what age could your DC strap themselves into carseat on their own??

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I am gonna try to make this into a poll if i don't eff it up (i don't think i've ever posted a polll, forgive errors)

JUst wondering at what age was your child able to get into the carseat on her own, buckle herself in, etc??

I was just at Walgreens and i saw a family with 2 kids..i swear the younger kid must have been about 3 (the older, maybe 5)....they all got in an SUV, the parents i think just opened the rear doors for them but then quickly got in their own seats in front...and both kids got into their seats, shut their own doors...within maybe 20 seconds the car was moving! I just was amazed bc the idea of just willy-nilly getting into your car and not having to spend a good several minutes strapping everyone in seems SOOOO far of a reality to me. It seems light years away. For me, going anywhere involves literally lifting each kid into their carseat and strapping them in, and then pulling like crazy to get the straps super-tight (we have Radians). DS at 2.5 finally climbs into his own seat, but i totally have to get his arms in the straps, tighten it, everything. I always have to budget an extra several minutes to unload and load kids. Yet it seems like everybody else I know (even with kids similarly-aged) it takes them much less time.

I don't know how much of it is bc i'm supposedly a carseat "freak" (at least around here, NOBODY rear faces past 12mo, people use boosters for 2yos, and all that), and i think i'm the only person i know who bothers to tighten the straps. DH's brother and his family were visiting over the weekend...they have 2 boys who are older..7 and 9 but our niece is only 4 mos older than DS (she will be 3 in Sept). We were all out somewhere and i saw them get into their minivan and it seemed like it took about 10 seconds for everyone to get in before they were driving! DH & I asked them about it and BIL said DN actually straps herself in!!! DH was like how is it physically possible for her to get her arms in and tighten the straps, and BIL said something that they just keep the straps loose so is able to get in and buckle it all herself. :6: Ok, so that's obviously not something we will be doing for safety reasons of course(DH tested it with our kids..the straps would have to be really loose for the kids to be able to get their arms in..so much that they could just as easily wriggle out..what is the point.)

Anyway, just wondering.. I figure the "BBB norm" is way different from the norm I see around here... :) The other day a mom was talking about how her 2yo managed to wriggle out of the carseat while she was driving!! Um, my DS is a little Houdini and I just can't imagine him getting out at all with the straps tight as they are.

[mom2binsd]

I wonder if the kids were actually done up, many parents start driving before anyone is properly buckled.

My two could do their Britax Marathon's up by about age 3.5, at about age 3 they'd do the chest buckle and then I'd do the crotch strap.

FWIW...DS can do his Frontier up faster than it takes DD to do her booster.....so the harnessed seats are faster.

[twowhat?]

It's cuz we're carseat freaks:) At our girls' school, nearly all of the kids their age are in boosters. I imagine they're quicker to buckle in that way.

And - I would bet money that the people you saw - their kids didn't buckle up by the time the car started moving:(

Anyway there's no way the girls are anywhere near being able to buckle themselves, and I don't see it happening until they are in booster seats...so another 3 years? They can snap their chest clips, but only once I have the straps all untwisted and straightened out. There's no way they could do the buckle - the radians require some muscle at the crotch buckle...my MIL can't even do it!! They can climb into their seats on their own and weave their arms through the straps, but that's it. And I end up redoing everything anyway, because they have either sat on the buckle or twisted up the shoulder straps.

[lalasmama]

I started trusting DD to strap herself in at...

Wait for it....

8.5yo.

Yeah, I know, we're "late bloomers". But, truthfully, when we had attempted to let her do it before, she would lollygag, taking FOREVER to get buckled, etc., and then not tighten her seat belt up.

About a month ago, I started letting her consistently buckle herself into her booster. I also pointed out that if she didn't get in there nice and tight, if I stopped the car fast, she would go flying out and hit the front windshield, and, as we often point out around our house, "God doesn't give the hospitals extra heads in case you break yours." She also knows that if she breaks her head, they will have to shave all her hair off to try and fix it--and she loves her hair, LOL, so she makes sure she's in nice and tight :)

IMO, it's kind of like potty training... if you wait until there's no doubt your child can do it, you will have better cooperation than if you are trying to teach before they've got the pre-skills mastered.

