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Stopping to use booster seat
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keym




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 2:04 pm
For those of you who say 4'9", my 13 year old is 4'7" and my 11 yr old is 4'3". I can't keep them in boosters. I insisted in my car until they were 9, then discussed it with the ped who said I could stop. In other cars, the ped said I could stop at 8 yes old.
I have a relative- married with several kids- 4'8". Should she use a booster?
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amother
Slateblue


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 2:11 pm
so keym- I'm wondering that as well but it would make sense yes- this isn't a maturity thing, it's a physical thing. like shorter adults need to use step stools to reach stuff that taller adults don't because they are shorter. no judgment, it's just fact. I wonder why no cars are being manufactured with the selling point of being good for shorter people?

mrs. dash- I'm glad you chimed in because I always think of your posts on this topic.
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amother
Chartreuse


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 2:16 pm
keym wrote:
For those of you who say 4'9", my 13 year old is 4'7" and my 11 yr old is 4'3". I can't keep them in boosters. I insisted in my car until they were 9, then discussed it with the ped who said I could stop. In other cars, the ped said I could stop at 8 yes old.
I have a relative- married with several kids- 4'8". Should she use a booster?


Once kids are closer to puberty, their hip bone structure begins to resemble that of an adult. Adult bone structure can handle a regular car seat belt even without the height.
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amother
Slateblue


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 2:21 pm
that wouldn't address the seatbelt hitting them at the wrong spot on their neck?
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amother
Chartreuse


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 2:24 pm
amother wrote:
that wouldn't address the seatbelt hitting them at the wrong spot on their neck?


Often the top portion is height adjustable. Even if not, that's not as dangerous as a poorly fitted lap belt.
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keym




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 2:40 pm
amother wrote:
Once kids are closer to puberty, their hip bone structure begins to resemble that of an adult. Adult bone structure can handle a regular car seat belt even without the height.


So that would be a more individual thing. Some girls at 7-8 are beginning to resemble adult women, and some girls at 12-13 not yet even if they have hit the height requirement.
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 2:52 pm
I’m gonna go anonymous for this because this has been a concern of mine.
My kid in first grade complained he was the only one in a booster. If it was up to me he’d still have been in a 5 point harness. But that seat expired.
When he has playdates I always send the booster. Hes in second grade now and he is not happy.
But its a life we are talking about. I was actually glad at his last playdate the mom called me to ask to send a booster -so he’s definitely not the only one. It scares and concerns me that because of convenience people are not following the recommendations .... I dont care about laws as such but theres a reason for them.
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amother
Ecru


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 3:19 pm
My daughter is in first grade and she’s 50 lb. I’m not sure exactly how tall she is, but she’s an average height among her friends. I plan to keep her in her booster for a while still.

The laws have definitely changed since us mothers were young (and I’m not so old). I was out of a booster pretty young, because that was the standard. I wasn’t 80 lb until high school! I can’t imagine how long I would’ve been in a booster for. I think it’s tough when your kids are tiny but socially too old for a booster. I’m not sure what I’ll do when my very petite son gets older. He can’t be bar mitzva age and in a booster...
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SixOfWands




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 3:29 pm
Have any of you with older kids considered use of a backless booster? Probably not quite as safe as a booster with a back, but its pretty much invisible, and its easy to transport.
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 3:31 pm
I don’t mean anything personal g-d forbid, but it does seem to me that the frum world in particular is very lax when it comes to car seats and boosters. I believe this is due to our large families, culture of carpools etc. It is complicated to make it work! Especially when you do diff age carpool runs.
There’s also just a lack of knowledge. The recommendations keep changing & ppl are just not aware. They are now recommending back facing car seats until at least 2yrs (and ideally 3 or 4!) Five point harness for kids until they are at least 40 pounds! And boosters for kids until they are 4.9 in height (or 80 pounds). Honestly it’s not easy -for me as well, but we are talking about saving lives. I wish there was more knowledge & awareness. In my own car I’m very careful, but not always are carpools willing to go along, not easy in out of town communities with no bussing...
Especially hard for kids who are short & skinny. Not sure why but there is such a social stigma attached to it for kids. Not sure how I’ll navigate with one of my kids who is off the charts percentile wise. Like until what age could DC be in a five point harness without put it impacting self esteem, on other hand how can I risk the safety?! Not easy. Would love to hear what others do. Would u keep a tiny 8 year old in a car seat when most don’t even use boosters?! Or an 11 yr old in a booster?! Honestly I’m dealing with it one yr at a time. But my oldest (almost 9) does not use a booster in other’s cars for short rides. In my car always does. And no I’m not thrilled about it.


