Almost 8yo, and wants out of 'baby' booster. What to do?

[Unregistered]

My son will be 8 in March. He's quite on the small side for his age. He weighs 47 lbs and is about 46in tall. I currently have him in a graco Turbobooster. He fits fine in it but the problem is that he has been begging to use it in backless mode. The majority of the kids his age that he knows (friends, schoolmates etc) don't even use a booster at all. That's absolutely shocking to me, but there it is, nonetheless. So even though I have explained to him that he is not in a 'baby' seat, and that it is a 'safety' seat because he has not grown enough yet, he still is complaining.

I went through the entire exercise of seating him in the car without the booster and buckling him up, just to point out where the seatbelt will fall on his body and explain how dangerous that it. I showed him where on his belly he might get hurt and what that meant to his internal organs. I also told him the belt could decapitate him if it rested incorrectly across his neck. A bit extreme maybe, but I wanted to really have him understand that it was a question of safety and not because he's a baby. He's heard me say a million times that his friends should all still be in boosters, but unfortunately I'm not their parent. When they come in my car all his friends know and accept that they have to sit in a booster.

Anyway, this seemed to have gotten him to understand for quite a while but he is now asking if he can at least go with the just the backless booster. I have a Sienna and the seat belt can be adjusted to be lower on the side so In think that with a backless it might actually fit appropriately. I am thinking of the Clek model with the LATCH.

My problem is I can't help but think that this is borderline and that I am sacrificing safety to appease my son. I have no idea how people get there older kids to stay in 5-pt harnessed seats past the age of 5! Although the Graco is not such a 'elite' brand or model I still like the idea of having the belt guide and especially the head protection.

Do you think that a backless would be just as good at this point? I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that........

Thanks!

[Maedze]

At 8 years old, I would be comfortable moving a child to a backless booster as a form of emotional appeasement. Does a high back provide more SIP? Sure. But a properly used backless is VERY safe, especially with an older child who is unlikely to fall asleep and fall out of his shoulder belt.

[melniemi]

If you have side impact airbags and the seatbelt fits fine in the backless, I would consider it. My boys are 7.5 and 8.5 and both ride in Britax Parkways, as of recently - were in Regents before that, but we don't have side impact airbags so I'm not comfortable with them in backless. They are both a little bigger than your son 48", 48#s and 50", 53#s.

[lorismurph]

I would feel totally comfortable with an 8-year-old in a backless booster. He's certainly mature enough (I would think) to sit properly in it. I would have no problems at all. I'm glad he's willing to stay in the booster at all and not giving you trouble about the whole thing altogether. I'd say that's a fair comprimise. Maybe for his birthday, he can take the back off.

[christineka]

I have a 9 year old, about 54 pounds and 50 inches tall. She rides in a high back turbo and I would not feel comfortable with her using it backless. Her torso is less than 17 inches. She's really short and she does still fall asleep on 45+ minute drives.

[skaterbabscpst]

I'd suggest a high-back on drives where he's likely to fall asleep, but allow a backless otherwise assuming you have sufficient head support. For what it's worth, even my 12 1/2 still falls asleep. Lately on any drive over twenty minutes! LOL So he's using my daughter's Frontier in booster mode for those trips. lol

[NannyMom]

I'd say as long as he can sit properly, he could use a backless booster. A is 8 years, 51ish pounds. SHe normally rides in a high back booster. THe past 2 days she's been in a backless because of a rental van situation. I found myself reminding her to sit right. She kept leaning to the side and the shoulder belt would fall off her shoulder (I think to see out around her brother's seat in front of her).

[bobandjess99]

I agree, maybe you could make a deal that like, to school and back, with friends, etc he can use it backless, but for longer trips where he might fall asleep, etc he uses it with the back.

