Parents: Booster Seats

kappyblu

My 9 year old son is in the 3rd grade. He is 4'3" and weighs about 67 pounds. According to my state's laws, kids should be in a booster seat until they are 4'9" and/or weigh 80 pounds. He does not meet either of these. So I still have him in a booster seat. I have tried to set him in the seat (in the garage) without the booster to see where the lap/shoulder belts lays on him. It cuts him across the face. So, the way I figure it, he's got a good 6 inches to grow before he can get out of his booster. He doesn't mind as my other 2 young children are also in car seats. (My daughter is heavy enough to be out of one, just not quite tall enough yet.)

So here's my problem: the school has 4 field trips coming up for the 3rd grade kiddos. Two of them are meant to be taken with parents driving the children in their own vehicles. They are using buses for the other two. I think it is for budget reasons that they take the trips with parent drivers on the other two trips. The parent drivers have insurance forms on file with the school, but I am concerned because it is not safe for him to ride in a car without a booster seat. There has to be other kids in the 3rd grade on the smallish side. The school seems to think that they are following the law because he is 9 and considered old enough to be without a booster. I say different and I get the information right from the highway patrol's website.

Do I send his booster seat with him on the field trip and instruct the teachers that he is to use it. This could especially be problematic since the parent may not buckle him in properly and the other kids may tease him. It is simply not possible for me to go to both of these trips since they are all day trips and I can't miss that much work.

Do any of you have kids that are older but just not big enough to be out of their boosters? Has anyone had this same problem with a school or daycare? I see kids not in car seats all the time and it makes me so mad! I am not putting my son's safety at risk just for this field trip. I could use some advice. Anyone?

kb455

If I were you, I'd absolutely send the booster seat in. I'm sure, like you mentioned, that other parents use them too... or at least I hope so seeing as its the law. I have a 7-year old who's pretty tall for his age but he's ALWAYS in his booster seat. As for the teasing, maybe you could prepare him for it before he goes to the field trip. (Maybe give him a couple of comebacks to say to the kids who run their mouths ;-))

r1ghtpath

i would send the booster seat too. my 9 yr old is too small to be out of one. my 10 yr old is too small to be out of one. the 9 yr old is in a high back booster. my 10 yr old is in a regular booster.

our law is 8 and 80 lbs or 4'8" not OR. so, really at 8, if they aren't tall enough or weigh enough, or both, they should STILL be a high back booster!

i send mine along on play dates, or anytime my kids will be driving in someone else's car.

_HeyMommy_

Both of my kids will be taking their drivers tests in booster seats..lol. I would DEFINETLY send the seat.

ZugTheMegasaurus

Definitely send the booster seat along; he's significantly shorter than the advised cutoff (while I might tell you to let it slide if he were only an inch off). Even though there's a chance the parent will buckle him in wrong (though it seems unlikely since they would have experience with their own kids' seats), there's a ZERO percent chance of them doing it right if you don't give them the chance!

I wish I could tell you how to prevent any teasing (as someone who was bullied all throughout my K-12 years, I know how tough that can be), but if I knew, I wouldn't have had to deal with it myself. I'd at least let him know that even though other kids might laugh, there's no shame in being safe. Maybe someone can offer some good comebacks/jokes for him in case that happens? Humor is the only thing that ever worked for me!

iam_thatdude

im gonna get flamed, but the minute my kids turned 5 I threw away all booster/car seats/ These laws are ludicrous.

Jersey_Devil

contact the school and tell them your concern. if they don't tell you what you want to hear, contact the board of education.

chevy88grl

I was a certified child passenger safety tech for many years. I'm sorry, but safety outweighs everything in my eyes. My kids were in low back boosters (as long as we were in a vehicle with headrests) until they were in something like 5th grade!

I saw too many videos of children with severe injuries or who died due to the seat belt being improperly placed on them because their parents didn't want to use it anymore.

