Switching from Car Seat to Booster Seat - Essex,MD

my almost 6 year old is in the graco nautilus and can still use the 5 point harness. she is 44 inches tall right now. my oldest we switched to belt positioner at the age of 4 i think. but now that i know that it's safest to be in the 5 point i've kept my youngest in hers and will until she outgrows it. maybe you can find a nautilus on craigslist cheap. it's best to keep them in one til age 5 at least but if you can't then just do it as L. as you can with the seat you've got.

Slow down.
Find a certified child seat inspector NOW. In your area. Free.
4 out of 5 people use car seats incorrectly or have them installed incorrectly.
They will look at YOUR child in HIS seat in YOUR car(s) and tell you what is the best safety option. They may provide no cost/low cost seats as well.
www.seatcheck.org will help you find a location. Or call your local police department. usually they have at least O. officer that is certified.
You say you cannot afford new car seats, but can you afford to lose a child?

No matter what your financial situation he is too young and too small to ride in a booster.
Maryland has a "proper use clause" meaning that the law states that you have to use the seat in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines. The Alpha Omega can't be used as a booster with a child under 40 lbs, so if you use it you would be breaking the law and could be ticketed at the very least.

Look into the KISS program- you might be able to get a free/cheap seat that would keep your child safe: http://fha.maryland.gov/ohpetup/kiss/

I only just put my 6 year old in a booster an he's over 50 lbs, there is no way I would drive around with a child under 3 and under 30 lbs in a booster- at that size my son was still rearfacing!!!

Nope, a 3yr old is not mentally or physically mature enough for a booster seat. Plus the Alpha Omega makes a terrible booster seat and should never be used in that manner as it has consistently failed every single crash test its been in as a booster seat. Don't use it as a booster.

At 3yr old and only 30lbs, he NEEDS to remain in a harnessed car seat. A forward facing car seat is outgrown when one of three things happens; the shoulders go over the top usable harness slot (the top notch on the ALpha OMega can only be used in booster mode, not harness mode), the tips of the ears are level with the seat back or the child goes over the weight limit.

You obviously ahve a newer Alpha Omega that wll harness to 50lbs. Thats great, but the height they didn't change, so its still a short seat that most kids outgrow in height by age 3. And again the seat shouldnt' be used in booster mode because its a terrible fit on most kids.

You need to purchase a new seat. I don't understand why you would need 6 seats.... unless he consistently rides in 6 cars every day, buying a new car seat for the one or two cars he rides in every day is sufficient and you can always switch it to another car if he's riding in it. Its not necessary to have a permanent car seat in every vehicle he may possibly ride in at some point.

The Graco Nautilus will harness to 65lbs and then becomes a decent booster to 100lbs. Its $150 and you can sometimes find it online for cheaper and do site to store shipping for free.

the Evenflo Maestro and Evenflo Generations 65 are a bit cheaper but will harness longer and taller kids fit them longer too. But the Nautilus is the best choice for your son.

He's not that big and he's not that tall mama. Don't make the switch, he's not mentally or physically ready. Please google Belle's Gift, Kyle David Miller for more information on Seatbelt syndrome and why little kids do NOT belong in booster seats.

HDR is too young to move to a booster plus alpha omegas make horrible boosters. You may not want to but what's more important spending $160 on a seat that will last your tall son and keep him safe or saving that $160. I'm sorry but safety is on area you should not skimp on. Why would you have to buy 6 seats you have six kids? We have two seats one stays at grandmas and one stays with us.

I have looked and looked for child safety seat laws for MD and the same thing is repeated over and over.

"Maryland's new child safety seat law went into effect on June 30, 2008. The new law requires that all children younger than eight years of age 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, or weighs more than 65 pounds. The child restraint must be right for the child's size, age, and weight.".

Evidently you just need to read the box or google the car seat you are inquiring about and see what the heights and weights are and change according to that.

Have it checked for fit by a car seat safety inspector or at a fire station. I bought the britax frontier because I want only what's safest for my daughter, it harnesses (safest!) to 80lbs, she's tall and big and still fits in our britax marathon which harnesses to 65lbs! I don't know how your child is too big or the harness that young, but I don't even trust my 6year old yet to not fidget/sit right in a regular booster with the seatbelt, definitely
not my three year old! Is there a minimum height/weight for its use as a highback? I'm betting your child isn't as big as they need to be, and they're definitely not mature enough at that age, which is very important. There are a few websites which tell why harnessing for as L. as possible is safest and best. I can't remember but it might be joel's journey?

The guideline is 40 pounds and 4 years old to move to a booster. I know what you mean about having a tall one who outgrows the height on the harness early, before the recommended weight guidelines. I would check with a certified carseat technician to see what is recommended or ask your pediatrician for advice. Good luck.

I have to ask, why do you need 6 car seats? Safety is the #1 consideration and at 3 years of age and not even 30 pounds, he is too young and small to switch to a booster seat. At the very least, get 1 new seat and use it in the vehicle that HE will be in the most, he can be in a harness for another few years, not just 1 and you would feel awful if something happened simply because you were saving money and didn't buy a proper seat for his height and weight.

S.
www.LiveYourDreamsAtHome.com

Hi - My daughter is tall, too. We waited until she was 40 pounds (which was the guideline for our seats), but after reading about how they should stay in the harness as L. as possible, I'd probably wait even longer. I think the harness might be safer even if the straps are at or a little below shoulder-level. I think the issue (or one of the issues) is that a child under 40 pounds isn't heavy enough to properly trigger the restraint mechanism on a regular seat belt in an accident.

My daughter was 4 and my son was almost 3 when we switched. With my son, he just was so big and uncomfortable in a regular car seat. The big problem with us was that he would unbuckle himself whenever he felt like it. We tested him in my daughter's seat for a while before we made the switch. We waited for him to be mature enough not to unbuckle (one time having to pull over was enough).

You cannot switch him to a booster until he is 40 lbs, is my guess. Check the requirements for your seat. We switched both kids at just after age three, but they were both over 40 inches tall and over 40 lbs.

Good luck.