[belovedgandp]

My older two both started buckling themselves INTO their seats by 4 1/2. They could do the top buckle around 3.

It was well past 5 before they had the strength to get themselves out of the seat. Right now I can reach back and just undo the crotch buckle on my 5YOs seat and he can do the chest clip himself.

[georgiegirl]

Definitely at 5, but maybe a little earlier. Dd is very responsible. Ds is almost 3 and likes to help snap the buckles shut.

[rin]

DD1 just turned 2, and she can climb into her seat and do her chest clip. I have to straighten the harness straps and do the crotch buckle. I can't realistically imagine her being able to do the whole harness up by herself for a while.

[blue]

My DS is three and can climb into his seat and buckle his chest chip (not the bottom buckles). I don't loosen the harness every time he gets in and out (it is a continuous loop harness), so it is just easier for me to maneuver his arms and legs into position, vs waiting for a three year to try and do it..... Plus I would not trust my three year old to correctly tighten his harness every time even if he could buckle himself (I am not telling others not to trust their 3 year olds, it is just something I am not comfortable doing with my kid at his age).

[sunshine873]

My 3.5 yo DD can climb in her seat, get her arms through the strap & buckle the chest buckle. On a few rare occasions she has managed to snap in one part of the main buckle, but that's it. & there in nothing quick about it. It is a long, drawn out process "I DO IT MYSELF!" ;)

But we still need to tighten the straps & I don't see how she'll ever be able to do that on her own.

I know what you mean, about the time involved though. All my friends with kids the same age (or even those with more kids than me) seem to be able to get everyone loaded & head out so much faster than me! But like you mentioned, I am also the ONLY person I know IRL who loosens/tightens the straps every time. Oh well, at least I know I'm doing my best for DD!

[KrisM]

DS1 and DD were between 4 and 5. DS2 is almost 4 and can almost do it. I keep the straps loose and then they buckle and I reach back and tighten the straps. I can reach from the driver's seat. Once they get better, I don't have to loosen the straps as much.

I think some people don't think they're really 'driving' if they're in a parking lot, so the rules don't matter. They figure if the kids are buckled before they're out on the road, they're fine. My kids freak if I back out of the garage and they aren't buckled! I do that some times if I need to put the lawn mower away - back my car out, put the mower away, and then get back in the car to go wherever.

[babyonway]

Since about 22 month DD gets in the car herself, buckles the chest strap and I do the crotch strap and tighten it. It is not a quick process AT ALL though.

[icunurse]

DS was probably 4-5, but he was our first and we were overly cautious. DD never wants to be left behind and has always tried to keep up with the it kids, so she started to buckle herself in maybe at 3.5. She even knew to pull on the strap by her legs to get the harness nice and tight.

[KpbS]

The Marathon bottom clips are much harder to buckle for my 3-4 yos than the GN are/were. DS2 started buckling his chest clip at 3 yo but is still trying to master the bottom buckles at 4 years 4 mo. And yes, I keep the straps pretty tight ;) so that probably is part of it.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thanks everyone for the responses!!

yeah i think part of the issue is that kiddos are still RFing and I actually tighten the straps (i seriously think most people around here don't do that at all). Even if DS could get his arms in and his chest buckled all on his own, I don't really "count" that as being able to buckle on his own..bc it doesn't save me any time still I still have to be there to do the crotch straps and pull the strap to tighten everything (and bc it's RF i can't do that from sitting in the front seat). I dont' see how it physically possible for a toddler to proberly tighten the strap on the Radian...the angle from the kid's point of view is weird and it take ME quite a bit of force to do it!

anyway, the responses makes me feel a little better. seriously, i always feel like the slowest person to get their kids in the car!! at least i can count it as a mini-workout i guess :)

[OKKiddo]

I am gonna try to make this into a poll if i don't eff it up (i don't think i've ever posted a polll, forgive errors)

JUst wondering at what age was your child able to get into the carseat on her own, buckle herself in, etc??

