Bates Family Part 15 - Bumps, Births and Babies

[choralcrusader8613]

13 minutes ago, O Latin said:

I remember hearing somewhere about a carseat that can be used up to 120 pounds, which struck me as odd because plenty of adult women don't even weigh 120 pounds. Are they supposed to still be using carseats? 

I think the law is (for some parts of the US anyway) that once you're 12, you don't need a car seat/booster anymore, regardless of height/weight.

[Coconut Flan]

The age for lap belts and no more booster seems all over the place:

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafety_laws.html

 

[O Latin]

2 hours ago, choralcrusader8613 said:

I think the law is (for some parts of the US anyway) that once you're 12, you don't need a car seat/booster anymore, regardless of height/weight.

Ah, that makes sense. When I was growing up I didn't use a booster seat past maybe age six or seven, which I think was pretty common for the time (mid 90's). 

[just...sare]

I never had a booster seat. I was in a car seat until I was about three (1983), my brother until he was almost four (1991), and my sister until about four (1995). I don't remember either of the kids having boosters, and I'm pretty sure my brother was turfed out of his car seat only to make room for my sister's, not because he had outgrown it, because he was tiny at four and hadn't yet had his heart surgery.

[16strong]

Not but a day after carseatgate does Alyssa take and post a whole big photoshoot of Allie looking adorable in a hat and overalls. Just keep looking over there, chumps and haterz.

[EyeQueue]

6 hours ago, choralcrusader8613 said:

I think the law is (for some parts of the US anyway) that once you're 12, you don't need a car seat/booster anymore, regardless of height/weight.

This is correct. There's a patchwork of laws throughout the US that state age or weight (I don't know if I've seen any with height, but it's been so long since I've dealt with this).

Our state was age or weight, but we did some reading somewhere that said height is more important because where the seatbelt hits the body could make a difference in surviving an accident (even with kids in the backseat). So we used the booster until our kidlet was whatever the suggested height was.

Of course the suggestions have probably changed once again since we last looked.

[Coconut Flan]

Spoiler

State   Child Restraint Required
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)Adult Safety Belt Permissible
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)Maximum Fine
1st Offense

Alabama<1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 4 (or 20 - 40) in forward-facing child safety seat; 5 (but not yet 6) in booster seat6 - 14$25 + points

Alaska<1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 4 (and >20) in child safety seat; 4 - 7 (and 20 - 64 lbs. or <57") in booster seat>4 (and >65 or >57")
8-16 (and <65 or <57")$50 + points

American Samoa<4>4No data

Arizona<4; 5 - 7 (and <57")5 - 7 (and >57")$50

Arkansas<5 (and <60)6 - 14 (or >60)$100

California<2 (and <40 lbs. and <40") in a rear-facing infant seat (eff. 1/1/2017); <8 (and <57") in rear seat if available8 - 15 (or >57")$100

Colorado<1 (and <20) in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat if available; 1 - 3 (and 20 - 40) in child safety seat; 4 - 7 in booster seat8 - 15$82

Connecticut<1 (or <20) in rear-facing restraint system; 1 - 6 (and <60) in child restraint system; booster seats only w/ a lap and shoulder belt7 - 15 (and >60)$92

Delaware<7 (and <66)8 - 15 (or >66)$25

D.C.<78 - 15$75 + points

Florida<5Not permissible$60 + points

Georgia<8 (and <57") in rear seat if available>57"; >40 lbs. in rear seat can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable$50 + points

Guam<4 in child safety seat; 4-11 (and <4'9") in child restraint or booster seat12 and older (or 4'9" or taller)$100

Hawaii<4 in child safety seat; 4 - 7 in booster seat or child restraint4 - 7 (and >4'9"); 4 - 7 (and >40 lbs.) in rear seat can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable$100

Idaho<7Not permissible$79

Illinois<88 - 15; >40 lbs. in rear seat if only lap belt available$75 ($200 for subsequent offenses)

Indiana<78 - 15; >40 lbs. can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable$25 + points

Iowa<1 (and <20) in a rear-facing child seat; 1 - 5 in child restraint6 - 17$195 (including court costs)

Kansas<3 in child restraint; 4 - 7 (and <80 or <57") in child restraint or booster seat8 - 13; 4 - 7 (and >80 or >57")$60

Kentucky<40" in child restraint; <7 (and between 40" and 57") in booster seat>57"$50 child restraint;
$30 booster seat

Louisiana<1 (or <20) in rear-facing child safety seat; 1 - 3 (or 20 - 39) in forward-facing child safety seat; 4 - 5 (or 40 - 60) in booster seat6 -12 (or >60)$100