[Kat_Momof3]

trust me, age does come to us as a factor... at 8, kids just don't sleep in the car nearly as much as younger kids do.

now, if he does fall asleep easily, I'd use the highback for the trips where he will fall asleep, unless he can keep straight up while sleeping (some kids can... many can't)

but at 8yrs old, I'd be more than fine with a backless booster because he's at the age where he doesn't need the high back just to help him stay in position and keep him from wiggling.

smaller kids are the ones who make us compromise, and there's nothing wrong with that, because you have to pick your battles. A 6-7yr old under 40lbs bugging to get out of the harnessed seat, as long as they are mature enough, would be one where I'd compromise, as well.

I love the clek as a backless booster and I bet he'll love it, too. It definitely is more grown-up looking.

[Unregistered]

Thank you all so much for your replies!

I think I will go out this weekend a purchase the Clek booster and see exactly how it fits with him in it. I was happy that it was a Latch model because then it was not subject to moving around in the car when not being used, but I had never realized there was an actual safety benefit.

He doesn't fall asleep EVER in the car. He gets motion sickness on long trips and I give him Gravol (anti-nausea medication) that would normally knock any kid out, but not him. Not even with the lulling of the car, nope. So that's not a factor. But I'd still use the full back booster on long trips anyway. However his brother is 6-1/2 and the exact same size (maybe a pound more) as him, falls asleep regularly in the car. Falls asleep every day on the way home from school! It's a standard.... he's in the car, he's asleep. So that will probably create another issue. When he sees the older one get a backless he will surely want one too, and he really still needs the side wings for sleeping. I actually recline the car's seat and his booster so that he doesn't hunch forward when he sleeps. He'll just have to wait though.

Kat Mom of three, can I ask how you about buckling your kids in under their coats? How do you manage that? I live in Canada and the winter is really cold, so I can't imagine having them take off their coats to buckle them in. But I must admit that I often feel the kids seatbelts are too loose because of the bulk of the jackets. Never seems that the belt is snug on them. What's your method?

Thanks again

[Kat_Momof3]

first... about the younger one, if he starts asking about using a backless, explain the reasons he can't... tell him he has to be 8yrs old, sit still the whole trip, and that he's not old enough or ready yet.

Then point out all the good parts of having his highback booster... those comfy headwings (my 7.5yr old calls them pillows) for sleeping or just resting his head against to relax.

I know he isn't the majority, but while my 7.5yr old is adament that he does NOT want to keep using his Monterey if his sister has outgrown her Nautilus and would need one, because he does NOT want the identical seat (even if they were different colors) as her because she's almost 3yrs younger, he also does NOT ask to use his Olli and when I offered to let him use it when he first got it, because he is so rarely in my dh's car that I knew it could be months before he got to test it out, he said no, because he prefers to have the highback, but that he is fine in a backless in his dad's car, cause he's in there less.

And most of his friends are out of seats, even though they shouldn't be.... and even though the law got changed to be 8yrs old.


On the coat thing... in my signature, Ruthie is doing the carseat coat cheat (you have to make sure that the straps will still fit as they would without the coat being used this way, or it isn't safe)... I put her in with her coat, pull the coat out with her arms, buckle her, then I zip the coat over it... so that's why it may look like she's not buckled.

Damian, even though he is in just a seatbelt, also is buckled that way... but sometimes he just takes his coat off... or wears it backwards. Depends on his mood and how cold he is. (and the day I took that shot he was not in the mood for having his picture taken, so he tried to hide his whole face)

Jeffrey always prefers to take his coat or jacket off and use it as a blanket, though I've finally convinced him that light jackets that are thin enough can be left on.... and ONCE... when he was already buckled and had been too distracted to take it off first, I convinced him to do the cheat, but he wouldn't zip over... he was worried "an officer" would think that he wasn't buckled up.... so he just used a blanket that I keep in the car.

I don't wear a coat in the car.. I have done the cheat on myself... but typically I either take it off or I just wear thin warm layers.

