Are there any dangers to harnessing a child past a certain age?

[solarbabies]

So see, stupid logic I guess. Ignore the racecar driver comment

[GirlFriday13th]

I've heard a variety of opinions on neck loads and boosters versus five point harnesses. For me, ds1 is a pretty mature, albeit tiny, five year old. I'm planning to keep him harnessed in my car and dh's for at least another year but will booster train him in the spring for when he rides with friends and grandparents. Personally, five is about when I feel better about a properly used booster as opposed to a harness that I can't guarantee is being used properly.

[canadianbakers]

Originally Posted by Mom2Connor Race car drives have HANS to prevent head excursion. The theory is that for a child mature enough to be boostered, the seatbelt allows head, neck/spine to move together, as opposed to the head snapping forward by itself.

Originally Posted by monica-m You're comparing apples to oranges. You do not drive 200+ mph and the harnesses that race car drivers wear are very different from the one in your child's car seat. They have HANS devices and 6 point harnesses just to name two differences.

to both. The 5pt harnesses nascar racers use is much different than a kid in a harnessed seat. No real comparison there.

Once a child is big enough for a booster, and capable of sitting in one properly all the time, it is just as safe for them to be in a booster as it is to be harnessed. Possibly even safer, based on the way the seat belt holds/allows for more body movement and less force/strain on the neck than a harness.

OP - it doesn't sound like your DD would be able to sit properly in a booster for a length of time? In which case, she is safer harnessed.

[Joyful Tie Dyes]

Originally Posted by solarbabies So see, stupid logic I guess. Ignore the racecar driver comment

How nice of you to call me stupid.

[Dory]

Originally Posted by Joyful Tie Dyes How nice of you to call me stupid.

I think she was referring to hers, in her post.

Which, is a very common way of thinking, so I wouldn't call either stupid. When it comes to car safety, the only really stupid logic is the "I didn't ever ride in anything and I lived." no one here is stupid.

[canadianbakers]

Originally Posted by Joyful Tie Dyes How nice of you to call me stupid.

Originally Posted by Dory I think she was referring to hers, in her post.

She was calling herself stupid, not you. Good heavens.

[Greenbabybottoms]

Op here, thanks for all the feedback. I don't know that she can sit properly, she says she can, dh thinks she can, I just don't know. I really think she will be fine for short tris around town I'm just more concerned with longer (more than 20ish minutes) trips. We got the turbo booster with safety surround today and put it in the car. We have no big trips planned this weekend just gymnastics, grocery store etc all city driving, slow speeds and less than 5 miles from home. We are going to see how it goes, if it goes well we will try her in it to coop on monday which is about 30 minutes away, if not I'll know we need to order the frontier for her.

[Computermama]

Originally Posted by Greenbabybottoms Op here, thanks for all the feedback. I don't know that she can sit properly, she says she can, dh thinks she can, I just don't know. I really think she will be fine for short tris around town I'm just more concerned with longer (more than 20ish minutes) trips. We got the turbo booster with safety surround today and put it in the car. We have no big trips planned this weekend just gymnastics, grocery store etc all city driving, slow speeds and less than 5 miles from home. We are going to see how it goes, if it goes well we will try her in it to coop on monday which is about 30 minutes away, if not I'll know we need to order the frontier for her.

What we're going to do once the horrible nasty road weather clears with my 5 year old is leave the straps in her nauti, but use it as a booster for short in town trips - we live in a smallish town, so across town is ~15 minutes at most. If she does well with that for a few weeks, then widen the radius where she can go in the booster. Take it slow, remind her that she has to sit still or she won't be safe in the booster. Ease her into it.

[craigwick]

Originally Posted by Computermama What we're going to do once the horrible nasty road weather clears with my 5 year old is leave the straps in her nauti, but use it as a booster for short in town trips - we live in a smallish town, so across town is ~15 minutes at most. If she does well with that for a few weeks, then widen the radius where she can go in the booster. Take it slow, remind her that she has to sit still or she won't be safe in the booster. Ease her into it.

I do this with my 6.5 year old, just easier in the winter when it is -40 to do up a seatbelt and not a harness. I'm not sure when I will let her fully booster as she is 41lbs. DD2 is 4.5 and special needs, I did let her try the booster for a 2 block trip (small blocks here) and she wormed out of the belt, so no go for that for now!

[c&w's mama]

this is the first time I've ever heard boosters might be a good idea... I've always been told 5pt harness is better. Since the seats look safer, I believed it. My state has kids in some type of seat virtually forever. I was told a booster was like sitting on a phone book. I'd like to learn more about this because I need another seat.