Older kids in booster seats...am I the only one?

[4under6]

My just turned 6 and almost 5 year old sit in booster seats in the car.
Isn't there something that states they are supposed to until they weigh 80 pounds?
In the last 24 hours, two separate sets of my kids' friends have questioned "Why do you still sit in a car seat? We just buckle with a seat belt."
As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I know anyone their age or even a little older who sit in booster seats.

[eilonwy]

My nieces are four and seven and both sit in booster seats. In PA, the law states that a child must be restrained in a booster seat until they are at least 8 years old and 80 pounds; neither has reached either of those milestones yet.

Of course, I do have the oldest rear-facing child that I know of IRL: he's 20 months old and weighs about 25 pounds. His carseat is good rearfacing for quite a while longer yet (he doesn't need the straps through the top hole yet) and I'll be damned if I turn him around before he's really just too big to be rear-facing. I think it's a cop-out when people say their kids can't see out the window or need to be facing forward to interact. My son tells me all about what he sees out the window (his favorites right now are car dealerships ) and we have long, lovely conversations in the car all the time.

[RyleenColinsMom]

DS is 6 1/2 and only weighs 42 pounds so he'll be in his seat for a LONG time if it goes to 80 pounds soon. He is OK with it most of the time but he fights me on it when his friends are in our car I just tell him that I care more about his safety than he'll ever understand and that I'd be very sad if something happened to him and he usually drops it. We also have a booster that has a 5 point harness that you remove once they hit 40 pounds and use the regualr seatbelt with so he's cool with that. He likes to sit up higher in the seat also since he's kind of short. I hope all works out for you guys.

[moondiapers]

I have a daycare, so I have tons of seats. I just make 8yo dd's friends sit in them too, :LOL

I tell them, my car, my rules

[mammabear]

My almost 6 year old sits in a booster seat. And she will be for a loooong time.

[kaimama]

Yep, my 6 year old dd and almost 10 (she's small for her age) year old dd are both still using their booster seats.

[magemom]

Here the law just changed to 6 years 60 pounds and I plan to tell my kids 80 pounds. Seat belts aren't really made for anyone smaller than 110 pounds (I think) I tell ds2 I want him safe. He has asked for the smaller boosters, but that isn't happeneing any time soon.

[Changed]

My 2 year old is still rear facing! Not sure when I should turn her but she's only 20 pounds. My 4 1/2 year old is still in a booster. I did just buy her a new one though. She got too big for the high back boosters belts and it was pretty stained and funky from potty training so I got her a regular booster that is just used with a seat belt. She's all about that~! For now that's about as cool as It gets but she'll be in a carseat till she's big enough to sit properly in the seat without it. Legs bent...ect... She's 40 pounds btw.

[lab]

I win! I win!


My ds is 10!


nah nah nah nah nah!

His sister and brother sit in boosters as well...... dd8 (9 next month) and ds7.

Ds10 weighs 60 lbs. That's a no-brainer. DD is around 55 lbs and ds7 is 37 lbs. I love my little peanuts.....

[lab]

Originally Posted by moondiapers

I have a daycare, so I have tons of seats. I just make 8yo dd's friends sit in them too, :LOL

I tell them, my car, my rules

You got that right! Don't you love it when they look at you like you're crazy!

[beth568]

Well, my DD isn't even 3 yet, but she will be in a seat until she's at LEAST 8 years, 80 pounds. I'm looking at seats with 5 point harnesses now because I want her restrained that way as long as possible, and I won't put her into a regular booster until or unless I have no choice.

We live in MA, and as far as I know the law here only requires child seats up to 4 years, 40 pounds, but I don't care. My mom lives in PA and I applaud those more protective laws!

I'm going to be an uncool parent. Fine by me. My kids' safety is paramount.

[Embee]

DS is 3 1/2 and still in his carseat. I plan to keep him there until his head reaches the tippy top or he gets to 40 lbs--the max for the seat. I will transfer him to a booster seat at that time and plan to keep him there as long as he meets the weight/height requirement--he's farely small so I imagine 6 or 7 or beyond...

[Irishmommy]

lab, I'm right there with you. Dd1 will be 10 in less than two months, and is still in a booster, as is one of her friends, though there are more that should be.

[4under6]

Yeah!
I just kinda thought these other people were just being too unsafe, and I'm not as neurotic as I think I am sometimes! LOL!

[lab]

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

lab, I'm right there with you. Dd1 will be 10 in less than two months, and is still in a booster, as is one of her friends, though there are more that should be.

More people should have their kids in seats. It's hard to find people with kids as old as ours who still use boosters. Of course, he is finally getting tall enough that his head is coming up over the head rest. That can be dangerous, so we lift the head rest. Apparently, he is tall enough to use a regular seat belt, but he doesn't mind, so we continue......

I tell people who hassle (or laugh at) me that I never put them in a carseat in the first place for convenience. I put them in the carseat at 1 day old for safety reasons. And it is still safer.......

[Melda]

We just bought Marathons that go to 65 lbs and I think if our children are like we were growing up it will be a long time before they get to that point. My Ds is 3 years old and 29 lbs and dd is 9 months old and 15 lbs so they are both peanuts.

Melda

[girlzmommy00]

Here in NJ, they also have the 8 yrs or 80 lbs law. I think a lot of people ignore it and I wish they'd advertise it more.

I have my oldest in a shoulder & lap belt in the back (she's a tall 10 and she can bend her knees properly around the seat and the shoulder belt falls properly across her chest), with my 4 year old in her Star Riser Comfy (Britax) booster, and my 22 month old in her Marathon.

When we ride in my mom's car, my 10 yr old uses a Star Riser Comfy booster (I have 2), since she doesn't fit properly in my mom's SUV or at least not properly enough for my taste.

Edited to add: my oldest often says that she finds the booster more comfy in my mom's car, since it has the wings to rest your head on

[jenaniah]

Here in Maryland the Law is 6 but in DC (where I do a lot of driving with the kids since that is where their school are) the law is 8 AND 80 pounds. Grayce is 8.5 and still in the booster...she only weighs 53 pounds. She actually prefers to be in the booster and just made her dad buy new ones for her and Max.

[Mirzam]

My 6 3/4 year is in a booster (Britax Bodyguard) in my car and in a Britax Husky, a 5 pt harnessed car seat with a weight limit of 80 lbs in our van. The law in CO is to six years old or 55 inches. Well she might be six, but she certainly isn't 55 inches tall. But as far as I am concerned, she will stay in a booster until she fits the car seat belt properly. She has absolutely no issues about using a car seat and is quite shocked when she sees young children riding without them.

My 4.5 year old was RF in his car seat (Britax Wizard) until a month before his fourth birthday when he finally hit 34 lbs.

[HBBFJenn]

My 8 and 5 yos are still in boosters. Our boosters go up to 100 lbs and they will be in them until the seat belt fits them correcty.
My 8 yo is less than 60 lbs, my 5 yo is around 50 lbs.