Booster seats

Heather - posted on 09/07/2011

The booster seat can be a war in our car. But it is a war that I always win! my 45 lb 7 year old is much to precious not to keep safe.

Sherri - posted on 09/07/2011

My 5 1/2yr old is still in a 5pt harness and I will NOT be moving him to a booster until he is at least six, hoping to keep him in it till closer to 7yrs old. Even then the booster seat laws here are now until the height of 4'10" and roughly 10yrs old.

Sapphire - posted on 09/06/2011

My 1st grade son and 2nd grade nephew (only 6 months apart) are both in booster seats.

Danielle - posted on 09/06/2011

I stopped using mine at age 8. It depends on where you live but in Pennsylvania the age is 8.

Crystal - posted on 04/24/2011

i would keep her in her booster untill 8 as is the law in most states and longer if the seat belt does not fit her proplery it's so much safer to use a booster after age 8 in order to use a booster the child must be able to sit all the way back in the seat legs bent over the edge with out slouching feet on the floor lap belt on the lap not the belly that could cause serious injury and shoulder belt must go across the shoulder and not the neck or face

Marissa - posted on 10/25/2010

My 9 year old 4th grader still uses a booster she is tiny though she is only 53lbs and 49 inches here the law is 4'10. My 4 year old is still in her car seat with 5 point harness she isn't 40lbs yet.



P.S. Most of the sites have the wrong requirements for the stat of Louisiana the requirement is not 60lbs as most sites say it is in fact 4'10

Jane - posted on 09/09/2010

We used a booster seat until my son was about 10. Its really more about size than age. Also my son liked it because he could see out of the car easier with the seat.

Katina - posted on 09/03/2010

My twins boys who where by no means underweight at birth or now were in booster seats till they were in 2nd grade. MI law states they have to be so many pounds and so tall to be out. The reason is before that time the seat belts don't fit proper. The shoulder strap ends up behind them because it's in their face or hurting their neck. If she still fits then I see no reason for her to be still using it. It also puts her higher so she can see out the window.

Aubry - posted on 09/03/2010

It varies from state to state... It's a law in my state that they have to use a booster seat until they are 8 years old or until they reach 57 inches tall. Whichever is first...
If they are under 8 or under 57 inches but over 100 lbs, they don't need one.
But, like I said, it varies from state to state.

Rebecca - posted on 09/03/2010

In ny they have to be in it until they are seven years old or a certain hieght. I will keep hannah in one as long as i legally can, safety first :):) if you call the local police they should be able to tell you when is the approriate time to let them stop using it

Paula - posted on 09/03/2010

lol I am glad I'm not the only scatter brain on the planet. Thanks I don't feel so lonely now ! lol

Jana - posted on 09/03/2010

My younger son is 7, just started second grade. At restaurants and such, he just sits on the seat. At home, we've got a real old fashioned high chair (minus tray) that he uses just because it gives him the extra couple inches to the table. Still, my 11yo uses it on occasion! Voluntarily.



Edit: Oh, wrong booster seat! In that case, he stopped using it when he got taller than the legal required limit.

Paula - posted on 09/02/2010

In the UK all children have to have a child seat or booster seat until they reach the age of 11years or they reach a certain height. your child is your most cherished possession so keep her safety top of your list and put her in her booster set please ?

Angela - posted on 09/01/2010

My daughter just started kindergarten (was 5 in march) and is still in a 5point harness and it goes to 80lbs and I will keep her in it till she is 80lbs or is 4'8" the height law which ever comes first. I do not think a booster seat with a regular belt is safe enough for children. Most of my friends also have their kids still in 5point harnesses and they are 5-6 years old. Please dont take her out of the booster seat till she reaches at least 4'8" Look on youtube at videos about what can happen to children who are not in booster seat in a car wreck and the difference a 5point harness can make vs a booster seat.

Katherine - posted on 08/31/2010

My daughter is 5 and I still use the 5 point harness with her. The AAP recommends it now.

Adele - posted on 08/31/2010

Hi I have 2 small children still in booster seats, Libby will be 8 in October and Joseph is 6 on Saturday. Children need to stay in a booster seat until they can sit in comfit with an adult seat belt. Then other thing would be to get your daughter a booster seat with no back as this would have her sitting hire and the seat belt would fit better. The use of a booster seat will depent on the hight of your daughter but statistics show a child needs to be about 148cm tall for an adult belt to fit correctly and provid the protection it is ment to.

Aimee - posted on 08/31/2010

Hello! We didn't stop using a booster seat till my son was in 3rd grade. look on the side of it, it should say at what weight/height/age its rated for.

