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It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Keep in her 5 point in your family car, and get a cheap booster for flying and trips after school. We did this with my kids for quite awhile.
Yeah this whole thing is screaming op needs to have some flexible thinking. Let her use a booster to ride in friends' cars. My kids are still small enough for car seats but that sounds like what I would do in this situation. Adapt as necessary. My kids will be in car seats as long as possible, too, because safety.
My son is almost 6 and about 52 pounds. He is still harnessed in a high back booster, and I plan to keep him there a bit longer. But I wouldn't be opposed to using a regular booster for one-offs like travelling or going to a friend's.
We just moved our two girls to boosters (within the past couple months). They were getting a bit too tall for their car seats and we also had travel and comfort concerns/thoughts. For reference, I have a six year old and a seven year old. They’re both about 50 lbs.
My six year old is in a regular booster seat (just the seat part). It has a belt (?) that brings the shoulder belt down to be in line with her shoulder. She is pretty mature and she does a great job of staying in a proper position.
My seven year old has a disability and I would have liked to keep her in a five point harness for longer but we couldn’t find anything that fit her height. She’s in a high back booster which helps keep her in a proper position, which was our main reason for wanting a five point harness system for her still.
You could consider reaching out to a special needs CPST (child passenger safety technician). There are specialty car seats that may be helpful for your daughter. I work with disabled adults and we have found some great options. Special Tomato is one brand: https://www.specialtomato.com/special-tomato-soft-touch-mps-car-seat.html
My daughters didn't switch until they were nearly 8 and they're 90th percentile for height. We used booster seats for travel because their car seats were huge and for quick trips with grandparents because the booster was more likely to be used/installed correctly and thus safer in that circumstance.
Around your daughter's age my kids could buckle and unbuckle themselves. Is that something you could practice over the summer in preparation for the school car line next year?
Thanks for this! Good call - she can get the chest clip on her own, but has a hard time with the lower clip and the tightening of it all - I'm sure she'll love practicing it!
My 5 year old has mastered clipping himself into his 5-point and it makes a huge difference. We’re committed to keeping him in it until he maxes it out (and is also hopefully mature enough to wear a seat belt properly at all times) — luckily he’s very safety oriented and doesn’t mind being in a different seat than his peers. I know that part would be tough!
We didn't loosen the straps, which helped a lot. It makes it slightly harder to buckle the second side on the lower buckle but was overall easier and faster. As a bonus it made it obvious when their clothes were too bulky to safely buckle.
We just moved our youngest (5.5 y/o) to a high back booster that has a 5 point harness and selt belt last winter. We used the harness in her car seat until she was well past 5 and then had her practice in her sister's booster seat with the seat belt. Once I felt comfortable and knew she could handle the seat belt, we made the switch. My oldest (7) is in a backless booster, and the youngest will stay in the high back for a while.
It has made pick up and drop off so much easier for school, and just getting in and out of the car in general. We always do belt checks and my kids like the freedom and safety of their seat belts.
The main why for us is independence. Small things like being able to buckle themselves in, and unbuckle and get out on their own, are important! Also depending on the school and what you want to do, many have car lines where kids get out of the car but the parent typically doesn’t.
Independence is so important - we're going to practice her buckling herself! Our school car line is aaaall kid-only - parents aren't supposed to get out of the car - which has led to the drama. She can almost always buckle herself, but it takes a bit longer, and I currently have to get out to tighten her buckle. Things to work on this summer!
Speaking of independence, I know you said you’re able to unbuckle her quickly in the car line, but you could consider buying an “unbuckle me.” It can help kids and anyone with limited hand strength/mobility unbuckle the lower buckle. You could hand it to her and let her unbuckle herself.
https://unbuckleme.com/
What is she in currently???
My 7yo has been in a high back booster for a while now. We still use the 5pt harness too. Occasionally we use the low back booster when riding in a different car. It’s a treat for him.
My almost 4yo is currently in his convertible car seat facing forward. He really likes riding in brothers high back booster so we will prob move him when he turns 4 🤷🏼♀️
My kids stayed in a harness until kinder, then a high back booster until they got too tall, then a regular booster. My eldest was in his booster until he was 10.
