Child seats

KDENISE977

New Member
Anyone know when to move up from the forward facing booster type to the one that actually uses the seat belt? My son is 4 and weighs 35 lbs. his is my current one.
 

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SoMDGirl42

Well-Known Member
Anyone know when to move up from the forward facing booster type to the one that actually uses the seat belt? My son is 4 and weighs 35 lbs. his is my current one.

Child Car Seat

Maryland's child safety seat law requires that all children under age eight be secured in a federally approved child safety seat according to the safety seat and vehicle manufacturers' instructions, unless the child is 4 feet, 9 inches or taller. The child restraint must be right for the child's size, age, and weight.

Child safety seats include: infant seats, convertible seats, forward-facing seats, booster seats, or other safety devices federally approved for use by children in motor
vehicles.

If you're in the market for one, you can shop online for a car seat at any time. Before ordering, be sure to read our article on How To Buy a Child Safety Seat.

How To Install a Child Safety Seat provides handy information, and Maryland's Project KISS (Kids in Safety Seats) helps families who can't purchase child safety seats. For additional help, call (800) 370-SEAT.

NOTE: Maryland's child safety seat law does not prohibit front seat riding. The lone exception to this comes into play when placing a rear-facing child in a front seat with an active air bag.
http://www.dmv.org/md-maryland/safety-laws.php#Child-Car-Seat

IMHO, keep him in a 5 point harness as long as possible. He's only 35 pounds. The 5 point harness is so much safer than a regular seat belt. If he's that small, chances for spinal injuries and abdominal injuries increase greatly with just a seat belt, kids don't/won't keep the lap belt across the pelvis as required to prevent injury.
 

SoMDGirl42

Well-Known Member
Experts on Thursday said between 80 and 90 percent of parents are doing something wrong when it comes to child safety restraints.


One of the biggest mistakes is letting kids graduate to a booster seat too early or for older kids, not making them use a booster seat at all.


Jenelle Joly is expecting her first child in just one week and she said well aware of how important it is that she installs her car seat correctly.


"Nowadays the hospital doesn't help install the car seat, so I wanted to come out either to the fire department or something like this to just get the correct information," Joly said.


It's especially important because on Oct. 1 some of that information will change.


Under Maryland state law, a child will be required to ride in a booster seat until he or she is 8 years old or taller than 4 feet 9 inches.


"And that's a minimum thing, the 8 years of age. Basically, we want children even when they get to that age, they should be in a booster seat until they're the right size and height so that their seat belt fits them properly as it fits you and I," said Karen Hardingham with Safe Kids Baltimore.


The old law allowed parents to let children graduate from booster seats once they weighed more than 65 pounds, but just reaching the weight limit's not enough. A crash test video from the University of Michigan shows if the seat belt fits too high the child is at risk for major injuries during an accident.


"The booster seat merely positions them up so that the lap portion comes across their hip bone or their upper thigh and the shoulder belt fits them correctly," Hardingham said.


In fact, one of the biggest mistakes parents make is letting kids graduate much too soon.


As kids get older, they might start asking not to use a booster. Experts said as attitudes slowly change, there are ways to make them more attractive.


"I got her this one and she loves it. She thinks of it as a pillow, and the fact that it's purple really does mean something to her," said Susanne Ogaitis-Jones with Maryland Institute for EMS.


"This is an easy step to take to protect your child, can't protect them from so many other things in the world, but this you can protect them from," Hardingham said.


Until you can have your car seat checked professionally experts said you should read all the instructions for both the car and the car seat to make sure you've done everything right.



There is no set law in Maryland for children sitting in the front seat, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents wait until a child is at least 13 years old, over 100 pounds and taller than 4 feet 9 inches.


If a child is borderline and the backseat is available experts said that is always the safest place for them.
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/Booster-seat-law-changes-in-Maryland/16681800
 

KDENISE977

New Member
:cheers: Thanks, I found a website where you input there age/height/weight and it tells you what they should be using... we're good for now !!!!
 

John Z

if you will
IMHO, keep him in a 5 point harness as long as possible. He's only 35 pounds. The 5 point harness is so much safer than a regular seat belt. If he's that small, chances for spinal injuries and abdominal injuries increase greatly with just a seat belt, kids don't/won't keep the lap belt across the pelvis as required to prevent injury.

I agree. Though my wife manages the Car Seat Program Office for our family (and she knows all the numbers, etc), we generally like to exceed the minimum requirements. In two of our three vehicles, our 6 YO is still in a 5-point seat.
 

SoMDGirl42

Well-Known Member
I agree. Though my wife manages the Car Seat Program Office for our family (and she knows all the numbers, etc), we generally like to exceed the minimum requirements. In two of our three vehicles, our 6 YO is still in a 5-point seat.

kept my youngest in a 5 point harness until she was 8. She was over 100 lbs and nearly 5 feet tall, well beyond the requirements. I had to have special car seats to accommodate her above average height/weight. She's now nearly 10 and over 5 foot tall. She's tall enough to ride in the front seat according to the law, but I still require her to ride in the back seat where it is safer.
 

