What type of car seat is your 4 year old in (and how much does he/she weigh)?

[ChristusG]

With the new baby arriving in October, we're having to reconfigure the seating arrangements in our van. Right now both girls just sit in the 5 point harnesses in the middle seat of the van and the 3rd row is empty.

 

What I would really love is for both girls to be able to sit in the 3rd row, baby in the middle, which would leave an empty seat beside baby so that someone can sit by her if she needs to be comforted. Or I can sit in the parking lot and nurse her (instead of trying to squeeze myself into the 3rd row to nurse).

 

HOWEVER, my preferred seating arrangement would require moving my girls (4 and 7) OUT of their 5 point harnessed Britax seats. I feel they are very safe in those seats. It would require putting them into Graco high backed Turbo boosters. I'm more comfortable putting my 7 year old into a high backed booster than my 4 year old. But then again, I feel she's safer in a 5 point harness. We'd have to do this because the only seat in the 3rd row with a tether is the center seat. So I couldn't put both kids back there.

 

My 4 year old is 35 pounds, which is on the minimal side for the weight range. This particular seat goes from 30 - 100 pounds. We bought the boosters for the girls to try out. It *seems* to sit well on her shoulders and waist. But she's only four. That being said, the girls LOVE their new pink seats that have slide out cup holders. They LOVE sitting in the 3rd row and being able to sit their toys on the seat between them and have their own cup holders on the sides of the van to sit their crayons. They told me today that they wanted me to just drive around so they could ride in the Turbo boosters for longer. :lol:

 

I'm just not sure how I feel about them being out of their 5 point harnesses....especially the 4 year old.

 

So here's my options:

 

1. Both kids in the 3rd row, in high backed Turbo boosters. Pros: This leaves my preferred option of baby in the 2nd row with an empty seat beside her. The kids are happy in their new seats. Cons: No 5 point harnesses for my older two.

 

2. My 7 year old in her 5 point harness in the 3rd row center seat. My 4 year old in one of the 2nd row seats in her 5 point harness. And baby in the other 2nd row seat. Cons: My older girls are separated and cannot talk and play while they ride. There's no empty seat beside the baby. The girls won't be using their new "cool" seats. No one can sit in the 2 empty seats beside DD in the 3rd row because her car seat is so wide and it will also block the aisle (seriously, it's big...it's a Britax Regent) Pro: I will have peace of mind that everyone is in a safe seat.

 

3. Get a new vehicle with more tethers. :D I've tried talking DH into that one.

 

DH doesn't understand why this is such an issue for me. I'm such a stickler for car seat safety and I don't ever want to have to play the "what if" game if we ever got into an accident.

[Mommy22alyns]

I absolutely would NOT take the 4 yo out of 5 pt. harness. Your 7 yo would be okay (though as you say, a 5 pt. is still safer). But a million times no to taking the 4 yo out of 5 pt.

 

ETA: Both of my girls are still in Regents.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Mommy22alyns

[kitten18]

I would have to go with option #2.

 

My kids are going to be 8 and 6 in October, and they're both still in a 5-point harness.

[8circles]

Why can't you put both 5-pts in the 3rd row?

[NanceXToo]

My son is in a Britax Boulevard 5 pt harness carseat, and he will be 6 in early November. Once he turns 6, I plan on switching him over to a highbacked Graco Turbobooster booster seat. He's kind of looking forward to it, like a rite of passage, and I'm satisfied enough with its safety for a 6 y/o. :) (I wouldn't have wanted to switch him at 4 though)!

Edited August 12, 2011 by NanceXToo

[ChristusG]

Why can't you put both 5-pts in the 3rd row?

 

Only the center seat has a tether. Most car seats have to be tethered, but booster seats do not.

[8circles]

Only the center seat has a tether. Most car seats have to be tethered, but booster seats do not.

 

Ah. None of my 5 pts were *required to be tethered. Now that makes sense.

