If you use a booster seat in a pinch for a 26 month old is this child endagerment?

Question

My step son's mother made us buy a new carseat to take my stepson home with because we forgot his at home and were going to use my son's seat. When he was a year and a half and we did this she was fine with it now she says if we get stopped like that it is child endagerment and DHS will take him and she will not be able to get him back!
Child endagerment I know is if like you are drunk driving with a child.

Answer 1

You'll really need to check your states laws on that to get an exact answer. Many state require a five-point harness up to a certain height/weight.

But if you use a seat that is inappropriate for his height and weight, it doesn't really matter if its the first time or the fiftieth time if you were to get into a wreck and he was hurt.

I suggest that if you find yourself in that situation again that you buy the proper seat, use it once, and return it to the store for a refund.

Answer 2

it depends. if he is the right weight and height requirement for your state regardless of his age then no. if he is close to both then you could probably get away with it, if he is way below standards then yes that is considered child endangerment and you could cause your husband to lose custody of his son by doing that. Child endangerment is ANYTHING that puts the life of a child in your care into POSSIBLE danger (not even plausible danger just possible which is a big scope of things). By breaking the rules with the carseat you were breaking the law AND the rules are there because it is stated that children under those height requirements are put at serious risk for injury or death if in an accident, so you KNOWINGLY put him at risk (this is what the law would say) His dad at that point could be declared a danger to him and lose all custody/visitation rights OR go on "probation" where for a court-appointed amount of time he can have supervised visitation only in front of a court appointed person to "prove" hes not a danger. So you should thank her, she just helped your husband keep his right to see his son.

Answer 3

As long as he is well behaved and will not wriggle out of it, you will be fine. I have four kids and have had to make due at times and I am sure I will have to in the future.
Walmart has a great solution for only 15 dollars here. It is a harness that fits like an extra shirt and it gets held by the regular seat belt. This thing lets the kids sit flat on the car seat, and I bought four of them and keep them in my purse. They are pretty small, so when I need them, I have them.
I use them quite often when I volunteer to take my nieces or nephews home with me...
Good Luck, and don't worry about it.

Answer 4

I think if you got stopped, or in a road block you will be fined about $100 (in GA that is what happens). If there were a car accident and the child was hurt badly from not being properly restrained you could be in a lot of trouble. It would be negligence I believe and maybe she is right endangerment too because it is our job to protect the kids.

Answer 5

I'm not sure if you can get in trouble but I reccomend that you always use a carseat with a fivve point harness. 26 months in my opinion is toooooo young to put in a booster seat. I would switch him to a 5 point harness right away, not because I could get in trouble with the law but because I would want my child to be safe.

Answer 6

I have a unique idea.

Why don't you do the BEST thing, instead of the LEAST thing you are required to do.

Going out of your way to try to get out of even the Minimum Standards of parenting is not exactly a good sign for your children.

The answer is you should not be putting a child that old in a booster even if they meet the height and weight requirement for it (and they don't).