Booster Training

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By Cara Miller

Before your child has fully outgrown their harnessed car seat and is over 40 pounds and has the maturity to sit properly in a booster seat it's a good time to start booster training them. This can come in handy if there is an emergency or on school field trips, when your child is not in your primary car or a harnessed car seat is not available.

What should I know about booster training?

Look for signs of maturity in your child before taking this next step. This sometimes relates to age but maturity is a greater indicator that your child is ready to move to a booster. They must understand the importance of sitting upright and having their seat belt postioned properly 100 percent of the time, it's a good idea to start booster training them before moving them to a booster full-time. Proper seatbelt positioning is crucial when your child is riding in a booster seat, if the belt is in the wrong position it can cause devastating injuries. Remember that a booster seat is not a child restraint the seat belt is, the booster seat boosts the child up in height so that the vehicles seatbelt fits them properly across the chest and shoulders and across the lower hips and not the abdomen.

Not all boosters fit all children correctly, a recent study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety in the U.S. concluded that many booster seats were not fitting kids properly, especially 3-in-1 seats that have infant/child/booster mode capabilities which is putting them at risk for injuries. A high-back booster is best for those in booster seat training as it gives them better side and back support like their harnessed car seat.

When starting to booster train begin with shorter trips with a second person in the car to monitor the child the first few times. They can remind them about sitting up straight, not slouching or leaning or repositioning the seatbelt under their arm or behind them. This is also an important tip for adults to remember too, severe injuries can result from an improperly positioned seatbelt in a collision in adults as well. Have the adult always buckle the seatbelt and make sure any slack in the lap portion has been pulled tight.

Always remember a "step-up" in child restraint is a "step-down" in safety.  If your child still fits well in their harnessed seat there's no rush to move to a booster too soon, but booster training them for occasional use is highly recommended.