Hi moms-
I don't have any friends to ask this b/c they all have younger kids- but does anyone else have trouble remembering to seatbelt the booster seats when they are empty? I work full time in early intervention- so I drive around all day- and I always forget to buckle in the seats. I know I'm supposed to for safety reasons- but for some reason when I drop the kids off in the morning at school or grandma's house I completely forget. I was thinking of starting to ask the kids (6 and 8) to do it when they get out of the car.....anyone do this? However- drop off time in the morning at school is a bit rushed- so I don't want to have the kids do this when school starts again- I'd rather them concentrate on getting school bags and getting into school. Anyway- I'm sure I'll figure this out- but was just curious and hoping that I wasn't the only one lol!
Ok- thanks for making me feel better everyone! I actually had read it in the booster seats' manual! We just got our booster seats this past month. I am going to continue to make it a conscious effort! My son is a "follow the rule" type person- so if I make this a rule then I think it will get done more often than not. And the Post-it note idea was good, thanks!!!!!
I know you're supposed to but honestly in 9 straight years of having booster seats I have never done it even once. Having the kids do it is a good idea.
Well I guess you learn something new every day. Good thing my kids are older and we no longer use booster seats. I never heard of such a thing.
I did not know that. I never have done that, it does not slide around when I am driving so it has never crossed my mind. Honestly if I am in a huge enough accident for it to really move around and hit me it means my kid is not in the car with me so it is a win that they will not be hurt :)
i didnt know you were supposed to.
Never even thought about it...WOW! Okay, I will now!
I also heard you were supposed to do this. Any loose item in the car though will do the same thing... act like a deadly weapon in an accident. I would just make a point to start a routine of it. Either get the kids to do it, or make sure they are buckled every time you get in the car. Once you make it in to a routine, you will remember.
Are you talking about booster seats with backs? the back is high enough that it could hit the head of the person in the front seat. Even if the head rest protects the head the distraction could cause the driver to not take appropriate action. If so, yes buckle them in.
But a booster seat that is just a short platform like device is no heavier or more likely to fly in an accident than a bag of groceries or a purse. And.....if the seat is on the seat it won't fly over the back of the front seat. It'll hit the back of the front seat.
How many people put umbrellas, tissue boxes, books on the back shelf under the window? Those will do more damage than a backless booster seat and probably even more damage than any booster seat.
I covered an accident in which the woman had loaded the back seat of her car with boxes all the way to the ceiling. She ran into a pole and was decapitated. Everything in the vehicle needs to be below the back of the seat in front of it.
I had no idea you were supposed to.
My almost 9yr old is in a booster seat, and he buckles it when he gets out. Its just a habit now, he unbuckles, gets out and then rebuckles the seat in.
Anyone who doubts that it could do damage, think of it this way, if you wouldn't throw it at your head, your childs head, or your spouses head, you probably don't want it flying around in your car in a crash. Crash forces are enough to throw laced up work boots off a grown mans feet.... that booster seat that yes, only weighs a few pounds, could move at lightening speeds and hit at a couple hundred pounds of force.
!!
thanks for your post.. hadn't even occurred to me to buckle the unused unlatched boosters...
I believe I will have the child using it buckle it up. ~ except those crazy drop-off times. we all have them sometimes.
>^.^<
MK
yeah ive never heard of that either!, but *........"jots down reminder in my head"*
I've never heard of this! I wonder if we should buckle our purses and diaper bags too, I know some of them can get really heavy?!!
Huh. You're right. It's a good idea if it's a belt only seat in the event of an accident so that the seat doesn't fly around and whack someone in the head. Never thought of it. I suppose, because all our boosters were 'Latch' boosters that clipped onto the hardware of the car itself. They stayed 'latched' permanently... and then buckled in and out for the kids climbing in.
Ask your kids to do it when they get out or put a post it on your dash and remind yourself that way. GL!
M
Thanks, I never even thought about that.
I know I would forget, so I just make sure to buy latchable boosters.
I've never heard of this and it never occurred to me! I guess I'll have my daughter do it when she gets out of the car now. Wow...can't believe I never heard of this. I'll have to ask a few friends about it. Thanks for the post.
