Question Booster for a 9 year old

[scuby20]

Ok, so I am now watching my neighbors 9 year old girl. I take her with me to places and I will soon start picking her up from school. She rides in a backless booster in her mom's car. When I need to go somewhere with her, I get her booster from her mom's car before her mom leaves. Now she is tall, and she is 9 years old. I don't know how tall exactly, but pretty tall for her age. (I will soon be getting her height). I also have a 16 month old daughter that rides RF in a Britax car seat. (thanks to you ladies, she will remain RF for a while). Now I know the rules of Washington State (where I live) as far as boosters go. They have to be over 8 years of age, and 4'9 or taller. But I'm not the mom and I'm not the one to decide when she no longer needs it. But here is my thing, and it doesn't seem that a lot of people think about this. Maybe it's just me. While I take the 9 year old places, I have my 16mo with me. I want to buy the 9 year old a booster for my car. So I don't have to worry about getting it from her mom's car all the time. Now, when I don't have her, I'll have this booster seat in my car. If I get in an accident, and that backless booster seat is just sitting there, without anyone in it....it could be a potential flying hazard and hit me or my baby because it is not secured down. Maybe some people buckle the seats in when no one is in them, but I haven't heard that. I can only find one brand that makes a backless booster with the LATCH system...and it's like 70 bucks...more than I want to spend on the neighbor's kid....I know the more inexpensive ones I looked at that have no way of attaching to the seat have expirations of 2014...my daughter will be 7 by then....do you think if I shell out the money for the one with the LATCH, that it's worth it, because my daughter may possibley use it? I'm confused as to what to do. I don't want something just sitting there to be hurled at us in the event of an accident.

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[Qarin]

I buckle the booster in when it's not in use but in my car- nothing wrong with doing that at all.

 

[skiersnowboarder3]

You could either buckle it in or put it in the trunk when it's not in use.

 

[joolsplus3]

I'm pretty sure all booster manuals do say buckle them in when not in use... personally I've found my backless boosters fly forward, hit the seatback, and then fall on the floor if I forget to buckle them ... highbacks tend to stay in place better because the seatbelt is routed through the shoulder guide and around the armrest though .

If I were buying a seat for an extra kiddo? I'd get the Cosco Ambassador (at Walmart) or High Rise (at Kmart, usually has much more fun color choices), it's a really comfy booster for older kids and is cheaper than the Turbo in general.

 

[wendytthomas]

I agree on the High Rise. It's low price and it's lightweight. It will be a projectile, but you can buckle it in, or just put it on the floor behind your seat. Or in the trunk. You can just have the nine year old tip it forward onto the floor when she gets out, and lift it up from there when she gets in. The High Rise offers a lot of leg support, and it's pretty narrow at the hip.

Wendy

 

[christineka]

My 6 and 8 year olds buckle their seats when I drop them off. If I go somewhere in the van without them (leaving from home) I buckle the seats. The van is too old for latch, so that is my only option. I'd go with that anyway for the neighbor's kids. Since the neighbor is 9 years old I am positive that she can buckle her booster when she gets out.

 

[wendy1221]

I would get a cheap backless, like the TUrbo booster or that similar Evenflo one and like other have said, buckle it, put it on the floor, or put it in the trunk when not in use. My ds is 9, and while I have a Monterey for him, I'm fine w/ him riding in his backless Turbobooster when he goes w/ other people.