concerning booster seat

[boefmom]

to want ds to continue to use booster seat even if he's over 12 years old, but under 135cm, even if he consideres it uncool...

That's really what I thought as well, that being too small is not good for the shoulder belt.

Feeling embarrased is relative. It is anyway obvious that he is really tiny, booster seat or not...

But isn't 12 and under 135cm very rare? I mean my 8 year old is 140cm...

We had to stop using a booster when dd hips were too wide for it! Luckily she was 135cm. I've heard that some recommend continued use after 12 as it adds extra safety but it's contentious.

Ffs it says it’s advisable up until 5ft tall... I’m only 5ft tall 🤣🤣🤣

And no I wouldn’t dream of making a 12 year old use a booster seat. Poor kid will look like a complete twat and you’re setting him up for bullying

@winosaurus. then he would be bullied because he's tiny. It's obvious he is tiny, the booster seat doesn't change anything...

I feel sorry for your son. He will most likely get bullied at school and you don't seem to care. It is safe for him to not use a booster seat, but you're adamant he must and are happy for him to be embarrassed...

How close to 135cm is he?

All my kids are short.....and all will be 12 yrs before they reach 135cm tall. Therefore they will sit on a booster seat in the car until age 12. I do not give one fig if they moan about friends not doing so, or people taking the pi$$....I care about car safety and their internal organs in a car crash. (On my 2nd 11yr old at the moment and no complaints so far).
Since when did other teens laughing or bullying behaviour become a good enough reason for a child under 12yrs or 135cm not to be secured correctly in a car daily?

Still some way off...

What a weird thing to say that I'm happy for him being embarrassed. In fact he does quite well in school and isn't bullied at all for his size

iasfraak I was wondering the same thing. My 7 year old is 145cm tall. He’s just switched to a regular booster as he outgrew the head area in the high backed one.

I think I’d say if he were within day 3/4 cm I’d let him go without. If more than 5cm I’d probably say he should stay in booster. My DS is 8 and just 135cm. He still likes the booster seat as can see better out of the window.

In comparison my 11yr old is 127cm.
My 13 yr old is 138cm.
So in those height centile charts they sit about 2nd centile....somebody has to.
If you put the kids from 1- 25 centile they are probably the kids who will need a booster till age 12ish.

Dd has only just moved out of hers, she’s 11 and 145cm.
Ds1 is 9 and 125cm but he still has to use one. It’s my car my rules and I couldn’t give a crap what his friends say, I’d rather he be alive than dead. Only a couple of his friends still use them though.

Many European countries require children to use a booster until 150cm Chart halfway down, and I recently saw a US advert that said the same (don't know which State).

My DD is 11 and 147cm and still in her HBB. Even at her height the seat belt digs into her neck without it.

@centreparcs - your child must be extremely tall at age 7 and 145cm. 145cm is the average size of an 11.5 year old.
likewise @lasfraak - your dc must be very tall if your 8 yr old is 140cm. 140cm is the average height of an 11 yr old.

I was allowing my ten year old to go without a booster until I read this. have copied and posted the below from a Facebook post by “the car seat geek.”The law states that a child must use a suitable car seat until they are 135cm tall or their 12th birthday, whichever comes first. Therefore, most parents remove the booster seat once their child is 135cm. However, this is NOT safe. The seat belt alone will not fit a child safely until around 150cm. The lap belt will be across the abdomen and in an accident this can cause severe injuries (including spinal injuries) because the pelvis is not fully matured. In adults the superior iliac spine will hold the lap belt in place, but this does not begin to develop until 10-15 years of age.

Do not be in a rush to remove the booster. Wait until your child can pass the 5 step test (see photo). Even if your child says none of their friends have a car seat any more and they're embarrassed to use one - their safety is far more important. My eldest is 10. She's just about 135cm tall so today I've taken a photo with and without her booster. As you can see without the booster the lap belt sits far too high (made even worse by the long buckles in my car). She doesn't pass the 5 step test yet and won't for quite some time.

This is incorrect fitting

This is correct

Checklist

@bostonkremekrazy - Are you sure about that? My dd is not particularly tall compared to her classmates, there are bigger kids than her...

My eight year old is 143cm. Her 11 year old brother is pretty much the same height. 135cm must be a very rare 12 year old.

I wouldn't make him sit in a booster.

www.onaverage.co.uk/body-averages/average-child-height

@boefmom i'm not talking about his size, i'm talking about his age. At 12 years old he doesn't need to be in a booster seat anymore. I just hope you listen to him that if he is being teased for still using one you consider his feelings, as kidshave good memories and he is likely to be teased for a very long time