Parents: Booster Seats

jenbusick

Send the seat, and tell him if anybody gives him grief to roll his eyes and say "I know! My mom is SUCH a freak about stuff! Can you believe it?" My parents let me blame them for all sorts of stuff so that I didn't have to take the heat. "Gosh, Mr. Stupid Loser, if it were me I would LOVE to go out with you, but my parents! They are SUCH heels, you know? I totally don't know what their problem is, but I gotta live with 'em. Sorry!"

NoAdditives

I would send the booster seat. A lot of people, kids included, may think the laws and recommendations are stupid, but it's what's best for kids' safety.

emczech5

I just read an article today that said the American Academy of Pediatrics had changed car seat recommendations, (these are only recommendations and haven't changed any laws.)

New Boostering Recommendation: Children should ride in a belt-positioning booster until they are at least 4 foot, 9 inches, AND 8-12 years old. (I want to stress the 8 - 12 years old) Personally, I don't care when people decide to move there kid from car seat. It's your choice. But, if you feel strongly that your child should be in the booster seat don't be afraid to keep him in one because he will get teased. His safety is more important.

I bet if people were less concerned about the teasing you would find a lot of kids would still be in boosters past age guidelines and it wouldn't be a teasing issue because it would be more common place and kids would expect to see other kids in car seats.

And for people who are short who joke that they should be in a car seat it's not all about height. A lot of it has to do with strength and muscle development. An adult will fair better in a car collision than a child because the adult is more physically developed.

glennstoudt

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?

The stuff that you think could happen to your child doesn't. happen. That is no reason to not take normal precautions. On the other hand, you can't plan for 1% of the outrageous stuff that does happen. Four sons grown. Some went through minor car accidents without car seats. All are fine. If schools don't put seat belts in school buses, I can't imagine why anyone would be overly concerned why they need car seats in a school trip not involving school buses.

busymom11

My kids are beyond that age now, but the laws changed back when they were in early elementary school. Our school district quit allowing parent drivers after that. It was too much of a liability, because even though it was now a law, many parents didn't go out and buy boosters for their kids that had been out of car seats for years. It was too bad because they didn't get to go on as many field trips as before.

luvsherhubby

okay... maybe im not worried enough but Im in texas and was shocked to find out that kids had to be in a booster till they were 8. It is a relitivly new law here to my knowledge. i NEVER remeber having a booster and I know in 3rd grade...even 1st actualy I wasnt in a booster. My son is 8 but since age 6 he was in/out of a booster I never made too much fuss about it, if it was in the car fine if not ehh whatever, Now tht he turned 8 I was relived and chunked tht thing. He is tall for his age but only 60lbs I had no idea there were even weight requirements.

the thing that i find odd is why are you so worried about him not being in his booster in the car trips, but not worried about the bus trips wheres there isnt even a seat belt!? I say if he can ride in a bus with no seatbelt he could ride in a car with no booster 1x but thats me. I would take the others advice if it bothers you that much. call and see if any other kids in his class are in one.

JessieArt

I just honestly can't imagine a third grader in a booster/car seat. Maybe because my kids are tall. Maybe becase 9/10 years old is quite old and I"m sure completely embarrasing to be in one.

And I completely understand about safety. My kids all had the shoulder strap fit them properly before we chunked it.

Ready2Rock206

The law is the law. If it says kid needs to be in a booster then send the booster. I'm not so into teaching my kid we only follow the laws when we want to or when it is easy and convenient.... Also it's YOUR kid - that means you get to say what happens to him.


My kid was so mad. Right when he got old enough to ride in the front seat they changed the law and he was sent to the backseat for 2 more years! Poor kid! Now he's got his driver's permit - scary stuff. They age so fast!

Brea_81

My daughter's 8 years old, 56lbs and 51". She'll be in a booster seat as long as the law requires, and even more than that - till I feel like she's ready. There have been a few occasions where we didn't use the booster (like if she had to sit in the middle seat where there's no shoulder strap). She's not at all concerned about being teased b/c I'm a freak about car safety and have explained to my kids many times what can happen if they're not properly restrained. My kids'll also be in the backseat till they're old enough for the front. Just not worth risking your kid's life over.

RekindledRose

Do whatever it takes so that you can take the day off and be one of the parents driving kids on the field trip. Take your child in your car. Problem solved, because you can control how your child is secured in the car and he/she can have friends in your car who won't tease.

kelsully

My kids are tall and are very athletic and strong. Our law says that the magic age is 8...I kept them in the booster until they turned 9 because I told them they are still 8. I am only 5 foot tall and they have seen me adjust seat belts for myself or I have a cushion I use(read booster for grown *kitten* women) in my Dad's car to help the seat belt fit properly so it doesn't annoy my neck.

Send the booster. There are lots of kids who still use them. Likely no one will notice.

korsicash

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

Apparently when you became a parent no one sent you the crash video of a child who was improperly buckled up being internally decapitated and as a result dying. Yup my child will be properly restrained until he is BIG enough to be properly held in with a seat belt. When I saw the video I cried the idea of loosing my baby not because I can't drive but because someone else could hit us scared the life out of me.



YUP send the boosters!!!!!!!