KDENISE977

New Member
Oh I'm not going to change it for a while. I'm a paranoid parent and I'll do like you said... he still fits it fine, just his legs looked like they were dangling so much that I thought I'd have to find out, to be safe. And I see other pre-k kids at his school in the seats where there is no base and it uses the regular seat belt across a seat that has a back to it, but it's not a booster seat. Our seat right now has about a 6 inch booster on it. Can't see if from the picture though. :yay:
 

SoMDGirl42

Well-Known Member
Oh I'm not going to change it for a while. I'm a paranoid parent and I'll do like you said... he still fits it fine, just his legs looked like they were dangling so much that I thought I'd have to find out, to be safe. And I see other pre-k kids at his school in the seats where there is no base and it uses the regular seat belt across a seat that has a back to it, but it's not a booster seat. Our seat right now has about a 6 inch booster on it. Can't see if from the picture though. :yay:

can you add some padding in front of the booster so it makes it more comfortable and the booster isn't hitting him mid thigh? Maybe one of those travel neck rolls or something so it isn't cutting off circulation from his legs dangling?

and btw, that's the prime example why some of the those kids should still be in car seats, their legs aren't long enough to bend at the knee over the seat and they are sticking straight out. Get in an accident and they are going to beak legs, pelvis etc.

Glad you aren't following their trend. :cheers:
 

John Z

if you will
Glad you aren't following their trend. :cheers:

"Peer" pressure can be difficult. If your kids notice their friends with less restrictive seats, or if they ride in other cars, it can be a challenge to stay the more conservative course.
 

KDENISE977

New Member
"Peer" pressure can be difficult. If your kids notice their friends with less restrictive seats, or if they ride in other cars, it can be a challenge to stay the more conservative course.

It is when they call him a baby or why does he have a "baby" seat. Kids are rude, well....some kids.
 

pebbles

Member
My son will be 8 years old in December but it is only 42 pounds & almost 48 inches tall, needless to say, he is still in the 5 point harness. His seat allows that up until 75 pounds then it turns into a high back booster & then a regular booster up to like 110 pounds or something. He will be in a carseat forever if I have anything to do with it! He is now starting to ask not to sit in it because of comments from other kids :(
 

SoMDGirl42

Well-Known Member
"Peer" pressure can be difficult. If your kids notice their friends with less restrictive seats, or if they ride in other cars, it can be a challenge to stay the more conservative course.

My son will be 8 years old in December but it is only 42 pounds & almost 48 inches tall, needless to say, he is still in the 5 point harness. His seat allows that up until 75 pounds then it turns into a high back booster & then a regular booster up to like 110 pounds or something. He will be in a carseat forever if I have anything to do with it! He is now starting to ask not to sit in it because of comments from other kids :(

teach them to reply "my mom (dad) loves me more than your parents love you and want to keep me safe"
 

Hannibal

Active Member
Lots of good information here. By virtue of a VERY well-informed wife, I've learned a lot in this department and have had to overhaul my previous thoughts on the subject. If it was me, by myself, my carseat safety adherance would be far more lax. However, over time (and three babies), she's beaten it into me. She's the go to for our circle of friends when it comes to carseat issues (and breastfeeding, and natural oils, etc., etc.). She seems to have all this information memorized and is VERY emphatic when it comes to people and their own children when she sees them not doing as they should. Generally speaking, most people are simply uninformed or unaware of the rules and such (not ill-intentioned). However, the problem is very wide spread. A simple drive around town can find you numerous examples of "doing it wrong" simply based on what you can see through a passing window. Biggest issues: loose straps, poor location of straps, movement in carseat attachment, placement of carseat, etc.
 

KDENISE977

New Member
Lots of good information here. By virtue of a VERY well-informed wife, I've learned a lot in this department and have had to overhaul my previous thoughts on the subject. If it was me, by myself, my carseat safety adherance would be far more lax. However, over time (and three babies), she's beaten it into me. She's the go to for our circle of friends when it comes to carseat issues (and breastfeeding, and natural oils, etc., etc.). She seems to have all this information memorized and is VERY emphatic when it comes to people and their own children when she sees them not doing as they should. Generally speaking, most people are simply uninformed or unaware of the rules and such (not ill-intentioned). However, the problem is very wide spread. A simple drive around town can find you numerous examples of "doing it wrong" simply based on what you can see through a passing window. Biggest issues: loose straps, poor location of straps, movement in carseat attachment, placement of carseat, etc.


This is so true. I learned, only through being on this forum, that children are not to wear winter coats in the car seats....because the sheer bulk of them. I used struggle getting my little ones straps buckled in his winter coat...little did I know :shrug:
 

Hannibal

Active Member
Agreed. It's a hassle as it generally requires me warming up the car in advance but it's a neccesity. The reality is that an accident can cause them to slip out of the harness due to the extra buffer between their body and harness (along with the slickness of many winter coats). Some scary stories on the net about this happening.
 

pebbles

Member
My mom is always fussng about the kids not having coats on, I'm like they are going take it off when we get in the car anyway, why bother for 10 steps when they don't care! We came blankets for each kid in the car, plu I have remote start which is sooooo Awesome in the Winter!
 

KDENISE977

New Member
My mom is always fussng about the kids not having coats on, I'm like they are going take it off when we get in the car anyway, why bother for 10 steps when they don't care! We came blankets for each kid in the car, plu I have remote start which is sooooo Awesome in the Winter!

The blankets are a great idea... I may try this in the fall/winter. We drive approx. 3 miles to school and it's such a pain to put the coat on, take it off for 3 minute ride, put back on, etc.
 

pebbles

Member
The blankets are a great idea... I may try this in the fall/winter. We drive approx. 3 miles to school and it's such a pain to put the coat on, take it off for 3 minute ride, put back on, etc.
I just wrap the little one up in a blanket & run to the car, the heat's on anyway & they don't complain!
 
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