Thankful for family, but.....

[dislaney]

Don't back down your being a good Mom. Your kids - Your rules!

 

[phillmolly]

Your child, your rules!!! When it comes to car saftey you can never be to careful or to overproctive!!

My son is 14months old and still RearFacing in his car seat and I plan on keeping him that way untill the weight limit on his seat which is 35lbs!! I got flack for that from family member and even my husband, but I refuse to budge! I do sometimes feel bad, especially on long trips, but he has never ridden any other way so he dosn't really know any better. Although if we do get to go to WDW in March we will be driving down from MI so I might Forward Face him just so that he will be able to watch a movie.

 

[golfgal]

I just wanted to post a little PSA. It's really not a good idea. The bones need to fully develop in a child and that doesn't really happen until aroung 13 or so. Height/weight really doesn't apply to bone structure. However your child, your choice. I don't really trust the airbag off to not fail in an accident anyway but that's just me.

If you really want to think it is because bone development, go right ahead but bones aren't fully developed until a kid is done growing and often that is when kids are well over 16 and in the case of boys that can be 21 even.

Honestly, all of these rules stem from lawsuits and not just height/weight/bones. There is a little common sense to be applied too but just to blankley say that a 14 year old can now ride in the front seat is just as shortsighted as saying a 9 year old can't.

 

[shortbun]

Personally, if someone-anyone did not require/allow my child to sit and ride safely in their car, my kids would not be riding with them - anywhere. Tell your sister to talk to her insurance agent about children in front seats. My new Honda Odyssey has a disclaimer right in the manual about not allowing small humans in the front seats. The state of Ohio just passed a much tougher car seat law. Why would you endanger your neices/nephews or grandchildren and mock those who do not?!?!?

 

[shortbun]

If you really want to think it is because bone development, go right ahead but bones aren't fully developed until a kid is done growing and often that is when kids are well over 16 and in the case of boys that can be 21 even.

Honestly, all of these rules stem from lawsuits and not just height/weight/bones. There is a little common sense to be applied too but just to blankley say that a 14 year old can now ride in the front seat is just as shortsighted as saying a 9 year old can't.

Airbags can suffocate small people -adults too as well as break their necks on impact in the front passenger or driver's seat. My sister is an insurance agent and she's shown me the statistics. Insurance companies do not want huge claims so they do tell people how to remain as safe as possible. My 14yo son is 6' and weighs 160. He's plenty big enough to weather the airbag. His best friend is 5'4" and weighs about 110. He's NOT big enough to sit in the front seat although he is also 14.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If you really want to think it is because bone development, go right ahead but bones aren't fully developed until a kid is done growing and often that is when kids are well over 16 and in the case of boys that can be 21 even.

Honestly, all of these rules stem from lawsuits and not just height/weight/bones. There is a little common sense to be applied too but just to blankley say that a 14 year old can now ride in the front seat is just as shortsighted as saying a 9 year old can't.

Short girls are done by about 13.

My dd is 5ft and 96lbs. She is done growing. She will be that size when she learns to drive.

I guess I really need to look into the airbag issue then. If they are not made for "short people" she could get seriously injured.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Why do they insist on questioning me about DD9 not being allowed to ride in the front seat? I think there are three types of people. Those who allow aunts/uncles/granny/papaw to use their own judgement with kids and those who try to control every little thing when kids are with family members. I fall somewhere in the middle. My daughter has food allergies so I have to be persistent about the foods she eats. That isn't a negotiable thing.

However, my mother rarely makes them buckle up in the car (DS is 5 and still needs a booster, according to state law), and when she finally does, she allows my 9 year old to ride in the front seat. Louisiana law doesn't require a child be a certain age to ride in the front seat, but I've always read the recommended age is 12 years old. DD is average height for her age. She is small, but still a healthy weight. She isn't tall enough for the seatbelt to even fit her properly (even in the back seat, we still use that little adjustor thingy), and then there is the airbag issue in the front seat. I realize I'm a little prudish about the whole seatbelt thing, especially considering my family's standards. My nephew has been out of booster and riding in the front seat since he was 4.

So I just got off the phone with my sister and she asked if DD could sit in the front seat (they're headed to a Thanksgiving party). I said no, and she proceeded to try to make me feel really dumb for my decision. To me, this is a safety thing. Why can't they just let this one go?

*side rant, she also got mad because I said I didn't think it was a good idea for DD to watch Twilight.

You're not being prudish, you're being safe. It's not like you're requiring your children to wear football gear when they get in a car. You're doing exactly what safety experts tell you to do. You're being smart. Your sister is being ignorant and it may cost her child a severe injury or his life!

 

[golfgal]

Airbags can suffocate small people -adults too as well as break their necks on impact in the front passenger or driver's seat. My sister is an insurance agent and she's shown me the statistics. Insurance companies do not want huge claims so they do tell people how to remain as safe as possible. My 14yo son is 6' and weighs 160. He's plenty big enough to weather the airbag. His best friend is 5'4" and weighs about 110. He's NOT big enough to sit in the front seat although he is also 14.

See, your DS is taller than I am and weighs more so just because I am over 14 I qualify to sit in the front seat.

Short girls are done by about 13.

My dd is 5ft and 96lbs. She is done growing. She will be that size when she learns to drive.

I guess I really need to look into the airbag issue then. If they are not made for "short people" she could get seriously injured.

No they are NOT. I was no where near done growing at 13 and I am only 5'4" tall-I grew 4" when I was in 10th grade-16 years old-that is NOT uncommon. It has nothing to do with age and everything to do with puberty. Those that start puberty later grow later, fact. DD is 14 and has done PLENTY of growing since she was 13 and she isn't tall. My niece is 13 and hasn't even started puberty yet and according to the endo she has a lot of growing left to do. Your DD has growth issues, it isn't because of her age.

 

[golfgal]

Airbags can suffocate small people -adults too as well as break their necks on impact in the front passenger or driver's seat. My sister is an insurance agent and she's shown me the statistics. Insurance companies do not want huge claims so they do tell people how to remain as safe as possible. My 14yo son is 6' and weighs 160. He's plenty big enough to weather the airbag. His best friend is 5'4" and weighs about 110. He's NOT big enough to sit in the front seat although he is also 14.

Also, if we went buy this rule, DS17 would have been driving from the back seat when he got his license.