 

Option 2. My 6 yr-old (47 lbs) isn't ready for a booster yet although we've done it on a few occasions out of necessity. My 4 yr-old? Forget it.

[kitten18]

Only the center seat has a tether. Most car seats have to be tethered, but booster seats do not.

What seat is it? I just watched the forward installation video on the Britax website. For the seat belt installation, it said "IF" you are using the versa tether, remove it from the pouch..........

Are you sure it has to be used?

[Grover]

DS(4) recently grew out of the weight limit on his harness so now uses it as a seatbelt booster. He's just over 18kg which is the weight limit for the harness on his seat.

[Rjmakmom]

My 5yo 44lb dd and my 7yo 58lb dd are both in 5 point harness seats, one Graco Nautilus, one Britax Frontier.

 

Last November I took the harnesses out of both of their Graco Nautilus seats and installed them as highback booster seats. We drove to Disney in December. As they fell asleep, both girls were able to lean so far forward, that they were folded in half. On the way down, we were nearly in what would have been a very bad accident. I ended up rethreading the straps into one of the seats and ordering a Britax to be delivered to the resort for the ride home for my older daughter who had exceeded the weight limit on the Graco straps. They will both stay in a 5 point harness until we get to a point that they are too heavy/tall for their seats. It's not a chance I am willing to take.

[cjzimmer1]

How old is your van? Some vehicles can be retrofitted to include an anchor. For instance I have a 2002 Honda Odyssey. It has the positions for 2(or maybe 3) anchors in the back but not the actual anchor. That is an additional piece. However, they were less than $20 each and very easy to install.

 

I would start by calling your car dealership and see what options they might have for installing more anchors. If they can do it, then you don't have to feel like you are compromising safety and still have the seating arrangement you desire.

[SonshineLearner]

My 8 year old is in his car seat. He uses a booster when necessary, and I make sure it's properly placed and tight enough. I would use carseats until they were at least 8; seriously, they are just so much more safe!! And, especially when you are putting them in a less safe spot (potentially) than the middle of the van.

[JaniceO]

I would definitely not take the 4 year old out of a 5 pt harness. My daughter is going to be 6 on the 24th and she is still in a harness (the Regent I believe). I don't see taking her out anytime soon (although she begs me all the time). I've become quite the stickler for carseats. My 10 year old is still in a high backed booster.

[Melodiya99]

My 4 yo is still rear facing (38lb--partly because she's in a non-tether position in the car too:), so I definitely understand your desire for carseat safety!

 

If I had a very compliant child who never fell asleep and could sit still without reaching over for the toys, etc. then yes, I'd feel fine putting her in a booster. For my main car, no.

 

In your situation I'd probably put the 7yo in a booster (if she typically developed it should be fine) and get a radian for the other daughter...they do great forward facing even without a tether or you could rear face to 45lbs if you wanted:)

[Shellydon]

My 4 yo is in a Graco Nautilus, harnessed with room to grow. She weighs 36 pounds.

[Pretty in Pink]

Well, I don't *think* that your seat *has* to be tethered. If you install it using the vehicles safety belt, rather than the LATCH clips, you are not also supposed to use the tether, right?

 

Why couldn't you keep the 4yo in her Britax and put the 7yo in her Graco in the rear seat? That would work, I think, and still leave a free seat in the middle next to baby.

 

We just went through this as well. We had DSs 8 and 5 FFing in Graco Nautiluses but with baby no. 5 on the way we had to do something. We did promote the 5 and 8yos to high back Turbo Boosters. They love them. I prefer the rigidity of the Nautilus...it just feels like a sturdier seat to me, even when used as a high back booster, but we needed more narrow seats as the Nautilus is quite bulky.

 

Actually, since you only have two in the back seat you could put them in Nautiluses instead. The Nautilus is 21" wide at the widest point. Then you could still 5 pt. harness them. You'd have to return the Turbo Boosters and spend a bit more for the Nautiluses, but it's cheaper than a new vehicle.

