My daughter is 3 now and 38 pounds which means she needs to be out of her car seat soon and into a booster seat. The problem is I have an OLD car that only has the lap belt in the back. That would work with a harness booster seat except she is too tall for those so she needs the shoulder belt to keep her secure. I contacted Ford to see if I have the option of getting a shoulder/lap belt installed which of course the answer was no. Car seat manufactures (called all the big ones) said the same thing which was no one makes a booster seat to be used with the lap belt only without the harness system.
So, my options are buy a car with the shoulder/lap belt in the back (which might I add that we have NO money to do this), never take her anywhere in my car (I have to take my son to school each day) or put her in the front seat (no air bag, remember the car is OLD) with a booster seat which is not against the law because I checked there too (just don't feel comfortable with her in the front - they say children are safer in the back seat and to be honest I totally agree! So what is a person to do???
Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and I am going to continue to remain calm, LOL!
Thank you everyone for all the suggestions! After talking to my husband we will be getting the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1. They do make harness systems that attach to the seat which are recommended for buses (a friend told me about that) but I think the car seat will be the best option for us since it converts to the booster too.
Thanks again everyone!
The regular Britax car seat has a five point harness and works until the child is 100 ponds. Both my girls have one and I feel really safe with that choice. Good luck! -A.
I know they won't install a shoulder belt, but will they install LATCH equipment and top tether (they shoud be able to install it directly onto the seat frames in the middle seat)? If so, there is a great 5 pt harness/boostr called the Safe Guard Go. It keeps them in the five point harness without using a seat belt until they are 60 pounds. we have out 5 year old in one, and he loves it (he is pretty tall, and this adjusts very well for him). you can use it in shildren over one year old and at least 22 pounds. I cannot recall the height requirement, but your daughter should be fine. i loved this one because it did not depend on the seat belt at all...even when he converts to a backless booster after he hits the 60 pound mark, it remains LATCHed as well as a belt positioning booster.
good luck, i hope you find a solution that keeps her safe and gives you peace of mind!
The Graco Nautilus™ 3-in-1 Car Seat 8J00GLX keeps kids in a 5-point harness up to 65 lbs. Later, the seat converts to a highback booster then backless booster, for comfortable, custom protection up to 100 lbs....if by then you can afford another car :-D. You can look it up online at www.gracobaby.com.
I also heard Britax makes a booster seat called the laptop booster that it much cheaper, but I don't think it is as safe.
Good luck!
Try checking with your local fire department. They are big on helping you to correctly install safety seats. They may have a suggestion or may be able to direct you to a low-cost solution.
Good luck, and don't forget to let us know how it works out.
You do not HAVE to move her to a booster seat. All of my girls still use the "toddler" car seats. I just adjust the straps so they fit comfortably. I feel that they are much safer in a 5 point harness. We have chats about riding in the "safest" seat available. :)
Wow...what a frustrating situation. Honestly, I'd put her in the front seat. When they talk about the dangers of the front seat, it really is mostly due to the airbag issue. Since you don't have them, from what I know, it's really not any more dangerous to be in the front, as long as she's in a seat appropriate for her size and age. My brother has a 94 Jeep Wranger with no airbags, and his 23 month old rides in his car seat in the front all the time. Heck, it's probably more dangerous to be in a seat that's too small!! Good luck!!
