we had to buy yet a third car seat for my car).

Bottom line - you need to do what you feel comfortable and safe with, regardless of the cost! Also, if you feel more comfortable with her in a 5 point harness (or if she's still short for the transition) then leave her in it and explain that she is safer.

We've decided to keep our daughter in a 5 point harness for a bit longer and she just turned 5 in August. We feel that it is just much safer for her at this point. She is still small and I want to know and feel that she is as safe as possible. That's most important to me! Probably when she is six we'll switch to a booster seat. We have a third baby on the way, so when it needs to advance from an infant seat, they'll all advance up. :)

Locally here there is a non profit group called Lakeshore Safe kids. Check to see if there is something similar in your area. It is very helpful. They inspect the seats with the kids in them and teach you what you are doing right or wrong and why. If you don't have the proper equipment they usually have it there "for donation" with suggested prices that are cheaper than the stores. They install them and make sure you have the right fit.

i to am a mother of a little girl who is almost for and about to buy a new car seat because i don;t like the the way the seat belt hold her in her car seat they do make car seat with five point harness for heaver kids look at babiesrus my almost 4 yr olds is 49 pd they are right around a 120 dollar but are good for a long time something like 90 pound i think top of the line if you can't find them let me know i have a few written down some where good luck and stay away from booster they are awful on the back

You have to do whatever keeps her safe and comfortable. It looks like you with be buying the new seat eventually, you could get it now and try it out with the other for back-up.

Good luck. You will make the right call.

S.

Hello S.,

the 5-point harness seatbelt is safer than a booster seat. if you do switch to a booster seat, get it with back support and the ones that have also protect their heads on the side. I'm sure that saved my son from having a bad head injury a few months ago. bottom line, do what you think is best for you. My soon to be 9-year old still on his booster seat w/ back support. have a great day! ~Carmen~

I'd keep her in the 5 point as long as possible honestly. I'd tell her the boosters are just to unsafe for her at this time due to her lack of weight. Also if you feel you need to tell her that you'd get in trouble from the policeman if he saw she wasn't riding safely in your car. Mine rarely puts up a fight about riding in his carseat 5 point and he's almost 4 but when we tell him how much trouble Daddy could be in if the policeman saw he wasn't safe that seems to really help. Best of luck to you!

That is the exact model we bought. My daugther loves it. She was too tall for her 5 point harness, we made the decision to move her to a booster seat when we could see that if we were in an accident she was going to break both her legs. She loves her big girl seat (and its pink)

I love that you are a Lactivist and believe in raising gentle people! Good luck on #2!!

Hi S.

I just purchased 2 of the Graco Turbo Boosters for both cars but it doesn't fit as nicely in the 2008 chevy but great for 1997 Ford since the 2008 has the head rest in the back seat the backless is recommended but it just doesn't fit the seat right but what I did find out was that my car seat my son had used from 6months old to present was a booster also and we removed the base from the seat and put it in place and with the seatbeat resting underneath arm of the booster made my child comfortable without any strain and he loves his big boy riding seat. Hope this helps you out but once you decide just go to your local police station and ask them to inspect it for you it will only take a few minutes and give you a peace of mind. Good Luck.

T. A

I always err on the side of safety. A 5 point harness is the safest way for her to travel.

I would use the 5point harness until she outgrows it and then purchase a booster seat that passes all safety regulations. And, in my opinion, I would get a booster with a back and side head impact pads. As far as I'm concerned, you can not be too safe when it comes to your kids in a car. YOU may drive well... but it's the other freaks on the road I am concerned about.

My daughter is 13 months old and still rear facing. Granted she hasn't hit the magic 20lb mark...but I'm not turning her around until it's absolutely necessary. If another car (which at a minimum is about 3000lbs) decides to slam into my car... I want her to have the best chance of survival.

I would say go with a 5 point harness. They are so much safer!

I say try the booster and see how you feel about it. If you don't like it, you can always go back to the seat. Good luck.

Actually, I am pretty sure that you have to be 40 lbs to go into a should belt booster seat. SO for her sake I would keep her in the 5 point harness till she is bigger. I have a 3 1/2 yo and a 5 yr old and Abi wants to be in abig girl one like her sister but I just tell her that I want her to be safe if we get in an accident or hit something and she has been ok with it (I do have to say it again occasionally but for the most part she is good about it). I am willing to argue rather than give in and her get hurt!

hello i also have that car seat and love it. i was bummed when it failed as a booster but iam happy that i know about it before i he gets too big and has to use the booster part. i have an evenflo highback with removable back and a graco backless booster and love them!! since she is soooo close to the 40 lbs for the car seat i would just put her into a booster. my kids all have been in a booster since 3 or so anyhow and they have done just fine. you can always buy one and take it to a car seat saftey check to make sure that it fits her well with the seatbelt. i was shocked to find out they do check booster seats at car seat checks! they checked both of my kids in both of our booster seats since they always change who sits where. good luck

I think i kept my children in 5 pt until 40 lbs ( that was what my car seat 5 pt limit was. "Then I moved to a booster because it would have no longer been safe to keep him in 5 pt.

