OT: Outgrowing a booster seat

[my4girls10]

My oldest DD is 11 1/2 and is 4'5", and she hates still being in the booster. She's still only around 70 lbs as well. She keeps asking when she's gonna grow...10 yr old DD is about 4'3", and they just keep getting shorter the farther down in age you go! DD #4 was adopted from Ethiopia, and we're all convinced that she will end up being taller than all of us!

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[Ginny Favers]

Well, DD7 is still obviously in a booster, but I can't wait to get rid of the thing because in our car, she STILL can not buckle the belt herself because the darn receptacle for the tongue is too short and always gets covered by the booster. It is hard to get her in-- even I have trouble doing it for her. I looked into seatbelt extenders but they can come undone easily, and if you use those, you may not be covered in the event of an accident.

I am probably going to get yelled at for this, but I always think about when I was a kid, and most parents used to let kids run wild in the back (and front) seat of their cars. And look at how many of those kids survived. I figure that just by buckling her in and using a booster until age 8, I am way ahead of them

 

[BigAlsGal]

Why? Happily & why at the age of 8? I'm truly & sincerely interested in your answer.

I'll give you the same answer I give my kids.......because.

 

[SweetMissy]

I think our law is 8 years old and/or 80lbs, or something like that. I don't know, I don't follow the law....I go by what's safest. My 9 year old just recently within the last few months "graduated" from his 5 point harness to a booster seat.

 

[englishteacha]

I had a friend in college who wasn't 5' tall or even close to 100 lbs. at age 19. She was the passenger in the front seat of a car in an accident. She was pretty battered from the seatbelt and airbag. The policeman at the scene told her that because of her size she should always ride in the backseat. Being a 19 year old college kid with an attitude, she asked how she was supposed to drive from back there. What about adults who are very small? I'm not being a wise-guy; I'm really curious. If a booster is so much safer, why don't you see some sort of contraption for petite adults?

 

[~Kristina~]

We have the same law here in MI. My 8yo in the back row of my Suburban is good to go using the steps. In the captain chairs in the middle row she's not. So in those seats she still uses the booster. I know it sucks to see someone not doing the safest for their child, but sometimes all you can do is mention to her the steps to see if her child is big enough without the booster and hope it helps and she learns something.

 

[elaine amj]

My daughter would have been in a booster seat until she was 13 at least. She still is a little short for the front seat, but since she is old enough to drive, I think we will continue to go without the booster seat.

I am 5 ft and I want a booster seat LOL! I bought myself a little clip for my seatbelt so it doesn't sit at my neck.

 

[ChitownFamily]

Well, DD7 is still obviously in a booster, but I can't wait to get rid of the thing because in our car, she STILL can not buckle the belt herself because the darn receptacle for the tongue is too short and always gets covered by the booster. It is hard to get her in-- even I have trouble doing it for her. I looked into seatbelt extenders but they can come undone easily, and if you use those, you may not be covered in the event of an accident.

I am probably going to get yelled at for this, but I always think about when I was a kid, and most parents used to let kids run wild in the back (and front) seat of their cars. And look at how many of those kids survived. I figure that just by buckling her in and using a booster until age 8, I am way ahead of them

Something you mentioned made me wonder if a bubble bum would help her buckle easier? Just tossing it out there. http://www.bubblebum.co/us/booster-seat/

 

[BigAlsGal]

Well, DD7 is still obviously in a booster, but I can't wait to get rid of the thing because in our car, she STILL can not buckle the belt herself because the darn receptacle for the tongue is too short and always gets covered by the booster. It is hard to get her in-- even I have trouble doing it for her. I looked into seatbelt extenders but they can come undone easily, and if you use those, you may not be covered in the event of an accident.

I am probably going to get yelled at for this, but I always think about when I was a kid, and most parents used to let kids run wild in the back (and front) seat of their cars. And look at how many of those kids survived. I figure that just by buckling her in and using a booster until age 8, I am way ahead of them

I'm with you. My mom has a picture of her bringing me home from the hospital (when I was born) carrying me in her arms in the front seat! I'm doin good!!!

 

[letsgoreds]

The 5 step test OR exceeding the weight limit of the seat, in our case 80lbs. There are some pricey ones the go up to 100lbs. As a fully grown adult, I still don't pass the 5 step test so it is not an absolute.

Our backless booster, less than $20, goes up to 100 lbs. Price and weight are really irrelevant...the fit of the belt/seat/child is what is critical.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm with you. My mom has a picture of her bringing me home from the hospital (when I was born) carrying me in her arms in the front seat! I'm doin good!!!

So how many terrifying accidents did they get info while holding you? I'm guessing NONE. Wonder how you would be if they had gotten into such an accident?

My mom's second husband's dad ran a towing company along the coastal highway in morro bay CA. Stepdad worked with his dad to clean up the horrendous aftermaths of the horrendous accidents when seatbelt weren't the norm, let alone carseats. It scarred him for life. My mom bought a classic car that was grandfathered in so seatbelts weren't needed. First thing (serious collector) step dad did was install seatbelts.

The people who are here and alive from those days are mainly the ones that were never in those accidents.

