[EssentialBludger]

DD is 8 and still in a hiliner. She has been begging me to sit without it for awhile now. She is the last of her friends still in a booster, which logically I know is a stupid reason to take it away, but at what point do you take social aspects into consideration?

She's not particularly tall, and probably never will be (about 125cm and 22kg). At the rate she would probably still fit at 12! But I can imagine some major teasing going on by then.. It's already started now. She's not a confident child and doesn't have the guts to just shrug it off.

She actually passes the 5 step test apart from the "knees bent at edge of seat" bit. And I don't see that happening anytime in the future.

So WWYD?! I'm a BIG believer in safety first, but at what point do you remove it if it's not likely to be "safe" when they're heading into the tween years?

[liveworkplay]

We have the rule you have to be 140cm (or very close to) to stop the booster, which is the minimum height for most adult seat belts. In our house that works well as I have very tall children. So DD1 was ouot of her booster at just over 8, DD2 is only just about to turn 7 and is 137cm, so I don't know if she will even last until 8. DD3 is still in a 5 pt harness.

Whilst my girls never got teased, they did get the odd comment. We had a few talks about how it is much safer to sit in the booster and if other people do not want to be as safe as possible in the car, then that is their choice but for us, they sit in the booster until 140cm.

[Bluenomi]

We have the rule you have to be 140cm (or very close to) to stop the booster, which is the minimum height for most adult seat belts. In our house that works well as I have very tall children. So DD1 was ouot of her booster at just over 8, DD2 is only just about to turn 7 and is 137cm, so I don't know if she will even last until 8. DD3 is still in a 5 pt harness.

Whilst my girls never got teased, they did get the odd comment. We had a few talks about how it is much safer to sit in the booster and if other people do not want to be as safe as possible in the car, then that is their choice but for us, they sit in the booster until 140cm.

Yikes, I know adults who aren't that tall and I wasn't anywhere close to that until 13 at least and I'm smack on average height for a woman.

[EssentialBludger]

I would *like* to have a 140cm rule, but what if she's a teenager before she gets there? Realistically, do you make them sit in a booster until then?

[Mumsyto2]

My eldest is still in the Hi-Liner at 9yo and I can't see them coming out of it until they grow too tall for it. They are on the tall side for age and would be able to go without as they meet the test to sit on a seat normally but as we have it and we think it's safest that's where they will sit until they outgrow it. As they are 20kg weight and width is not an issue. It's not a popular thing for a 9yo esp when friends ease them about it but we make ours suck it up - we have told them there is no set age for them to come out of it. The irony is they are only a head shorter than me in terms of height (shortish mum, tallish kid). If they travel in someone else's car we don't make them use it obviously.

[liveworkplay]

Yikes, I know adults who aren't that tall and I wasn't anywhere close to that until 13 at least and I'm smack on average height for a woman.

140cm is the average height of a 10.5 year old. Adults under 147cm can be defined as dwarfism. Sure, not many people follow the normal curve fro growth, but I think 140cm is realistic for most people. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years we see the laws changed for boosters up to an older age. 10 was bandied about when the laws were being reviewed but the powers that be thought that the general public would not take to that age too well.

EB I really don't know having never been in that predicament. Personally I would keep her in one until at least 10 and then review it.

This post has been edited by liveworkplay: 20/02/2013, 11:57 AM

[Rolex]

I know what you mean. DS#2 had started complaining about being in his booster since about mid-way through last year. He just turned 10 on the weekend, and is around 133cm tall.

Without the booster, the seatbelt was still too close to his neck for my liking, but thanks to a thread on here, I purchased a seatbelt height adjuster through eBay (came from the UK). Cost about $33 delivered for memory, and he's been using that since early January. It makes the seatbelt sit in the right position - he's happy, and I'm happy.

Not sure this helps in your situation with the knees not bending at the edge of the seat though? But it is a solution to help the seatbelt sit correctly at the top end.

[elizabethany]

I was under 140cm until I was 12.5, then had a huge growth sputh and stopped growing 6 months later at 153cm. I would have been completely embarrassed to be in a car seat when I started high school.

Then again, I grew up in the bad old days, when bassinets were in the footwell (or the boot) and boosters were made of foam, if you bothered with one at all.

If she passes the step test, I would move her out. Poor self esteem is just as dangerous as not using the car seat at this point, and has a higher chance of occuring when subjected to continous teasing.

[Carmie]

My 8.5yo is still in a booster and a few of her friends from dancing are also (so that makes it easier, some are well over the height and weight limits) but at school I'm not sure who many still are. 6mths ago we moved to a half booster, so it still lifts her for the seatbelt to sit correctly but its not so obvious she is still in a form of booster.

Whilst talking to RAA at the time, we were told these may become illegal over the next 12mths so we will just play it by ear atm. Her brothers (5 and 6yo, both the same height and weight as each other) are both still in their hilinears and I don't imagine they will be moved to a half booster, but their seats are in the back of the car, where DD is in the middle and its handy for the odd times we take another adult or need to flip the seat.

All the kids know that I don't care about what others have and I only care what is safe for them. DD was still in her carseat before the laws changed when most of her friends at kindy were in normal seats, she was never bothered and often when we saw her friends getting in the car without a booster she would comment about how they should have a booster like her to be safe.

If its a planned trip in someone elses car and its possible we send her half booster with her still but if she needs to go without it thats ok. Just not my ideal.

DD (8yo) is 125cms, 20.4kgs
DS 1&2 (5&6yo) are 112&113cms and both 18.5kgs. Although DS1 has a longer torso and DS2 longer legs so although they are the same height and weight, fitting the seat properly will be different because of their body make up

This post has been edited by Carmie: 20/02/2013, 01:12 PM

[New Horizons]

My daughter will be 10 this year and still in an Infa Secure dedicated booster. We'll wait and see. She has not asked about not using it though.