Average height of an 8 year old?

[Disney1fan2002]

Ok, the new seatbelt campaign around here is the big numbers 4'9". The ads say that is the magic number, that is the height your child should be before they don't need a booster seat anymore.

HUH????

I went to the look up safety guidelines for booster seats, and all of them say that it is recommended that children use a booster seat until they are 4'9" tall but then they say typically ages 4-8. They all say 4-8. So, 8 is the average age that a child reaches 4'9" tall? We got some TALL 8 year olds in this country.

My son is 10 today, not small for his age in any way, and he is 55" tall. That is 4'7". My MIL is 4"11 inches tall. So a child just 3 inches shorter than her needs a booster seat. My DD will be 8 in July, and she isn't even close to being 4'9" tall, she may hit that when she is 12.

The saftey guidelines keep going up. A few years ago it was till age 5 or 50 lbs, then it was age 8 or 80 lbs, now it is just 4"9". Next thing you know, kids will have to stay in a booster seat until they are old enough to drive.

My 55" tall son fits in a shoulder strap just fine. He is too "wide" for a booster seat at his age.

 

[ktpool]

I have helped in a lot of the child seat fittings that are done at car dealerships, etc. and we had to go through training. I have NEVER seen anything that says that you can stop using a booster at 4 years of age. It says that most can start using booster seat at about age 4. Here is the link:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ParentGuide2005/pages/WhenDoYou.htm

The guidelines used to be 8 years old AND 80 lbs. Not one or the other. The child needed to meet both. The guideline is now 4'9", because as you pointed out, it is very difficult to assign size to an particular age and it confused people that didn't pay careful attention. So, a flat out 4'9" guideline is much simpler, don't you think?

No, how you get a 12 year old to sit in a booster seat, is a whole other issue, I agree I guess it just depends on what each family deems is an acceptable risk for them - and that is their perogative, outside of the younger child restraint laws.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

My son just turned 8. He is 51" tall and weighs 55 pounds. I have enough trouble keeping him out of the front seat in DH's truck when I am not around. He is by far my smallest child at his age. I do make sure he wears his seat belt correctly, but no way I'm getting him back into a booster at his age--and in all honesty, I don't know one mom in his grade who makes their child still sit in a booster.
Robin M.

 

[AC7179]

My daughter stayed in a booster until she was 10 and in 5th grade. She was (is) very tiny and liked that she could see out the window in her seat. We bought it for her when she was 8 and we drove to California and seh loved it and would go in it without complaint until she started sixth grade.

 

[pixiepower1971]

My 10 year old DD is 4'8" and barely 80 lbs. There is no way I would get her in a booster seat. She is going in to 5th grade! She fits properly in the back seat of my Explorer...knees over edge of seat, seat belt properly over body(seat belt is adjusted in the lowest height position)

DD8 is about 75 lbs and 4'4". Same thing for her as to fit in car. She is going into 3rd grade and none of her friends use booster seats. They would sooner forgo all activities then be seen in a booster seat! Talk about humiliation.

Would they be safer in a booster? I guess so...but where does the line get drawn? I have a friend who is almost 40 that is the same height as my DD10- does she need a booster seat to drive?!

 

[corie161]

My DD just turned 8 in May. Her report card for spring has her at 50.5" tall, at the 4'9" rate she would have to grow 6.5".

 

[donnajon]

In South Carolina, it is 6 years and 60 pounds. Seems like there should be some unifomity. I remember asking the pediatrician when DS9 turned 6 if he should stay in the seat until 8 like other states or is 6 really ok. He said 6 was really ok.

 

[Steamboat Marti]

My eight year old TOWERS over all the other kids in his class -- especially the girls. We took him to the dr. for his regular check up last week and he is 58" tall and weighs 104 pounds. He is just big for his age and has been since birth...

