need car seat info for uneducated bil!

[CrunchyGranolaMom]

Saw my BIL getting out of the car the other day with his almost-5 y/o dd. She was in the back seat, but just in a regular seatbelt. I (lovingly) told him he was a bad dog and that she needed to be in a booster.

He said "she's 65 lbs!". I said, "she's really short. Seatbelts are made to fit a 150 man."

HE said, "That's why I put the seatbelt IN BACK of her".

I picked my jaw up off the ground and replied that, despite his degree from Harvard, he was a dingbat for putting his precious daughter's life in danger.

Then, my almost-10 y/o dd installed her Safe Fit seatbelt adjuster in their car and we told them to keep it.

I need some good booster seat in for him, but I am going google-eyed looking on here. I've been looking since last night. Really, I've tried to find info....

Can anyone give some advice for a family that travels a lot, and the the child is quite chubby (I cannot forward the Consumer Reports article on "Oese chidlren"...). Is a Safe Fit the best answer?!

Thanks.

[alegna]

How about the new PSA program that says something about the magic number being 4'9"?

-Angela

[Mirzam]

The Safe Fit is a very, very bad solution for any child, be it your 10 DD or your DN. It allows the lapbelt portion of the seat belt to ride too high on a child's abdomen and can cause extermely serious injuries in a crash. As I CPSTech, I would caution you to ever use it. Even a low back booster would be a way safER solution. Could you not just buy her one and say you need the the Safe Fit back. But please ditch it.

[ThreeBeans]

Well, for starters, the seatbelt adjuster is horribly unsafe No one should be using it. If a child needs a seatbelt adjuster, she should be in a booster. So I would recommend a backless booster for your 10 year old.


www.car-seat.org will give you some great links for your clueless BIL.

[KJoslyn78]

I assume that from the info next to your name =- you are in MA and so is your BIL? here is a link for the MA government website... that might have some clout

http://www.mass.gov/dph/bfchweb/fact...dpassenger.htm

here's the info (if the link doesnt work - not sure if i put it in right!)

Fact Sheet - Child Passenger Safety

Child Passenger Safety Recommendations

*

The Massachusetts Law requires children to ride in child passenger restraints until they are 5 years old and weigh 40 pounds.
*

Always follow manufacturers’ instructions when installing a child safety seat.
*

Infants up to 20 pounds and one year old should ride in a rear-facing child safety seat.
*

Children in rear-facing child safety seats should never be placed in the front seat of vehicles with a passenger-side air bag. An inflating air bag striking a rear-facing child safety seat can result in death or severe injury.
*

Children who weigh more than 20 pounds and who are one year of age or older may ride in a forward-facing child safety seat.
*

Children between 40 and 80 pounds, and less than 4’9’’ tall, should ride in a booster seat. A booster seat helps the seat belt to fit correctly and safely and gives children more comfort and visibility.
*

Children 12 years old and under should sit in the rear seat whenever possible to reduce their risk of death and serious injury.

[hottmama]

Well, a Britax Husky would keep her harnessed for another 15 lbs (but that might not be long for such a heavy preschooler!!!)
Other than that I think any booster that goes to 100 lbs. is a good choice.
I am a booster seat fascist and have made short 10 yr. olds ride in one in my car, I can't imagine a 4 yr. old sitting with nothing but a seatbelt! What are they thinking?! :

[CrunchyGranolaMom]

Aww, jeez...Safe Fits stink too?! Maaaan. *THAT* bums me out. I have several of them and make every kid who thinks they're too old for a car seat/booster wear one in my car.

Thanks for the MA-specific info, KJoslyn. We're here, but BIL lives in CA and travels a TON with his dd.

I think I have a shot to get him to get a booster (if only to get me off his case), but I don't know about convincing him to start traveling with it.

Anyone know of any uTube videos addressing kids in boosters? The one that i saw about kids over 1 year needing to be rear-facing made a big impact on me!!!!!

And to all of you shaking your heads about what he's thinking: BEATS ME! Thanks for any and all help in educating him (and me! Waaah....No more Safe Fit....)

[KJoslyn78]

here is a link for CA laws

http://www.infant-car-seats.com/stat...alifornia.html

HTH!!

[hottmama]

Unfortunately, California law only requires a booster up to age 6 OR 60 lbs.
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/boosterseats.html
So since your niece is obese, the law will not protect her. That is so sad.

[RiverSky]

We love our Britax Parkway boosters, rated up to 100 lbs.

http://www.britax.com

[soygurl]

Here are some links showing the importance of booster seats:
http://www.boosterseat.gov/
http://www.chop.edu/traumalink/downl...crect_rest.pdf
http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/...er_020304.html
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/boosterbasics.aspx
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/BoosterShop.aspx

And links for why putting the shoulder belt behind her back is a BAD idea:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lapbelts.aspx
http://www.cpsafety.com/images/lapbeltshoulderbelt.jpg

Hope these help!

[s_kristina]

I know there is a group of photos of older kids in harnessed seats is there something similar for bigger kids in boosters? My dd is probably close to 65 lbs and is 49-50" at 5.5 years old. I've got a picture of her in her turbo booster that is a few months old. Although that might be a good thing as now her head is starting to inch past the top of the seat back on it. Would pictures showing older kids riding in their boosters help your bil see that it's normal for bigger kids to be in boosters?

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by s_kristina

I know there is a group of photos of older kids in harnessed seats is there something similar for bigger kids in boosters?

Yes, there is on the same website, it only one child though, a 10 year old.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/boosterfit.aspx

[s_kristina]

Originally Posted by uccomama

Yes, there is on the same website, it only one child though, a 10 year old.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/boosterfit.aspx

Thank you so much for that link! The boy in it seems to fit in the turbo booster very similar to how my 5 year old dd does at least for height. That entire site just made my search for a new booster for her so much easier. I'm sure there are parents at her school that think I'm crazy, but I am not comfortable with her in a low back booster just yet so new higher back high back booster it is. Now I have to go check out that Graco Air booster and hopefully find one in a store without a trek to Orlando.

[bdavis337]

UGH. All this has done is prove to me that my son DOESN'T fit into his Graco Turbo like he should, but that I cannot afford to put him back into a harness or even a pricier, better booster.

[soygurl]

Found one more very sad, but very compelling pro-booster website:
http://www.dustinsdinosaurs.net/index.html

[soygurl]

Originally Posted by bdavis337

UGH. All this has done is prove to me that my son DOESN'T fit into his Graco Turbo like he should, but that I cannot afford to put him back into a harness or even a pricier, better booster.

Have you tried applying for help through the Kyle Miller Foundation? They help pay for harnessed seats for older children who's parent's can't afford the seats...

You might also want to try asking around at http://www.car-safety.org/ for the lowest cost solutions that might help you.

[s_kristina]

Originally Posted by bdavis337

UGH. All this has done is prove to me that my son DOESN'T fit into his Graco Turbo like he should, but that I cannot afford to put him back into a harness or even a pricier, better booster.

I remember all too well breaking down and crying on the way home from trying the Britax Husky in our truck years ago. There was no way it was going to fit and dd was already close to the top slots for the Marathon. I knew how unsafe it was for her to be in a booster, but at that point we had no other choice. Right now I'm just hoping dd doesn't hit a growth spurt in the next month as dh is barely working this month. It will be at least the end of August before I can buy her a new booster. I've also got to hope the little guy doesn't hit a growth spurt in the near future. Our budget can't handle a new harnessed seat for him just yet, but he is around 30 lbs and almost to the top harness slots in the Scenera he is in. Car seats are a never ending battle to keep up with around here.