NO! Not the Baby Seat of Shame!

As any parent knows, you pick and choose your battles. With our firstborn, we made everything a battle. I think every overzealous parent does that in an effort to be Best Parent Ever And Not Make Mistakes And Mess This Child Up For Life, making mistakes and messing the child up for life in the meantime. We became more lax with each one after her, and then came Micah. That child taught us the meaning of lax like we hadn't known it existed.

There are some things, however, that we do fight over. Car seats are one of them. The great state of Pennsylvania declares that kids are in car seats until 8 years of age or 80 pounds, whichever comes first. We have scrawny kids here so the 80 pound thing happens well after 8 years of age. We've been in the land of car seats for 15+ years now, and still have 7 months, 25 days, and 9 hours to go before we're done with that stage of our lives forever and ever. Amen and hallelujah.

But the problem is that Micah is an observant kind of kid. He sees that Becky, Josh, nor even Luke are in a baby seat of shame when in a vehicle, therefore he sees no reason why he needs to be in one. I wish there were ways around this, but laws are laws, and we're not lawbreakers. Micah thinks there are ways around it though. He's tried.

Apparently, if you take Woody with you in the van, Woody needs to ride in a car seat. There is only one car seat, so he'll sit in a big boy seat.

Wrong.

So he tried another tactic. Car seats are for things that are dearly loved. You buy a bag of Doritos in the checkout aisle? Strap them into your car seat. Safe and sound. You bring your favorite stuffed pig with you to town? Strap it in the car seat. No more flying pork bellies. You get a prize at church for saying your verse (or in his case, making a great and glorious attempt)? You get the picture.

He was really mad to realize that didn't work out so well for him either.

We've only got 7 months, 25 days, and 8.5 hours left...

8 comments:

Michelle said...

Yeah... we're with ya, except in IL it's 8 years AND 80 pounds. We figure Little Miss will go to prom in a booster seat. She's still in her five point harness car seat because with 22 days 2 and a half hours to go until she's five, we're only at 32 pounds. Whee!

Roger Miller said...

I really don't know what the rules are to be honest with you. I have heard that it was just 8 years of age, no weight. I have also heard what Michelle said 8 years AND 80 pounds, but lately there have been a lot of commercials on the air that say if you are 4'9" or shorter, you need a booster seat.

It's amazing how we (in my lifetime) have gone from not needing seat belts, for the adults let alone the kids, to what they have now. Heck who knew that car seats had expiration dates?

We only have 6 years, 361 days left - oh and 17-ish hours. :)

Burgh Baby said...

I'm never letting Alexis out of her 5-point harness. Never!

caramama said...

Oh, Micah! That kid is very inventive!

My baby (just turned 1 last month) is already fighting the car seat, like his sister before him. Why don't they understand "It's the Law!"

Cute pic! No once and future kings in your brood, eh?

Debbie @ Three Weddings said...

When MA was 5 there was no law so at kindergarten the booster went. Diva had the law so I kept her in it through 2nd grade, but she turned 8 this month and it's gone even though I'd prefer her to stay in it. Peanut is like Micah and worse yet, she's in a 5 point harness. I was looking at booster seats the other day and the ones with the back can be used at 30 pounds ... she's 27. But when we open the van door, she immediately runs for the seat with no car seat and buckles herself in. Sigh. 3 more pounds to go, but I have a feeling that is not going to be good enough.

HalfAsstic.com said...

Poor Micah. I have to admit, he's productive with the creativity when he really wants, (doesn't want), something!

designHER Momma said...

I think it's totally appropriate for my girls to be in a 5 point harness till College. Right?

The Sports Mama said...

Wait, back the truck up.

When the heck did I blink enough for Micah to be almost 8?!?!!?