I grew up in Illinois and Damian was born there... Jeffrey was born in PA... where dh grew up.

we just dressed them in layers and used the coats as blankets or put blankets over them.

but thin polar fleece jackets or a carseat poncho is another option.... not always as affordable (because my kids get a lot of their coats handed down as they are still part of the youngest in our extended family... they get some bought for them, and the clothes I buy are gotten at such cheap prices or for free on freecycle or in units we buy at auction, so it's cheaper even than me making them ponchos), but very warm.

and if you ask on the canadian forum, I think there is another type of fleece, as well.

it isn't as much of an issue with boosters and seatbelts if your vehicle has pretensioners on the seatbelts, but my vehicle doesn't and I don't know about my husband's (besides, better to be consistant with all the vehicles), so we do this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1LJaOIu34

[Chrissy]

My daughter is exactly the same size as your son, but she is 5.5 years old. She is harnessed in a Britax Frontier and loves it. I will most likely keep her in that harness as long as possible.

This past summer my daughter's friend was killed in a car accident. This little girl was 5.5, but taller and huskier than my daughter. She was riding in a booster. A different car seat may very well have saved her life. She died of head injuries, in a crash that impacted the side of the car she was riding on.

To me, sacrificing my child's safety is not at all worth allowing her to be one of the "cool kids" who grow up too fast. I firmly believe that head wing protection on a car seat is vital in a crash.

If you have the budget for it, I would think about having your son help select a new seat that he likes and is comfortable with. Either a full frame booster or a seat with a 5-point harness. The Frontier is excellent for both. Remind him that race car drivers use a harness.

[solmama]

If you're still considering a belt-positioning-booster, Britax is releasing a new version of the Parkway in a couple of months (it fits smaller kids well-my dd is almost 5 and is the same size as your son). The new patterns might be more appealing to him if you'd like to keep him in a high back.

[Maedze]

If you have the budget for it, I would think about having your son help select a new seat that he likes and is comfortable with. Either a full frame booster or a seat with a 5-point harness. The Frontier is excellent for both. Remind him that race car drivers use a harness.


While I do understand the source of your concern, and it would NOT be a 'wrong' decision to harness an 8 year old, there is no evidence of a benefit for harnessing a child that old.

When we share CPS information with other parents, it's important to remember to base our recommendations in fact. The message of a correct CRS gets lost if we incorrectly imply that what is in fact a very safe solution might actually cost a child his life.

OP, while a high back booster does provide side impact protection, you can take other things into account as well. An older child has more mature spinal bones that will withstand a side impact better. Newer cars have excellent side impact ratings, especially those with side impact air curtains.

It is certainly a parental decision, but, no, at eight years old it is not 'wrong' to use a backless booster.

[strollerfreak]

I hear you! My oldest son just turned 8 last week and has been asking to come out of his booster all together (Um, NO!!). He's 52lb and 48".

At this point my son isn't even responsible enough to make sure and buckle his booster in when he's not riding in it half the time...actually it has gotten to the point where I implemented a 3 strike policy because of it. He rides in a Recaro Start and if he doesn't remember to buckle it in it becomes a MAJOR safety hazard to the rest of us that ride in the van during the week because that sucker is heavy and would be a massive projectile. He's got one strike left before he gets put back into a harnessed seat because he just can't remember.

Anywho...digressing...sorry!!

He does ride in a lowback when going places with his friends, as it's just easier, and when used properly, just as effective.

Also, for us, him going to a low-back isn't an option as we drive a 12 passenger van with no headrests...so it's always going to be a highback until he physically outgrows them all by height.

[Kat_Momof3]

I agree... while there is no harm in harnessing a kid that age, and maturity should be factored, there is no reason that an 8yr old can't use a backless.

Mel, have you thought about putting on the child locks and not letting ANYONE out of the car until he's unbuckled and gotten up and buckled his booster back in? It shouldn't take that long and you can get out yourself without unlocking the other doors and go get your stroller and all that while he's doing it.

Just to help him get in the habit... once it becomes routine, it will get easier.

Otherwise, what about getting him a latchable booster like the Monterey or the upcoming Oobr??


And we're not saying do it to let him be one of the cool kids, we're just trying to pick our battles with kids. Being a kid is tough enough and being one of the shortest or tallest just adds to that... so we keep them safe but we allow them some reasonable amount of say.

[April]

While I do understand the source of your concern, and it would NOT be a 'wrong' decision to harness an 8 year old, there is no evidence of a benefit for harnessing a child that old.