 

ETA: ...but, if you can install one Britax with the seatbelt and forego the tether then you can do that with both, and place them in the outboard positions in the 3rd row.

[LittleIzumi]

My dd5 is 38 lbs and in a Sunshine Radian in my car and a Graco Nautilus in dh's car. :)

[Shellydon]

Well, I don't *think* that your seat *has* to be tethered. If you install it using the vehicles safety belt, rather than the LATCH clips, you are not also supposed to use the tether, right?

 

 

 

 

 

Just to comment on the bolded, the top tether should be used on any forward facing seat. It doesn't matter if lower anchors or the seat belt is used to secure the seat.

[Ellyndria]

Option #2

[Pretty in Pink]

Just to comment on the bolded, the top tether should be used on any forward facing seat. It doesn't matter if lower anchors or the seat belt is used to secure the seat.

 

I just checked the Nautilus manual. It says to use the top tether if an anchor is available. You can still install the seat without the tether, you just have to store the tether by locking it onto a clip on the back of the carseat. You can use the top tether in conjunction with the vehicle's safety belt (which I did not realize since we've always used LATCH to install ours) but you do not have to.

[SonshineLearner]

Just to comment on the bolded, the top tether should be used on any forward facing seat. It doesn't matter if lower anchors or the seat belt is used to secure the seat.

:iagree: Well, I agree that it should if it has it. Actually, there are boosters that you're suppose to tether, if possible... too :)

 

:)

[Tap]

DD4.5 60lbs (yep, that is correct--she wears a size 8 in clothes) is in a Graco Nautilus in my car and a Turbo booster in dhs. The only time she is really in dh's car is when he picks her up from daycare and drives the 2 miles home.

[ChristusG]

I had a feeling everyone would say for them, especially the 4 year old, to remain harnessed. That's that way I feel myself too. I've always said I'd harness my kids as long as possible, which is why we purchased the Regents....because they are huge seats and have a large height/weight limit.

 

They are going to be *so* disappointed about taking the Turbo Boosters back. Seriously, my 7 year old fell asleep tonight talking about how much she loved her new seat. I know that she would probably be okay in it, but I'd feel better with the harness.

 

As for installing another tether, technically vehicles created after 2001 are not supposed to be retrofitted with tethers. If they are, the tethers will be aftermarket ones, not standard, and therefore not guaranteed to work.

 

I also do not feel comfortable installing it without a tether. The Regent's user manual says that a tether must be used. The car seat is so cumbersome that it moves a lot at the top when the tether is not attached.

 

I guess that I will put DD7 harnessed in the center of the 3rd row, with DD4 harnessed in the 2nd row.

 

If I can convince DH that we *really* need a Honda Odyssey, then there's tethers in every 2nd and 3rd row seat. :D

[roxanne23]

.

Edited January 4, 2023 by roxanne23

[kathkath]

My dd5 is 38 lbs and in a Sunshine Radian in my car and a Graco Nautilus in dh's car. :)

 

I vote sunshine radian and they do not need tethering, according to the manual. They will fit 3 across in a small space.

[Melodiya99]

:iagree:

I vote sunshine radian and they do not need tethering, according to the manual. They will fit 3 across in a small space.

 

:iagree:

 

I definitely wouldn't install the regents without tethers, but seriously, if you want to keep them harnessed and it's way cheaper to get 2 radians than a new car. Plus they are very low-profile big kid-ish seats. You could probably put them right next to each other in the back so at least 1 kid would be tethered or with a space in the middle. They're not like the regents and have passed testing without the tethers.

