Carseat for 5 year old?

[2910car]

My granddaughter who is 5 but pretty small uses a booster seat in the car. We are a large family group who all live in Florida and will be going to the pier by chartered minibus.

 

My daughter wants to bring the carseat for the bus ride back and forth because we will traveling on a major highway. Will this be possible or do you think she is overprotective?

[cello56]

As many people have said before, the laws of physics do not stop working when you are on holidays. If the child rides in a car seat at home, of course she should ride in a car seat on the minibus if seat belts are provided. Your daughter might want to call the bus company and check on the availability of seat belts on the bus.

[lrowe70]

Agree with the above. Call ahead of time. If the bus has no seatbelts, the carseat is useless.

[SadieN]

Check to see if the bus company has a seat for her use.

[E&B]

I used to travel with a much smaller booster seat. It was very inexpensive and fairly easy to just pick up and take - not as bulky as the full size boosters. It was many moons ago, but was something like this:

 

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=booster+seats&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=574&wrapid=tlif133768900709010&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=10566265793287335033&sa=X&ei=soO7T8ngEoX48gSP9-moDA&ved=0CMYBEPICMAI#

[kruton1971]

I agree with Cello56 - of course you should bring the seat. I have a 5 year old son. We have a cruise scheduled for November 2012. I will be flying to FL to visit my mom before the cruise.

 

I will be brining my son's booster seat. He ALWAYS uses the booster seat and a seat belt. Taxi, bus, it doesnt matter. I will bring the booster seat on the cruise in case we take any kind of transportation on a shore excursion.

 

As someone who has responded to many accidents, like the others have said, it doesnt matter what kind of vehicle you are in - you'll get hurt if you are not restrained in an accident.

 

I have seen many accidents where people have been ejected from their car. Often times, it is a backseat passenger who isnt wearing a seat belt and somehow think they are safer back there.

[mjkacmom]

I will be brining my son's booster seat. He ALWAYS uses the booster seat and a seat belt. Taxi, bus, it doesnt matter..

 

I've never been on a bus/shuttle that had seatbelts. City buses, shuttles, none had seatbelts.

[cb at sea]

Yeah...I was going to say, I've never seen seatbelts on a bus....wouldn't be safe without being able to attach it!

[bralli]

Lighten up everyone. You don't need a booster seat on a bus. First of all, hardly any tour buses have seat belts anyway much less an over shoulder belt (which is is the ONLY reason to use a booster to position the child appropriately for the shoulder belt). Secondly, buses have such mass that even in the event of an accident they don't instantly stop like a car does. Yes, horrific bus accidents can happen but they are considerably safer than an automobile. I guess it depends how "mini" this bus actually is but personally I wouldn't sweat it. Heck, your being equally irresponsible as a parent just taking them out in that deadly Florida sun and giving them cancer later in life... ;)

[circuitrider]

Do you take a booster seat on a plane? Better yet, if you flew with an under 2yr old, would you buy a seat or would he/she be a lap child?

 

An honest question. I don't use car seats on planes (and yes, both our kids had turns being a lap child on a plane). So no...I wouldn't take a booster seat on a bus unless it was absolutely required (but then again, if it WAS required, they'd probably provide them...taxis are when you run into an issue). But that's just me. If you'd take a car seat on a plane, you'll probably want to take one on a bus if they had seat belts available to use.

[mjkacmom]

Do you take a booster seat on a plane? Better yet, if you flew with an under 2yr old, would you buy a seat or would he/she be a lap child?

 

An honest question. I don't use car seats on planes (and yes, both our kids had turns being a lap child on a plane). So no...I wouldn't take a booster seat on a bus unless it was absolutely required (but then again, if it WAS required, they'd probably provide them...taxis are when you run into an issue). But that's just me. If you'd take a car seat on a plane, you'll probably want to take one on a bus if they had seat belts available to use.

 

You can not use a booster on a plane, and I really don't think you can use one on a bus, even with seatbelts.

[2910car]

Thanks for your responses.

 

We checked with the bus company and they do have seatbelts to secure the seat and they were kind enough to say they would hold the carseat for us until we return the next week so we could use it on the trip home without having to have it on the ship. I think this is very nice of them. So all is good.

[ElsieToo]

We have the same issue (travelling with a small & light 5 year old next month), and we are bringing a Graco Turbo booster similar to the one E&B posted above. It will be packed in a duffle bag as part of DS's carry on luggage, and we'll use it for the taxi rides and shore excursions when needed. Yes, a bit of a hassle, but really not too bad (I did the same thing when we flew across country a couple of years ago).

