techs - three year old in a booster is okay?

I have a friend at church with a teeny, tiny six year old. This little girl will be seven in November and just now weighs 33 pounds. Her 3 year old sister (will be 4 in September) weighs 34 pounds. Both girls are in bpb and have been for some time now. I commented to my friend Saturday that I'm not sure that's even legal (Maybe someone can clarify for me, but I've never been sure if our 4 & 40 laws required an actual harnessing seat or if the booster was okay) since the 6 year old is under 40 pounds. She said the child will never weigh 40 pounds and that her harness straps were way below her shoulder so she put her in a booster. She said her neighbor used to work with Safe Kids and did seat checks and the neighbor checked them and said they fit fine in their boosters. Would a CPST really say that a three year old that is barely over 30 pounds is fine in a bpb? I know it's far from best practice, but I'm having a hard time believing that a CPST said these tiny little things fit fine and didn't at least suggest harnessing seats since they are friends and not just strangers at a seat check.

It's possible they may have been told it's acceptible, but it's certainly not safe.

Feel free to print out my article and give it to them, and you can assure them I've been certified since 2005, so I'm not some random 'net person. Pass on my cell number if necessary, 804-306-0316

Thank you! I doubt the mother will be very receptive, but her mother (the girls's grandmother) lives across the street from me. At the very least I'm going to make sure to bring this up to her. She's likely to at least question her daughter about it. The girls' parents research everything they buy (he's a computer programmer and she comments on his researching the camera, etc) so hopefully Saturday's conversation at least gets her or her husband on the computer or discussing it with her CPST neighbor.

My discussion with her Saturday was during a big car seat discussion at a baby shower. The showeree commented on needing to get the car seat down and washed. Knowing she has a five year old I told her she needs to check the DOM on that seat and that it is likely expired. Of course she didn't know that seats expire. Then the bpb mom sarcastically said "What's gonna happen when it expires? It is going to blow up or something?" The baby-to-be's grandmother was attentive when I explained how the plastic is likely to be brittle since the seat has been kept in an unventilated attic in Mississippi heat for five year. Heck, she might find a puddle of plastic when she goes to get the seat down anyway.

The bpb mom's sister was there. She was a 2 1/2 year old tiny little boy (in a Roundabout) and an 11 1/2 month old boy. She had commented to me a while back on another friend of hers turning her 9 month old ff. Now she said she needs to get her 11 1/2 month old a new seat and is going to put it ff. I told her rf is safer. She said he doesn't like rf and he already tries to sit up in his seat. She said she knows that's really not a good reason but she is just going to turn him. She said she will follow the rules and won't turn him until 1 year & 20 pounds. Her mother (my neighbor) asked if I had turned Meredith (my 14 month old). I told her no because that is just way too dangerous for me. She will likely bring it up again to her daughter, but I doubt she will be able to persuade her.

Go Grandma! It's good to know the kid will be safe when in Grandma's car.
Wow, those gils could technically be rf with some of the rf limits. It might be "acceptable" to be in a booster, but a harnessed seat would deffinately be much safer. Hopefully Becky can help you out on getting them harnessed again.

I didn't even mention rf, but that's what I was thinking. I know she's almost 7, but she is so tiny. The younger one is small, but not as tiny. The aunt said she feels sorry for the younger one because even at a normal size she will always be compared to her tiny sister.

7 yrs old and 33 lbs ?!? I certainly hope they have sought significant medical evaluations for this child to find out why she is so small. . .

My young friend with CP was hovering at 40 lbs. at age 7 and she's tiny. I can't imagine how skinny this child must be if she is too tall for a convertible seat.

I'd think a Radian or even a Chase would work for either or both and would be significantly safer than a BPB, especially for the younger girl. I hope at least the tech made sure they were in HIGH back boosters.

Yes, she is very skinny. Her little ankles look like they could snap like a twig. I *think* she was in a Roundabout that she got too tall for, but she is not very tall. She really looks like a very skinny 4 year old to me. She is not much taller than her sister who is almost 4. I think she was a little over 6 pounds at birth. She just doesn't grow much. I remember that the pedi was *threatening* to really pursue further testing when they were trying to get her to 20 pounds at 2 or so. I heard her paternal grandmother comment once about a checkup that she was glad to hear that a doctor said the child was actually healthy at her size.

Yes, they are in pink highback Gracos - Turbos I think, but I only got a glance when passing them on the highway yesterday after church. I commented on at least using highbacks with harnesses and the mom asked where you would even get something like that, order it? I told her no, they are on the shelf at Wal-Mart.

My neighbor girls are that size, the 6 almost 7 year old weighs 34lbs and the just-turned 5 year old weighs about the same. They are both adopted from China and apparently the older girl is adopted from a region in China where adult women tend to reach a mature height of at or under 5 feet. So, she is still harnessed in a combo seat. Her fights regularly with the girl scout troup leaders, friends, etc. about why she won't let her daughter ride in a BPB or even just in a belt (Michigan has no booster laws so over 4 is legal in a belt). Most of her friends are not riding in boosters but she is harnessed. It's my understanding that the laws are usually 4 OR 40lbs, so a 7 year old that is under 40lbs can be in a booster. I have another friend who has two children, 4 and 6, that are both in the mid-30lbs range, and both are in boosters. Not best practice, but legal.