My kids used to tell their friends "I use this because I don't want get hurt in a car accident". I'm not worried about how *I* drive, I'm worried about everyone else!

ajburroughs

My oldest is a good head taller than almost everyone in her grade and I wouldn't let her get out of the booster seat until she was, I think 9-1/2. She was maybe an inch away--supposed to be 58" I think. There's a big difference between what the law says and what is safe. She was not happy with me since her friends all stopped using booster seats way before her and were much much shorter. One of her friends even said something to me and I just said that I love her and want her to be as safe as possible so she was just gonna have to deal with it. I would definitely send in the seat and also send in a note with it stating that he needs to use it since according to the law, he is required to use one.

chevy88grl

im gonna get flamed, but the minute my kids turned 5 I threw away all booster/car seats/ These laws are ludicrous.

Not flamed.. but, isn't your child's safety your primary concern? Regardless of what a law says? I mean.. the law doesn't say "Don't allow your children to drink bleach" but you sure as heck have locks and other protective measures on things that could harm them.

Car accidents are the leading cause of injury and death in children under age 15.

I don't know about you, but I don't need a law enforcement agent telling me what I should do with my kids - common sense and physics speaks loud enough.

Articeluvsmemphis

im gonna get flamed, but the minute my kids turned 5 I threw away all booster/car seats/ These laws are ludicrous.

Glad you said it before I did phew. Now I can take some heat as well. I don't have kids, but parents sent their kid's booster seats to my camp class in the summer. Inconvenience, and those kids were big enough to be without them. Some people are over cautious and by God, thanks to capitalism you can buy anything for some false peace of mind.

Chubbyhulagirl

I agree with the poster above me. Better to be safe than sorry and although he is at an age where his peers are becoming important to him, you just gotta do it!
Does he have a high back booster or just the seat booster?

I always thought it was weird how school and city buses dont have seat belts...especially school buses. It is illegal to not wear your seatbelt in the front and backseats here but kids ride around without a seatbelt everyday on the bus.

saraemily5

Are you aloud to take him?? If I were you, I would take him myself...

broken_star1134

Talk to his teacher and see if she is going to be one of the drivers and he could possibly drive in her car. If not, see if she has other kids that have the same issue that could possibly ride together and the teasing wouldn't be an issue. Or possibly tell you who she would pair your child up with and you could call the parent yourself and talk to them.

kgalea

My daughter is almost 10 and she still rides in hers. She complains all the time, but her safety is more important than saying yes to her.

Could you live with yourself is something did happen and you hadn't insisted that he use the seat?
Send it with him!

kgalea

Talk to his teacher and see if she is going to be one of the drivers and he could possibly drive in her car. If not, see if she has other kids that have the same issue that could possibly ride together and the teasing wouldn't be an issue. Or possibly tell you who she would pair your child up with and you could call the parent yourself and talk to them.

Good ideas!

eso2012

Definitely get them to use the booster seats. It is the law.

petreebird

My son was in a booster (seat only, no back) until he was in the 4th or 5th grade. I don't care who thinks its crazy, including him!! His safety is top priority.
I say speak to the school about your concerns. If they are not amicable then it is very possible that the booster won't be used, even if sent. I'd consider keeping him home if you can't bring him yourself.

r1ghtpath

not gonna flame, your child your choice. if it's a law you can chose to break that too.

the way i decide on things that affect my child and their safety is, can i live with the negative outcome that can arise? if i can live with it, then there is my answer.... if i can't live with the possible outcome, then there is my answer.......

im gonna get flamed, but the minute my kids turned 5 I threw away all booster/car seats/ These laws are ludicrous.

AmyEm3

My son is 8 and he still uses one. I don't know of any other kids around our neighborhood that still use them. In fact, most of the kids ride in the front seat and don't even wear seat belts which absolutely horrifies me. A couple of the kids have made comments about my kids still being in boosters but it doesn't seem to bother my kids.