I was just at Walgreens and i saw a family with 2 kids..i swear the younger kid must have been about 3 (the older, maybe 5)....they all got in an SUV, the parents i think just opened the rear doors for them but then quickly got in their own seats in front...and both kids got into their seats, shut their own doors...within maybe 20 seconds the car was moving! I just was amazed bc the idea of just willy-nilly getting into your car and not having to spend a good several minutes strapping everyone in seems SOOOO far of a reality to me. It seems light years away. For me, going anywhere involves literally lifting each kid into their carseat and strapping them in, and then pulling like crazy to get the straps super-tight (we have Radians). DS at 2.5 finally climbs into his own seat, but i totally have to get his arms in the straps, tighten it, everything. I always have to budget an extra several minutes to unload and load kids. Yet it seems like everybody else I know (even with kids similarly-aged) it takes them much less time.

I don't know how much of it is bc i'm supposedly a carseat "freak" (at least around here, NOBODY rear faces past 12mo, people use boosters for 2yos, and all that), and i think i'm the only person i know who bothers to tighten the straps. DH's brother and his family were visiting over the weekend...they have 2 boys who are older..7 and 9 but our niece is only 4 mos older than DS (she will be 3 in Sept). We were all out somewhere and i saw them get into their minivan and it seemed like it took about 10 seconds for everyone to get in before they were driving! DH & I asked them about it and BIL said DN actually straps herself in!!! DH was like how is it physically possible for her to get her arms in and tighten the straps, and BIL said something that they just keep the straps loose so is able to get in and buckle it all herself. :6: Ok, so that's obviously not something we will be doing for safety reasons of course(DH tested it with our kids..the straps would have to be really loose for the kids to be able to get their arms in..so much that they could just as easily wriggle out..what is the point.)

Anyway, just wondering.. I figure the "BBB norm" is way different from the norm I see around here... :) The other day a mom was talking about how her 2yo managed to wriggle out of the carseat while she was driving!! Um, my DS is a little Houdini and I just can't imagine him getting out at all with the straps tight as they are.

During the school year this past year I taught my older son how to buckle himself (before he turned 5). He has muscle weaknesses due to his autism so it was good therapy the OT said for his fingers and wrists. He rides in FR85 btw. I figured out it worked well if I have the straps loosened all the way (I tell him to lean forward while *I* push the release button and *I* unbuckle him). When my younger son saw this (he was 3) he wanted to try it too so he was buckling himself in his RF BLVD and then when he outgrew his RF BLVD by height we got him a FR85 too and he continued to buckle himself as well. My older son has been able to tighten himself once he gets buckled since shortly after he started buckling himself and my younger son has figured it out this month. They can get themselves fairly snug but I still come around every single time and check straps, buckles, and tighten the extra bit....but it's SO VERY HELPFUL that they can buckle themselves now so that I can put my daughter into her KF30 and get her buckled.

I say just to give them a try. They have to lean down to the strap and then pull out and up at the same time to tighten and it doesn't ever tighten all the way without that adult strength and angle but it could still save you time if you teach them how. Good luck!

[cuca_]

My DS was able to buckle himself in a frontier around 3.5 or so. However, it does
not take 20 seconds for him to do it. My DDs did not buckle themselves that early.

[elektra]

My kids still don't buckle themselves! I guess I should make DD try harder.

[pinay]

Only recently has DD had the strength to undo the bottom buckle on her Marathon (she turned 5 in April). She can do the chest clip no problem, and she even pulls on the strap between her legs to tighten the straps, but I still check everything before I get in the car and start moving.

[MontrealMum]

DS is nearly 5 but he still doesn't have the strength - or maybe it's the position he's in once in the seat - to do the crotch strap up himself. He's been able to do the chest clip for about a year or so and was able to climb in all by himself from about 2 yrs (so, still RFing) onwards. Obviously, he's not doing the tightening. Actually, I usually only buckle him loosely from the back. I find it easier to tighten him from the front seat - something about the angle. And although he likes to pull on the tightening strap, there's no way he's exerting any type of useful force on it while sitting in the seat.

