How many people use boosters for their 7-9 year olds?

[mama2mygirl]

My dd1 is on the shorter side, I suppose. She's certainly nowhere near 4' 9"--that's the recommended height to go without a booster, right? She's seven, almost eight and I just stopped using her Frontier as a 5-point harnass a few months back. I'm just amazed at how many of her friends don't use boosters at all. I guess what surprises me the most is the the mothers of these girls all *know* that it's safer for their girls to be in boosters but don't "want to argue." My dd1 doesn't argue because it's never been a choice. Ever. I don't get that at all. I just don't understand why loving, informed mothers would make this decision.

[Eman'smom]

Ds 9.5 is still in a highback booster, and likely will be for a while. He is on the smaller side.


It makes me cringe the number of school aged kids that don't ride in anything.

[*bejeweled*]

We do. DD is almost 8 and in a high back booster.

[AnnieA]

DSS 9 is still in his Graco Turbobooster with the back on it. He will be 10 in Dec. I will move him to the backless version then simply because the TB is expiring in Dec not because he's outgrown it by height or weight.

[confustication]

Nearly 9 yo in a HBB still. Until *very* recently she could have been harnessed in some of the new seats.

However, we keep her seat in the back seat of the van so none of her peers know she's in a booster still. Where we live, kids are bullied if they are still in any kind of a seat in preschool.

[chickabiddy]

My 8.5yo is in a highbacked booster and her friends have to use boosters in my car as well (highback if they fit, backless if they're too tall for the highback).

I'm 5'5" and barely pass the 5-step test in the bucket-y backseat of my car. Her friends will not pass.

[corysmilk]

we keep ds, who is 7 in a booster seat. it's not a high back. We couldn't afford the better one. But he always has it when in the car. We take it in and out when we change cars, or if his grandparents have him. I couldn't have him in the car without it. I am the paraniod type,

[Breathless Wonder]

We have a 7 1/2 yo, and an almost 10 yo still in boosters.

[confustication]

Nearly 9 yo in a HBB still. Until *very* recently she could have been harnessed in some of the new seats.

However, we keep her seat in the back seat of the van so none of her peers know she's in a booster still. Where we live, kids are bullied if they are still in any kind of a seat in preschool.

[Heavenly]

The law here is 8 years old so my oldest stopped using one when he is 8 and my middle will stop using hers (low-back booster) in November when she turns 8. My youngest is turning 5 in January. She'll be in a high-back booster until she's 6 and then I'll let her switch to a low-back one until she's 8.

[mama2mygirl]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

The law here is 8 years old so my oldest stopped using one when he is 8 and my middle will stop using hers (low-back booster) in November when she turns 8. My youngest is turning 5 in January. She'll be in a high-back booster until she's 6 and then I'll let her switch to a low-back one until she's 8.

So, are they 4'9"? If not, do you just think it's "safe enough" or "not worth the fight".
I'm just not understanding this particular decision--if they kids aren't 4'9", I mean.

[chickabiddy]

To be precise, it's not whether they are 4'9" that matters. What matters is that they pass the 5-step test*. Differently-shaped kids pass at different sizes in different vehicles. I've seen kids pass around 4'6" in tiny third-rows. And as I stated upthread, I'm 5'5" and I barely pass in some vehicles.

5-step test (and it's all or nothing -- 80% is not passing):
~ shoulder belt crossing between neck and arm, not riding up on neck
~ lap belt crossing low on hips and thighs, not riding up on belly
~ back and buttocks against seat crease
~ knees bending at edge of seat (and preferably feet resting on floor)
~ able to maintain position for the entire trip

[StephandOwen]

My ds just turned 7 a week ago. He's in a harnessed seat (Regent in 1 car and Nautilus in another) and will be for a little while. I expect him to outgrow the Nauti next summer probably (by height). The Regent he may fit in until age 8 or so.

[jillmamma]

DS will be 8 in Dec., and still rides in a Turbobooster with the high back. I think he is just over 4' tall, so I expect him to be in it for quite awhile, although he may outgrow the back in the next year or so.
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[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by mama2mygirl

So, are they 4'9"? If not, do you just think it's "safe enough" or "not worth the fight".
I'm just not understanding this particular decision--if they kids aren't 4'9", I mean.

The law is 8 years old. I feel the law is fine. No they aren't 4'9" but they sit just fine in the car.

[eclipse]

My oldest son will be 10 in January, and he's still in a low back booster (we went low back earlier than I would have liked, because for a time we had to fit three across and a low back is what worked for him). DD is 7 and in a high back booster. She is very tall for her age, but is nowhere near the 4'9" recommendation, and does not pass the 5 (or however many) step test in any vehicle we've tried it in. DS2 just turned 5 and is still harnessed, and probably will be for quite awhile. He's a peanut and still well under 40 lbs. (he could actually still rear face in some seats).

[SubliminalDarkness]

My 8 1/2 year old is still in a booster, and I don't see taking him out of it for quite a while.

[boheime]

My oldest is turning 8 in a month and is still in his Regent. We had talked about the possibility of getting him a HBB when he turned 8, but he still has plenty of room in his Regent, it doesn't expire for another 2 years, and our budget could use a little catching up with all of the medical bills I've had recently. So, chances are I will have an 8 year old in a Regent a month from now. He'll eventually switch to a HBB which will get him (at his current growth rate) until he is probably 12-13. We are looking at Monterey for him, so it will probably switch to a LBB at some point if he is in it until he is 13.

[mama2mygirl]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

The law is 8 years old. I feel the law is fine. No they aren't 4'9" but they sit just fine in the car.

So when you read Chikabiddy's 5 step test, know she is a CPST, you just think, "Oh, that's silly"?
I just don't get it. When my friend's dd was 3, ten years ago, I remember her telling me that she didn't legally *have* to be in a seat. Sometimes the lawmakers are ill informed.

[RiverSky]

My 11 3/4 y. o. son just hit the 5 step test marks and he was quite excited to no longer need the high back booster. Our 9 year old daughter is still in her Britax Parkway HBB. Neither of them ever argued or complained about sitting in their boosters because I explained to them regularly that they were much safer in the case of even a small fender bender in their boosters. They noticed that some of their friends did not use boosters but they would quietly tell me about it, surprised that their parents didn't keep them safer and they seemed to feel bad for those kids. I think that my children are grateful that I go the extra mile to keep them safer.
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