How To Install A Safety Car Seat For 3 Year Old Children?

What Is A Safe Booster Seat Age?

A Tech friend once said “It’s not rocket science, it’s harder” and she was right. Car seat safety can be very confusing and over whelming. Reading your car seat/booster manual and the manual for your vehicle, will give you all the information you need to install and use your seat correctly.

With 9 out of 10 car seats, not used or installed correctly, it is important to have your install checked by a Certified CRST. Look for a Tech that has had training within the last 3yrs, and has certification with an accredited, up to date organization, like CPSAC (Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada).

Rear Facing:

~ Children are 75% better protected from injury and 90% more protected from death during a car crash when rear facing until at least the 2^nd birthday.

~ When rear facing, harness straps should be At or Below the shoulders. Chest clip at nipple/arm pit level.

~ Legs touching the back seat, being bent or straddling the sides of the car seat is not a safety issue.

~ Most car seats allow you to sit the car seat more upright once the child has good head control (usually 6-8mo), check your car seat manual for details.

Stage 2 Car Seat Forward Facing 5 point Harness:

~ This is an appropriate car seat for 3 year old children

~ Children should stay in a 5 point harness to a minimum of 40lbs, and 5-6yrs old.

~ Harness straps should be At or Above the shoulders. Chest clip at nipple/arm pit level.

~ Use the Top Tether with all forward Facing car seats (this is located at the top back of the car seat and goes over the top of the vehicle seat to a designated tether point.

Give Them A Boost – When To Move From A Booster Seat:

~ Boosters have a 40lb minimum and uses the adult seat belt to restrain the child.

~ Be sure the lap belt is low across the strong hips and thighs, not up on the soft abdomen.

~ Shoulder belt should lay flat across the collar bone.

Read More About Booster Seats and When To Use Them.

Tips and Tricks:

~ Puppy training pads are great to put under little bums, in case of accidents, or a spilled drink.

~ A properly installed car seat should not move more than 1 inch, side to side, front to back, at the belt path

~ Use either the UAS (Lower Anchors) OR the seat belt to install the car seat, but never both.

~ Make sure harness straps are “Snug as a hug” and you cannot pinch any harness webbing at the collar bone.

~ Children should not wear bulky clothing in the car (and that goes for booster riders and adults). Warm, thin layers will keep everyone safe and warm in the car.

You might also enjoy

Internet safety for kids – How to keep kids safe on the internet!

Children face several threats when using the internet, including harassment, cyberbullying, privacy invasion, and exposure to sexual or generally inappropriate content. Although you can use apps and tracking software to ensure that your kids are safe online, these methods can easily get breached.

Talking to Your Kids About Strangers and Staying Safe on Halloween

Halloween is a time for fun and exciting costumes, trying to scare others as well as getting to go out trick-or-treating with your children, but as your children get older, around 4 years of age (from my personal experience) it is time to talk about dealing strangers....

Sun Safety For Kids

Sun Safety For Kids Sun care is an important topic of health and safety for children. I am sure it seems far away right now, but the summer is coming and soon we will need to be protecting our children and ourselves. It is a balance, as our children do need vitamin D,...

Or click any topic below

The general information provided on the Website is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Do NOT use this Website for medical emergencies.

If you have a medical emergency, call a physician or qualified healthcare provider, or CALL 911 immediately. Under no circumstances should you attempt self-treatment based on anything you have seen or read on this Website. Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed and qualified health provider in your jurisdiction concerning any questions you may have regarding any information obtained from this Website and any medical condition you believe may be relevant to you or to someone else. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.

How To Install A Safety Car Seat For 3 Year Old Children?