 

And DON'T trust the tour/transportation companies to have a seat ready and waiting for you. I've found that around 1 in 2 aren't prepared, even though I make arrangements ahead of time AND reconfirm shortly before the trip. They'll just never care about the safety of your children as much as you will; it's not a priority for them like it is for you.

[Mom2B&Z]

We have the same issue (travelling with a small & light 5 year old next month), and we are bringing a Graco Turbo booster similar to the one E&B posted above. It will be packed in a duffle bag as part of DS's carry on luggage, and we'll use it for the taxi rides and shore excursions when needed. Yes, a bit of a hassle, but really not too bad (I did the same thing when we flew across country a couple of years ago).

 

And DON'T trust the tour/transportation companies to have a seat ready and waiting for you. I've found that around 1 in 2 aren't prepared, even though I make arrangements ahead of time AND reconfirm shortly before the trip. They'll just never care about the safety of your children as much as you will; it's not a priority for them like it is for you.

 

Ditto.

Our children are 7 and 4 years and we travel with a booster for the oldest and car seat for the youngest. It is not being over protective, it is keeping your child safe, just as you would look both ways before crossing the street. if the bus has a 3 point seatbelt (I.e. shoulder and lap belt), then the booster can be used. Boosters are NEVER to be used with a lap belt only, as their sole purpose is to position the shoulder belt away from the neck.

You should always use your own seats, as you know how to use them properly as well as their history, including collisions and recalls.

There are many threads on this topic in this forum, a quick search will give you all the information you need to make your decision. However, there are many people who travel with child safety restraints.

FWIW I am a certified car seat technician (CRST) in Ontario.

[circuitrider]

You can not use a booster on a plane, and I really don't think you can use one on a bus, even with seatbelts.

 

Ok, I don't know about a booster per se, but you can definitely take a child car seat on a plane (it does have to be one specially certified...basically it has to be narrower to fit on the teeny weeny seats).

 

Just saying, if you don't go through the trouble to bring a car seat/whatever for your child on a plan...I personally wouldn't worry about bringing one on a bus. But if you WOULD go through the trouble to bring one on a plane, then by all means you should use it on the bus as well (if you can).

[JMHAM1]

There is a kids catalog "One Step Ahead" that has all sorts of excellent products for travel with kids. They have an inflatable "booster" seat that can be used while on vacation. You can just deflate it and then quickly blow it up when you need it. A booster is just so that the seat belt is properly adjusted on the child. They may also need it if they plan to take a taxi or anything while on shore.

 

If you go to their website, there may also be other products they can use as well.

[circuitrider]

There is a kids catalog "One Step Ahead" that has all sorts of excellent products for travel with kids. They have an inflatable "booster" seat that can be used while on vacation. You can just deflate it and then quickly blow it up when you need it. A booster is just so that the seat belt is properly adjusted on the child. They may also need it if they plan to take a taxi or anything while on shore.

 

If you go to their website, there may also be other products they can use as well.

 

Very interesting. I've seen plenty of inflatable booster seats, but they were just the ones you'd take in restaurants or the like. Searching specifically for a CAR booster seat, now I see such a thing actually exists. Question...have you seen one that is approved for airline use? I found a GoBooster, but in the FAQ it states it's not approved for airline use (it says it can't be used during takeoff or landing, and can only be used when the seat belt sign is off "for comfort"...a nice way of giving a big fat NO). Because if I could find a reasonably priced booster/seat/whatever that took up little space...I might put myself in the "of course I put MY kids in a car seat on their plane rides!" camp.

[crusinmama06]

Thanks for your responses.

 

We checked with the bus company and they do have seatbelts to secure the seat and they were kind enough to say they would hold the carseat for us until we return the next week so we could use it on the trip home without having to have it on the ship. I think this is very nice of them. So all is good.

 

Awesome calling and getting the final word :) I have been on a "shuttle bus" that did have seat belts (with shoulder straps) that we did use car seats on.

 

My youngest is 8 and at home is still in a booster since she is so small.

 

I applaud you for looking out for your grandchild - have a wonderful cruise!

[Mom2B&Z]

Very interesting. I've seen plenty of inflatable booster seats, but they were just the ones you'd take in restaurants or the like. Searching specifically for a CAR booster seat, now I see such a thing actually exists. Question...have you seen one that is approved for airline use? I found a GoBooster, but in the FAQ it states it's not approved for airline use (it says it can't be used during takeoff or landing, and can only be used when the seat belt sign is off "for comfort"...a nice way of giving a big fat NO). Because if I could find a reasonably priced booster/seat/whatever that took up little space...I might put myself in the "of course I put MY kids in a car seat on their plane rides!" camp.

