Urgent car seat question

[boysrus]

I have two booster chairs. One is one those small ones with the shield. I know the shield is unsafe, so I threw it away a long time ago, and we just use the belt positioning seat part of it. We also have a two in one seat that has the harnesses plus can be convereted to the belt positioning booster. My son outgrew the straps, and we threw them out, only using it for belt positioning.
So, now we are getting rid of both of the car seats.
I have read that car seats should not be used after 5 years, but what about boosters? The frame does not seem integral to the safety. The seat is not holding the child in, as the belt is not connected at all.
The reason I am asking this is bc we are having a yard sale tomorrow and I am trying to decide if I can sell these or if I should just throw them out. If they could be safe, I would love to sell them, bc they will help a family that maybe doesn't have the money to buy one. Plus it is not going into the landfill yet. But I dont want to put any child in jeopardy.

Anyone!? The only thing I ever seee on the car seat saftey sites is referring specifically to car seats, and not boosters.

[geekmom]

I've heard that you're supposed to keep kids in car seats/boosters as long as possible, to age 8 if possible.

If I were you I probably wouldn't sell them at a yard sale since you're not supposed to buy them and use them if you don't know their whole history.

I know in my area you can get free car seats/boosters from the police department or from Medicaid. If you ever know anyone who can't afford car seats suggest they call their doctor or police station. I've gotten all my seats for free.

[BathrobeGoddess]

My understanding is that the 5 year rule only counts if the seat is going to be fasened into the car. If you are using it strickly as a booster, i.e. boosting your child up so that the car's seatbelt holds them in case of an accident, then the 5 year rule doesn't matter.

Okay that was sort of unclear....one more time.

If the plastic in the seat is being used to secure the child, don't use a seat after 5 years. Otherwise, have at it.....

[boysrus]

Ok, Eden, that is exactly what i was thinking, I just needed someone to tell me for sure

Our medicaid only offers car seats for the first year of life. They dont do boosters, and I would be very surprised if the police gavce them away., This is a very very poor state, and kids over the age of 4(I think it is four) dont even have to be buckled when they are in the back seat. let alone in a booster.

[LunaMom]

Yikes, that's terrible! No requirements for vehicle safety after age four? And the fact that Medicaid won't pay for it...awful.

In your original post, it is unclear when you say "past 5 years" whether you mean five years of age, or when the seat is five years old. I think I can see now that you mean the seat. I agree that if a seat is simply being used to raise a child up so that the shoulder belt fits him properly, it doesn't matter. Actually, because of that, it may be fine to buy one second-hand, unlike a car seat, which they say you should never buy used. Maybe that can help lower the cost.

[mamapixie]

Call the manufacturer of th eseats, they can tell you if they're safe to use or not.

BTW, if you know someone who NEEDS a carseat, and can't afford one, have them call a local carseat tech(I'll find the link later), or go to http://www.safekids.org. There are organizations out there that provide free(or low-cost carseats)

[sunmountain]

There's a thread in TAO from about a month ago or so that addresses all of these questions, and more

Every state requirement is different, so you have to check your local statutes. And if you want to ask a specific question there is a member here who is a car seat tech. Her name is jaylind, and you can do a search for her and email or pm her. She's always happy to help out and is chock full of websites you can go to for more info.

[sunmountain]

ok, it was actually in Parenting issues:

here's the link to the thread, hope it helps!

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...threadid=49682