I cannot tell you how many people I see pull away quickly like that at the daycare or the grocery store parking lot. You know darned well their kids aren't sitting down, much less buckled! I've seen many a little one wave at me from the back window while the parents drove down the street.

[ahisma]

DS is almost 6. He never was able to buckle his carseat (radian). He can do his booster now, and knows it needs to be tight, checks that it's in the proper paths, etc.

DS2 is almost 4 and can do the top buckle of the radian, but definitely not the crotch strap. I keep them tight (they don't loosen well in our car), so I can't imagine how he could possible buckle on his own.

[jess_g]

I will say age 7. My kids could not buckle harnessed seats. They could buckle booster seats, but even that took some getting used to. I always went around to buckle everyone in before I sat down myself.

Jenn

[ZeeBaby]

Both girls are in Britax seats and DD1 4 can strap herself completely. She started doing it at about 3.5. DD2 is 2.5 and she can do her chest clip and the crotch click while I hold it and "help" her. She should get it by 3. We keep the straps pretty tight too and always check for slackness. DD1 is actually great at saying she is not tight.

[Gena]

DS is 8 and still cannot buckle himself in (booster seat). He lacks the hand strength needed for this task.

[maestramommy]

Arwyn actually started doing it first, early this year, then Dora. It's not consistent, the straps have to be loosened before they can do it. They could do the chest clip starting around 3 or 3.5. Laurel has just started doing her chest clip. The crotch buckle takes much longer. Both Dora and Arwyn are in Radians, but Arwyn's is newer and the crotch buckle feels a little easier. The chest straps have extra cushion though and tend to gum things up.

As a followup, on a rare occasion Dora has unbuckled herself, then her sisters. Otherwise I have to do it.

I do see kids who seem to buckle themselves in quickly, but I posted here once that the straps were way loose too. I once stepped in and tightened them up because I thought that HAD to be accidental. I mean, it would almost be pointless to be in a carseat with the straps that loose.

[roseyloxs]

My DS just learned. He is 5.

I am pregnant with my third and plan to do three car seats in the back of a CRV. I moved ds to the middle and told him he needs to learn how to buckle himself in before the baby comes which is not until December. He learned how to do it in less then a week. He had never tried previously which is surprising because he actually has a pretty independent personality. He uses a frontier.

I have a 3 year old as well. She is rear-facing though and has never attempted to do it herself. DD is in a radian.

[klwa]

We moved DS into a booster seat when he was 5. After about a month, he was able to do his seat belt by himself. DD can do/undo the chest clip, but not the "seatbelt" part.

[hillview]

DS1 could do it at age 5
DS2 could do just after he turned 4

DS1 is more of a mom help me kid. DS2 is more of a do it himself kid.

[Momit]

Maybe I'm odd, but I don't plan to encourage/let almost-4-year-old DS do it himself until he's in a booster with a seatbelt. I will keep telling him that's an adult's job (mainly because once he starts buckling he will probably start unbuckling too!) Disclaimer - he's our only one, so I'm not wrestling with getting several kids into their seats and would possibly change my tune if that were the case.

[boltfam]

DS just started buckling himself into his Maestro booster at 4.5 yo but can't unbuckle himself. DD is 2yo and insists on climbing in herself and buckling the chest buckle, but there is no way she could get the harness on or do the the crotch straps.

[Carrots]

DD A started doing it when she was about 3.5, but I pull her tight. However, I have to get her out of the car because she can't undo the buckles, so the straps are loose when she gets back in. It helps a whole lot to have her do it herself!

[arivecchi]

DS1 started bucking his frontier and hbb this year. I still double check the chest clip placement and tightness though. DS2 can only do his chest clip. I would never drive off without checking their seats tough. I would not trust them with this task until I knew they could do it perfectly every single time, so I don't really encourage this. I don't mind the extra 5 minutes it takes me to check.