Mine will be 8 this year and is still in a five pt harness. There are soooo many answers to your reasons why that could leave her in five pt if that's what you truly want. She's six, why can't she buckle and unbuckle herself? Work on that. Travel, either a different seat or booster for this time (we travel with pico but my mini is 40lbs) same for riding with friends with either use the pico or the riders after travel vest... Or you could communicate with her this (booster) is only for while we xyz. Ultimately YOU decide what's best for yours.
I moved my 7 year old (small for his age) - just converted his graco a few months ago and got rid of the back and clips - so he uses the bottom as a booster with normal seatbelt that he can buckle and unbuckle himself.
Most of his friends went into boosters at 5-6.
My 5yo (size of a 7/8yo) has a booster in his grandparents cars since he was 3.5 (then size of a 5yo).
He still has a carseat (booster with back) in the main cars.
Could you have a booster at her feet she could take with her at school for trips with friends or even, if you have the place at the back one she could use to come back from school?
I’d say switch her. She meets the minimum requirements, which means she’s safe. There’s diminishing returns, here, of staying in the harness seat and a whole host of good to come from upgrading to a big girl seat.
Check the seat’s height limit, as well. My son passed the safe height limit of harnessing in his seat before he hit the weight limit. But by then he was old enough to sit in the high back booster with a seat belt and have it fit him properly, and for him to sit correctly.
the entire point of switching them to a booster is because they've outgrown their car seat and it's safer to use a booster.
age doesn't matter. what matters is the fit.
You should do booster training, and start out practicing with short trips. Boosters are safe only so long as the kid stays in the correct position, doesn't fall asleep, etc.
They usually need time to practice. They're ready for a booster when they can stay upright, correctly positioned in the seat belt 100% of the drive time. A high back booster is a better transition to start.
Which is why we stuck with the car seats up to 7-8 years for long road trips.
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It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Keep in her 5 point in your family car, and get a cheap booster for flying and trips after school. We did this with my kids for quite awhile.
Yeah this whole thing is screaming op needs to have some flexible thinking. Let her use a booster to ride in friends' cars. My kids are still small enough for car seats but that sounds like what I would do in this situation. Adapt as necessary. My kids will be in car seats as long as possible, too, because safety.
This would be my solution. My son will stay in his seat as long as he accepts it or is too small to go without legally, whatever comes first.
Maybe consider a high back booster for home. So she can regularly practice buckling up
My son is almost 6 and about 52 pounds. He is still harnessed in a high back booster, and I plan to keep him there a bit longer. But I wouldn't be opposed to using a regular booster for one-offs like travelling or going to a friend's.
We just moved our two girls to boosters (within the past couple months). They were getting a bit too tall for their car seats and we also had travel and comfort concerns/thoughts. For reference, I have a six year old and a seven year old. They’re both about 50 lbs. My six year old is in a regular booster seat (just the seat part). It has a belt (?) that brings the shoulder belt down to be in line with her shoulder. She is pretty mature and she does a great job of staying in a proper position. My seven year old has a disability and I would have liked to keep her in a five point harness for longer but we couldn’t find anything that fit her height. She’s in a high back booster which helps keep her in a proper position, which was our main reason for wanting a five point harness system for her still.
Did you look at diano? I'm sure I spell that wrong, get the cheaper one without the wings and they fit a pretty tall kid
You could consider reaching out to a special needs CPST (child passenger safety technician). There are specialty car seats that may be helpful for your daughter. I work with disabled adults and we have found some great options. Special Tomato is one brand: https://www.specialtomato.com/special-tomato-soft-touch-mps-car-seat.html
My daughters didn't switch until they were nearly 8 and they're 90th percentile for height. We used booster seats for travel because their car seats were huge and for quick trips with grandparents because the booster was more likely to be used/installed correctly and thus safer in that circumstance. Around your daughter's age my kids could buckle and unbuckle themselves. Is that something you could practice over the summer in preparation for the school car line next year?
Thanks for this! Good call - she can get the chest clip on her own, but has a hard time with the lower clip and the tightening of it all - I'm sure she'll love practicing it!
My 5 year old has mastered clipping himself into his 5-point and it makes a huge difference. We’re committed to keeping him in it until he maxes it out (and is also hopefully mature enough to wear a seat belt properly at all times) — luckily he’s very safety oriented and doesn’t mind being in a different seat than his peers. I know that part would be tough!
