So if you have a child...

zactayaus · Apr 7, 2010

who will likely never fit the seat belts in your vehicles, at what age do you let them go without a booster?

safeinthecar · Apr 7, 2010

Once puberty is well underway and the pelvis has developed.

ketchupqueen · Apr 7, 2010

Personally? I don't. If I couldn't achieve a proper belt fit myself and a booster would fix it, I'd use a booster.

They'd be boostered, moved to another seating position where they fit better (at 14 or 15 I'd include the front passenger seat as a possibility), or I'd get a new vehicle. :twocents:

Of course once you go through puberty your body shape changes significantly even if you stop growing, and many children will then be able to finangle the belt to fit when it wouldn't before (in our car, I personally like to lock the seatbelt because then I can position it correctly and it won't slip out of place; if I don't lock it it's constantly sliding out of place.) They'll have hip bones in the right place to hold the belt down more, you know?

ginny4 · Apr 7, 2010

i seemed to have lots of trouble with our belt geometry in 3rd row of our van where i need/want DS1 & 2 to be. sooooo.....with a lil adjusting (getting a shoulder belt adjuster & twisting the female end we got an acceptable fit that i'm very happy with. i know some here would not agree with me. DS1 & 2 were 10.5 & 9.5yo. maybe alil bit premature but i'm cool with it. they are pretty big kids tho outgrew the monterey in highback.

safeinthecar · Apr 7, 2010

ketchupqueen said:
Personally? I don't. If I couldn't achieve a proper belt fit myself and a booster would fix it, I'd use a booster.

I would also, but there would reach a point where I would no longer insist on a booster for someone other than myself. While I'd like to think that a child of mine would be on the same page as me regarding the issue, looking at it realistically, I wouldn't force the issue in the face of teenage mutiny past typical driving age.

ketchupqueen · Apr 8, 2010

I probably wouldn't either-- I'd go with one of the other options, move to a different seating position or get a different car.

christineka · Apr 8, 2010

When they get their driver's license, their bum gets too wide for the booster, or they move out. I may face this situation some years down the road. Hopefully by then they will have made integrated boosters or more adjustable seatbelts for smaller people.

carseatcoach · Apr 8, 2010

Assuming a new car was not an option, after puberty.

zactayaus · Apr 8, 2010

A new car is definetely out of the question.

My dd is driving me crazy asking to get out of her booster (she'll be 12 in May). Even dh is like 'don't you think it's time she got out of that thing'. I've explained over and over again to both of them why she is still in it but it doesn't help. I am about 99.9% positive she is the only kid in her grade (6th) in her school that is still in a booster. So that doesn't help either. I'm trying to hang tough but it's hard. I understand how she feels too and she's totally embarressed by the booster at this point.

ginny4 · Apr 8, 2010

zactayaus said:
A new car is definetely out of the question. My dd is driving me crazy asking to get out of her booster (she'll be 12 in May). Even dh is like 'don't you think it's time she got out of that thing'. I've explained over and over again to both of them why she is still in it but it doesn't help. I am about 99.9% positive she is the only kid in her grade (6th) in her school that is still in a booster. So that doesn't help either. I'm trying to hang tough but it's hard. I understand how she feels too and she's totally embarressed by the booster at this point.

same with us too. well except a lil bit younger.....i just couldn't deal with it either with all the crud. i picked my battles & came up with an acceptable other option that i can live with. i know ideally they both would be NBB but acceptable & reasonable to the boys & DH is good. i feel very good for my/our accomplishments in this area & leave it up to God for the rest...
you'll know when its time with your DD.

SafeDad · Apr 8, 2010

If and when the lap belt doesn't ride up above the hip, then as soon as they are mature enough not to put the shoulder belt behind their arm or back even if it sits on their neck.

Or in the case of my DD, there's no way I'd be fighting about it once she got to 6th grade. It's tough enough now in 4th grade lol.

crunchierthanthou · Apr 8, 2010

I'll bet she fits better in the 3rd row. I'd tell her she can come out of the booster, but she has to sit back there where the belt fits her.

SafeDad · Apr 8, 2010

crunchierthanthou said:
I'll bet she fits better in the 3rd row. I'd tell her she can come out of the booster, but she has to sit back there where the belt fits her.

This is what I tell DD in the minivan, but more because she would otherwise want to sit in the 2nd row and tease her younger brother.

bobandjess99 · Apr 8, 2010

I'll probably face this. I'm barely 5 foot, as are the other women in my family, more or less, no one is over 5'3ish. Most vehicle seat belts don't fit me at 30+ yo. Dd is unlikely to trtuly outgrow the need for a booster ever in her life, so probably by 13 I'll be okay letting her go without.

Splash · Apr 8, 2010

When the fit with the booster is worse than the fit without it. Eventually the booster will stop fitting. Or when she is physically uncomfortable. Or when she is at the age where you would take her wishes into consideration for other health issues.

zactayaus · Apr 8, 2010

crunchierthanthou said:
I'll bet she fits better in the 3rd row. I'd tell her she can come out of the booster, but she has to sit back there where the belt fits her.

She fits very good in the 3rd row but she hates sitting back there unless she has a friend with her.

She wants to be next to her baby brother in the 2nd row and moving the baby to the 3rd row isn't an option. Ugh!

ETA: The lap belt also doesn't fit so good in dh's silverado (and of course there's no 3rd row in that). I'm so torn with what I'd like and also taking her feelings into consideration. I know exactly how I'd feel about it at her age.

safeinthecar · Apr 8, 2010

One year, I was put in charge of organizing transportation for a 6th grade camping trip. (hmmm, now WHY in the world would I volunteer for THAT, LOL) at least half the kids needed boosters.

It's not uncommon for kids to need boosters in sixth grade. Still needing one at that age does not mean that one will always be needed. My own 5th grader is tall for his age, and still needs a booster in at least half the cars he rides in.

There will come a point when it no longer makes sense to fight this battle, noot quite yet though.

Kat_Momof3 · Apr 11, 2010

I'd put the choice back on her then... let her choose between 3rd row without booster and 2nd row with booster.

and show her the 5-step test and why she can't ride without a booster in the 2nd row or her dad's car yet...

I will be making a fresh booster video next week, but here's my last one (I need a fresh one now that I have a kid who will be 9 in July and still needs a booster for the indefinite future... in fact, while he passes the 5-step test in his dad's car ONLY in the middle seat, his long torso dictates he has to use a booster and sit outboard, because the tops of his ears are now over the top of the vehicle seat in the center (no headrest there)... AND... he only has 1/2" before the tops of his ears are level with the top of the headrest in my 3rd row... he's going to be stuck in my 2nd row there because he does not yet pass the 5-step test... and these are things I think should be shown in a video for informative purposes.)

Anyway... here is the basic one -
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zxFJ9xoTGM"]YouTube- Booster Or Seatbelt??[/ame]

I do agree with the others that once puberty is hit AND the lapbelt fit is good, I'd take her views into consideration, as long as she will leave the shoulderbelt on properly (shoulderbelt placement just isn't as vital, as long as it is worn properly, as the lapbelt placement)

ks1978 · Apr 11, 2010

Perfect timing for this question.. Yesterday, I just started letting my daughter sit without her booster, in the middle of the middle row in our Expedition. It is not a perfect fit, but it is not horrible. THe belt comes closer to her neck than I would like, but I think she is old enough to not have to sit in a booster and I also moved her to the most protected seat in the car. I am sure that some of you would still want her in a booster. She has definitely hit puberty and Once she outgrew the back portion of the Monterey, she just wasn't as comfortable in it. She is almost 11.5 and is 5 feet tall now.

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