I didn't know that children up to the age of 12 had to have a car booster seat, did you?

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Have just been looking for a booster seat for dd, who is nearly 5 and see this on the Tesco site. I had NO idea, ds hasn't used a car seat of any kind for ages.

My son is 122cm (4 foot and a tiny bit) and is 3 stone 10 I think. No way is he over weight never mind obese.

DD's friend keeps making out that DD is a baby because she still has the back

I prefer her with it, regardless of how tall or heavy she is. She's only 5!

Here is a child bmi calculator. I just did DD2 on it, she is 4 foot 4 and 4 stone 10 and she came out as not overweight - perhaps you miscalculated, Edam?

i prefer high backed boosters. dd1+2 (8yrs and 5yrs) are both 125cm tall and in high backed boosters. we are placing bets to see who outgrows the need for a car seat first

atm they are overtaking each over by 1cm every other month. dd2 is currently slightly taller than dd1 again, much to dd1 disgust!

AFAIK the backs on booster seats are to make sure the seat belt goes over the shoulder at the correct point and doesn't cut across their neck. And to make them more comfy. Does anyone know if they serve a purpose in a crash?

Dd will be 12 before she is tall enough not to need a carseat, she's going to be the last kid in her class in one (she is easily the shortest in her class). Good things in small packages...

And another question - can I put a tallish 6yo in the front, on a booster seat, if there is an airbag?

No. IMHO.

Tell your DD to take no notice, and glare at the child when she says it, DrH.
Safety is far more important.

Just looked up rules and this is useful so my ds is fine because he is over 4'5"

Dd I think I need to be sure about her weight and then see.

DrH, dd1 also got asked ages ago why she was i na baby seat. she says it isnt.

anyway when she falls asleep in it, as least her head isnt hitting against the windows.

In a crash, you are going to be a lot safer if the belt is properly across your chest.

I am doing the glaring well . Backed up with "Psychogirl3 has one the same as yours"

I am a mean mother, I make all mine stay in highbacked boosters until they are 150cm - because that is the RoSPA recommendation which was watered down in the legislation.

My son is only 5 as well and i much prefer him in his high back booster. I've seen kids as young as 3 perched on the non highback without the seatbelt strap which means the belt goes over their faces.

My daughter is 11 and still not 135! She started secondary school this month and all her friends tower over her

If she's only 2 stone, then she still needs to have a full harness. Otherwise her weight will not engage the seat belt properly in the event of an accident.

yes I knew but I have tiny children so have seen mothercare posters.

sad story about secondary school child needed booster technically. It is a bugger for fitting them all in too

My dd has just turned eight and is 142cm. She hasn't had a booster for years to be honest. By the time the new laws came in she was pretty much tall enough for the seatbelt to sit across her shoulders, which is the point of the rules. Saying up to 12 is a bit silly IMO. I know dd is tall, but ds is taller than 135 and he is nine. You would have to have a fairly short child to be under 135 at 12 wouldn't you?

the original intention was to have them compulsory up to 1.5m, but the governement watered down the proposed regulations. Which would be a tall 11-year old. It is still safer for children who are between 1.35m and 1.5m to be on a booster cushion.

hmmm, what about really short 11 year olds? on school bus? dont they need booster seats?

after 12, it is no longer the drivers responsibilty, but the persons. actually, i think it is14, not twelve that the driver no longerbecomes responsible

She needs to be 2 1/2 stone to go into a high back booster. TBH I am surprised that she is only 2 stone - is she very petite? DD (not 5 until May) hit the 2 1/2 stone a while back. I generally use a high back booster for her but for occasional short trips with friends she sometimes just has a booster cushion.

different ID, I guess that makes more sense. We did use booster seats for a while when the children came out of their child seats, but the children found them very uncomfortable, especially for longer journeys. I'd like to see someone invent seat belts where you can lie down on the back seat. I spent most long car journeys asleep when I was a child (we had a VW bus and you could make the whole of the back flat) which just doesn't seem to be an option any more.

I also stick to the 150 cm - my children have to be aged at least 11 AND 150 cm tall before they stop having a booster seat.

My youngest is 11 and doesn't mind in the slightest - he is now over the 135 cm but not yet 150 cm. It's never been an issue - last year as a Yr6 the head had to take him and 2 other children in her car to some event, and he quite happily took his booster seat into school, the head was most impressed!

Safety advice from leading groups both nationally and internationally says 150 cm is best, but individual EU countries were allowed to choose the lower limit if they liked, so the UK went for the watered-down lower one just to pass it easily.

www- are you sure she is 2 stone only?
My dd (2.7) is 2 stones, and 91 cm (ie exactly in line for a 2 year old). She is only on 30th centile for weight, which would make your 5yr old off the bottom of the chart?

The definitive rules

I am with you there StellaDallas, both mine are in high-spec Britax high-backs. Ds is nine and little, dd five and light if not that short.

I am mean mum too

although I let them ride back in the rescue truck with just the booster bit!