It's true. I have an addiction to keeping my kids as safe as possible in the car. I have my 10 year old who is a tall kid in an adult seatbelt making sure to use the belt guide provided in the second row of my '97 astrovan. The fit is perfect on her, but if I could I'd keep her in a car seat for the rest of her car riding days. I would totally wear a racer style 5 pt. harness myself too. I don't see the big deal in being a little over protective of my own body, my children's bodies, but since I don't have that capabilities for my daughter who has surpassed the weight limit for 5 pt. harnessed car seats, she gets to be in the big kid/ adult class of car riding with a regular lap and shoulder belt just as I do. She also is 4 ft. 8 inches tall and is tall enough for an adult seat belt.
But for my 2 younger children, ages 4 yrs. and 2 yrs., there are a lot of choices to keep them harnessed in the car. I could legally booster my 2 yr. old at 3 yrs old, and legally booster my 4 yr old currently, however I choose not to do so because their littler bodies are significantly better protected in a racer style 5 pt. harness, so simply put, I do it. Did you know that in many booster tests done with 3 year old crash test dummies and 6 year old crash test dummies, the boosters that failed 3 yr old usually passed the 6 yr. old dummies? Now that's something to give some thought to. I do my best to make sure I am following the most current and car seat tested and approved best practice recommendations from certified passenger safety technicians who specialize in child restraint safety. For my 2 year old who is 32 pounds with a car seat that will rear face her until 35 pounds, that means she is rear facing harnessed in a racer style 5 pt harness. She will be turned around to front facing when I have a car seat that will no longer accomodate her weight rear facing. Right now, that weight is a 35 pound limit and as she is 32 pounds right now, I estimate that we will be turning her car seat forward facing in less than 5-6 months. She will be 2 yrs, 10 months old at that point. The current recommendation is to keep children rear facing until their 2nd birthday in a toddler convertible car seat. Scary fact: children's neck vertebrate bones do not ossify until they are 6 yrs old so keeping children rear facing as long as possible helps prevent many deaths and/ or spinal injuries. When children rear face, in a car accident, their neck is not flung forwards. Their heads are resting against the car seat's back the whole time.
My 4 yr old is forward facing in a racer style 5 pt harness. Her weight is 46 pounds right now and her car seat will accomodate 80 pounds, and a height limit that will probably get my child who is in the 100% for height until her 5th birthday. However, it could possibly last her until her 6th birthday. This depends upon what grows faster on her body, 1)her legs or 2) her torso (top of shoulders to bottom of butt while seated). If her torso grows more rapidly than her legs that means her shoulders could be above the top harness slots of her car seat sooner than a long legged kidlet, and for forward facing, this is a big no-no. If you put your child in their car seat and you think it looks as if they fit fine but their shoulder tops are above the highest harness slot your car seat has got and you put them in their seat anyways and get in a crash, the harness straps can compress and crush their spine. So simply put, don't do it but better yet plan ahead and watch those top harness slots when your child's shoulder's are nearing them so you can make a plan, and go to carseat.org/forums for a recommendation on your future new car seat purchase.
So if you are in need of a new car seat here's a chance to win a Diono car seat. Diono car seats will last your child up to 45 lb. rear facing or until your child's head is 1 inch below the top of the seat back, whichever comes first. Most all car seats follow the 1 inch below the top of the seat back rule for rear facing. This car seat will then forward face and typically last a child until at the very least 5 years old, possibly 6 or 7 yrs old.
Just click below to be directed to Sugar Pop Ribbons Reviews & Giveaways.
http://sugarpopribbons.blogspot.com/2012/01/diono-radianrxt-car-seat-review.html?showComment=1326234108222#c3833171612012469262
After entering there, also enter here:
http://kidzborn2impress.blogspot.com/2011/12/diono-radian-rxt-convertible-car-seat.html?showComment=1326264290163#c55133187216711
These are 2 completely separate contests for a chance to win A Diono car seat. So be sure to maximize your chances and enter both.
