Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is ridiculous. Rather than argue over why your kid should or should not be in a booster, look at the statistics and then reflect on why you may be defensive about your choices. According to CDC, "Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children ages 4–8, compared with seat belt use alone." So, it's not 01% safer, it is 45% safer.

Next, for when to go seat belt alone, "A seat belt fits properly when the lap belt is across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt is across the center of the shoulder and chest (not across the neck or face, and not off the shoulder). This usually occurs when children are between 9 and 12 years old." So yes, a 12-year-old could still be in a booster, but you could also have a giant 8-year old kid (I am looking at the 3-year-old who weighs almost 50 lbs. mentioned before) who doesn't need one.

If you are making decisions based on perceived or potential embarrassment, fine, but don't project onto others.

? Most of the comments are about car seat vs booster seat. Not comparing going in raw with just a seat belt. There are no studies comparing safety of car seat vs booster or when one would be better vs the other based on size/weight.

Anonymous wrote:This thread is ridiculous. Rather than argue over why your kid should or should not be in a booster, look at the statistics and then reflect on why you may be defensive about your choices. According to CDC, "Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children ages 4–8, compared with seat belt use alone." So, it's not 01% safer, it is 45% safer.

Next, for when to go seat belt alone, "A seat belt fits properly when the lap belt is across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt is across the center of the shoulder and chest (not across the neck or face, and not off the shoulder). This usually occurs when children are between 9 and 12 years old." So yes, a 12-year-old could still be in a booster, but you could also have a giant 8-year old kid (I am looking at the 3-year-old who weighs almost 50 lbs. mentioned before) who doesn't need one.

If you are making decisions based on perceived or potential embarrassment, fine, but don't project onto others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We'd all be safer in a 5 point harness. I'm still not going to keep an elementary schooler in a 5 point. We ditched the high back around 6, still in a booster around 7 so the seatbelt hits the right spot.

This. How embarrassing to roll up to K in a 5 point. I know one family who did this. They are insane.

I am the one with the very small DD that is going into 3rd grade and in a 5 point. I am not at all embarrassed about making this safety-related decision and not once has anyone else made a comment about it, not that I would care if they did.