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Original poster

4 year olds on booster seats in car - how do you stop them falling sideways when asleep?

26 replies

sandyballs · 10/10/2005 10:46

I really wish I'd brought seats with a back and a heat rest instead of the booster seats because when my girls fall asleep the end up almost lying across the back seat which is obviously dangerous if I were to have an accident.

I vaguely remember seeing something that goes over the back of the car's headrest to support them a bit more but can't think where it was.

Any ideas anyone because we're off on a long journey on Friday night and they are bound to fall asleep.

OP posts:
Original poster
sandyballs · 10/10/2005 10:46

head rest

OP posts:
iota · 10/10/2005 10:54

have to say that I think 4 is too young for a booster seat -- my ds2 has the Britax hiliner like this

Furball · 10/10/2005 11:01

You can get the Graco Junior Plus for about £40 - Not alot of dosh for your childs safety. Most high back one convert to just the seat for later on anyway.

WigWamBam · 10/10/2005 11:08

My dd is 4 and is in a Rexaro seat that will (allegedly) do until she's 11 because I think that 4 is too young to just have a booster seat, but we also have one of these high backed boosters for my dad's car. It costs £24.99 and converts to a plain booster seat later.

Monstersmum · 10/10/2005 11:24

Have to say I also feel boosters are not enough at 4.

DH has a Volvo with the built in booster seats and I really don't feel that comfortable about DS travelling with just that - on long journeys we use the proper car seat.

Isn't the law changing soon about car seats? Someone may know!

scaryclary · 10/10/2005 11:41

Britax Kid is what we have for our 6yo and 4yo. I believe the law is changing to mean all 11yos and below must be in a seat like this.
Very good for when they fall asleep (which even ds1 still does sometimes! Think it's about £60+ but well worth it. DS1 is quite a heft 6yo, tall and not skinny, and he fits in it fine.

foxinsocks · 10/10/2005 11:46

we have the britax kid for our two

You can get these but it relies on the child falling asleep in that direction.

LIZS · 10/10/2005 11:48

I know what you mean but can't find one online atm. Perhaps they are no longer sold as gives a false impression of offering side impact protection.

Carlk · 10/10/2005 11:53

new law here

in brief

auntymandy · 10/10/2005 11:55

my sons seat has a back etc and still falls forward!

troubledmummy · 10/10/2005 12:07

hi my dd nearly 5 doesnt have a booster seat though am going out to buy one at weekend. I feel like a bad mum now after reading this post but with regards to the item foxinsocks refered to i got on in the 99p shop exactally the same

zippitippitoads · 10/10/2005 12:09

blow up neck pillow and pilows and duvets packed in around them

NannyL · 10/10/2005 19:27

Wouldnt bother with the GRACO one, got a VERY POOR review in the WHICH? magazine

last week i got the Britax Highliner for my 5 year old charge... was on offer in mothercare for £35.99! bargain!
(Did VERY well in the which report as did the maxi cosy rodi, and Britax Kid)

Its actually not recommened that kids use booster seats without a back until they weight 22kg (around 6 years)

Theya are obvioulsy NOT safe when asleep so therefore invest in a new seat ASAP!

Jbck · 15/10/2005 13:55

OMG DD barely weighs more than 22lbs & she's 4. I must admit it's getting harder to persuade her to sit in her car seat nowadays but I wouldn't even consider a booster for a couple of years regardless of the fights.
I'm terrified when I see kids about 5 & 6 jumping out of the front seat without a booster or anything. Saw a man at Morrisons the other day with a little boy obviously his grandson, no older than 3 & he had no seat at all.

KBear · 15/10/2005 14:07

Mine have booster seats with backs which work for DS who is 4 but no good for DD who is 6. On long journeys I take BIG cushions which wedge in between them and the seat in front so one they are asleep they don't loll forwards or sideways. Also we only travel at night to Scotland (our long journey once a year) so it's very cosy. Perhaps not ideal on a hot day though.

freakyzebra · 15/10/2005 14:20

It's funny about that law change, I'm fairly certain that 90+ % of parents know nothing about it. I will be the only one next year trying to gently explain to parents why they can't take my 6yo just in the ordinary seat-belt.

LIZS · 15/10/2005 14:23

I sense that too FZ. Our school is very into encouraging car sharing too and regular trips are not likely to be excluded. Somehow I don't feel it is my place to tell the coordinator as I don't plan to use the system.

Gobbledispook · 15/10/2005 14:25

My 4.5 yr old has the Britax Highliner which was £39.99 in Halfords. It got a really good review in Which as NannyL says (in fact, it could have been her that recommended it to me!!)

I'd feel very uncomfortable about using just a base booster at this age.

NannyL · 15/10/2005 17:00

My 5 year old charge LOVES his new Britax Highliner as well! He's nearly 20kg!

ScarySkribble · 15/10/2005 22:02

It looks like the main change in the law is that they now have to have use a seat belt for all children under 135cm, where as before they only had to use one if it was there.

I got long cushions from Ikea to wedge down the side of the kids and found boosters without backs are more comfortable and less likely to fall forward when sleeping. I wonder what heightmy daughter is as she just uses a cushion now.

redshoes · 16/10/2005 08:54

Does 'child restraint' mean seat belt or child seat?

NannyL · 16/10/2005 09:47

i THINK it means a child seat (like a booster seat minimum) I assume those things that go on the seat belt to stop it rubbing the neck dont count.

(tho IF you have 3 children in the back (all over 3 years) AND its simply not possible to fit 3 child seats in the back of that car, then i suppose you could consider that for the child sitting in the middle.

ScarySkribble · 16/10/2005 15:39

I wonder how this would be enforced, will the Police get your children out of the car and measure and weigh them . As you say you can't physically fit three seats accros the back seat. Perhaps we are all expected to buy minibuses. DS 8yrs no special restraint, DD 6ys on a cushion in our car (big huge flat cushion, not a little thing that will move).

NannyL · 16/10/2005 16:28

When you cant fit 3 seats in the back one child (over 3 years old) can be strapped in with just the seat belts....

as for cushions no they are NOT child restraints which keep the belt properly fittted over their lap in order to not cause horrendous pelvic injuries in a crash...

TBH i cant imagine why any responsible parent (or driver) would even WANT to let their child sit without a child seat, given the injuries seat belts alone can cause...

they are designed for adults, and child seats adapt them to be fit for children as well.

As far as im concerend the law cant change soon enough, to prevent innocent children being injured because the parents dont want the hassel of using child seats.

(oh BTW im obviously a nanny, have 2 charges , 4 child seats (of my OWN!) even tho my car will only fit in 3.... this ensures that i can ALWAYS have any combination of children im likely to be looking after strapped in PROPERLY!

Frizbe · 16/10/2005 16:41

scaryscribble, yep we're all expected to buy cars that can fit the 3 seats across the back, if yours can't you'll generally find, its only insured to carry 4 people, so the 5th person won't be covered anyway....like you say, this is going to cause a lot of problems for people with larger families (us being one of them!) good way to sell lots of newer cars tho, and get the older ones off the road......