- 1). Check the weight restrictions on the booster seat you have, or look them over in the store if you are buying a new seat. The weight restriction information is located on a permanent tag on the seat, or even printed directly on the fabric cover. Choose one that will accommodate your child's weight.
- 2). Install the booster seat in your car according to the manufacturer's instructions. Most vehicles are now equipped with metal hooks to hold the seat in place without the use of a seat belt. If your vehicle has these hooks, use them, as they are preferred over the seat belts for safety reasons. Two anchors with clip-hooks are located at the base of the booster seat and one tether with a hook behind the head of the seat. Snap the anchor clips over the metal rings next to the car's seat belt buckles and the tether hook to the metal ring above the back of the car's seat.
- 3). Pull on the straps that are connected to the hooks until they are tight enough to prevent the seat from moving around on the seat. Even when pushed or pulled, the booster seat should not shift more than 1 inch.
- 4). Ask your child to sit in the seat upright, but comfortably. Loosen the straps on the harness to loosely fit it over your child's shoulders and buckle it in the buckle between his legs. Adjust the tightness of the straps once the harness is in place and properly buckled. The straps should be tight to provide protection from hard stops or impact, but you should be able to fit a finger (no more) between the child's collarbone and the strap.
- 5). Switch to a harness-free booster seat when your child outgrows the weight restriction on the harness booster seat, or find another seat with a higher weight capacity.
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