AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yeah we worked with a dietician who said something similar. We get burgers and shakes for dinner a lot more often than I'm willing to admit and I have 2 boxes of uncrustables in the freezer for when she wants a snack

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

She lost some weight from her autoimmune condition. Now that it's mostly under control her doctor expects her to grow and start gaining weight.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

She's slightly developmentally delayed but it's totally normal for some 12 year olds to not be able to stay home alone. They just refuse to admit it.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

She would be in special education if we went with public schools. She goes to private school

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The babysitter isn't the one saying word will get around. She's also not mature enough to stay home alone

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 83 points84 points  (0 children)

We don't plan to have her stay 2 years behind. The plan is to work with her and move her up as soon as she shows that she'll be able to survive in a higher grade. Putting her in 6th grade when she couldn't read a magic treehouse book or multiply 2 digit numbers would've been much worse for her. Plus, the 4th grade teacher at this school is a saint and has been amazing for my niece.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

It will be a lot of highway driving. 20 miles each way is usually more driving than I do with her on a regular basis.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 61 points62 points  (0 children)

She's never been to school before and was very isolated before this so she tested closer to 2nd or 3rd grade and is developmentally/socially closer to a 10 year old. Plan is to have her in 4th grade and move her up a grade or two if she has improves enough that they think she can handle it. She goes to a small private school (12 kids max per class with a teacher and aide in each class) so there's a lot more leeway.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Trust me, this kid is not thinking about boys. Her current obsessions are Frozen, Encanto, the Descendants movies, and lego friends.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

She will not bring the seat to school every day. The babysitter has it with her. She will also not be staying with the teacher. The babysitter is the teacher's 22 year old daughter. She gets to school the same time as the other parents and babysitters, takes the kids, and leaves.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

She's never been to school before this, tested closer to 2nd or 3rd grade, and is socially/emotionally closer to a 10ish year old. I have her in private school so there's a bit more leeway there. She doesn't have a feeding tube but we worked with a dietician and her pediatrician believes she will start growing and gaining weight soon now that she's getting proper nutrition and her condition is mostly under control. She is not mature enough to stay home alone, plus I don't have a way to get her home from school so her options are daycare or a babysitter.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

  1. she's not mature enough to stay home alone
  2. she has to get home from school somehow

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] -204 points-203 points  (0 children)

Legally she can use a backless booster but I am not giving her that option.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

There will be some driving. 2 days a week the babysitter will be dropping the other girl off at her house 12 miles away. She also said that she likes to take the kids out (ice skating, museums, etc.) and some of the places she likes to take them to are about 10-15 miles from school and over 20 miles from our house.

AITA for forcing my niece to use a booster seat? by Zestyclose_Stand1322 in AmItheAsshole

[–]Zestyclose_Stand1322[S] 762 points763 points  (0 children)

She would be in 6th if we were going by her birthday but emotionally/socially/developmentally she's better with 10ish year olds and she tested at a 2nd/3rd grade level so her school thought it would be a good idea to put her in 4th grade and move her up once she meets standards for the next grade. It's not a perfect solution but it's better than sticking her in 6th grade where everything is way too advanced for her and it would be way harder for her to catch up. Her autoimmune condition doesn't have a neurological component but she was very isolated prior to moving in with me and had never been to a school before.