I'd send the seat.

groovyfirechick

As a medic I will give my my opinion based on the injuries I have seen from children not being in booster seats. I would definitely send the booster seat along with a letter to the teacher making it mandatory that he be placed in the booster seat in the car. (I personally have never heard of parents driving kids on field trips but if that's what occurs so be it). Maybe you could contact the teacher in advance and let them know what is going to occur and site the law if you have to. Good luck!

SpydrMnky27

I would use the booster seat.( I am that mom that has their child rear-facing until the very last pound recommended though. I don't mess around with car safety.) I would be a mess all day just thinking about my kid riding without it.

amyrobynne

I would talk to other parents in the class, especially those with smaller kids, and plan to all send booster seats so your child isn't the only one.

My 8 year old is the same height as your child and he's lucky I don't still make him use a 5 point harness. He'll be in a booster until he hits 4'9".

helloitsmes123

hey, i'm under that height.... do i need a booster seat??
is that the law everywhere?

JessieArt

I'm in Texas and you don't have to put your kid in a booster seat when they turn 8. Not sure if you have that part of the law where you are.

Don't you find it funny that kids don't have to be in safety seats on the bus? They don't even have seat belts. Just find it incredibly ironic.

quietlywinning

I would send the seat, but I would also be pretty shocked if they actually use it. Schools are above the law, and in some states, the school trumps parental authority while school is in session - google "in loco parentis" and check your state law to see if your school has that right. It has sometimes been taken farther than intended, to include pretty much anything the school wants to do with - or to - the children in their care.

AZKristi

Whatever parent ends up driving your child should thank you. If something were to happen to an improperly restrained child while they were driving the legal consequences could be severe. I would try to identify other smallish kids and talk to their parents directly. Maybe you could do a small kid car where every child in the car was in a booster seat. The group could meet once in advance so the other drivers could learn to properly install each booster.

mooglysmom

Um, yea...
Law is 8 AND 80lbs AND 4'9". The reasons for this are simple. You have to properly fit the seat belt for it to WORK in an accident.

I'd send the car seat.

My oldest (nearly 7) just switched to a low back booster because of the way the seat belt fits when he's in the high back. It wasn't a proper fit, therefore I changed it to a low back. He fits MUCH better now.

I've been in several car accidents (again, don't worry about your own driving worry about everyone else's!!), and I know the pain of not having a proper belt fit. I've seen kids in accidents without a proper belt fit.

And just beccause your kid is OK, and you've never had an accident doesn't make it OK. Driving is one of the most dangerous things we do, and most of us do it everyday.

CheleLynn44

I am and always have been a big believer in taking control of what I can because there is so much out there we cannot control!!

My daughter was in a booster seat until she was tall enough for the seatbelt to lay properly on her. I know she was in it a lot longer than some of my friends kids but I didn't care.

Don't ever question yourself when it cones to your kids safety.

spareparts79

im gonna get flamed, but the minute my kids turned 5 I threw away all booster/car seats/ These laws are ludicrous.

In Oregon if you get pulled over and your kids are not in the proper child/booster seat you can be sited with Child Endangerment which if the judge deems so gives the state an opening to take your kids.

I don't pass judgement on other peoples parenting, but when advise is asked for . . . send the booster with him.

Basically what the school is doing with the insurance form is passing the blame to the people the are stupid enough to sign the paper. If something happens the school just says here is the form the driver signed and they are off Scott free and the poor driver that was helping the class by driving is stuck with the ticket(s).

r1ghtpath

i just rode on a school bus for a field trip. it was NOTHING like the school bus i grew up riding.

*I* barely was able to see over the top of the seat in front of me. NONE of the kids could at all. and every single seat had a two seat belts for two kids. the driver would not drive til every child was buckled in. these are not lap belts either, they are the shoulder and lap belts.

the kids were not allowed to stand at all, and there were no bags allowed in the aisle either. it was soooo different!!!!

I'm in Texas and you don't have to put your kid in a booster seat when they turn 8. Not sure if you have that part of the law where you are.

Don't you find it funny that kids don't have to be in safety seats on the bus? They don't even have seat belts. Just find it incredibly ironic.