[pters]

My kids are now 7 and 9. I think I always assumed they'd be out of their boosters by this age, but suddenly I noticed how old they'd got and we've still got boosters in the car.

But hey've started to refuse to sit in them (Mixirider and Ezi Up using the sash belt), with my 9 year old son sitting in the front seat on the way to school, and my 7 year old daughter sitting in between the boosters in the back. For some reason they consent to use them on long trips.

I think my son is getting too wide in the shoulders to be comfortable in his, and my daughter has always struggled to get the sash belt clipped in because she has to reach so far down, and the clip is partly under the edge of the booster.

The Vicroads website says they should keep using boosters till they're 145cm tall, because their legs aren't long enough to reach the edge of the seat properly, causing them to slump, which means their hips aren't held by the lap part of the belt properly.

I thought the next step would be to get one of the simple ones that have no back on them, but my wife says you can't get them anymore. True? If so, why, and what else can we try?

[lsolaBella]

Half boosters have been written out if the Australian standard as there is no longer an exemption for the seats not to have to pass side impact tests.

Try an SnS HLiner.

I would not be allowing my 9 yo to sit in the front seat if there are seats in the back.

My kids will be in boosters until they can pass the five step test for each car they travel in.

http://childrestraints.co.nz/seatbelts.php


The 5 step test will tell if your child is big enough for the adult belt.
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?

2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?

3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?

4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?

5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right for the best crash protection.Your child will be more comfortable, too!
5 Step Test

[His Boy Elroy]

Hmmm, I thought I saw some of those seat only boosters at Target or Big W a couple of months ago........

I agree 100% with the PPer.

[dae-gu]

Hmmm, I thought I saw some of those seat only boosters at Target or Big W a couple of months ago........

I think there are some still available.....just old stock, but once they are gone, that will be it, and you won't be able to buy them new anymore.

[lsolaBella]

You may still find a half booster around, but yes they are becoming rarer.

[2bundles]

My kids are 8&10. The 8yr old is still in a booster, the 10yr old has been without it for around 18mths.

Neither are ever allowed to sit in the front seat.

Yes my 8yr old sometimes talks about some of her friends that don't have boosters and asks when she can come out, but I tell her I am trying to keep her safe and I don't care what others do. She is only 120cm and IMO way too small to be without a booster.

I guess what I am saying is, it is a parent decision not the child's. perhaps let your older one sit in the back without a booster and tell the 7 yr old they can come out when they are 9. Then be tough.

[liveworkplay]

The Vicroads website says they should keep using boosters till they're 145cm tall, because their legs aren't long enough to reach the edge of the seat properly, causing them to slump, which means their hips aren't held by the lap part of the belt properly.

My nearly 9 year old is 140cm and can sit comfortably without a booster now in the correct position. We have a half booster that we use if my nearly 7 year old goes into someone elses car in which doesn't have a booster. My nearly 9 year old occasionally sits in the front, mostly when there is no room left in the back.

As to whether they stay in boosters. We have told ours they have to be 140cm to come out of one. DH promised DD1 she could come out of hers after her 8th birthday much to my annoyance, so she was 138cm.

[pters]

My kids will be in boosters until they can pass the five step test for each car they travel in.

http://childrestraints.co.nz/seatbelts.php

Thanks for that, I'll try to comply, but that site illustrates the problem for this age group perfectly. Look at the links at the bottom of the page. Where's the link for 8+?

The "Types of car seats" link lists:

• Infant seats - For babies under 12 months
• Toddler seats - For children 1-4 years of age
• Booster seats - For children 4-8 years of age
• Child harness - For children over 4 years of age
• Seat belt - For children over 8-12 years of age

So the 7 year old has to stay in her booster, but the 9 year old is in limbo when it comes to finding a booster that fits him properly.

I'm also confused by the phasing out of the "booster cushions". Yes, they don't have side protection, but they'll let the child pass the five tests, won't they?

I'd much rather have the side protection too, but how?

All the ads I've seen for boosters of any kind list the recommended ages as 4-8. Are we waiting for the manufacturers to catch up with the new regulations?

[pters]

Hmmm, I thought I saw some of those seat only boosters at Target or Big W a couple of months ago........

I agree 100% with the PPer.

What does PPer mean, please?

[lucky 2]

pp'er would mean the pp, ie the person who wrote the previous post(er) (ie pp). But, pp could mean the person who wrote the post directly above or earlier in the thread.
Confusing huh?