Nicole - posted on 08/31/2010

i heard that they are supposed to stay in the booster til they are 8. my daughter is in the second grade and she still uses the booster seat, it keeps the seat belt off of her neck and i feel safer that way.

Sherri - posted on 08/31/2010

In the US there are very few states that even care when a child sits in the front seat. CA, GA, SC says under 5, CO, NM, VT is under 1yr, DE & ME is under 11, MI & WI is under 3, NJ, RI is under 7, NC is under 4, TN & WY is under 8, WA is under 12. All the other states have no laws on it what so ever. So I am not sure where you got you have to be 13 to ride in the front Donna. Also if there are no other seats available in the car or it is a pick up truck no matter how old the child is they may sit in the front seat. These laws are only valid if there is a rear seat available.

Donna - posted on 08/31/2010

My daughter's in 2nd grade and still in one, as are all of her friends. I keep an extra in the car for friends. You can buy one for $16. When they can go without the high back, it's no big deal to move them from car to car. I'm going for safety and the law, not my ease of use or what the kid thinks. I had to tell my nephew, who is 12 but is taller and weighs a little more than me, that he had to stay in the backseat when he visited b/c the law here is 13.

Jeanette - posted on 08/30/2010

My son is in 2nd grade and he still uses his booster seat. He likes his because he can see a little better when he is sitting in it.

Lucy - posted on 08/30/2010

I still use a booster seat for my grade 1 son. 2 reasons; one is safety, the other is cause he just has to see whats out while we are driving....

Gina - posted on 08/30/2010

Go and check at your local police department and they can give the requirements for a child to be in a car without a booster seat. I think it is 48inches or the child is tall enough for the seat belt to strike the middle of the chest. I was told that when I got my infant seat checked and I also have a daughter in 1st grade who is still to short to go without a booster seat.

Rhea - posted on 08/30/2010

If the backseat seatbelts go across the shoulder, the child needs to sit high enough so the belt actually goes across the shoulder and not on the neck. I use a booster seat for my 7 y/o because he's only 128cm tall but my 10 y/o outgrew the booster seat early on (she's almost 170cm tall!)

Laura - posted on 08/30/2010

My son is still in his booster seat, he's 7 and starting 2nd grade.

Shayna - posted on 08/30/2010

Look at your state laws for booster seat requirements. If you don't go by the laws and you get pulled over for not having a proper child restraint you can get in big trouble. Endangerment of a child. I knew someone that was traveling from their state where the laws were different then the state they were visiting and got pulled over and had all her kids taken away for endangerment. Better safe then sorry!

Alison - posted on 08/29/2010

My 2nd grader is still in one because of the law but as soon as she's 8 (in Dec) she will be out of it. I always kept my kids in one till around 6 anyways without the change in the law but she is getting way too tall for her seat and it makes it hard for me to use my rear view mirror when she is in the car so I'm just waiting for her bday to roll around.

Balethia - posted on 08/29/2010

My daughter still uses a booster seat and she is in the 2nd grade. Will continue until she is at least 4'9". She is on the small side so that might be a while.

Sylvia - posted on 08/28/2010

LOL! My DD is 8, going into Grade 3, and is still in a booster. She's only 42 lb (a booster is recommended till 80 lb -- are there really 80-lb 8-year-olds out there?!) and still too short for the shoulder belt not to go right across her neck, so although under Ontario law kids are technically allowed to ride without a booster once they turn 8, I'm afraid she's going to be in hers for a while longer.

Fortunately, many of her friends also still use boosters in the car, so it's not a huge issue. (Also, we don't actually have our own car, so it's not like she has to spend a lot of time thinking about it.)

Jennifer - posted on 08/28/2010

My son is 6, he will be 7 in September, but only weights around 43 lbs. Very tall but very skinny. I have had a carseat/booster seat combo. It starts at a year old and goes until the law says no more booster. I use the seat but with the seat belt from the car, even though he is still skinny enough to use the harness shoulder straps. I am now 17 weeks pregnant and after this baby is born, he will be old enough to go without the booster. The regulation here is 7 years old. Between my bf and I we will have 3 kids come Feb when I am due. He has a 4 year old who was just transfered to a booster also. It will be hard when we have all three, because that will mean 3 kids, two boosters and an infant seat.

Tiffaney - posted on 08/28/2010

Depending on the state you live in. there are guidlines that should be met. Like Washington it is 4'9" they are not worried about weight so much as hight because of the way the seatbelt sits on the kids. You should be able to just look up the laws/ guidlines on the internet for your state.

Becky - posted on 08/28/2010

I stopped using a booster for my daughter during her 1st grade year. She was getting too tall for it. Boosters are supposed to help position the seatbelt correctly, and it wasn't doing her any good (she's a tall girl). She didn't quite fit the weight recommendations, but she does now.

