What kind of car seat and where to put it

[Donna Sabol]

I don't understand why I'm having so much trouble locating answers to
my questions online!

My son's father recently purchased a booster seat for my son to use in
his car. My son is 3 years old and about 32 pounds.

His dad says his shoulders were higher than the straps on the old car
seat, and this booster seat says it's for 30 lbs and up. I HAVE found
quite a few articles saying that he should stay in a regular car seat
until he's 40 lbs MINIUMUM.

I'm concerned about all the things I've heard about kids being injured
by the seat belt, and feel he should be in the car seat still. I am
also pretty concerned that he has the seat next to the passenger side
door in the back. I think it should be in the middle. He drives a
Saturn Ion, which is the smallest car Saturn makes. He says it has a
spaceage steel frame and it's safe enough by the door.

So, what kind of seat should he be using and where in the car should
it be??

[Allen McIntosh]

In article >,
Donna Sabol > wrote:
>I am
>also pretty concerned that he has the seat next to the passenger side
>door in the back. I think it should be in the middle. He drives a
>Saturn Ion, which is the smallest car Saturn makes. He says it has a
>spaceage steel frame and it's safe enough by the door.
>So, ... where in the car should it be??

I can think of a couple of considerations. Is there a shoulder belt in
the center position? If not, he might be better off riding in a position
that has a shoulder belt. How tall is he, how short are the seats, and
where are the headrests? (Maybe only an issue for older backless
boosters?) Is there a hump in the middle of the seat, so that a
booster would tend to rock back and forth?

[Scott]

Donna Sabol wrote:
> I don't understand why I'm having so much trouble locating answers to
> my questions online!
>
> My son's father recently purchased a booster seat for my son to use in
> his car. My son is 3 years old and about 32 pounds.
>
> His dad says his shoulders were higher than the straps on the old car
> seat, and this booster seat says it's for 30 lbs and up. I HAVE found
> quite a few articles saying that he should stay in a regular car seat
> until he's 40 lbs MINIUMUM.
>
> I'm concerned about all the things I've heard about kids being injured
> by the seat belt, and feel he should be in the car seat still. I am
> also pretty concerned that he has the seat next to the passenger side
> door in the back. I think it should be in the middle. He drives a
> Saturn Ion, which is the smallest car Saturn makes. He says it has a
> spaceage steel frame and it's safe enough by the door.
>
> So, what kind of seat should he be using and where in the car should
> it be??

IMO, there seems to be more going on here than a question
about car seats. If the manufacturer of the car seat
says it's for 30 pounds and up, I'd say that's what it's
for. I'm sure other brands of car seats do recommend
staying put 'til 40 pounds.

When we used car seats, I think we put DD in the
center of the car (this was a Honda Civic VX -- <Sigh> --
we loved that car) sometimes and on the edge sometimes.
It was a 2-door car, so the center of the back seat was
nominally easier to reach. When DS was car-seated, it was
next to the door (a Ford Escort Wagon), mostly because
there were 2 kids in the back seat and the middle of
the car was no-man's land. With just one booster,
we would put it next to the door, though, not in
the center, so this center vs. door might be a
car seat vs. booster seat thing.

Of course, my kids haven't used car seats/boosters
for a good long time, so my point of view may be
dated. I will say, though, that large cars are
not necessarily safer than small ones.

Perhaps I'm off base, but I read your post as one
of one person trying to control the actions of another.
I would venture to guess that you cannot control your
son's father's actions in this regard, and you should
not try to. Also, I'd suggest using the phrase 'our
son' more rather than 'my son'.


Scott DD 10.5 and DS 8

[Robyn Kozierok]

In article >,
Donna Sabol > wrote:
>My son's father recently purchased a booster seat for my son to use in
>his car. My son is 3 years old and about 32 pounds.
>
>His dad says his shoulders were higher than the straps on the old car
>seat, and this booster seat says it's for 30 lbs and up. I HAVE found
>quite a few articles saying that he should stay in a regular car seat
>until he's 40 lbs MINIUMUM.

Yeah, he should optimally still be in a 5-point-harness seat. There
are seats available that have a 5-point harness to be used at first
which then convert into a belt-positioning booster later. This would
be, IMO, the best thing to buy in your situation. He should fit the
harness in most of those convertible boosters for a while. That said,
if he fits the booster properly *and* will sit still enough to remain
in the correct position wrt the seatbelt, I think a belt-positioning
booster is fairly safe (though not as good as the 5-point).

>I'm concerned about all the things I've heard about kids being injured
>by the seat belt, and feel he should be in the car seat still. I am
>also pretty concerned that he has the seat next to the passenger side
>door in the back. I think it should be in the middle. He drives a
>Saturn Ion, which is the smallest car Saturn makes. He says it has a
>spaceage steel frame and it's safe enough by the door.

