Today, as it was taking 15 + minutes to get loaded in the car and buckled in, I was doing a happy dance because next week, the twins will be 6 and will not have to sit in the car seats anymore but then, I remembered in June, 2007, Washington law is changing again and kids will have to sit in car seats until they are 4′ 9″ tall*.Â
So, as I was driving down the road and thinking that with 2 grandmothers barely 5′ tall, my youngest daughter might possibly be driving before she’s 4′ 9″ (she’s currently about 3′ 6″). Ugh.
I remember when I was a kid, and there were no seatbelt laws, riding around in the middle of my parents in our tiny Porsche 914 (only child) with no car seat and not a care in the world.
I am a firm believer in car safety, but one of the best mile stones is getting rid of the car seats. Much like when you get rid of the bottles or get rid of the diaper bag.
Ahh well, at least when they are 6, we can switch them to booster seats as opposed to big bulky 5-point restraint seats we have now, and may all 5 of the kids can have another inch or so of seat space in the mini-van.
*I looked up the new law before posting and it actually caveats 4′ 9″ or 8 years old.  This is a little better (I really was afraid she’d be the only 16 year old in a booster). Only 2 more years to go and we’ll be free!
