When do you give it up and let them be in the seatbelt??

ignora

Senior Community Member
I'm going to preface this by saying that my dd isn't anywhere near being in or out of a booster. And, I don't really know if there's a good answer to my question or not... just wondering what everyone thinks.

Skaterbabs posted the 5 step test...

If you answer "No" to any of these questions, your child must be in a booster seat:
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Is the lap belt touching the top of the thighs, not the tummy?
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?


... on another thread and it got me thinking about something...

I'm 5'1"... and I don't pass #'s 3 and 4 on that test!! I, seriously, could use a booster myself. So, if you come from a line of short people and have a child that's still in a booster at a high age (like 13-ish ??), when do you just give in and let them use the seatbelt. When they're able to drive for themselves?
 
ADS

bethng

Active member
Thats exactly what I have been pondering myself recently. DD#3 is tiny. She is 6 and still fits well in her marathon. From there she will go to a regent. Probably within a year. She could fit in that till middle school...or longer! I just dont see that happening though. I can just hear her now ..."are you trying to ruin my social life?"
 
I bought HBBs for my middle two children last year after we got in our accident. They were 7 & 9 at the time, now 8 & 10. They were happy with the boosters at first, but now, notsomuch. I know that the only reason my 10 y/o complies is because A) we made an agreement when I agreed to fork out all that money for the Parkway she wanted, and B) one of her best friends (also 10) still sits in a booster, and having at least ONE example of another child her age helps.

My 12 y/o Ds passes the 5 pt. test, barely. He sits in the adult belt.

I think as far as my 10 y/o is concerned, I will probably have her stay in the booster for another year or two at least, until she passes the 5 pt. test; she is nowhere near 5'9" or 80 or even 60 lbs. now. But she will have her pre-puberty growth spurt coming up sometime in the next year to two years, and there's no telling when that will happen and how much she'll grow. Dd14 shot up like a weed around the time she hit 11.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
I rode last weekend in the backseat of our 2000 camery and the shoulder belt didn't fit me! I'm 5 foot 8 and not a string bean. I actually fit in my 10 year olds prospect maybe I should have borrowed it!
 

arly1983

New member
I dont pass the 5 step test in my moms camry. Your know what I really want? A CLEK backless booster!

Jackson has been consistantly above his 6'4 dad's growth curve so for him, probably not as long as most kids. Camille is a shrimp (compared to him) so I don't know. Guess we will see what comes...
 

Erika Ruth

New member
My Sister in law is just barely 5'2" and when I have been in the car with her has Horrible seatbelt habits. She is 19.

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
(Yes, Most of the time)
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat? (I think, but I am not certain)
3. Is the lap belt touching the top of the thighs, not the tummy?
(I hope so)
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest? (Absolutely NOT)
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
(No)

I yelled at her because she put the seatbelt BEHIND her back, as she said it cut into her neck, and she puts her feet up on the airbag. She says sitting in cars is just uncomfortable for her.

When I mailed the 5 point test to her mom, she just laughed and said she would still be in one if she followed that, as well as her daughter. I just explained that they didn't design seat belts for shorter people.

Erika
 

natysr

New member
I know I will be facing the same issue. My son is tiny, and I am under 5' tall. I think that it is possible that we will move straight from the boulevard or recaro signo or radian, or regent (depending on how long he fits) to a clek. I'm guessing that my son will fit in the boulevard until about age 7 or 8, and the Recaro until 9 or 10.

If he is 9 or 10 when he moved out of a 5 point, then I wouldn't have a problem using a clek...even if they are still not in the US by then. He would basically be outside the legal age of having to use a booster, so I can't see an issue with using it in the US.

If we end up with a clek, I don't see why I wouldn't keep him in it until he passes the 5 step.

Hmmm..wouldn't it be nice to have lower anchors installed in the drivers seat? He could learn to drive using it.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Well, CJ is eleven and still in a Parkway. I can easily see him being thirteen and using a backless in MIL's Avalanche if he does't have a major growth spurt SOON.

Assuming there is sufficient head support I would enforce use of a backless, but not push the high-back issue at this age, or even past about age 8.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
Well...boosters all have a weight limit right? 80 or 100 pounds? that would obviously be my ABSOLUTE "give it up regardless of how short they still are" limit.
On a realistic level.....Probably not much past 8-10, depending on size/height/weight.
Actually, I hope to keep her HARNESSED for about that long, and then we'll see.
I know I do NOT meet the 5 step test, although I am going to use seat-velt-fitting as a HUGE criteria for the purchase of any future cars. Vehicles which have that adjustable seat belt thing are high on my list, LOL.
 

ignora

Senior Community Member
So, yeah... maybe my first inclination was right... she can be out of a booster when she's driving for herself! :whistle: I'm just glad I (hopefully) won't have to worry about the whole booster thing for quite a while. I'm hoping to keep her harnessed until she's 30. :D

Anyway, based on your responses, I guess I'll keep her in at least a backless until she reaches its weight limit... I hit 100 lbs at 11 years old or so. Assuming she hasn't passed the 5 step test by then, that is. Pretty sure she won't, since she has my genes. After that... well, who knows what will be on the market by then?

CRS- I saw those on another thread you posted on... I think they're neat. I like that they're tested. I actually want to order one for ME, but they're too expensive for me right now. Exchange rate and all. Hopefully, soon...
 

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