[sarahsthreads]

I would never drive off without checking their seats tough. I would not trust them with this task until I knew they could do it perfectly every single time, so I don't really encourage this. I don't mind the extra 5 minutes it takes me to check.

:yeahthat:

DD1 has been buckling herself into her HBB since about 6, but I still turn around and make sure the belt is routed correctly before driving off. She never really had the hand strength to consistently buckle herself into and out of a carseat. DD2, at 4, can do up the chest clip of her Marathon but even if she could do the crotch buckle, I'd still stand there and watch her do it, then check the tightness of the straps.

But I also don't drive off unless every adult passenger in my car is buckled up as well, so I'm likely more of a stickler than your average person. (This drives my MIL absolutely crazy. But I have no more desire to have adult projectiles in my car in an accident than I do child-sized ones.)

Sarah :)

[sweet_pea]

My 3.5 yo DD can climb in her seat, get her arms through the strap & buckle the chest buckle. On a few rare occasions she has managed to snap in one part of the main buckle, but that's it.

My DD just turned 3 and can do this, but I do loosen/tighten the straps each time she gets in/out and there's no way she can do that.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds2 is 4.5 and he has just in the past month mastered buckling both sets of buckles. He has been able to do top only for several months, probably since he turned 4. I've been making him climb in alone for a long time. :) I also almost never adjust the straps so the tightening step is one I can skip.

[DietCokeLover]

The Marathon bottom clips are much harder to buckle for my 3-4 yos than the GN are/were. DS2 started buckling his chest clip at 3 yo but is still trying to master the bottom buckles at 4 years 4 mo. And yes, I keep the straps pretty tight ;) so that probably is part of it.

This is us. We have MA in my van and they can't do them. They are 5.5 and 4.5. Nautilus in DH's car and they can do those most of the time on their own.

[AnnieW625]

Both of my girls could do the chest strap only at 2 yrs. old, but is still had to help them into her seat, esp. DD2 who is still rear facing. I think DD1 was able to do everything by 3/1/2 or 4 (I just remember being pregnant at the time). She was in a Frontier then. I always watched her though until she was about 5. She has always buckled herself with the belted booster, which she started using at 5/1/2. She did have issues with the Frontier as a belted booster last fall so when the Graco Highback turbo went on sale for $30 I bought her one of those. Now almost a year late she has been using the Frontier with no problems for the last 3 weeks.

[Katigre]

I wonder if the kids were actually done up, many parents start driving before anyone is properly buckled.

My two could do their Britax Marathon's up by about age 3.5, at about age 3 they'd do the chest buckle and then I'd do the crotch strap.

FWIW...DS can do his Frontier up faster than it takes DD to do her booster.....so the harnessed seats are faster.

Ditto - I bet the kids were in boosters (at most) and that the kids just put the seatbelt on themselves without making sure it was properly positioned/tightened. I've watched DS buckle himself in with a booster vs. carseat and it takes foooooooooooorever b/c of threading the belt, getting it clipped, making sure there's no twists, tightening it properly across his shoulder and hips, etc... - the Nautilus harness is a 10 second clip for him and h's in tightly.

[twowhat?]

I had forgot about the tightening issue - it takes some muscle to tighten the Radian, esp RF when it's harder to get leverage. We actually figured out a setting that I'm comfortable with in terms of the straps so I don't do any tightening - I just buckle. To me they're snug enough but I think it also contributes to how hard it is to buckle - when the straps are snug enough it takes some extra force to push the buckle tongs into the buckle - another reason the girl's can't do it because when they try to reach forward to get enough leverage to push the tongs in, it also pulls the straps out such that there isn't enough slack to even reach the tongs into the buckle. I always have to tell the girls to sit back, head all the way back, so I can buckle - if they're wiggling at all, I won't be able to buckle already-tightened straps. Fortunately they are cooperative about this (they will also flip out if I start backing out without buckling them, for which I am grateful!!)