No booster seat is approved for airline use. It has to do with the purpose of a booster, which is to position the shoulder portion of the seatbelt. Since airplane seatbelts don't have a shoulder portion, a booster seat is useless. Car seats are allowed, since they can be installed with a lap belt just like they are in a vehicle.

No car seat that fits on an airplane takes up little space, those two things are mutually exclusive. The smallest car seat is probably the Radian/Diono, since it can be folded, but it is also one of the heaviest. It's not my favourite for travel because it has no built-in lock offs, but that's just my preference. If you are looking for something just for airline use, you can consider the CARES harness.

[Mom2B&Z]

Ok, I don't know about a booster per se, but you can definitely take a child car seat on a plane (it does have to be one specially certified...basically it has to be narrower to fit on the teeny weeny seats).

 

Just saying, if you don't go through the trouble to bring a car seat/whatever for your child on a plan...I personally wouldn't worry about bringing one on a bus. But if you WOULD go through the trouble to bring one on a plane, then by all means you should use it on the bus as well (if you can).

Actually it does have to be certified for use in the country of origin. I have had several airline staff check to see that the Canadian certification sticker is present on my seats, one even checked the manual to see that it was approved for airline use.

I've also had airline staff question my installation, as they didn't know the particular quirks of my seat. All I can say is know the rules before you go :)

FWIW if the bus has no seatbelts, then a booster is just to lift the child up higher on the seat. It serves no purpose safety-wise as the bus is constructed to protect the occupants without the seatbelt restraints. However, the child needs to be a certain size to benefit from this protection, usually it is the size of the average 4-5 year old.

[Maryscooking]

I just want to say that having traveled throughout Florida the last two years with my five year old, that it is very possible to find shuttles and cabs that have seatbelts and are willing to accomodate a car seat. I'm glad OP called and got the real story.

 

I'm an RN and my DH is a firefighter/paramedic who has previously worked in a children's hospital....and I will say that it only took seeing the results of a car accident with poorly restrained children one time to convince us that our daughter will be in a full back booster until she is too tall to fit in the biggest one we can find.

 

Having seen the heart of the parent who had to say "what if" and "if only" - I never want to be that parent.

[Seraphine]

I don't worry about car seats for buses - no seatbelt means no way of attaching it anyway, as the previous posters have said.

 

We got this for our son last year and it was fantastic!

 

http://boostapak.com/home.html

 

It's a booster seat that converts to a backpack - easy to carry, and you can pack it with all of your youngster's odds and ends for travel. Our daughter isn't quite old enough for one, but I will be getting one for her too for her next birthday.

[koalagurl]

Bubble Bum makes an inflatable booster seat. We used these for our and 4 and 6 year olds last summer in Florida and Europe. They were great!!

[GOLDENBONNY]

I agree with Cello56 - of course you should bring the seat. I have a 5 year old son. We have a cruise scheduled for November 2012. I will be flying to FL to visit my mom before the cruise.

 

I will be brining my son's booster seat. He ALWAYS uses the booster seat and a seat belt. Taxi, bus, it doesnt matter. I will bring the booster seat on the cruise in case we take any kind of transportation on a shore excursion.

 

As someone who has responded to many accidents, like the others have said, it doesnt matter what kind of vehicle you are in - you'll get hurt if you are not restrained in an accident.

 

I have seen many accidents where people have been ejected from their car. Often times, it is a backseat passenger who isnt wearing a seat belt and somehow think they are safer back there.

 

 

There is no seat belts in vans or buses in Caribbean( never saw one in cabs)),so dont waste time bringing your booster,just no pint of itwithout seat belt.

[Mom2B&Z]

There is no seat belts in vans or buses in Caribbean( never saw one in cabs)),so dont waste time bringing your booster,just no pint of itwithout seat belt.

While I realize you're trying to be helpful, and you are correct in saying that boosters are useless without a seatbelt, there are MANY of us who have found seatbelts in the Carribean. Myself I have found them in Mexico, St. Thomas, Cuba and Roatan. Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they don't exist.

Besides, the OP is talking about using a booster in Florida, where there are 3 point seat belts in cabs and shuttles. Both will allow a booster to be used.

The OP should, and has, found a way to use a booster for their trip.