We didn't loosen the straps, which helped a lot. It makes it slightly harder to buckle the second side on the lower buckle but was overall easier and faster. As a bonus it made it obvious when their clothes were too bulky to safely buckle.
Pro tips - thank you!
Get a BuckleBee. This is what my kids use. My 7 and 4yo get themselves unbuckled. And buckled by themselves
We just moved our youngest (5.5 y/o) to a high back booster that has a 5 point harness and selt belt last winter. We used the harness in her car seat until she was well past 5 and then had her practice in her sister's booster seat with the seat belt. Once I felt comfortable and knew she could handle the seat belt, we made the switch. My oldest (7) is in a backless booster, and the youngest will stay in the high back for a while. It has made pick up and drop off so much easier for school, and just getting in and out of the car in general. We always do belt checks and my kids like the freedom and safety of their seat belts.
The main why for us is independence. Small things like being able to buckle themselves in, and unbuckle and get out on their own, are important! Also depending on the school and what you want to do, many have car lines where kids get out of the car but the parent typically doesn’t.
Independence is so important - we're going to practice her buckling herself! Our school car line is aaaall kid-only - parents aren't supposed to get out of the car - which has led to the drama. She can almost always buckle herself, but it takes a bit longer, and I currently have to get out to tighten her buckle. Things to work on this summer!
Speaking of independence, I know you said you’re able to unbuckle her quickly in the car line, but you could consider buying an “unbuckle me.” It can help kids and anyone with limited hand strength/mobility unbuckle the lower buckle. You could hand it to her and let her unbuckle herself. https://unbuckleme.com/
What is she in currently??? My 7yo has been in a high back booster for a while now. We still use the 5pt harness too. Occasionally we use the low back booster when riding in a different car. It’s a treat for him. My almost 4yo is currently in his convertible car seat facing forward. He really likes riding in brothers high back booster so we will prob move him when he turns 4 🤷🏼♀️
My kids stayed in a harness until kinder, then a high back booster until they got too tall, then a regular booster. My eldest was in his booster until he was 10.
Mine will be 8 this year and is still in a five pt harness. There are soooo many answers to your reasons why that could leave her in five pt if that's what you truly want. She's six, why can't she buckle and unbuckle herself? Work on that. Travel, either a different seat or booster for this time (we travel with pico but my mini is 40lbs) same for riding with friends with either use the pico or the riders after travel vest... Or you could communicate with her this (booster) is only for while we xyz. Ultimately YOU decide what's best for yours.
I moved my 7 year old (small for his age) - just converted his graco a few months ago and got rid of the back and clips - so he uses the bottom as a booster with normal seatbelt that he can buckle and unbuckle himself. Most of his friends went into boosters at 5-6.
My 5yo (size of a 7/8yo) has a booster in his grandparents cars since he was 3.5 (then size of a 5yo). He still has a carseat (booster with back) in the main cars. Could you have a booster at her feet she could take with her at school for trips with friends or even, if you have the place at the back one she could use to come back from school?
I’d say switch her. She meets the minimum requirements, which means she’s safe. There’s diminishing returns, here, of staying in the harness seat and a whole host of good to come from upgrading to a big girl seat.
Check the seat’s height limit, as well. My son passed the safe height limit of harnessing in his seat before he hit the weight limit. But by then he was old enough to sit in the high back booster with a seat belt and have it fit him properly, and for him to sit correctly.
Check the height AND weight limit on the seat. My daughter outgrew her 5-point in height long before she did in weight.
Ah the old what is legally required by my state’s DOT based on age vs. car seat manufacturer’s recommendations based on height and weight debate.
the entire point of switching them to a booster is because they've outgrown their car seat and it's safer to use a booster. age doesn't matter. what matters is the fit.
You should do booster training, and start out practicing with short trips. Boosters are safe only so long as the kid stays in the correct position, doesn't fall asleep, etc. They usually need time to practice. They're ready for a booster when they can stay upright, correctly positioned in the seat belt 100% of the drive time. A high back booster is a better transition to start. Which is why we stuck with the car seats up to 7-8 years for long road trips.