The middle seat is safest, but only if the carseat fits properly
there. IME, it is hard to get a seat to fit properly in the middle
seat of a Saturn, but I don't know much about the Ion. If there's no
shoulder strap in the middle seat, he can't use a belt-positioning
booster in that seating position. Many people have more than one
child and they can't all sit in the middle position.

My oldest was in an outer seating position beginning at 2.75yo due
to the arrival of his younger brother.

Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/93 and Matthew 6/96 and Evan 3/01)
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[Dsabol2000]

I've read all the posts but, of course, felt I had to reply to this one. ;)

Your responses to the car seat question were noted and well taken. The
remainder was unsolicited and unwarranted.

I feel like everyone who posted has given me some things to think about (on the
car seat issue). I am just trying to protect our son, who is also MY son, and
am trying to find some useful information that I can share with his dad.

Thanks again everyone.

[Beth Kevles]

Hi -

Several boosters are rated for kids starting at 30 or 35 pounds, so if
you select the right booster, that should be fine.

As to location, the center seat is the safest, but other seats are
reasonably safe as well. Just not the front seat!

The best safety feature a car can have, of course, is a careful driver.

The scariest thing a child can do is to unfasten his seat belt by
himself ... at a time when he really shouldn't. Drill that into your
child's head as firmly as necessary!

My two cents,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

[Scott]

Beth Kevles wrote:

> The scariest thing a child can do is to unfasten his seat belt by
> himself ... at a time when he really shouldn't. Drill that into your
> child's head as firmly as necessary!

Yes. I pulled over a couple times with DD and played a waiting
game with her while she re-buckled. Happily, the 'Look-I-can-
unbuckle-myself' phase was short-lived :) DS never went through
that particular phase.

Scott DD 10.5 and DS 8

[Karen G]

Beth is right, the best safety feature is a careful driver. I suppose
that is why so many kids survived before car seats.

I think about car seats along two lines:

1) The car seat itself has to fit in the car and be properly installed.
I know this sounds funny, but be practical. If the seat doesn't fit in
the center or the center doesn't have a lap/shoulder belt for the
booster to be properly used, the side seat is going to be safer than
having it misinstalled in the center. The choice of which side is also
an issue that should be decided by the driver. I generally have kept
the youngest child on the drivers side for my own convenience.

2) As to the type of car seat, consider the driver. Car seats are made
in different styles and colors for the drivers' convenience. Again if
the person putting the child into the car seat is not going to keep a
five point harness properly adjusted then the lap/shoulder belt may
indeed be safer.

I have three children in car seats. My five year old only weighs 37
pounds, but she is clearly at a stage where a car seat is no longer
appropriate for various reasons (ability to ride with someone else,
size, need for independence). We have her in a booster seat using the
lap/shoulder combination. The booster seat is rated for children 30
pounds and up in that set up. My three year old weighs 35 pounds. We
also have her using the lap/shouldner combination.

Look at the big picture of how the seat is being used before deciding
whether or not it is safe. Is the seat properly installed every time it
is used? Is the child restrained properly every time it is used? Is
the set up convenient to use it all properly?

Karen G

[Barbara]

> Donna Sabol wrote:
> > I don't understand why I'm having so much trouble locating answers to
> > my questions online!
> >
> > My son's father recently purchased a booster seat for my son to use in
> > his car. My son is 3 years old and about 32 pounds.
> >
> > His dad says his shoulders were higher than the straps on the old car
> > seat, and this booster seat says it's for 30 lbs and up. I HAVE found
> > quite a few articles saying that he should stay in a regular car seat
> > until he's 40 lbs MINIUMUM.
> >
> > I'm concerned about all the things I've heard about kids being injured
> > by the seat belt, and feel he should be in the car seat still. I am
> > also pretty concerned that he has the seat next to the passenger side
> > door in the back. I think it should be in the middle. He drives a
> > Saturn Ion, which is the smallest car Saturn makes. He says it has a
> > spaceage steel frame and it's safe enough by the door.
> >
> > So, what kind of seat should he be using and where in the car should
> > it be??
>

Donna -- check the child restraint laws in the area where you live and
where your son's father lives; it may well be that car seats (rather
than boosters) are required by state law. That information might
provide an easy entre for you to discuss this matter with Son's
Father.

Booster seats, properly used, are safe for children. (Conversely,
neither boosters nor carseats are safe when not used properly -- which
includes shoulders above the highest slot for the harness.) My
concern with a booster at your son's age, however, is that he may be
too young to sit straight for long periods of time without that extra
retraint from a 5-point harness. You and Son's Father know your son
best in that regard.

Most people do place boosters by the doors, whether because a younger
child occupies the middle position or because the middle lacks the
shoulder harness required for boosters.

There are currently any number of excellent carseats on the market
that have high slots (made for taller children), and even carseats
with 5-point restraints to as much as 80 pounds or so. Would Son's
Father accept one of these as a gift from you?

Good luck.

Barbara