So anyway I think you can get it tight enough to just have to do the buckling step, but at the same time when you have it tight enough and don't do any loosening, it is harder to work the arms in, get the shoulder pads situated just right, and then push the tongs in with some force...so in the end it probably takes the same amount of time:) I could definitely see the continuous straps being a little easier - we have Safety 1st Avenues in our secondary car and those have continuous straps which make it easier to leave at the tightened setting and work the arms in (one arm in, then pull to loosen the other side, then the other arm in, then buckle).

I think when I turn the girls FF, they might be able to buckle themselves in if the straps are loosened and then I can just yank the strap from the front seat to tighten...we'll see. That radian buckle takes some good hand strength and my MIL (she's 75) can't get the tongs in by herself. Realistically I still think I'll be buckling for a long time - loosened straps mean they get twisted easily and my guess is even if the girls could buckle themselves, half the time I'd be getting out of the car anyway to unbuckle, untwist the straps, and rebuckle.

I've also seen plenty of folks who keep the straps so loose that what's the point??? It really amazes me that it seems to not be common sense! Even DH, who I consider an extremely intelligent person, sometimes doesn't get the shoulder pad up well on the shoulder and close to the neck - it boggles my mind because, in an accident, wouldn't you want to be sure everything is contained? Isn't it common sense that if the clothing is all bunched between the neck and the shoulder strap, that the shoulder strap could easily slip down in an accident? I hate constantly reminding him to remember to pull the girls' shirts through so there's no bunching and I'm sure he thinks I'm being unreasonable about it...but to me it's COMMON SENSE!!

[blondflava]

My DD (3 y 2 mo) can do the chest buckle. She wont be able to do the bottom buckle for a long while. I leave the straps really loose so its easier to sit her back properly before toghtening up. I cant honestly imagine a 3 yo doing it all by themselves the proper way...

[wellyes]

DD, 4, can get herself in and out of her boulevard . I did not encourage it but I don't discourage either .

Or rule is the the car does not go anywhere until she says 'Done!' it usually takes maybe 45-60 seconds. I am skeptical about the safety for kids mentioned in the OP.

I don't understand the part about tightening the straps. I check tightness periodically - every day or two - but I rarely have to adjust. Are people loosening the straps as they pull kids out? Or is it a quirk of certain seats?

[Nechums]

DS1 (3.75 yrs) buckles his own BLVD. It takes forever sometimes and gets me really frustrated, but I guess I can't go discouraging independence. He knows to put the chest clip up by his armpits. Occasionally, I'll have to untwist or tighten the straps, but he's pretty good.

[twowhat?]

DD, 4, can get herself in and out of her boulevard . I did not encourage it but I don't discourage either .

Or rule is the the car does not go anywhere until she says 'Done!' it usually takes maybe 45-60 seconds. I am skeptical about the safety for kids mentioned in the OP.

I don't understand the part about tightening the straps. I check tightness periodically - every day or two - but I rarely have to adjust. Are people loosening the straps as they pull kids out? Or is it a quirk of certain seats?

I definitely do think some seats are harder to work with in this regard. And I think the Radians (at least the Radian 65s which is what we have) are on the list of "harder to work with", at least when they're RF (ours are not turned yet so can't comment on FF). It just seems like the angle of everything makes it harder to buckle, harder to keep the straps at one setting to prevent having to loosen/tighten it every time, etc. For example, even with the longer crotch strap (which Sunshine Kids was nice enough to send free of charge to me), it is still difficult to buckle, with the buckle angling oddly into the belly (and yes, I have it in the correct slot). It is NOT a seat I would get for a grandparent to use, let's just say that! LOL. Sometimes I kind of wish I'd gotten seats easier to use so that even DH will consistently use them properly:)

[arivecchi]

I have to re-adjust the straps on our harnessed Britax seats every time. We have to loosen them up frequently or it's hard for the kids to get out. Did not have to do that with the Radian XTSL. Have to re-adjust the seatbelt in the Monterey, make sure it's properly threaded, flat, etc. every time.