Last edited by amother on Wed, Mar 13 2019, 12:59 am; edited 1 time in total
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 3:37 pm
I also thought its only an issue in the Jewish communities till I saw how many kids my non jewish neighbors pack into a car, sans seatbelts.
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animeme




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 4:55 pm
To my knowledge, its 8 OR 80 lbs, as the poster wrote. Whichever your kid hits first gets them out. (The feont seat is a whole other discussion.) And I'm going to assume that most posters here are talking about the backless boosters already.

I don't know about discrepancies in terms of the non frum world. I do know that three boosters in a row, or two and a car seat, are either a royal pain or impossible. Take the one kid in the middle out of a booster and it works. Unfortunately, in a minivan, that's the one seat that doesn't have an adjustable-height or lowered seat belt.
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 7:08 pm
animeme wrote:
To my knowledge, its 8 OR 80 lbs, as the poster wrote. Whichever your kid hits first gets them out. (The feont seat is a whole other discussion.) And I'm going to assume that most posters here are talking about the backless boosters already.

I don't know about discrepancies in terms of the non frum world. I do know that three boosters in a row, or two and a car seat, are either a royal pain or impossible. Take the one kid in the middle out of a booster and it works. Unfortunately, in a minivan, that's the one seat that doesn't have an adjustable-height or lowered seat belt.


From my research it’s which ever comes LATER, meaning u need to reach both. 4yrs AND 40 pounds for a booster. 8yrs AND 4.9 height (or 80 pounds, but I think it’s the height that’s the main thing to stop using booster.) Search car seat lady -tons of safety information.
I also believe it’s the weight/ height that’s more important then the age. Age is an average that kid is old enuf to sit safely /maturely. Weight /height shows they’re physically ready for next stage. None of my kids reach weight or height by those ages.


Last edited by amother on Wed, Mar 13 2019, 3:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
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teachkids




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 7:23 pm
Flip side is I was always a very tall, but skinny kid. By age 7, if I sat in a booster, my head hit the ceiling, so clearly, in our car I never did (despite being under both weight and age). However, my best friend's mom was super into these rules, and I sat in a booster, with my neck bowed, whenever I was in their car until I was about 8 or 9 when my friend was also released from her booster. I still wonder if more damage would have been done from the bent neck slamming into the ceiling.
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 7:30 pm
BKIND wrote:
I don’t mean anything personal g-d forbid, but it does seem to me that the frum world in particular is very lax when it comes to car seats and boosters. I believe this is due to our large families, culture of carpools etc. It is complicated to make it work! Especially when you do diff age carpool runs.
There’s also just a lack of knowledge. The recommendations keep changing & ppl are just not aware. They are now recommending back facing car seats until at least 2yrs (and ideally 3 or 4!) Five point harness for kids until they are at least 40 pounds! And boosters for kids until they are 4.9 in height (or 80 pounds). Honestly it’s not easy -for me as well, but we are talking about saving lives. I wish there was more knowledge & awareness. In my own car I’m very careful, but not always are carpools willing to go along, not easy in out of town communities with no bussing...
Especially hard for kids who are short & skinny. Not sure why but there is such a social stigma attached to it for kids. Not sure how I’ll navigate with one of my kids who is off the charts percentile wise. Like until what age could DC be in a five point harness without put it impacting self esteem, on other hand how can I risk the safety?! Not easy. Would love to hear what others do. Would u keep a tiny 8 year old in a car seat when most don’t even use boosters?! Or an 11 yr old in a booster?! Honestly I’m dealing with it one yr at a time. But my oldest (almost 9) does not use a booster in other’s cars for short rides. In my car always does. And no I’m not thrilled about it.