Maine<40 lbs. in child safety seat; 40 - 80 lbs. and <8 yrs. in safety system that elevates child so that adult safety belt fits properly; <11 (and <100) in rear seat if available8 - 17 (or <18 yrs. and >4'9")$50 (max. $250 for subsequent offenses)

Maryland<8 (and <57")8 - 15 (or >57")$50

Massachusetts<7 (and <57")8 - 12 (or >57")$25

Michigan<7 (and <57"); <4 in rear seat if available8 - 15 (or >57")$10 for <4; $25 for 4 - 8 and under 4'9"

Minnesota<7 (and <57")>8 (or >57”)$50

Mississippi<4 in child restraint; 4 - 6 (and <57" or <65 lbs.) in booster seat>7 (or >57" or >65 lbs.)$25

Missouri<4 (or <40) in child safety seat; 4 - 7 (and 40 - 80 and <4'9") in child safety seat or booster seat; >4 years (and >80 or >4'9") in booster seat or safety belt8 - 16; >4 (and >80 or >4'9")$50; $10 for >80 lbs. or >4'9"

Montana<6 (and <60)Not permissible$100

Nebraska<56 - 17$25 + points

Nevada<6 (and <60)Not permissible$500 (min. $100)

New Hampshire<7 (and <57")7 - 17 (or <7 and >57")$50

New Jersey<2 (and <30) in rear-facing infant seat; <4 (and <40) in child safety seat; <8 (and <57") in child safety or booster seat; <8 and <57" in rear seat if availableNot permissible$75

New Mexico<1 in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat if available; 1 - 4 (or <40) in child safety seat; 5 - 6 (or <60) in booster seat7 - 17$25

New York<3 unless >40 lbs. and no lap/shoulder belt available; 4 - 7 unless no lap/shoulder belt available8 - 15 (or >40); 4 - 7 if no lap/shoulder belt available$100 + points

North Carolina<7 (and <80)8 - 15 (or 40 - 80 lbs. in seats w/out shoulder belts)$25 + $188 court costs + points

North Dakota<6 (and <57" or <80 lbs.)7 - 17; <6 (and >80 and >57"); <6 (and >40) can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belts unavailable$25 + 1 pt.

Northern Mariana Islands <5 (or <70)>5 (or >70)$50 - $250

Ohio<4 (or <40) in child safety seat; 4 - 7 (and >40 and <4'9") in booster seat8 - 14$75

Oklahoma<2 (or until outgrows the top height or weight recommendations) in rear-facing child restraint; <4 in child restraint; 4 - 7 (and <4' 9") in a child restraint or booster seat>8 (or >4' 9")$50 (up to $207.90 with court costs)

OregonChild seat required to 40 lbs. or max upper weight limit of seat; rear-facing to 1 yr & 20 lbs; booster seat for children over 40 lbs but < age 8 or < 4'9" tall8-15 (or >4'9")$110

Pennsylvania<7Not permissible$75

Puerto Rico<4 in child safety seat; 4 - 8 (or <57") in booster seat; <12 in rear seat>9 (or >57")$100

Rhode Island<7 (and <80 and <57") in rear seat if available<7 (and >80 or >57"); 8 - 17$85
$40 (for children between 8 -17)

South Carolina<1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 5 (and 20 - 39) in forward-facing child safety seat; 1 - 5 (and 40 - 80) in booster seat secured by lap/shoulder belt (lap belt alone is not permissible); <5 in rear seat if available1 - 5 (and >80) or <5 if child's knees bend over the seat edge when sitting up straight with his/her back firmly against the seat back$150

South Dakota<5 (and <40)5 - 17 (or >40)$25

Tennessee<1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 3 (and >20) in forward-facing infant seat; 4 - 8 (and <4'9") in booster seat; <8 (and <4'9") in rear seat if available; rear seat recommended for 9 - 129 - 15 (or <12 and >4'9")$50

Texas<7 (and <57")Not permissible$25 min., maximum unlisted

Utah<7 (and <57")8 - 15 (or >57")$45

Vermont<1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat unless front passenger airbag is deactivated; 1 - 7 (and >20)8 - 17 (and >20)$25

Virgin Islands<5>3$25 to $250

Virginia<7; children in rear-facing devices must be in a rear seat if available - otherwise, in front only if front passenger airbag is deactivated8 - 17 (4 - 7 with physician's exemption)$50

Washington<8 (and <4'9"); <13 in rear seat if practical8 - 15 (or <8 and >4'9"); >40 lbs. in position where only lap belt available$124 to driver if passenger <16; to passenger if >16

West Virginia<7 (and <4'9")<7 (and >4'9)$20

Wisconsin<1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 3 (and 20 - 40) in forward-facing child safety seat; 4 - 7 (and 40 - 80 and <57") in booster seat; <3 in rear seat if available<8 (and >80 and >57")$173.50 if passenger <4; $150.10 if passenger 4-8

Wyoming<8 in rear seat if availableNot permissible$50

Total States50 + D.C., Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands   

This is the chart not translating very well from the site I listed above.  You can see the ages for each kind of restraint and how it varies widely.  Some have height and some do not.

