Oldest kid still harnessed in a car seat

Sarah - posted on 03/30/2011

My almost 3 year old is very tiny (around 25 lbs) so she will be harnessed for a long time. I have no problem with that. It will keep her safer & it will make me worry a lot less. The rule where I live (I'm not sure if it's nationwide or not) but all children under 2 have to stay rear facing. My youngest will be 1 in June & we will keep him rear facing until his 2nd birthday.

Elizabeth - posted on 03/30/2011

Our oldest daughter met the guidlines at 3 1/2 for weight to be in a high back booster seat and we moved her. Also, my children are all on the 95% for weight and height so the carseat she was in prior she was out growing (it went to 80lbs) but the highest strap setting was below her shoulders ...that is dangerous.

Our 2 year old is almost 40 lbs and she will have to be switched probably around 3 1/2 as well. Same problem with the straps.

Lady Heather - posted on 03/30/2011

I will probably keep her in it for as long as her 65 lb seat lasts. We have to use car seats or boosters until 9 years old or 4'11. If she stays average that's about the weight she'll be at 9 anyways. So why buy another seat if I don't have to? Of course knowing my paranoia I'll probably want to get a booster seat after that and make her stay in it until she leaves home. Ha.

Medic - posted on 03/30/2011

That is how he told me....I almost peed my pants laughing at him and had to get his dad to re-buckle him with the seatbelt.

Jennifer - posted on 03/30/2011

Kudos to you for wanting to use a harness as long as possible. I think you should do it as long as the child will let you get away with it. Eventually they will complain about being uncomfortable (i.e. squished nuts), or like Sara said, they will just start unhooking themselves. Heck, if I thought my son would fit...he'd be rear-facing til he was 12! Lol

Medic - posted on 03/30/2011

I moved my son a little bit after he turned 4 because he said the harness was squishing his "nuts". Seeing as I have no idea what that feels like I had to trust my hubby and son and just turn the seat into a booster.

Sara - posted on 03/30/2011

I had to move my oldest to a highbacked booster becaue she was undoing the harness, other then that I would have kept her in as long as possible but I figured that if she wasn't seatbelted with the harness it was safer to switch her to the booster and she's so much happer and she doesn't undo the seat belt

Matte - posted on 03/30/2011

i will keep my child in a harnessed seat as long as i can! he already likes to get his arms out of the top part, so we will see how that goes! but if i remember to put the clip all the way up to his chin he can't get out! My neice just turned 8 and she is still in a boosterish seat that could have a harness on it, but she likes the seat belt.
i can't see why people want their children out of a safe seat that could save their lives! its an extra 60 seconds you have to take... wow... big deal!

Louise - posted on 03/30/2011

I intend to keep my daughter in a harness until she is 4 then I will swop to a booster seat. My older sons (adults now) had no choice but to go straight to a booster seat after they out grew the harnessed seats as there was not the choice then. I never had any problems with them moving.