The ones that were in those accidents, for the most part, didn't make it out to tell us how they are.

 

[Mom2six]

I had a friend in college who wasn't 5' tall or even close to 100 lbs. at age 19. She was the passenger in the front seat of a car in an accident. She was pretty battered from the seatbelt and airbag. The policeman at the scene told her that because of her size she should always ride in the backseat. Being a 19 year old college kid with an attitude, she asked how she was supposed to drive from back there. What about adults who are very small? I'm not being a wise-guy; I'm really curious. If a booster is so much safer, why don't you see some sort of contraption for petite adults?

I haven't read through all the replies here yet, but I think you should see a contraption for petite adults. A lot of people have the attitude that it is sort of embarrassing or babyish to have a booster seat, but really if it makes the seat more comfortable and safer, why should it be? In the home, everyone (in general) wants to get the most comfy seating, so who wouldn't want that in the car? Plus if you have a simple solution that makes you safer, go for it! The seats in a car are not made to fit all people the same way.

 

[squirrel]

I only know of one person who survived by not being buckled up. She was so lucky. She had pulled off the road to gather her receipts (she was about to cross the border) and had to take off her seatbelt to reach her purse on the floor.

At that moment she was hit from behind and if she wasn't leaning over to grab her purse she would have died. The steering wheel would have crushed her ribs, etc. She still had to have surgery and was in the hospital for a long time.

My sister likes to rush her kids into the next size. Neither kid would sit correctly when in the booster seat. Slouching or putting the seatbelt under their arm. Not sure why she decided to move them into a booster when I'm almost positive they were fine for the carseat.

 

[cheer25mom]

Our backless booster, less than $20, goes up to 100 lbs. Price and weight are really irrelevant...the fit of the belt/seat/child is what is critical.

WEight is relevant becuase seats can and do fail it the occupant is over the weight limit. It is safer to be in the seat with a belt adjuster than using a booster over the weight limit.

I haven't read through all the replies here yet, but I think you should see a contraption for petite adults. A lot of people have the attitude that it is sort of embarrassing or babyish to have a booster seat, but really if it makes the seat more comfortable and safer, why should it be? In the home, everyone (in general) wants to get the most comfy seating, so who wouldn't want that in the car? Plus if you have a simple solution that makes you safer, go for it! The seats in a car are not made to fit all people the same way.

I sat on a phonebook, then 2 seat coushions stacked in my first car becuase the seat height didnt adjust and I couldn't see well. Whe I got out of college and got a "real job" the first thing I did was get a newer car with a height adjustable driver's seat. WHen we bought our current vehicle. We looked for an adjustable seat and a way to adjust the height of the shoulder attachment for the belt.

 

[BigAlsGal]

So how many terrifying accidents did they get info while holding you? I'm guessing NONE. Wonder how you would be if they had gotten into such an accident?

My mom's second husband's dad ran a towing company along the coastal highway in morro bay CA. Stepdad worked with his dad to clean up the horrendous aftermaths of the horrendous accidents when seatbelt weren't the norm, let alone carseats. It scarred him for life. My mom bought a classic car that was grandfathered in so seatbelts weren't needed. First thing (serious collector) step dad did was install seatbelts.

The people who are here and alive from those days are mainly the ones that were never in those accidents.

The ones that were in those accidents, for the most part, didn't make it out to tell us how they are.

When its your time...it's your time I guess.

 

[BigAlsGal]

Rubber baby buggie bumpers, rubber baby buggie bumpers, rubber baby buggie bumpers!

 

[Autumnslight]

I'm just barely over 5' 2", and most seat belts don't even fit me properly. I've been in a couple of mild accidents, with an ill-fitting belt, and I can tell that if they had been more serious accidents, I would have been in a lot of trouble. Luckily, in just the last few years, more and more cars that I've had/been in, have adjustable seat and belt heights, so I can actually ride safely now, without resorting to using any other "contraptions".

Given my own experience, I'll definitely have my kids in boosters (appropriate for their weight/height) until they're 100% able to safely fit into and use a regular belt. I really don't care if they're 13 years old, or in 9th grade, or whatever. My car, my kids, my rules. I'd rather deal with any complaining, than to have something bad happen. I know the chances are small, but if the unthinkable did happen, I don't want to have to live with knowing things might have been different if I'd kept them in a booster.

Of course, my six year old is already almost 4' 5", so he probably won't be in a booster by high school anyway, but even still.

 

[Ginny Favers]

I know of 2 people who refuse to wear seat belts. One because she was in an accident in which she SWEARS on her life she would have been better off if she hadn't been wearing one. The other because she was in an accident where the seat-belted person had died, and she didn't.

Also-- I know plenty of people who were in "terrifying accidents" before seat belts were common practice, and survived. My mother was thrown from her car right before a truck plowed into it. Likely I wouldn't exist had she been wearing her seatbelt.

I think people place too much faith in their seat belts. I wear one because it's the law, but I'm fully aware it's not going to save me in every instance, just as driving without one won't doom a person in every instance. All we can do is drive as safely as we can, and pray others do the same.