When we share CPS information with other parents, it's important to remember to base our recommendations in fact. The message of a correct CRS gets lost if we incorrectly imply that what is in fact a very safe solution might actually cost a child his life.

OP, while a high back booster does provide side impact protection, you can take other things into account as well. An older child has more mature spinal bones that will withstand a side impact better. Newer cars have excellent side impact ratings, especially those with side impact air curtains.

It is certainly a parental decision, but, no, at eight years old it is not 'wrong' to use a backless booster.

:yeahthat:

[canadianmom2three]

DD went through this a while ago, I guess around the time she turned 8. Since that's the upper end of the law here, all her friends were out of boosters. She was still riding in a high back. When we got a new vehicle with side curtain airbags, I let her switch to a backless - she LOVES her cleck oto!!! I am perfectly comfortable with my decision, and she is happy to use the booster, where before it was getting to be a struggle, and leaving her embarassed. It was a compromise I was willing to make, that didn't leave me feeling like I had compromised her safety. Now letting my 6yo ride in the clek? NO way - he barely sits well enough for the parkway, and actually, I wish he could still be harnessed:o.

[Unregistered]

OP here.

I really appreciate everyone's input. I have to say that I have always considered myself to be pretty 'aware' in regards to car seat safety. Both my kids rode rear facing in their thoroughly researched Fisher Price Safe Embrace car seats until age 18 months (although now that seems 'too soon'). Which 6 years ago was definitely not the norm and I got seriously ridiculed for! But I knew the advantages safety wise and didn't care what others had to say. I live in Quebec and we did not have access to any Britax seats at the time, so I felt very lucky to get my hands on the Fisher Price seats because FP had just stopped making car seats at that time (I know that that has changed since then). Then when my eldest was 4 and entering Pre-k I opted to put them in the Evenflo Generations because I was not about to put my skinny mini into a booster seat. He was nowhere near the right size. Although everyone in his class was in boosters by then (actually some were already using just the seatbelt). So the Evenflo was perfect since I planned to keep him harnessed longer than the 'norm'. It was a lot more 'grown up' looking than the FP which made my DS happy. He used that until almost the end of kindergarten. By then he absolutely was screaming to sit in a regular booster. Besides the fact that the Evenflo seemed to be squishing his groin and he often complained it hurt. DH was not about to let me buy another car seat, so we converted the Evenflo to booster mode, but to be honest I wasn't loving it that way. It didn't really matter because I was going to have to buy another booster anyway for my husband's car since he was still using the FPSE in there. We had put the FPSE in our second car when we got the Generations. So since I wasn't crazy about the Evenflo as a booster we put it in hubby's car, where I must admit it was actually a very good fit and seemed much better than in my van. That's when we got the Turbobooster for my van.

I really like the fit of the Turbobooster and it seemed to have gotten good reviews. I drive a 2005 Sienna. Although it has received very favorable side-impact crash test results it does not have side curtain air bags. Unfortunately that only became a standard feature in 2006. Having seen the side-impact footage on youtube (from Kat's link) I am now wondering if I need a better seat than the TB, never mind getting the Clek!

All this to say that I do feel that I have informed myself quite well in respect to this and yet I am still nowhere near as knowledgeable as I thought! So please keep up all your great advice, because as of yesterday my boys are opening up their coats and making sure that they buckle up under them! Thank you Kat for that very great advice! It had never occured to me to do that ... d-uh!

And of course today I got a call from one of my son's classmate's mom asking if she could drive my son to a birthday party since her son was also attending. Very nice of her. She says to me ' I just wanted to check because I know that he still uses a baby seat'. I replied 'please don't call it a baby seat. We use the term safety seat.' No wonder kids are worried about getting laughed at! My goodness! Her son is the same size as mine, can you even imagine? No booster at all, just the car's seat belt. She thinks I'm nuts. Don't even get me started on my brother..........

Anyway, thank you all so very much. I feel less alone by reading the posts on this forum! But I'm still up in the air about the Clek. I'm more confused than ever.