Also from the website:

Quote

Child Passenger Safety Laws

May 2016

All states and territories require child safety seats for infants and children fitting specific criteria, but requirements vary based on age, weight and height. Often, this happens in three stages: infants use rear-facing infant seats; toddlers use forward-facing child safety seats; and older children use booster seats.

Many laws require all children to ride in the rear seat whenever possible, and most states permit children over a particular age, height or weight to use an adult safety belt

First offense fines for not complying with a state's child passenger safety laws vary from $10 to $500. Some states also use driver's license points as an additional penalty for noncompliance.

48 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require booster seats or other appropriate dsevices for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely.

The only states lacking booster seat laws are Florida and South Dakota.

3 states (California, New Jersey and Oklahoma) require children younger than two be in a rear-facing child seat.

5 states (California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and New York) have seat belt requirements for school buses. Texas requires them on buses purchased after September 2010.

 

[georgiagirl]

It is so interesting for me to hear this discussion. I work in the Alaskan bush, and there are no cars in the village, just four wheelers and snow machines.  People hold their babies in their arms riding behind another adult.  They take the babies and small children to fish camps and berry camps. Families of six ride piled all over the four wheeler.  I'd guess most of the kids here have never been in a car seat. My kids are grown, and I kept them in a seat until about three or four.  It is kind of nice to remember that there is a whole civilized world out there.

[elliha]

I am an adult who would sometimes need a booster. I am only 7 cm taller than the recommended height in my country when they say that children can use the seat-belt only. Frankly, in some cars the seat-belts fit me very badly and cut into my neck.

[nastyhobbitses]

I'm 24 and juuuust over the height cutoff for booster seats. I haven't sat in anything but a normal seat with just a seat belt since I was about 5. I was also supposed to get pedal extenders for driving, since the only way to reach the pedals puts me too close to the steering wheel airbag, but I figure that pedal extenders will be a huge pain in the ass for everyone else who has to use the car (I share it with my parents when I'm back home, and they already hate having to adjust the driver's seat after I use it; they can barely get into the seat when it's set to me), and I'm not afraid to die.

[BeccaGrim]

2 hours ago, nastyhobbitses said:

I'm 24 and juuuust over the height cutoff for booster seats. I haven't sat in anything but a normal seat with just a seat belt since I was about 5. I was also supposed to get pedal extenders for driving, since the only way to reach the pedals puts me too close to the steering wheel airbag, but I figure that pedal extenders will be a huge pain in the ass for everyone else who has to use the car (I share it with my parents when I'm back home, and they already hate having to adjust the driver's seat after I use it; they can barely get into the seat when it's set to me), and I'm not afraid to die.

I think its really about neck strength.  If you were to be in an accident, can the child handle being thrown forward and backward and not be taken out by the seatbelt itself.  We've lived in NJ and TX and the laws seem pretty much the same both places. When my 10 year old was 1, I could turn him around in the car seat.  Then the law changed.  WHen my 8 year old was 1, he had to remain backwards facing until he was 2.  

[just...sare]

2 hours ago, nastyhobbitses said:

I'm 24 and juuuust over the height cutoff for booster seats. I haven't sat in anything but a normal seat with just a seat belt since I was about 5. I was also supposed to get pedal extenders for driving, since the only way to reach the pedals puts me too close to the steering wheel airbag, but I figure that pedal extenders will be a huge pain in the ass for everyone else who has to use the car (I share it with my parents when I'm back home, and they already hate having to adjust the driver's seat after I use it; they can barely get into the seat when it's set to me), and I'm not afraid to die.

My best friend needs the seat so close to the steering wheel that she can't actually get out of the car without moving the seat back again.

[19 cats and counting]

A former friend of mine (we long lost touch, no hard feelings) used a chair cushion in her car.

[SassyPants]

11 hours ago, georgiagirl said:

It is so interesting for me to hear this discussion. I work in the Alaskan bush, and there are no cars in the village, just four wheelers and snow machines.  People hold their babies in their arms riding behind another adult.  They take the babies and small children to fish camps and berry camps. Families of six ride piled all over the four wheeler.  I'd guess most of the kids here have never been in a car seat. My kids are grown, and I kept them in a seat until about three or four.  It is kind of nice to remember that there is a whole civilized world out there.

