I am in a very bizzare-type debate on the FP about whether or not letting your kid ride on your lap qualifies as child endangerment.
I realize that many of us grew up in the “cram all the kids in the bed” days and “we turned out fine” but I think those of us who turned out to be parents ourselves mostly realized what a terrible idea that was then and now.
That being said I also realize that people feel they have the right to do whatever they think is in the best interest of their kid regardless of the prevailing social norms.
Lastly I am aware that child seat laws are on the books in all 50 states, though it varies state to state as to the severity of the punishment, from fine to felony and that getting caught or into an accident is, statistically speaking, relatively unlikely.
So what are your thoughts? Let’s use a couple of examples and I want to hear what you think about each one.
Example 1: I let my 1 year old ride in my lap as I’m driving. She thinks its fun and I don’t want her to grow up in a safety bubble.
Example 2: My 2 year old rides in front with me in his carseat because I can keep a better eye on him.
Example 3: My 7 year old doesn’t wear a seatbelt because I think they are a gross overreach of the government regulation.
Example 4: My 5 year old doesn’t use a booster anymore because she’s fine and boosters are a PITA.
So what do you think? Ranging from clear child endangerment to simply bad idea...where would you rank each example?
I would also appreciate the law talking guys to chime in.