At what age should your child move out of a car seat and into a booster seat? The topic is a debated one, and personal choices on how to handle the matter can sometimes be met with criticism, making it uncomfortable for everyone involved.
One mom, though, recently posted a photo of her 7-year-old son in a car seat with a message about how important it is to focus on safety rather than outside opinions.
Louise Thomsen posted to her Facebook page, Paging Fun Moms, last week with a photo of her son sleeping in his car seat. She noted that he is sometimes teased for still riding in a car seat, but that she encourages him to ignore the comments because her main concern is his safety.
RELATED: WATCH: Doctor Raps About Car Seat Safety in Hilarious ‘Baby Got Back’ Parody
Mom Sparks a Debate After Sharing an Important Message Regarding Car Seat Safety
“No parent wants their child to experience ridicule BUT the statistic speak for themselves regarding children and approved car seats. Especially when they fall asleep in their seats,” she wrote.
“Take all the factors into consideration when making these choices,” she continued. “Don’t just follow the trend, follow the safest option to protect your family.”
The most up-to-date standards from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using rear-facing car seats “for children up to 40 pounds and forward-facing car seats with a harness for children up to 65 pounds.”
The organization further notes that as long as your child is within the height and weight recommendations provided by the manufacturing, they can continue using the seat even when they are above the limits noted by the AAP. Previous recommendations used to focus on the child’s age rather than height and weight, changing the age limits significantly.
Other moms chimed in on Thomsen’s post to share their support for keeping children in car seats longer. One mom wrote, “My nearly 7-year-old is still in a baby seat. About a year ago he and I were in a pretty nasty accident (we were t-boned) and I saw how secure he was in that seat. That helped make up my mind that it’s the right option for us.”
Another person shared, “My 8-year-old grandson still rides in a child restraint, a six-point harness is safest for him. I shudder when I see preppies at his school using just a seat belt.”
Thomsen added, “I’m blown away by all the positive support and stories from other parents. I’m also blown away by a couple of comments from parents who were being flat out bullies! We don’t condone that behavior here so I’ve had to hit the BAN button.”
What are your thoughts on this debate?
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.