a 7 year old in a booster? my oldest is 4 and he could get under a seat belt and be fine, but he is in a car seat because of the law. Granted he is a big 4 year old.
http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html CDC recommends 8 years old in booster seats or even older if they are small. Basically, the longer you keep them in, the better.
i didnt know that up to 8 years old. It makes sense, but i think my son is going to outgrow that. my 20 month old is in a face forward already, he is 37 inches tall, the couldnt be in a rear facing anymore, his legs wouldnt allow it.
yeah, I was definitely riding in the front seat using a seat belt at 6 years old. Maybe younger. Times sure have changed.
Ya' figure? When I was a kid there were no belts at all in the car and no one ever heard of a car seat. I would stand in the front seat or sleep on the deck under the rear window. The dashboard was made of steel. Things are much safer. And probably much easier for mom and dad. Heaven knows I was all over that car when I was small--front seat, back seat, side window to side window, laid out sleeping, whatever.
I kicked the car out of gear a Interstate speed when I was a kid and almost caused an accident. I believe that there were lap belts but they were tucked under in the back. My dad wore his only because he was a pilot and it was habit. I once rode in the back of a station wagon in a small rocking chair on a cross country trip. Times have definitely changed!
My younger daughter is 10 and is tiny (still only 55 pounds). She was in a booster seat until the beginning of this school year (4th grade.) As for the actual topic of the thread, there is NO WAY in HELL I'm ever going to drive a freakin' minivan. There isn't an unsexier vehicle on earth (well, I guess a "Smart Car" qualifies). I'm an SUV person with a 13 and 10-year-old. I used to drive a Lexus sedan, which was fine; however, I needed to take my husband's Explorer on any road trips (to accomodate my yellow lab and her crate) and the third row seat was a pain the ass and tiny when we were hauling a lot of kids around. Last year, I bought an Expedition and love it. It has great cargo room, and the third row seat is automated and roomy. I am often driving 6 or 7 girls all over town. It's convenient, and it still looks good. Oh, and...I couldn't be happier to be out of the needing to fit two or more carseats in a vehicle phase. I love having older kids. ETA: I plan to drive this Expedition until the 10 year old is off at college, at which time, I will want to buy the smaller Lexus SUV.
We got a van when I could not take the hassle of car seats and such. Went through two of them, then got out of van business. Say what you want both were very practical, and while I kinda cringed when we traded in the Saab Turbo, it became very evident, very quickly, it was the correct decision.