[smillard00]

I have not read all of the responses and that is probably a good thing for my mental health. :lol: I'm a stickler for car seat safety too. My dd is going to be 6 years old on 9/22 and she is still in her Britax Marathon 5 pt. harness. I'm not sure how much she weighs at the moment, but we're watching her height for the point when the top of her ears gets to the top of the seat. She is getting closer and closer. We have the Britax high backed booster (Parkway???) that we got for her sister and we told her she could start using that one when her birthday comes and she is 6. She is very excited. But, like you, I like having her in a 5 pt. harness. I know that a 4 year old can technically fit in a high backed booster, but I'm looking for the maturity to keep the seatbelt tight and in the correct position, which can be iffy with 4 year olds, and I just like having that extra safety.

 

You might do some research and see if there is an alternative safe way to tether her seat in the back seat of your van. (Again, I haven't read, so someone might have suggested that.) There are boards like this one for carseat safety tech volunteers and they will research your van model and can tell you if it can be done.

 

Good luck on your decision!

[Paige]

If you want them all to remain tethered in 5pt harnesses, what about leaving the older kids where they are and putting the baby in the back? Does your van have a 60/40 split in the back? You can fold the back 40% down, put the baby in the middle, and still have a small seat next to the baby to comfort her. With the 40% folded down, it also gives you a nice little area for diaper changing. We had my then 2yr old in the middle by himself with the babies in the back when I had twins and it worked out well.

 

Would the 4yr or 7yr old not be able to sit in the middle by baby and be the official baby comforter?

 

For your original question, my 7yr olds are in boosters but I regret it. They had outgrown their 5pt seats. I wish I could put my almost 10yr old back in a 5pt harness! My 4 yr old is still in a 5pt car seat but is only 23lbs. I plan on keeping her in that seat as long as possible.

[joannqn]

I vote take all of the kids and seats to a car seat check. Our children's hospital does them every Tuesday. Ask them. One visit had them moving my daughter to a different seat in the car because the belt in the seat she was in didn't go across her shoulder properly. Another trip got rid of the booster for my daughter before she was 8 because it made her too tall.

 

Currently, both my 11 year old DD and 9 year old DS are in the car's seats. My 50lb 4 year old uses a booster. It fits him properly, and he sits in it properly. His old seat went to my 2 year old.

[WiseOwlKnits]

DS is 4 and he's in a Graco Nautilus. It's a booster that 5-point harnesses (my very tall 7-year old is in one too and she's still harnessed) and then converts to a high back booster before finally converting to a backless booster. We love the Nautilus!

[Green Vixen]

I have an almost 5 year old ds who weighs 39 lbs. I just bought the new Britax Frontier 85 SICT for him and it is a beast of a carseat/booster :lol:! For carseat mode the child must be 2+, between 25-85 lbs, and 30-57 inches. For booster mode the child must be between 40-120 lbs, and 42-65 inches tall.

 

I am assuming you've located all of the anchor positions in your car and there aren't two for the 3rd row. If you do decide to get your oldest dd a booster the Frontier 85 SICT if very substantial (though I understand your concerns about a 5 point harness).

 

Good luck! It is always a carseat shuffle when anyone outgrows their current carseat or you add a new little one (or two) to the mix!

 

Marisa

[swellmomma]

DD is turning 4 in about 6 weeks. She is 47 lbs, and in a 5pt harness. SHe will remain there until she is over 60lbs, then her seat converts into a high back booster.

 

Why can you not put their current 5pt seats in the rear seat? Maybe you have already answered this, but I have not read all replies yet. I would put the 7 yr old with a booster in the rear seat and keep the 4 yr old and the baby in the middle seat so that the 4 yr old can stay in a 5pt harness longer.

[anotherbrother]

I think the best option may be to research your seat options a little bit more. There are many 5-point options on the market that do not have to be tethered. It would be less expensive to buy new "good" seats than it would be to buy a new car.

[Soror]

DD 4y4mo- 35 or so pounds- 5 pt harness, Britax Marathon.

 

Was rear-facing until 4yo- I would not take her out of the 5pt, my 7yo still in 5pt- Graco-something but I'd feel a lot less anxiety about him coming out of 5 pt

[raceNzanesmom]

I haven't read through the thread, so my apologies if this is a repeat.

