Car seat safety

[Ladyonashortfuse]

My DSS, aged 2 and 3, are expert at getting their arms out from under their 5-point car seat harness shoulder straps. I've tried tightening them as tight as they'll go but this is clearly uncomfortable and makes them complain. What do you do to stop this happening? Can you get extra chest straps or something to prevent children from effectively unstrapping themselves?

[Biscuitbrixit]

You can buy a harness in mothercare for about £26 which slots on to the straps and dc wear it like a waistcoat. I reduces the gap underneath the arms. It seems to work for us.

I asked about chest clips and mothercare said that the UK don't sell them as they're a safety hazard for the fire brigade in an emergency

[KatyN]

How much do they understand?? My son tried this once and I shouted so much he hasn't done it again. I would also make the harness uncomfortable for a few trips until they stop trying to get out
Seat belts and hand holding to cross the road are my total no negotiation things.

[VertiginousOust]

One of mine did this for a time, I stopped the car every time and refused to carry on until she'd got her arms back in.

[Tfoot75]

I tell my just turned 3yo that if she gets her arms out while we're driving she'll have to have the straps tighter. She doesn't like them too tight so tends to only get her arms out when the car is stopped to get out.

[coolaschmoola]

If they can get their arms out the straps are not tight enough to be fully safe in the event of an accident...

[WalrusGumboot]

I've never had this problem. Sounds like the straps aren't being pulled tightly enough.

[treaclesoda]

When my son was two and three he was able to wriggle his arms out even when the straps were tied as tight as they could go.

I shouted at him, it didn't work. I tried to reason with him, he didn't care. I stopped the car every time he did it, as soon as it was safe to do so, and tried to give him no attention, just strap him back in. That didn't work either. I did reward charts. That didn't work. I punished, by taking away toys, privileges etc. That didn't work. He just did not give a shit. Threatening that we wouldn't go anywhere unless he stayed in his seat didn't work, because there was no journey that we'd be on that he actually wanted to do. In fact, that was the worst tactic of all, because it made him do it even more. My low point was once having to pull over around a dozen times to strap him back in, within the space of a mile. I was crying hysterically and he didn't care at all.

I bought a chest strap. I know they're not recommended but I weighed up the pros and cons and thought he was safer with the strap than not being restrained at all, which was the reality of what I was dealing with.

He grew out of it in the end but it took about 18 months of dreading every journey.

[treaclesoda]

Straps pulled as tight as they go, not tied as tight as they go.

[PotteringAlong]

Houdini stop. It's a Chest strap and I too weighed up the pros and cons and went with it.

[PotteringAlong]

www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=houdini%20strap&index=aps&hvadid=25378160727&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2290029212781657991&hvqmt=e&hvdev=m&ref=pd_sl_1lyo5b34ul_e&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[PseudoBadger]

Don't spend loads of money - you need this www.securatot.co.uk/besafe-beltguard

[Biscuitbrixit]

I wish I'd known about that pseudo!

I bought this: www.mothercare.com/5-Point-Plus-Anti-Escape-System---2.5---4-Years/632557,default,pd.html?singlehit=true

My dd's straps are definately tight enough, sit correctly at the shoulder and she doesn't wear a coat, she was still escaping.
She doesn't anymore

[PourTheWine]

We had this with my little man, tried everything to get him to stop getting his arms out but to no avail - we tried the 5 point harness thing also didn't work!

The only thing that works is to put his reins harness thing on backwards and clip them in front over the car seat straps, no matter how hard he tries he cannot get his arms out