We are having the booster seat to big kid no booster seat with my 8 year old. He is not yet 4'9" so I think it is safer to keep him in a booster ( so does the ped.)

I'd go with what the state laws say. 4 year olds don't have a concept of the severity of improper child seats, violating state laws, etc.

I would say that big girls listen to mum and dad. And that a big girl can get into a big girl seat when you find the right one, but she's not big enough for a seat belt like adults.

My son outgrew his 5-point harness shortly before his 3rd birthday in both height and weight. We bought him two Graco's one is the Nautlis which has a harness until 65lbs and the Turbo Boost. He loves and fits very well in both. We use the Nautlis on longer trips though, as he slumps in half when he sleeps and the seat belt does nothing for him.

Keep her in a five point harness for as long as possible. A five point harness is by far the safest type of restraint, that's why professional race car drivers have to use them. If you need any persuading on this go to this web address (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04
It's a video on you tube called Bellesgift, it's about a three year old girl who was heavy and tall enough to be in a booster seat but did not survive a low impact crash because booster seats really aren't designed correctly for most kids under five years. It's a heart breaking video which has links to many others with the same message: five point harnesses are the safest way to go until they are too big for them. You can even get the ones that go up to 60 or 70 pounds now. If you are already having reservations about how it fits her I would say wait until she is too big for the five point harness and then get her a new booster that is better rated. You just need to tell your daughter this is about her safety and is not negotiable. My three year old is big enough now for a booster but I will be keeping him in his five point harness for as long as possible. She may only be 3Ibs off the limit but it could take months still for her to reach that magic 40Ibs, and those months could be the difference in a crash.

Yes yes! YOu need to find another carseat my dear!
My sister is a police officer and specializes in carseat saftey! Most carseats that would be considered the safest have a multilevel seatbelt placement. The multiple levels in which you can place the belt through on the sides of the seat. Just make sure that when you buy a new one it is compatible with your car. A lot of cars, espically before the year 2000 dont have seats that work well with actual carseats, it wont fit correctly. Hope this helps, Good luck!

I would say to call your local police station and ask if they would do a car seat check and tell them your delema. I am sure that they would do it for you and let you know what you should be using with your child.

Keep her in the car seat until she is big enough to fit in a booster seat safely. The laws are minimum guidelines,only. Four is not a magical number. Height and weight are more important than age.
As for her wanting to be a "big girl", do not cave into this. You are the parent. When your child's safety is an issue it should not be up to your daughter to decide, but you. Many children her age do not fit height and weight standards and still are in a car seat.
D.

It is now a LAW that under 4'9" or 8 years old, they have to be in a booster seat, so you don't have a choice in the matter, other than which booster you'd prefer in place of your convertible. They are less expensive than the convertible seats (we have 2 convertibles also), and the boosters are SOOO much easier than the 5-pt harnesses, though I was uneasy about taking my son out of his 5-pt. But everything has been fine. Also, she is not yet tall enough for a backless booster, so you'll need a belt-positioning one. Whether it converts to backless or not is really not a big deal, just a personal preference if you choose.

Are you sure you're routing the seatbelt properly in the seat? I don't have that seat, but have read numerous reviews which gave it outstanding ratings, so I'm surprised to hear someone unhappy with it... You may need to raise/lower the back so the shoulder harness lays properly??? Just thinking "outloud" if you will, LOL.

We have a Graco Turbo with the memory foad padded seat. My son seems to love it, though in the summer he does mention his back sweating. Also, if you do any lengthy traveling, I have to say that their little heads bob around when they fall asleep, even with the side "wings." My son looked so much more comfy sleeping in his convertible, than in his booster. If have a van, or any vehicle where the actual seat of the car will recline, then the booster will recline slightly with it. The rear seat of our SUV won't recline, so we don't have that option. Also, Evenflo makes a nearly identical version of the turbo that has little lights on the "wings" they can click on to read a book or what not when it's dark. I wish I'd have seen that one first... But we do love our Graco... Good luck...

I have a 4 year old girl who is 36lbs and she started out in the 5 point harness too. Some of those same car seats can also be used as a booster seat. (check the manual) otherwies, my daughter is is the graco turbo booser since age 3 1/2 and I feel she is completely safe. That booster seat has received high safety standard awards also (that's why I chose it)