MrsR0SE

Send the seat, and tell him if anybody gives him grief to roll his eyes and say "I know! My mom is SUCH a freak about stuff! Can you believe it?" My parents let me blame them for all sorts of stuff so that I didn't have to take the heat. "Gosh, Mr. Stupid Loser, if it were me I would LOVE to go out with you, but my parents! They are SUCH heels, you know? I totally don't know what their problem is, but I gotta live with 'em. Sorry!"

Great idea - I did exactly the same with my parents and I'll do the same with my children.

I have kept them in booster seats until they were legally able to be out of them (12 years old OR 135cm/4'5" in the UK), and the buses my children take in school trips all have seat belts in too. My children's safety is paramount

Edited to add: my son is tall and was out of a booster at around 8 or 9 years old, my daughter is still a couple of inches too short and is still in one at 10!

PepeGreggerton

My daughter is 8 and is no longer required by my state's law to ride in a booster. But she's only 48 inches tall and 50lbs. She still rides in a booster when she's with me.

jreimund

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.

You must live in a high income school district and/or large city. Our rural school districts in my area do not have these busses!


As for the OP, I'm with the general consensus, send the seat. I think the law is a little extreme, but I'm only 60" tall, and I hate seat belts, they never lay right, so when it comes to my child, she will be in a booster til she meets the requirement, no matter how ludacris I think the guidelines are, they are there for a reason!

DeeDeeLHF

My kids are short and I was mocked but my kids stayed in their car seats/ boosters until they were old enough and big enough to be out of them. For my youngest daughter, she was 11 before she was tall enough. She told friends that she just hated the way the seat belt fit and that she likes to see out the window. Plus hers had wonderful cup holders!:laugh:

It was awkward to go out with friends or family and see that their younger and smaller kids were simply being buckled in when she had a booster but I didn't care. Went to Disney with some friends and they were actually going to place their sleeping daughter on the floor of my van and not put her in her car seat because they didn't want to wake her up. It was uncomfortable but I was the driver and I asked her to please humor me and do it anyway. (BTW...her daughter did not wake up).

Now that I help to transport teens to functions for school and church I am amazed at how many hop in the car and do not buckle up. They quickly learn that Mrs. Franco will NOT put the car into drive until everyone is buckled.

Hopefully nothing will ever happen, but could you live with yourself if it did???

D

CarolinaGirlinVA

Ok, this had me curious so I looked up Virginia Laws for child seat belts.

Virginia Law:
"Child restraint devices are required for children through the age of seven (until 8th birthday). Safety seats must be properly used and approved by Department of Transportation standards. There is no height or weight requirement associated with this law. The Virginia law is based solely on age." (per www.vahealth.org)

According to the website www.dmv.virginia.gov:

"To be able to fit in an adult seat belt the child must: be tall enough to sit without slouching, keep his/her back against the vehicle seat back, keep his/her knees completely bent over the edge of the seat, keep his/her feet flat on the floor, and be able to stay comfortably seated this way. Further, the lap belt must fit low and tight across the upper thighs, and the shoulder belt should rest over the center of the shoulder through the center of the chest."

For us it depends on the car we are using, in our 2 door Accord my 9yo 3rd grader does not need a booster seat. In the SUV Pilot (which has bigger seats) he should be using a booster seat.

When I was a preschool teacher we used parents to transport the children to and from field trips. Teachers were not allowed to drive any students. We were required to ride with another parent. Each parent driving had to show proof of a valid drivers license and proof of current insurance and registration. Now that my kids are in elementary school they use a school bus for field trips.

My advice is to send the booster and make sure your child's name is on it along with your emergency number in case (God forbid) there was an accident and the driver and/or child is unable to identify the children in the car.

Good luck!
Sherry

AnninStPaul

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.

^^THIS - the school should be paying attention here. That said...buses don't even have seatbelts.

TinkrBelz

I would not make him sit in the booster. Yes, safety is important but so is your son's pride. Kids can be viscous no matter how many "anti-bully" classes we give. Just find out what car he will be in and make sure that parent is a responsible parent. I have been the driver on several school field trips (no kid had to sit in a booster) and I drive extra careful because I do have other people's children in my car.

But, you have to do what you think is best.

Marla64

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

so sick of these laws. They take all parental common sense away.

Totally with you.

Flame away.

r1ghtpath

i live in a town of 6000. the towns around me are even smaller! i'm guessing we have buses like that because my town has the ONLY two high schools for the entire western part of my county. so, some kids are on the bus for up to an hour in the mornings and afternoons. there are lots of back two lane unmarked roads and even more unpaved dirt and gravel roads where i live.

You must live in a high income school district and/or large city. Our rural school districts in my area do not have these busses!


As for the OP, I'm with the general consensus, send the seat. I think the law is a little extreme, but I'm only 60" tall, and I hate seat belts, they never lay right, so when it comes to my child, she will be in a booster til she meets the requirement, no matter how ludacris I think the guidelines are, they are there for a reason!

chachita7

My question is how do you handle the fact that in school buses they won't have either the booster nor the seatbelts?

modernmom70

Our laws here too (B.C.) are 4'9" which I am fine with no big hassle to have the seat in the car, plus not very comfortable for the kid with the shoulder belt across their face. What I find really ridiculous is that this is the law yet there are no seatbelts in school buses!