Older children who are still very small

Unregistered · 05-08-2006, 01:47 PM

Does anyone have an older child who is still very,very small? My friend's daughter was very premature at birth and is now 9-years-old. She has some health problems that resulted from her condition, and as a result, she looks several years younger. She weighs less than 50 pounds and is about 4-feet tall. None of her classmates use booster seats, but none are her size. Having her in a booster seat right now isn't as hard as it will be in a couple of years. I can't imagine when she'll get to 4 ft 9 in tall. I'm just wondering how old is the oldest child anyone here has seen in a booster seat. This mother is already getting grief that surely will escalate. After all, this girl can't take her driving test in a booster seat.

**Car-Seat.Org** · 05-08-2006 01:47 PM

**Splash** · 05-08-2006, 02:02 PM

I have a good friend who is 32 years old who uses a booster. Backless, of course, which this child in question can easily use.
I've had foster kids still in boosters at ten years old. Of course, I've also had a 5 year old who could still fit in a comfort sport!
Keep her in a booster. Backless is just fine. A backless Turbo Booster will run the mom $20 and no one will even know the girl is in it. If she can still fit in a harness seat, that is definitely safer, but at nine years old I can understand that she would be much happier in a backless booster.

E

**melaniev** · 05-08-2006, 02:20 PM

my daughter will be 10 this summer and is very small (some health problems plus genetics). she's 4'4" and 50lb (very thin). She was able to stay in her convertible seat till she was almost 6 (evenflo) and now uses a backless booster (cosco) which fits her very well. If it did not fit her with the shoulder belt I would definitely have her in a high-back booster.

It does present problems when I transport her friends who do not use boosters but I recently got her a pretty pink flowery one and this is working better. I have told her friends that she needs the booster because she's too skinny (state law is 80lb) and it keeps them from complaining about their butts being too big! (yes, in 4th grade

)

Unregistered · 05-08-2006, 04:17 PM

My dd is 8. At her annual check-up last week she was 3'9" and 40lbs with her clothes on! She rides in a Husky everywhere we go. She has once used a booster ( a Parkway) and the other day rode in a friends van using the built in 5pt. harnessed seat (thank goodness for that seat!!!). So far no complaints from dd or teasing from anyone. Most moms just say, 'If mine were that small I'd harness her too'.
I intend to keep her harnessed as long as possible, whatever age that takes us too. Of course as she gets more invitations to ride with others she will use the Parkway, but in our vehicles its harnessed or nothing!
C.
ps The pre-K kids in her elem. school are getting to be her size!!! We joke about her using a booster for her drivers test

**Dawn** · 05-08-2006, 05:12 PM

My Tabitha will be 10 at the end of June and is petite. She doesn't fight us on sitting in her booster. She will be in it for a while longer unless she suddenly has a growth spurt.

**skaterbabs** · 05-08-2006, 05:30 PM

My CJ is on the small side of average and will be ten this summer. He's been known to lecture his friends that they need boosters too.

**joyride** · 05-09-2006, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered

My dd is 8. At her annual check-up last week she was 3'9" and 40lbs with her clothes on! She rides in a Husky everywhere we go. She has once used a booster ( a Parkway) and the other day rode in a friends van using the built in 5pt. harnessed seat (thank goodness for that seat!!!).

You have an 8 year old that fits the integrated seats of a van? I can't believe

Joy

Unregistered · 05-09-2006, 08:49 AM

Well we've never used one before and I don't have a booster handy at this point ( my parents in PA have it and we'll bring it back home with us next month after we see them) and so it was that or a backless booster. She fit just fine with at least an inch of space over her shoulders!
Now that I've said that I guess the seat probably only goes to 40lbs??
Can someone help me with that?
(She's not likely to use it again but I should know the upper limit.)

So anyway Joy, Yes she fit. It's genetics!
C.

**wendytthomas** · 05-09-2006, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Well we've never used one before and I don't have a booster handy at this point ( my parents in PA have it and we'll bring it back home with us next month after we see them) and so it was that or a backless booster. She fit just fine with at least an inch of space over her shoulders!
Now that I've said that I guess the seat probably only goes to 40lbs??
Can someone help me with that?
(She's not likely to use it again but I should know the upper limit.)

So anyway Joy, Yes she fit. It's genetics!
C.

Which seat are you talking about going to 40 pounds? The Huskey or the booster? Neither is only 40 pounds. The Husky harnesses to 80 pounds and a parkway has no upper limit. Backless boosters generally are 80-100 pounds as an upper limit.

I don't have an older smaller child....yet. My DD will be four in July and if she breaks 28 pounds by her birthday I'll be shocked. I was six before I hit 40 pounds, and at this rate Piper will be only about 33-35 pounds at age six. I was 48 pounds at 7.5 years, so it wouldn't surprise me if Piper is teeny tiny at 8 or 10 and still either harnessed or in a booster then. We joke that she'll need a booster for her driving test as well. I'm only 5'2" myself, so I have to say thank goodness for adjustable seatbelts for the front seats. I used to have to use a seat belt positioner in an older car to keep it off my neck, I could have used a booster. hehe

**Dillipop** · 05-09-2006, 09:45 AM

I think unregistered was talking about the integrated seat in the car, not the husky or booster, going to 40 pounds.

Unregistered- You are right, the integrated seats are only rated to 40 pounds, so it can't be used anymore. Next time, your dd will have to use a booster or higher weight harness seat.

Unregistered · 05-09-2006, 10:45 AM

Yes, I meant the integrated seat. She still doesn't weigh 40 on our scale at home but I guess I should go by the doctor's scale. I'm not used to thinking of her as a 40 lb kid and so when we arranged for using the integrated seat I was so happy they had it I didn't stop to think that she might be 'too heavy'. She's never been 'too heavy' for anything!!!
I'll keep on driving her to and fro until we get the Parkway. I just can't see her using a backless booster at her size and weight...despite her age.
C.

**Victorious4** · 05-09-2006, 01:20 PM

I'm a 25 year old mom -- 5'4" & 100# (less when my Crohns Idsease flares up) ... during my Child Passenger Safety certification training, *I* was modeling some of the boosters & special needs seats -- I fully plan on getting my hands on a backless Cosco Intera booster for use MY OWN use in vehicles with deep contoured seats, LOL

I also have the EZOn 86-Y harness that I use in vehicles with lap-only belts ... my daughter is tall for her age, but she'll stay in a Britax Husky until she outgrows it regardless of the state law & after that she'll stay in a booster until she outgrows it regardless of state law -- because it's the PHYSICS that I'm worried about