over a bloody booster seat 🥵

[StarDolphins]

My 9 year old is being taken to a party in Manchester (1 hour journey) today by the birthday girls parents. She is 134cm (she’s a bit less actually but because her Dad told her she’s that, she’s sticking to it)

Sges currently sobbing and shouting (since 7am off & on) because I’m insisting she has her booster seat when all the other 7 kids won’t have one. She said she’s going to get laughed at and she just wants to fit in & be the same. I’ve tried to be understanding, I’ve said blame it on me, I’ve said they’re not good friends etc.

AIBU to stick to my rule? She’s nearly there but technically still needs a booster until 135cm. I’m just worn down as she’s been crying over this ALL morning🙄

This! your in for issues in teenage years to come if your this controlling
Pick your battles

It's not about being told off by the police....it's about safety!!

Oh don't tell me, the person who designed the 3-point seatbelt system is sexist. Is that right?

Okay, put a 9 year old in a booster seat and embarrass her in front of her friends. Brilliant parenting, that.

I'm sorry, I really am. I understand it's the law and I'd never dispute a safety issue, but I never had a booster seat and it's mindblowing to me now that it's legislation.

Wouldn’t bother me. But mine are 23 and 20 now and this seems like a drop in the ocean.

The police will notice a lack of a booster seat if they also see a small child in the back of the car. So yes, she will get told off by the police if they pull her over.

hahaha I thought the same thing, Im barely over that as an adult and certainly as a teen I was way under and I wasn’t wearing a booster seat 🤣

Lovely. So you are happy to humiliate her over 1 cm and your primary focus is on how SHE is speaking to you.

Thank you! I didn’t think I was being ridiculous either! But I’ve told her I understand why and that I don’t want her to be taken the piss out of so today she doesn’t have to have it.

Why bother wearing a seatbelt. People never used to...

Car safety has moved on since the days if putting a baby in a basket on the seat next to you.

You are disputing a safety issue. Which is fair enough - it’s fair enough to dispute whether 1cm will make a difference.

But if we were in Ireland OP’s DD would be 16cm below the legal height.

Is the UK recklessly lax about it? Or is Ireland (and others) overly cautious?

We didn’t have seat belts in cars when I was a child, is it mind blowing to you that those are legislation now too???

Safety first, OP said child is actually less than 134cm. No 135cm isn’t a magic number but that height was chosen for a reason. Child will not be traumatised by a bit of teasing from friends but could be seriously injured if not properly restrained in case of an accident. I actually am gobsmacked by all the responses saying don’t bother with the booster!

I’d absolutely be making her have a booster. It’s really not safe even at 135cm, nearer to 150cm is better otherwise they risk submarining under the seatbelt in an accident. Can you use something like a trunki or a bubble bum seat? I guess the question is - if they did have had an accident and she was injured would you be able to live with yourself if you’d agreed for her not to have a booster?

Yes I will be having a chat with her about this, definitely. Thank you, I sent her off without the seat.

She will feel really embarrassed and she's almost the correct height. I wouldn't bother about it personally.

Have to say what a horrid group of friends if the threat of being laughed at/bullied/ is real. If. But frankly a rule is a rule - otherwise what other ones are you going to be ok breaking (is the lesson your daughter will learn).

Yanbu. My 9 year old is still in a booster as frankly a car seat belt is not safe on him. It cuts across his tummy and neck.

How does an adult seat belt sit on your daughter?

OP are you this rigid about rule following normally? It really is incredibly extreme to be prepared to upset your child this much for the sake of 1cm!

And you're still twisting it around to be about the way she spoke to you rather than admitting to her you were wrong on this one! She was making a fuss because this is important to her and you weren't listening.

I can't imagine fighting this battle for the sake of 1-2cm.

If the driver is happy to break the law on cae seats, what else are they doing dangerously? That alone would be a no for any of our children getting in their car.

Ours are always in the correct seat, other people breaking the law and not being bothered about their own children being safe isn’t a reason for us to not care about our own children. We also don’t consider temper tantrums a reason to do something.

Given that I didn’t actually say what she said to me, your reply holds no weight.

YABU.

I'm not disputing a safety issue, I'd never dispute a safety issue. I'm absolutely flabbergasted that there is a law stipulating that a 9 year old has to be put in a booster seat because she's 1cm too short to not be allowed to ride without a booster seat.

1 poxy cm. 10 millimetres. Maybe take her first thing in the morning after she's slept? Humans are taller first thing in the morning as a result of gravity stretching you out as you lie on your back. I'm not joking.

This is madness.

OP, use your best judgement.

Exactly. It doesn’t help that the other parents are happy to break the law and her dad is too. He doesn’t enforce the booster either so he’s the better parent apparently🙄

Same.
I’m glad that you’ve backed down on this one, OP. I can’t imagine putting my daughter in this position when she’s so close.

Do you never leave the house? Risk is everywhere. We can’t stop allowing our kids to do things ‘just in case’ drunk drivers are around.