That being said, he has not been in a booster seat since he was 7 and I can say with almost certainty that none of the other children in his class use a booster seat. That doesn't make it right or wrong, just giving the facts. I'm all for safety, but my child is the size of a small adult now... I can't see him getting back into a booster seat. And to make things a little more difficult, isn't each state allowed to decide? or is this a federal law? I find the whole thing fairly confusing.

 

[ktpool]

Would they be safer in a booster? I guess so...but where does the line get drawn? I have a friend who is almost 40 that is the same height as my DD10- does she need a booster seat to drive?!

Actually, yes...the safety recommendation is that small adults use seat positioners to help them fit safely in a seat belt, if needed.

 

[bamajill]

Kids are ALL so different...

My 10 year old is 5'2" and 120lbs. (but I'm 5'9 and dad is 6'3)...he's going to be tall and he's going to get there fast! My dh was full grown at 14, so I think my oldest is taking after him.

My middle (7) is 52" and 65lbs. Tall & skinny....he'll probaby hit that same growth spurt big brother did in a year or two....

Baby girl (5) is 46" and barely 40lbs. Really tall & really skinny. She's just hoping & praying to hit 48" by November when we go to Universal. Wants to ride Mummy

My kids are tall....we are tall....I guess we get out of boosters earlier than most?

 

[lbgraves]

My DS7 will continue to use a booster seat until he reaches the guidelines...for me it is 80 & 8 so that will be a while since he is currently 54 lbs. His feet do not come close to touching the floor. I have extra boosters in the back of the van to use when we have other kids in the car. Some of their friends don't use boosters & even ride in the front seat of their parent's cars. They know that when they ride with me they will be in the back in a booster. One of DD's friends is petite & I always have the 5 point booster ready for her to use. IDC what their parents let them get away with, if they are riding in my vehicle I am responsible for them & they will follow the rules.

 

[daisyduck123]

DS was 8 in Feb. He's 55 inches tall and 65 pounds.

He's been out of a booster seat for about 3 years.

 

[YourMajesty]

My DS is almost nine. He is 52.25" tall and 68lbs. We still use a booster and no one has ever noticed and he has never said he doesn't want to use it. I don't like the belt to come across his neck at all. His brother is only 6 but is already 49.50" and 60lbs. We will let them ride in grandma's car or a freinds car without the booster. I'm not sure what the laws are but overall they just seem to fit a little better with the boosters in place.

 

[beckmrk04]

My dh's grandma is only 4'8" or 4'9" (soooo tiny!)- I'd like to see someone tell her to ride in a booster.

 

[crazee4mickey]

Both my 8 (she's 4'3")and 9 year old (he's 4'5") sit in "booster" seats like this one with no complaints as they have been told seat belts in vehicles were made for adults and they could get hurt by how the seat belt crosses over them:

Our kids have never questioned why and their friends have only asked when they first see it but then once we say about seat belts not being made for kids but bigger people they totally understand and wonder why they don't have one!
If it ever came to the choice of saving them embarrassment or safety, I think safety would still win.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Oh boy! This is a real problem in our family. Isabella just turned 8 but weighs just over 40 lbs and is 47 1/4 inches tall. She hates that she's the 'ONLY ONE' who still uses a booster but her safety is too important to me. Poor kid. Unless she grows a lot she'll still be in a booster when she's 13!

 

[BillSears]

My Sister maxed out at 4'10" sometime in her teens. I can just picture her hopping into her boster seat to go to the prom....

 

[crazee4mickey]

My Sister maxed out at 4'10" sometime in her teens. I can just picture her hopping into her boster seat to go to the prom....

The visual is just too funny.....

 

[Nicolepa]

It's interesting to hear so many say that their kids won't ride in a booster anymore. Around here all the kids I know are still in boosters at 8. I think our law is 6, but everyone I know still keeps their kid in a booster way beyond that.

 

[catherine]

My DD is 8 and always uses a booster cushion. At the moment in the UK children should use a booster cushion until they are 1.50 metres, and under 11 but I'm pretty sure that the law is changing later this year, and the age is going up to 12 and the height is lowering to 1.35 metres.