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Parenting

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Original poster

4 year old still in five point harness!

21 replies

Shootingstar2289 · 09/06/2015 10:58

My son who has just turned 4 is still in a five point harness. He is short for his age, therefore fits into it comfortably..

He is about 38 pounds..

Other parents keep telling me their children were in a booster seat age 3.. But I'm happy for him to stay on the five point harness until he out grows it!

Is it ok to keep them in a five point harness for this long?

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TarkaTheOtter · 09/06/2015 11:01

It's preferable imo. I'm about to buy a car seat for my 3yr old where the harness can be used up to 25kg before you have to convert it to hbb. My dd still falls asleep in the car and the seatbelt only works effectively if it is in the correct position.

Mopmay · 09/06/2015 11:01

Yes if it fits it's safer. My DD was in HB booster age 4 but only as her head was a bit too high for her other seat. She still uses it occasionally tho if taking older kids with us etc and they use the HBBs

PandasRock · 09/06/2015 11:01

If he fits in the seat (height and weight wise) then yes, it is ok to keep him in it. And you should keep him in the seat as long as possible before moving into the next stage up.

FWIW my dd2 was still in a 5 point harness at nearly 7 years old (it was a bigger seat, harnessed to 25kg, but she would have been fine weight wise in a standard seat as she only weighs 18kg now!)

Ignore what other parents are saying, it's not a race. As lon as your ds fits, he is safe.

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ShelaghTurner · 09/06/2015 11:04

I'm getting comments as my daughter is in her toddler seat at 3.5 which i thought is still within the correct range. She is an average sized child but nowhere near outgrowing the seat yet so she'll stay in it till she does. I'm amazed at how many of my friends put their children in booster seats at just turned 3 or even younger.

5madthings · 09/06/2015 11:06

My youngest is four and also in a five point harness, we are keeping a careful eye as she doesn't have much room height wise left, but she is fine weight wise. It is safer for them to be in a five point harness so whilst she still fits that is where she will stay!

Highlandbird · 09/06/2015 11:09

My four year old is still in a five point harness, never thought anything of it tbh, I'm sure most of his friends still are too.

squizita · 09/06/2015 11:10

I specifically spent Â£Â£Â£ on a Swedish rear facing 5 point that lasts till the age of 4 or 5. Everything I've read says safer!!

addictedtosugar · 09/06/2015 11:13

At "about 38lb" I'd keep him in the 5 point harness, but check his weight every so often - if the harness is only rated to 18kg, he will grow out of in in a bit.

My 4 yr old is still in a 5 point harness at 16kg.

juneau · 09/06/2015 11:13

My four-year-old is still in a five-point harness and IMO its safer. He does sit in his older brother's car seat for short journeys when DS1 is at school, but DS2 is wriggly and also hyper-mobile, so he's a bit floppy and I'm worried that in an accident he would get injured if he wasn't properly anchored. Do what is right for your child and don't worry what others think.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 09/06/2015 11:16

Absolutely fine. I'd still have my DD in one if I could buy one for a booster seat. It's a right flipping pain if she falls asleep and starts to slump as a regular seat belt just doesn't hold her up properly iykwim

Earthbound · 09/06/2015 11:19

My 6 year old is still in a 5 point harness (Britax import with a high weight limit). She sometimes complains it feels babyish. Tough. It's safer so she'll have to suck it up.

Myricales · 09/06/2015 11:19

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are still in five point (or more probably six point) harnesses. They're more than four.

The only reason why cars don't have five point harnesses in every seat is practicality (skirts, and problems with adjustable seats and finding a hard point for the "inside" shoulder). If I could buy a practical road car with five point harnesses I would. Four point harnesses are possible in road cars if you don't mind losing the middle seat in the back.

KanyesVest · 09/06/2015 12:18

DD has just turned 5 and is her 5 point harness. She'll be there until the weight/height limit. I checked her the other day and she's another 3/4kg to go, so I'll have to keep an eye on her over the summer, but I won't be moving her any sooner than absolutely necessary.

PrincessTheresaofLiechtenstein · 09/06/2015 12:21

Mine were both still in one at 4. why not?

CornChips · 09/06/2015 12:22

DS is still in is too. height wise and weight wise he is fine for the seat we have. He is very short and slight.

CornChips · 09/06/2015 12:23

Oh... he is 5 by the way.

EducateTogetheralumnus · 09/06/2015 12:23

I do not understand this rush to move children "up" in car seats. My 3 year old is only 28lbs. She'll be in her five point harness, and rear facing, until she's about 6!

treaclesoda · 09/06/2015 12:25

My son was tall for his age and outgrew his five point harness when he wasn't much older than three. I was so annoyed that I couldn't get one to fit, as I would much preferred him to stay in a five point harness for a while longer.

If he still fitted in a five point harness, I'd definitely have him in one.

HamishBamish · 09/06/2015 12:35

A five point harness is safer. DS1 only moved into a high back booster when he was over 5.5 and DS1 who has just turned 5 is still in a five point harness. Their weight is the key factor. I think the limit for our seat is 18kg.

I would keep him in the five point harness until he gets to the weight limit.

electionfatigue · 09/06/2015 14:10

My daughter was rear facing in a harness until the age of 4.5 and she only moved out of it because her younger brother needed it. He's still in it at 3 and will stay until he's too big for it. Much safer to rear face in a proper harness until as close to 5 as you can get.

NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 09/06/2015 16:42

DC1 moved to a HBB at just over 5, and only because he had reached the weight limit. DTs will likewise stay in them until they reach the weight limit which I expect will be closer to 6 as they are smaller than DC1.

the longer they stay in 5 point the better.

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