[carolinamama]

DS2 just started being about to do his own buckle in a FR85 about 75% of the time at 3 3/4 years old. It can take what seems like forever but he's so proud of himself that he can do it like big brother. I can't remember when DS1 started but probably around the same age.

[speo]

DS1 could do his Marathon harness at about 4. DS2 is 4.5 and is struggling learning our Recaro harness. It is really so much harder than the Marathon was. I am not sure when he will get it!

[BabbyO]

Well, DS1 has started to Un-buckle himself (thankfully he still can't get the crotch buckles un-done because there are days he wants OUT of his seat while we're driving).


Anyway. He can get the chest clip buckled about 1/2 of the time if it is loosened so he can minipulate it. However, there is no way he can get the crotch buckles and he couldn't tighten the straps because we have an EFTA with the knob on the side and a finicky MA that DH has a hard time tightening.

In DH's car he often does not loosen the straps when he get's DS out (because he HATES the MA and has a hard time tightening the straps). There is NO way DS could get back into this harness. I can barely get him back in when the straps haven't been loosened without pinching, etc.

DS2 is only 10 mo...so it'll be awhile before he can get in or out on his own!

[barkley1]

About age 2.5 to get buckled in, but he can't pull the straps nearly tight enough in the Radian, and in the blvd, I like to give them an extra tug even tho he does ptretty well.

[MamaSnoo]

DD started to buckle herself right around her 4th b-day. She does it herself everytime, and we just check that it is done correctly before the car goes in gear. I am not one to start backing up before my kid or other passengers are properly restrained.

Most of the time DD gets everything buckled correctly, but she often needs a reminder to pull the chest clip up to the right level. One time I think the buckle caught a little of the fabric of her clothes and popped back open when she thought it was buckled. I am glad I double check her every single time. :thumbsup:

She cannot unbuckle herself at all. She is in a Frontier 85 FWIW. Getting in the car takes forever. But at least now I can work on getting DS in while she does it, instead of just sitting there.

[codex57]

After DS was 4.5, he started being able to buckle himself in and get out. For the top buckle, DD is 2.5 and can sorta do it. I think DS was able to do it around then too. Maybe 3.

[lcarlson90]

I think I let DS buckle himself in at age 6 but I always look to make sure he is buckled before I start driving.

[wellyes]

I said I let DD buckle herself in and just tell me when it's done - but - to be clear - I do check her. It occurred to me belatedly that not everyone can do that from the driver's seat, especially those in some SUVs or minivans. But I'm in a sedan and in easy arms reach at all times.

[longtallsally05]

DD was about 4-4.5 when she was able to properly buckle and unbuckle her Radian. Now that she's in a TurboBooster, it takes FOREVER and she STILL gets it wrong about 25% of the time, so I end up standing there helping her out. If I had it my way, we'd get another Radian even though we'd lose the flexibility of being able to flip down the third row when DD isn't in my car. Guess I should update my signature, as DD is in a TB (we move it back and forth between cars), DS#1 is in a Radian RXT 120 (my car) and Frontier 85 (DH's car), and DS#2 is in a RFing Boulevard 70 (my car) and RFing Scenera (DH's car).

[HonoluluMom]

DD climbs in and out of her Britax Advocate, but I do everything else - chest clip and loosen/tighten the straps.

[Mommy_Mea]

DS1 climbs in his seat and gets his chest clip secured and sometimes one of the crotch clips. I help him at that point with the second one, he pulls on the strap to tighten everything up (which only gets it about halfway tight enough). I check everything and get it tight enough. So I figure he is a few months from doing 90% of it on his own. It takes SO much longer, but he is 3 and insists, and I figure it is a good skill to master.

I imagine it will be years before I let him full strap himself in and not check everything before starting the car.

[Simon]

Ds1 tried out several car seats today (Nautilus, Maestro, Radian, TruFit) and most of them he could not buckle himself and, if he did manage to get it done, it took a long time. He could not unbuckle any of the seats.

Luckily, he's riding in a booster and can buckle himself in about 95% of the time. Ds2 can do his own chest clip quite reliably.