Help - dd keeps undoing her car seat!

[Eulalia]

dd aged 2.9 can now very easily press the red button on her car seat to release the straps. She will do this at any opportunity - usually when we have stopped but also when driving along. Someone suggested putting her in a harness and then tying that to the car seat. However I can't see where to tie the straps and besides this would make it very complicated to get her out of the car seat and time consuming which is surely not safe in case of an emergency.

There seems to be plenty of seat beat covers available to prevent children undoing their belts but these are just for standard car belts not for car seat ones.

I have obviously tried asking her not to do it but she just thinks its funny and distractions just don't work for long enough. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[starlover]

I think all kids go through this phase, unfortunately.
The best solution I have seen, is to stop the car every time she does it. Tell her the car won't work unless she is strapped in.
Also give her plenty of things to occupy her so that she won't be thinking about her straps...
I am sure she will grow out of it eventually... but it's incredibly exasperating.

As you say, mesing around with the straps, or putting an extra harness on her really isn't going to be safer if she needed to be got out of the car in a hurry, so I wouldn't suggest that at all!

[scotlou]

My neighbour used to turn the buckle bit round so the button was inward - she could still undo it easily but her twins couldn't! She also stopped the car suddenly (quiet road and going very slowly) on one occasion so the twins slipped off their seats and got a fright. Don't know if I would recommend this - but worked for her!

[coffeebean]

Try www.sunshinekids.co.uk - go to travel section and product called "hands off" - I was given some in a free safety pack but as yet haven't had to use them so don't know if they actually work!

[NotQuiteCockney]

DS1 went through a phase like this, with getting his arms and shoulders out. We would immediately stop his music, and only start it again when he sat properly.

[Eulalia]

Thanks. I don't play music in the car usually mainly because of ds who is autistic and has all sorts of rules about music/windows being open/lights being on etc. OK he is at school but don't want to get dd into habits and have to change them at the weekends. I think she would see the connection anyway. Fortunatley she only seems to do it when we are driving slowly and hasn't attempted it yet on the dual carriageway at 60 mph.

lockets - if you look at the picture you can see that the little boy could easily press the red button on his seat - that is very similar to dd's seat so wouldn't work

Don't think I can reverse the lock unfortunately.

The hands off thing looks itneresting but can't see how it works. dd's button actually presses downwards rather than inwards (which would be more difficult) so not sure about this.... anyway thanks everyone for the suggestions and keep them coming....

[Eulalia]

Should have previewed - that should be "I don't think she would see the connection anyway". And that should be a face.

[CountessDracula]

oh I have the same problem, was going to post about it. The only thing I can think of is a straitjacket! My dd worms her way out of her seat with the buckle so I bought a new one, the type where the seatbelt goes across her, but she worms her way out of that too Think I will have to try the stopping thing, though hard when you are on the motorway etc.

[Eulalia]

CD - thanks as I was considering that kind of seat but I know she'd also wiggle underneath it.

[Satine]

You could try the 'desperate housewives' solution.....

[Eulalia]

What is that Satine?

[Tommy]

I bought a "play tray" for my DS that fits over the seat and found that he couldn't undo the clasp when it was on - didn't buy it for that purpose but it worked! I got mine from Britax but maybe you can get them for other seat too.

[Ameriscot2005]

We have a chest buckle on DD's carseat (standard in the USA) and she can't undo this.

[iota]

I'm amazed at kids who can undo the buckles- my 2 boys have never been able to manage it as toddlers - and ds2 is 3.5. He sits in his seat and cries for ds1 (5.5) to undo it for him.

The seats we've used are Britax Elite and Freeway

[emmatmg]

My Ds1 did that once....only once and I went mad at him.

I know it's an extreme solution but I told him I'd have to take him to the police station as it was such a bad thing to do, and the police man would be very cross.



He never did it again.....and I didn't go to the police station.

[Eulalia]

Thanks again.

Don't think dd has a clue what a policeman is - agree I should have been more annoyed the first time although I am sure it was when ds was in the car. I find it VERY hard to discipline dd with ds around as due to his autism he tries to discipline her too and it often ends up with him hitting her.

I think I'll try a tray although she does have a box of toys next to her and was playing with something yesterday and dropped it and of course proceeded to undo her belt to retrive it! Arggh I can't win!

Will see how it goes and may have to buy another although knowing dd she will manage to undo anything - she is very dexterous!

[tigermoth]

eulalia, no magic solution, but just wanted to tell you about my youngest son (now aged 5.5). He too was a very dexterous toddler and very strong, too. He didn't undo his car seat but could wriggle free of the straps, no matter how tight they were or what seat we used (we tried 3 or 4 different models). It was a real problem and I assumed he would be like this forever.

Very luckily for us, after a year or so, he decided not to bother any more. We also had two minor car crashes during that time. ds was strapped in, but I know it frightened him. We also kept telling him how important the straps were, and kept stopping the car if he undid them. Slowly he stopped struggling to escape.

He has a booster seat now and I'm trying to get him to undo his car seat belt when I park the car, so he can get out independently. Guess what - the contrary little soul won't co-operate and sits there waiting for me to release him!

[Eulalia]

The situation is getting worse so have decided to buy a booster seat. If she wriggles under that maybe I could use a harness and slip it round the back itself so the whole thing could be removed quickly in an emergency. I can only try! Anyway can anyone tell me where to buy those seat belt locks for the car's seat belts. I just tried a search and can't find anything. Mothercare don't have them. Also are they childproof!!!!?

[tigermoth]

Have you tried getting your dd to wear gloves eulalia? I don't know if it would work, but if you could find a pair (probably with fingers) that she can't get off her hands it might impede her efforts.

Anyway, good luck with the booster seat and I hope someone can help with the seat belt lock.

[Eulalia]

That's weird tigermoth because this morning she had her gloves on and was complaining she couldn't get the seat undone. However of course no doubt she'll just learn to take the gloves off. She tends to undress in the car anyway - shoes, socks etc.... arghhh!

[Skribble]

I always used "the car won't move unless your belted in" Can be a total pain if in a hurry. DD undid it once to pick something up and I did total drama bit, deadly serious (was on motorway) and she hasn't forgotton that.

Kids started screaming at me if not belted in yet and I start the car. Now 5 and 8.

They just can't imagine not being belted in.

[LIZS]

Is this what you are looking for?

[Eulalia]

Yes thanks LIZS that is it.

[Katemum]

Hi, tried one of those seat belt locks with my DS and he had no trouble getting it off and undoing the seatbelt, sorry. Stopping the car and getting very cross with him was the only thing that finally worked.