 

A harnessed seat is safer top tethered. It reduces head excursion (how much the head travels forward) in a crash. I always recommend a seat be tethered IF an anchor is available.

 

In your case, if the choice is a booster or an untethered harnessed seat, I'd go for the untethered harnessed seat, esp for your 4 y/o. All 4 y/os are safest in a harness. If your 7 y/o is near outgrowing the harness on the seat you're using (by height or weight), then I'd consider a booster with good side impact protection.

 

I'll sub so feel free to ask if I can be of more help.

 

ETA: Reading you have Regents. Depending on the weight of your kids the 7 y/o likely needs the top tether. So here's what I would do...

 

Option 1: Regent and 7 y/o center 3rd row, Regent and 4 y/o and baby 2nd row.

 

Option 2: Sunshine Kids Radian for the 4 y/o 3rd row outboard, SK Radian or booster for the 7 y/o 3rd row outboard, baby 2nd row. This option would cost a little, but way cheaper than a new van.

 

You could always try option 1 and if the kids or you hate it move to option 2. Remember the SK Radian can be used to the full weight (65 or 80lbs) and height (53" or ears above seat back). You might even be able to get a Radian next to the Regent 3rd row as they have a very narrow footprint.

 

Few newer vehicles can have top anchors added, but if you post the year, make, model of your van I can look up the info for you.

Edited August 12, 2011 by raceNzanesmom

[Carrie12345]

Well, I'd put safety and ease of use before the desire to sit next to the baby. Sure, we all WANT babies to be happy, but how long are your typical car rides, yk?

 

Of course, I come at it from the perspective of having 5 rear seats and 5 kids filling them, lol.

 

My 4yo is in a 5pt harness in the center 3rd row seat, seatbelted (lap belt) and tethered. My van has LATCH on the two outer seats, but no tethers. The big kids need those seats for the shoulder belts. My two captain's chairs have LATCH and tether anchors.

4yo is somewhere around 45lbs.

[craftyerin]

My 4 year old DS weighs right around 40lbs, and rides harnessed in a Graco Nautilus. In your situation, I would let your 7yo ride in a booster. I'd feel 100% fine with that. I'd put the 4yo next to the baby in the 2nd row. I'd feel better about an untethered Nautilus than a 4yo in a booster.

[happypamama]

I would put both of your older two children in the third row in the 5-point harness seats but without the tether. Tethers are nice, but I'd rather have the harness than the tether, especially for the 4yo.

 

(My 6yo, when he was four, was in a seat with a 5-point harness, first a Graco CarGo and then a Graco MyRide.)

 

ETA: I'd also consider putting someone next to the baby and someone in the center of the rear seat. I don't have an empty space next to my baby; I have a 2yo next to him (our one empty spot is the center of the rear seat, because it only has a lap belt, and my older two need shoulder belts for their boosters). If I need to nurse the baby, I can sit in the driver's seat or passenger seat though. If you have a seat in the center of the third row, could you sit on one side of the back seat if you need to nurse the baby?

Edited August 12, 2011 by happypamama

[mom2scouts]

My 4 year old is 33 pounds and she rides harnessed in a Graco Nautilus. In dh's car she's in a Britax Marathon.

[ScoutTN]

4 yo ds is 40 lbs and 43" in a Britax Frontier 85.

[Dolphin]

Get a car seat check. We were surprised to find there is a point(weight wise of the child) where it is better for the car seat to be fastened to the car with the safety belt rather than the latch and tethers. Seat belts are made for more weight, latch was made to cut down on parent error when installing seats. If you are still concerned with car seat safety, you will be able to install the seat correctly with the safety belt.

 

We moved my 9 year old to a booster last year. We got a clek, this seat use the latch to just keep the seat in place, I guess the way kids squirm there have been problems with the booster seats fly around the car and being projectiles in an accident. We also have a seat belt adjuster on him. It keeps the seat belt from twisting and if we were in an accident, it would distribute the pressure over a larger area, hopefully causing less injury.