Well said!

I do remember an article in a local frum publication by a parent of a tragic accident. He was trying to turn his tragedy into lessons for the community at large and bring awareness about car seat safety in general.
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 8:28 pm
There is a 5 step test. My oldest (13.5, weighs more than 80 lbs but is shorter than 4' 9") passes in every seat of our vehicles. He does not use a booster.
My 12 yo is a skinny guy and almost as tall as his older brother. He fits in some seats but not others. Depending on that, he will use a booster or not (he will choose to sit in a seat that fits him properly Wink )
My 10.5 yo and younger are always in boosters or car seats in our cars. Over 8 in other people's cars for very short drives, I pretend not to notice for social reasons.
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 8:29 pm
SixOfWands wrote:
Have any of you with older kids considered use of a backless booster? Probably not quite as safe as a booster with a back, but its pretty much invisible, and its easy to transport.

That's what I mean when I say booster. A backed booster is only necessary in some circumstances, but for belt positioning, if the seat belt fits right on the kid in the backless, it's just as safe.
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animeme




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 9:04 pm
BKIND wrote:
From my research it’s which ever comes LATER, meaning u need to reach both. 4yrs AND 40 pounds for a booster. 8yrs AND 4.9 height (or 80 pounds, but I think it’s the height that’s the main thing to stop using booster.) Search car seat lady -tons of safety information.
I also believe it’s the weight/ height that’s more important then the age. Age is an average that kid is old enuf to sit safely /maturely. Weight /height shows they’re physically ready for next stage. None of my kids reach weight or height by those ages.


You are right about height vs weight for this, but the subtleties of "and" vs "or" appear to be state based.

From nj.gov:

Quote:
Q- My son is 7 years old and is 58 inches tall. Is he required to ride in a booster seat? 
A - No. Although he is only 7 years old, he is over 57 inches tall and requires only a properly fitted seat belt.
Q - My daughter is 8 years old but only weighs 76 pounds. Does she need a booster seat? 
A - No. Once a child is 8 years of age, s/he no longer needs to ride in a booster seat, but s/he must be secured in a properly adjusted seat belt

Followed by a recommendation to do the 5 step test.

Meanwhile, NY says, for ages 4-8:

"...a child safety seat or harness/vest or booster seat may be used.Note: This requirement applies to all children until their 8th birthday.The vehicle's safety belts are not defined as a child restraint system under this law, as safety belts are not designed for children under 4'9" and therefore, do not protect young children."

And then says the seatbelt usually fits well between ages 8 and 12

Interestingly, the NY DMV says:

Quote:
Children between 4 to 8 years old must be secured in a child safety seat restraint system. This includes safety seats, harness vests and booster seats attached via safety belts.If all safety seats are occupied, a child who would normally require a booster seat should instead be secured by a lap belt.
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 9:58 pm
animeme wrote:


Yes, def agree that diff states have diff laws. But I don’t go just according to law in my state, I go according to the safety requirements my pediatrician recommends and other safety sites which seem reliable. (Car seat lady has great resources & sources.) Both my pediatrician & these sites I’ve researched recommend keeping kids in car seats or boosters longer then the law mandates.

(But many ppl are not even aware of the laws in their state, that at minimum should be kept... Not sure why this isn’t enforced /made known better...)


Last edited by amother on Wed, Mar 13 2019, 1:01 am; edited 1 time in total
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 16 2019, 10:18 pm
Not only that, but even if you don't live in a state with stricter guidelines, if you are driving through, you are obligated by law to keep to them.
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