Quick! boostering a kid who sits in nothing

christineka · Apr 22, 2009

I am picking up a 9 year old girl tonight along with my 9 year old. The other girl has been out of a car seat (skipped the booster) since her 5th birthday. She is smaller than my dd who is small, so I know this other kid without a doubt needs to sit in a booster. (I took the spare out of dh's car this afternoon just in case.) How do I handle making this kid sit in a booster when she has not sat in one ever and been out of car seats completely over 4 years ago? This girl probably has a torso between 17 and 18 inches. Should I take the back off the turbo for her? (My kids are in high backs.)

Starlight · Apr 22, 2009

I would just do w/ a backless, and just tell her that in your car, the seatbelts fit funky, so everyone has to sit in one. (By funky, I mean the 5 step test.)

ketchupqueen · Apr 22, 2009

Tell her, "This is your seat." If she refuses to sit in it, say, "Oh, okay, I'll call your mom to come get you then."

I would consider the back negotiable for a 9 year old, even a small-ish one.

Maedze · Apr 22, 2009

Starlight said:
I would just do w/ a backless, and just tell her that in your car, the seatbelts fit funky, so everyone has to sit in one. (By funky, I mean the 5 step test.)

I wouldn't say that. It sounds like the child needs to be in a booster in all vehicles.

I would probably say something to the effect of, "You aren't large enough to fit into an adult seatbelt. This is the only way you can ride safely."

And if she argues with, "My parents don't make me use one!" you answer simply, "Oh, I'm surprised. Maybe your mom doesn't know about the safety rules. I should give her a call."

Victorious4 · Apr 22, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
Tell her, "This is your seat." If she refuses to sit in it, say, "Oh, okay, I'll call your mom to come get you then."

I would consider the back negotiable for a 9 year old, even a small-ish one.

This is about how I've handled it before. Unless they're really bratty or have parents who talk down safety, they usually end up prefering the booster: they like how it feels when the seatbelt actually fits & can finally see better :twocents:

I usually give the a kid a bit of a warning before seeing inside the car -- "All kids under 4'9" use a booster in my care/car. I've got one for you too, gotta make sure you're safe."

If they refuse to get in, then I offer to let them call their mom to get picked up. If they complain the whole time, then I offer to let them call their mom to get picked up. They always get in & stop complaining.

I might get passive aggressive, ignorant comments later from their mom, but I stand by the fact that it's my responsibility to keep every kid safe inside my vehicle & subtly try to remind them that I refrain from attempting to force them to keep their kids safer in their own vehicles. Very few of my mom friends have held a grudge, in fact it has been only my family members that do. They would've found something else to hold against me anyway, though

christineka · Apr 22, 2009

Okay, now I have 30 minutes to debate between backless and high back.

The high back will make the seatbelt fit better. Even with the seatbelt adjusted to the lowest hight, it doesn't fit my 9 year old quite right, but it is close.

I don't have a headrest in that location- attached, that is. I have the headrest in the van and can put it in, but it is a bear to get out. I can't reach my rfing kiddos in the back with the vehicle's headrest attached. On the otherhand, if things go right, the girls should be out front, waiting for me so I won't have to get to the kids in back until after the extra kid is out of my van.

My 9 year old has to sit in a high back. It might seem unfair. This girl is a younger 9 than my dd.

The high back might have to be adjusted and that would be a pain to do. It also would make the seat uncomfy if it was adjusted wrongly.

It might be harder to see where to buckle with the high back portion on? It is going to be difficult enough for a kid who has never sat in a booster to buckle in a 3 across.

What outweighs what?

High back or backless?

(I'm not a strong personality type person in real life. I think there's a psychological reason why I like internet message boards so much. Sorry if my wimpiness is hard to take.)

myliljunebugs · Apr 22, 2009

I would probably do backless, but that is just me

If you feel like it will bother your daughter that the other girl is backless and she fits backless then by all means

If your daughter is in one I bet she won't gripe about it too much

christineka · Apr 22, 2009

My dd is an aspie- don't change anything without a day's forewarning! I'm not changing her seat to backless right now.

Murphy's Law · Apr 22, 2009

I'd do the high back and tell her what 3B said. She might even like sitting up in the seat - she'll certainly be able to see more! And if she doesn't like it, tough. She doesn't get a choice. I like the whole idea of "Okay, I'll call your mom to come get you now then."

ketchupqueen · Apr 22, 2009

Do you have a clip for the backless? If so I'd do backless. If it's unfair that's tough luck. In our house we have a saying for things that are unfair: "You get what you get, and you don't get upset." If you do get upset, we don't need to have the priviledge (in this case bringing a friend home) that is causing the trouble.

If you don't have a clip and you think it won't fit well, I'd do high-back even if it means you might have to adjust it.

4boysmom · Apr 22, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
Do you have a clip for the backless? If so I'd do backless. If it's unfair that's tough luck. In our house we have a saying for things that are unfair: "You get what you get, and you don't get upset."

But that doesn't RHYME

I always heard it as "you get what you get and you do not have a fit"... and that actually works better for my family because we are "allowed" to be upset/sad/mad whatever, what they aren't allowed to do is go nutso crazy and have a fit about something

christineka · Apr 22, 2009

I decided to go backless. Took off the back. Then found the headrest, but it didn't fit, so I had to go find the right headrest. Then I attempted to put it on. I struggled, but it wouldn't go down! Time was running out, so I ditched the headrest and put the back back on the turbo.

All my worry for nothing. The girl just hopped in the car, unbuckled the seat, and buckled herself in. I guessed right with the turbo headrest. All that worry for nothing. At least I know what to do should any other kid ride in my van in the future. There are a whole bunch of kids from church in this play. I guess we've got a talented lot!

Starlight · Apr 22, 2009

I was in a hurry, so I didn't get specific.

What I do, with an older child atleast, is say that my seatbelts are kind of funky, and without the booster, the seatbelt will cut on their neck, so we have to use the booster, because it'll be more comfy, and safer, too. (Demo the 5 step test w/ out booster, then with).

This normally leads to them saying "oh, it does that in my mom's car too." and then I say "oh really? your mom's van has the funky seatbelts too? Man. You should sit in a booster until it they fit right, so much more comfy, and safer, too."

I've done this with 4-5 of ds's friends and cousins and such, and 3 of them have gone back into boosters.

myliljunebugs · Apr 22, 2009

Sorry, I totally worded everything wrong in my post, I meant that if the friend fit with the back on then keep it on, don't ask me why it came out so completely wrong.

In our house we say "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" Sometimes they do anyway

Maedze · Apr 23, 2009

"yew git wuchoo git and you DON'T pitch a fit"

Rhymes, and has the appropriate number of syllables

Quick! boostering a kid who sits in nothing

christineka

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Starlight

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ketchupqueen

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Murphy's Law

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