When can we ditch the car seat?

[lightupthetoys]

Source of so much stress as DC can get his arms out of the straps (I know there are various safety devices aimed at preventing this and none have been effective.)

When can he go into a booster seat?

If he messes about that much in a harness and won’t listen can you really trust him to stay sat properly with the seatbelt? My 3.5YO is in a booster but he’s tall for his age so he reached the max of the harness height limit on his seat and also he sits very nicely. His sister was too but she’s older so all the boosters were sold at 3+ back then. When DS went through his houdini phase when he was younger we solved it by getting our old travel seat out of the loft because it was bought in the US so has a chest clip. I believe you can buy the clips separately though so could be worth a look? Otherwise waying up the risks if he’s over a metre tall and will actually sit properly then I’d take that over being half hanging out a harness. But personally I’d be sceptical that he would. Maybe a trial driving on some slow local roads with another adult in the back who can keep a close eye?

I'd try a chest clip first. Try and persevere with a 5 point harness until 4 if you can. If no luck then you might have to try having an adult in the back with a seatbelt and booster for a while and see what happens. If he escapes then go back to the 5 point harness as 5 point harness is safer for them at that age.

Of course very soon there will be the Extended Rear Facing fanatics who will come along and eat you alive, whilst telling you that their 6ft 5, 15 stone, 25 year old DC is still rear facing and they will rear face them until they are 7ft, 20 stones and over the age of 50.

We can try. I think he will to be honest because it’s not a fight. I know I’m explaining that really badly but he’s always been the same with anything designed for restraint: fights to get out of it.

It will just be a relief not to have him hanging half out all over the car.

My car seat says they can use the seat with a belt from 15kgs. My son is 3.5years and is just over 15kgs. I think the biggest risk at that age of a seatbelt is them submarining between the lap part of the belt and the seat.

I think you should measure him properly. My 3yo is only just 100cm tall and she's 3y7m. (She's well over 15kg though )

I think you should call ICSC for advice about bulletproof restraints, as I already said, but if you insist on getting a HBB, make sure it he's at least 100cm tall first, and make sure it's one with a crotch guard.

I completely understand as my almost 3yo is exactly the same about being restrained. Literally to the point I can't put zip up hoodies etc on him as he will just undo them.

He learnt to undo his seatbelt a while ago and I made an enormous fuss and pulled over immediately loudly exclaiming 'oh no' etc. Then I told him to sit down we needed to get the belt on very quickly because if the police saw him out of the car seat mummy would get into a lot of trouble for not looking after him properly and they might even put me in jail.

He was suitably wide eyed and has never done it again (although regularly says the police are going to take me away if I do anything wrong such as cut his banana incorrectly 🙃)

I know this is an ongoing problem but could be worth a try? Perhaps recruit a friend or someone to come in the car with you and see it happen so that they can do the shock/exclaiming and 'tell you both' how important it is?

I’ve tried but he loves it, it turns it into a giggly game. Also, it’s not always practical or safe to stop.

Minimum 100cm and 15kg, better if you can get him as close to 105cm and 18kg, preferably over. 3.5 is not ideal as most children are still quite wriggly, but can be ok.

However you have to compare realistically. He's not safe if he's unrestrained. Better in a slightly less protective restraint if he sits properly in it than the best one that he isn't actually in.

The Cybex Pallas seats are definitely worth a try as they have an additional restraint up to 18kg which can then be removed and the seat converts to a very good high backed booster.

You could also look at five point plus which blocks arm escape in a different way to the Houdini strap. Or Besafe belt collector which works like the Houdini one, but it slides over rather than having a clip that can be undone.

100cm is the requirement on seats like the below.

https://www.boots.com/britax-romer-kidfix-i-size-car-seat-cosmos-black-10308633

My DD is 3.5 and is nearer 110 but she is welm above average.