Sorry kid, your buddy was wrong!

On the way home tonight it was pretty cold outside and I was saying to my DH how it sucks that the boys can't take advantage of the heated seats across our backseat because their car seats cover them up. So my oldest (7.5yrs old, turning 8 in April) spouts off "well when I turn 8 I won't need my booster anymore!!!!" Uhhhh wrong! lol We haven't ever had the issue of him not wanting to ride in it, when he won't have to anymore, he's never really cared at all...so that was unexpected. Apparently the kids on his baseball team, most already turned 8 (which is the law in TX for being out of a booster) told him that at 8 he doesn't have to ride in it anymore and it's a baby seat. I told him that wasn't the case that he would probably be riding in it until around 10-12yrs old when the seat belts would fit him better. He was pretty crushed...I hope this doesn't become an issue after April. He's quite small so I think he's in this seat for quite awhile still, he's only 51lbs and about 49.5in now. He's in a Parkway right now which he fits in really well and has lots of room to grow with the back. What age would you feel ok letting him be in just a backless? Maybe it would make him feel better....def not until AT LEAST 8....if maybe the kids can't tell he's in the seat? I'd really hate for him to be teased....little boys can be pretty ruthless about boys being a "baby" especially his teammates. I obviously don't want to compromise his safety but is there a point where he's VERY safe or as safe in a backless?

That's a parental decision. I would say 9, but my boys were in HBB until 12. The only reason they aren't still is we ran out of boosters tall enough.

Yeah I know it's more what I feel is best was just hoping for some techs opinions on when they would think it's ok for their kids to help with the decision

Since you say at 12 you'd still have them in HBB if it was an option....are they in backless now? Is it just that they still don't fit properly in the adult seatbelt or is there a reason to have them in past fitting properly?

I'd drop the issue and see if he says anything again. Hopefully he'll get over the disappointment. Plus a booster with a back is more comfortable.

I drive a 1993 Suburban. My Jeep was a 1996 Cherokee. The main reason for keeping them in HBBs was the lack of head support. Last year we replaced the 3rd row of the Suburban with one from a newer vehicle, gaining head restraints in the outboard positions. CJ has passed the 5 Step test for several years now (he's 14); Gregory is too tall for most HBBs, but the head restraints aren't tall enough for him to not be above them when using a LBB. He'll be 13 in April, and stopped using a booster this time last year.

There is a benefit to using a LBB past the point at which a child passes the 5 Step Test. The LBB acts as artificial hips in a crash, preventing the child from submarining under the belt due to the pelvis being immature. Once the child has an adult bone structure, it's less of a concern.

My 7.5yo is only 45lbs and 47" tall. He plays for a U9 travel soccer team and all the other boys are already 8yo and some just turned 9 or are about to turn 9. Not one single kid on his team of 14 sits in anything and most sit up front. We just recently moved him out of his harness seats (not because he outgrew them but because he didn't want his team mates to see him in a baby seat). He now sits in high back boosters in our vehicles and he will not have the option of removing the backs until he is 10yo. He has also been begging to sit up front because most of the other boys do. I told him sitting up front won't even be an aption till he's like 15yo so don't even bother to argue. It's not going to happen!

Thank you for explaining I had no idea that there was any reason to use a booster past the time that they can pass a 5 step test. About what age do their bones mature enough to be without the LBB...of course after they pass the 5 step test? My son's really gonna be 'mad' now haha. No hopefully it won't become an issue with him..at least not for a long while. He said under his breath earlier to his Dad "mommy's just a little crazy!", he meant about car safety issues....I told him "yep maybe, but it's only because I love you so much I will do whatever I can to make sure nothing happens to you" which got a big smile so I know he knows why it's so important.

zactayaus said:

My 7.5yo is only 45lbs and 47" tall. He plays for a U9 travel soccer team and all the other boys are already 8yo and some just turned 9 or are about to turn 9. Not one single kid on his team of 14 sits in anything and most sit up front. We just recently moved him out of his harness seats (not because he outgrew them but because he didn't want his team mates to see him in a baby seat). He now sits in high back boosters in our vehicles and he will not have the option of removing the backs until he is 10yo. He has also been begging to sit up front because most of the other boys do. I told him sitting up front won't even be an aption till he's like 15yo so don't even bother to argue. It's not going to happen!

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That's our issue too. It's an 8U baseball team and not a single one rides in anything...I believe he's the youngest but there are a few smaller than him and I'd guess just by looking only one might possibly pass the 5step test, he's already 9 and extremely tall. And I'd say at least half ride up front. My middle son is in a 6U team and I think only 2-3 ride in anything either

He was about to outgrow his turbo booster (my 7yr old) so we bought the Parkway back in April/May to get the extra height so I def want to use it for awhile so it was worth it. I'm thinking we'll tell him for now that 9 would be the absolute minimum we'll allow him to move to a backless unless he's riding with friends maybe after 8 we'll let him do that in a backless instead of his HBB...but at this point that never happens so

generally, after 12 or 13, most kids have hit puberty and their skeletons have begun to harden.

well, you could always show him my video I did when Jeffrey started asking because his brother was the rare oddity that was able to fit the seatbelt at 8 (he was 4'9" a little before turning 8... he's now 10yrs old and 5'5")

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zxFJ9xoTGM"]YouTube - Booster Or Seatbelt??[/ame]