My daughter lives in a So American country where there are no car seat laws at all and seat belts are only required in the front seats of cars. Many people ride motorcycles with multiple passengers, babies included. Most people use taxis and other forms of public transportation, again, no car seats. My GD HATES her car seat and was a barfer and breath older when placed rear facing, so she went forward facing and ta-da, she was a happy camper.

Her first year of life, when she visited the US twice, was a transportation nightmare.

There are no big freeways in my daughter's new country, so people are NOT zipping around at 45-80 miles an hour.

[formergothardite]

One of the big problems with the car seat in Alyssa's picture wasn't that it was front facing, but that she had the straps all wrong. In even a minor accident her daughter could have easily been hurt in that car seat. 

[SnazzyNazzy]

30 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

One of the big problems with the car seat in Alyssa's picture wasn't that it was front facing, but that she had the straps all wrong. In even a minor accident her daughter could have easily been hurt in that car seat. 

That was my biggest "concern". And by "concern", I mean I "totally had an amusing albeit bitchy mental picture of them getting into a minor accident where Alyssa throws her hands in the air and screams JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL".

[BeccaGrim]

6 minutes ago, SnazzyNazzy said:

That was my biggest "concern". And by "concern", I mean I "totally had an amusing albeit bitchy mental picture of them getting into a minor accident where Alyssa throws her hands in the air and screams JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL".

HAHAHA.  Jesus Take the Wheel. That was awesome! I laughed! 

[Kak]

3 hours ago, BeccaGrim said:

I think its really about neck strength.  If you were to be in an accident, can the child handle being thrown forward and backward and not be taken out by the seatbelt itself.  We've lived in NJ and TX and the laws seem pretty much the same both places. When my 10 year old was 1, I could turn him around in the car seat.  Then the law changed.  WHen my 8 year old was 1, he had to remain backwards facing until he was 2.  

A car seat also stops the belt tightening across the body itself, so protects the abdomen etc from seat belt injury.

[SassyPants]

58 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

One of the big problems with the car seat in Alyssa's picture wasn't that it was front facing, but that she had the straps all wrong. In even a minor accident her daughter could have easily been hurt in that car seat. 

I have helped my daughter install her daughter's car seats (infant and recently, a Dino Radian) and we went line by line in the manual and had Clarie sit in the seat for strap positioning and whatnot before we installed it into the car. Then I had my SIL physically install the damn things into the car.

Car seats from the US- car model not sold in the US- 2 languages- a country and culture where sitting on laps and within parents' arms is thought to be safest.

Fun times...NOT

[JMO]

Anyone else check out the Bates pics on Ellie/lily's blog?  Whitney and Erin are looking obviously pregnant.  As they should for their stage of pregnancy, but I hadn't seen any recent pics of them.  

[16strong]

8 hours ago, SnazzyNazzy said:

That was my biggest "concern". And by "concern", I mean I "totally had an amusing albeit bitchy mental picture of them getting into a minor accident where Alyssa throws her hands in the air and screams JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL".

 

[THERetroGamerNY]

John 12:49 is forever ruined for me in the most hilarious way. lol

[sophie10130]

I did know a fundie lite douchebro who would speed like the devil was chasing him. He was best friends with my boyfriend at the time, and when I told him to cut it out and what if he got in a wreck??? He told me very seriously that if God wanted him to die in a car accident it wouldn't matter if he was going 35 or 85. I never rode in the car with him again.

He would also race his other fundie lite douchbro friends and use the LEFT HAND TURN LANE to pass people in town.

Also, one time he got somewhere way too quickly and his dad asked him point blank if he was speeding and he said no, and when his dad turned around he admitted that he sped the whole way there but at that same exact party told my friend she was a slut and a sinner for having kissed someone before she was 18 so.............

He's a pastor now.

[elliha]

13 hours ago, formergothardite said:

One of the big problems with the car seat in Alyssa's picture wasn't that it was front facing, but that she had the straps all wrong. In even a minor accident her daughter could have easily been hurt in that car seat. 

I agree that the straps was the biggest problem but even in small accidents the risk of forward facing a tiny child should not be overlooked. Before 3 a child has such a big head in proportion to the body that even just someone running in to them at a low speed can be enough to give irreparable damage. 

[ladyaudley]

Alyssa posted a cartoon about strap safety with the hashtag #noneedtofreakout I have to say I find it bewildering and amusing to see how much Americans (and it seems to be predominantly Americans from observation) freak out about car seats. It's incredibly difficult to get a rear-facing seat for kids older than 18 months here, the government doesn't recommend it (although there's a petition) and it's even legal for kids over the age of three not to use a car seat for "short, necessary" journeys and for all children in taxis. Just because there are a million recommendations about safety in one country about something doesn't make it the gospel...
Eta: that being said, Alyssa did have those straps on wrong no matter where you're from