Read the comment about the 100 lbs and had to laugh, I would have been in a booster til freshman year in high school! Some of my smaller friends would have been using a booster seat to drive! lol!

Laura - posted on 08/28/2010

yes. in our state, the law is 8yrs and 80 lbs. My son will be 8 on his next birthday, but is no where near 80 lbs, so he will continue to use it.

Kimberly - posted on 08/28/2010

My 8 1/2 year old is still in a booster, mainly because of the way the seatbelt falls against her head/neck. She says it's uncomfortable if she's sitting out of the booster. So it's not a big deal to me for now. I don't freak out if she's riding in a car without it, she's just more comfortable sitting in it. And when she turns 9 in December, I'm going to get one of those seat belt clips to adjust it for her.

Rebecca - posted on 08/27/2010

The law says until they are 8 years, unless they reach 80 lbs and 42 inches first.

Melissa - posted on 08/27/2010

It depends on the law where you are from. Booster seats are required until age 8 or 60 pounds (whatever comes first) here in Washington state.

Kelly - posted on 08/27/2010

Thanks Sherrie, I'm sure we have a hight limit, but only the weight was filled in on the chart, and I could not find any info on it online.

My car seat does have a height limit, I don't know it at the moment, but it will be a while before he reaches it. I'm sure when he reaches that height & 80lbs, he will be fine legally as well.

Marlenys (Marly) - posted on 08/27/2010

My children used a booster seat until the agesof 8 and 9.

Toni - posted on 08/27/2010

My third grader still uses one. She is very petite. She doesn't mind though.

Christina - posted on 08/27/2010

My girls will be starting the second grade (7 years old)next week and then have been out of their boosters since they were in Kindergarden (5 years old).

Cara - posted on 08/27/2010

My oldest is in 3rd grade and 8 1/2 years old. I still use a booster for him b/c he is so thin. My 6 yo boy and girl weigh almost as much as he does. It is legal here for my 4 yo to be in a booster.

Autumn - posted on 08/27/2010

I'm in TX and it's required to keep them in boosters until the age of 8 or until their 4'10" tall. My daughter is 8 1/2 just started third grade and about half the time still sits in a booster. I figure when I get the seats cleaned in my car then she won't be riding in it any longer.

Sherri - posted on 08/27/2010

No state Kelly has a weight only limit in the US. Every state also has once you have reached a certain age. If you have questions about the laws in your state here is a link that lists all ages and requirements.

http://www.elitecarseats.com/custserv/cu...

Kelly - posted on 08/27/2010

My son is almost 6 yrs, but only 34lbs. He is still in a 5 point harness. We have the Graco Nautilis, and the harness goes up to 65 lbs, and he is not yet using the highest slat for the shoulder straps, once he reaches 65 lbs or exceeds the height, he will use the same seat up to 100lbs as a belt positioning high back booster.





The law in our state is a 5 point harness to 5yrs / 40lbs, and booster to 80lbs. I did not weigh 80lbs until 11th grade!

Sherri - posted on 08/27/2010

I have a thin child too. But at 12 he is too tall for the booster seats anymore he is almost 55" tall and not 80lbs yet. So a seat belt is all there is.

Amanda - posted on 08/27/2010

I am still using a booster seat for my kids. It all depends on your comfort. I believe children need to be at least 80 lbs to sit without a booster seat. My daughter who is 9 still sits in one... even thought she is tall, she is very thin and I am afraid the seatbelt might crush her abdomen if we get in an accident. This way she has protection against the seatbelt. I told her when she can put on more weight then I will take her out of it. But for a 9 year old who only weighs 55 lbs I feel that is way too thin. She also has ADHD and her meds at the beginning made her lose weight plus her high metabolism.

Kristen - posted on 08/27/2010

My daughter is going into 1st grade this year (turning 7 in Oct) and she still uses one and will probably use it till she turns 8. It is the law here in WI and I think she is big enough to not use one, but i sure as heck wont pay that ticket if we get caught not using it!

Heidi - posted on 08/27/2010

I looked it up on google for the height and weight for booster seats laws by state and I found out our state law says my son has to be 8 with no height or weight restriction. He is turning 7 Sunday and just started 1st grade so 1 more year to go for us.

Jessica - posted on 08/26/2010

My daughter just started second grade and still uses hers, but here in North Carolina its the law. Children have to be in a booster seat up to 8 years old and be a certain height and weight. She can't wait til she doesn't have to sit in one.

Suzanne - posted on 08/26/2010

i am in Ontario our law states 80lbs, 4'9 or 8 years old. my 5 year old is just going into a boster because he just reached the 40 lbs min, and will be untill he is probably 8 because of his small size safety first and always