 

One other thing, with all the 5 point safety, you all make sure your straps don't get twisted, right? including your own? If not, just feel the side of the strap. It can cut right through you. My sisters were in a bad wreck, and we almost lost one from seat belt injuries. It was all twirled and just cut into her stomach.

 

Sorry, another phobic/car seat crazy mom,

Nicole

[Dobela]

Back in 2000 when ds was a baby, car seats were just coming out with tethers. Since tethers are safer, we had someone bolt a d-ring into the floor of both our cars so we could tether the car seat down. At that time they sold a conversion type kit for something like $5. I am sure you could still do something similar if you wanted.

[RoundAbout]

My son is 4.5, 45 inches tall, 43 lbs and in a Britax Frontier 5 point harness. We have a Maestro in the second car and will start booster training him in it soon. No advice but I am a big fan of keeping kids harnessed as long as possible.

[raceNzanesmom]

Get a car seat check. We were surprised to find there is a point(weight wise of the child) where it is better for the car seat to be fastened to the car with the safety belt rather than the latch and tethers. Seat belts are made for more weight, latch was made to cut down on parent error when installing seats. If you are still concerned with car seat safety, you will be able to install the seat correctly with the safety belt.

 

We moved my 9 year old to a booster last year. We got a clek, this seat use the latch to just keep the seat in place, I guess the way kids squirm there have been problems with the booster seats fly around the car and being projectiles in an accident. We also have a seat belt adjuster on him. It keeps the seat belt from twisting and if we were in an accident, it would distribute the pressure over a larger area, hopefully causing less injury.

 

One other thing, with all the 5 point safety, you all make sure your straps don't get twisted, right? including your own? If not, just feel the side of the strap. It can cut right through you. My sisters were in a bad wreck, and we almost lost one from seat belt injuries. It was all twirled and just cut into her stomach.

 

Sorry, another phobic/car seat crazy mom,

Nicole

 

Top tethers do not have a weight limit, jsyk. Lower anchors do in most vehicles (40-48 lbs) for all seats except SK Radian SLs in newer vehicles (post-2005, 80 lbs).

 

Seat belt adjusters should never be used. They are not regulated and independent crash testing shows they reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt system causing far more harm than good. And with a properly fitted booster, which I'd think a Clek would be, there should be no reason to even, kind of, need one. I'd toss it in the trash.

 

Boosters should always be belted in when not in use, unless the seat allows lower anchors to be used and even then some say to still belt it in. The unoccupied seat would be a projectile in a crash, not a seat being properly used.

 

Back in 2000 when ds was a baby, car seats were just coming out with tethers. Since tethers are safer, we had someone bolt a d-ring into the floor of both our cars so we could tether the car seat down. At that time they sold a conversion type kit for something like $5. I am sure you could still do something similar if you wanted.

 

Only a certified tether anchor should be used. Not sure if that's what you mean?? Most older vehicles have pre-drilled holes or weld nuts which can be used to install tether anchors. However, D-rings, like are used for RF Radians and Britax seats) should never be used with a FF seat, and only specific places on a vehicle can have an anchor installed.

 

HTH clear up any mis-information. I don't mean to offend, I've been doing this (CPS tech) for over a decade now. There's a lot of mis-information out there.

 

I do want to say kuddos to all you parents keeping your kids harnessed and in boosters!! We see the results of your efforts. Lives ARE being saved. :D

[Ksol]

I absolutely would NOT take the 4 yo out of 5 pt. harness. Your 7 yo would be okay (though as you say, a 5 pt. is still safer). But a million times no to taking the 4 yo out of 5 pt.

 

 

 

I would not take the 4 year old out of a harness, but the 7 year old? I would. There is not evidence supporting that a harness at that age is safer than a booster. If your 7 year old is mature enough to sit responsibly in a booster, I would not worry about keeping her harnessed.