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Baby fights like mad getting into car seat- help!
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Anonymous
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DS is almost 13 months old and for several months now, has been fighting his hardest every time we put him in his car seat. He is a very tall kid and seems to have the strength of a grown man when it comes to resisting. A lot of times it takes me close to 10 mins to get him in there. DH can kind of fold him up and put him in (though he fights DH really hard too) but I don't have the same leverage, I suppose. Another problem is that he is in a rear-facing seat so he immediately scrambles to his feet, using the back of the van seat to push off and hang off of. I try to have my DD distract him or make him laugh but sometimes that inflames him even more. I've gotten to where I keep a small box of goldfish and either give him the box to play with or give him a couple of them and then he's distracted long enough I can plop him in and buckle him up.
We don't intend to move him to forward-facing (though it would probably really help!) so does anyone have any advice? DD never pulled this kind of stunt so this is all new to us. |
Anonymous
| your technique with the gold fish is spot on - i keep an empty plastic water bottle, several board books, and a kids cup of puffs for my 12 MO in the back seat. She kicks and screams and fights unless totally distracted, and sometimes that means food. don't feel guilty about using food as a distraction! |
Anonymous
| Both my kids went through this. Both rear facing at that age still. It's a phase. It sucks, but it does eventually pass. Your idea with the goldfish is good. Also a new little toy (or something) to distract should help. For DS I used matchbox cars (I had a bag of them from when my brother was little, but you can get them for $0.99 at Target). For DD I used food in a new and exciting container that she could handle without spilling. Honestly, for where you are in this, it's whatever works and you may have to try multiple things. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thanks for reassuring me. How long does this phase tend to last??
I just worry that I'm setting a bad precedent with the goldfish b/c now DS will point at the seat back pocket where I stash the fish and say "more!" even before I attempt to get him in. Though, perhaps it's a worthwhile price to pay... |
Anonymous
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So sorry, but I just laughed out loud in my office because that is EXACTLY the situation with our 13 month old!!
New toys sometimes work but mostly, I have to get DH back there to "wrastle" the alligator. Glad to know it's a phase. Like all things, this too shall pass. |
Anonymous
| We are going through the same thing - isn't it amazing how strong they are!!! I like the goldfish idea - until this point I have tried the tummy tickle, singing, having her brother talk to her, etc. None of which are hugely successful. This morning I almost turned the seat around, but maybe we can stick this out a little longer ... |
Anonymous
| We sang through this phase. We always used something similar to the clean up song that works in preschools but with the words buckle up and a huge smile on our faces (gag) or we sang the hokey pokey, you put your right arm in....etc... |
Anonymous
| OP again. Do any of your carseat resisters also scream at the top of their lungs and sob? I can feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about it... |
Anonymous
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My 16 month old has started to do this recently, usually during the evening pickup from the babysitter's. I'm not ready to turn her front-facing either, so we just deal with it.
And yes, she also screams at the top of her lungs in addition to nearly escaping from the carseat. I think bribery is the way to go. |
Anonymous
| 10:05 again. The one thing we did that worked was music. Our CD player was full of kids CD's. I, of course, checked to make sure the kids were ok, but with the screaming I would put on a CD. For us it worked to play the CD. Eventually the screaming would stop. I did not give in and turn my kids around (it's a phase and it passes I swear. You just have to grow a really thick skin and stick it out). |
Anonymous
| my DD used to do this; she would pop her rear end so high in the air, i could not buckle her in! a friend told me to rub her tummy, and they sit back. it worked. |
Anonymous
| Sorry to say our 2 yo still does this. No real tips, but I don't see any good options and also refuse to turn her around. |
Anonymous
| Yes, DD cried so hard she turned blue in the face on several occasions from not stopping to breathe...using snacks as a bribe is also what ended up working best for me. |
Anonymous
YES! Although she usually reserves this for PUBLIC parking rather than waste it on the driveway. My almost 1yr old just started this and thinks it's hilarious until I have to force her body into the seat. From DC #1, I know it is just a phase. |
Anonymous
| I've resorted to physically forcing him to sit (when the snack isn't alluring enough). The crying and carrying on stops as soon as he is buckled in, so I figure it can't be anything terribly wrong. |