Help me, my two year old escapes his car seat

[airconne]

I've bought two different seats already. I've also tried the extra clip you put at the top of the harness.

I've tried shouting, putting him back in calmly, explaining - what else can I do ? It's so unsafe.

He just opens the buckles on every journey.

Some people recommend sticking some spiky velcro over the button as the texture puts them off... maybe worth a try?

Mine's an escape artist too.

We had a few weeks where car journeys took forever. Every time the straps were shrugged off or unfastened, we stopped the car. They went back on or the car stayed still. DC then learned that the car seat straps needed to be fastened in order to do things like listen to nursery rhymes in the car, or go to playdates.

We also recognised that wanting to be mentally and physically occupied seemed to be relevant - so, DC has books, toys and car games available.

Hey, you can get a different type of harness which goes around the back so he can't take it off and can't put his arms under.. I can't find the link though.. have you seen these car seats instead? Cybex so assume they are safe
www.amazon.co.uk/CYBEX-Gold-child-Pallas-i-Size/dp/B0B982C83H/ref=asc_df_B0B982C83H/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696352643958&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1993431219182810700&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007274&hvtargid=pla-1869926416738&psc=1&mcid=4058555e77bd378f863afd75b963c65e&th=1&psc=1&gad_source=1

How very irritating for you. Since he’s two, I would not give it any attention at all. Just stop the car say ‘No, we keep our seatbelt on’ as you buckle him up and resume driving. Rinse and repeat. He is likely doing it repeatedly as it gets a significant reaction out of you, so don’t give him one and he’ll grow bored.

Oh I also forgot to say he unclips his sister's seat belt at the same time. It's a nightmare

Thank you I'm also looking but can't find much

https://incarsafetycentre.co.uk/products/buckle-cover I haven't had to use these but have heard this type of buckle cover is very good.

The harness clips that go at the top can impact the safety ratings of car seats so good to check with your car seat manufacturer before using.

This is the one scenario where you have to really scare him. Be absolutely furious with him, tell him there will be consequences at home and follow through. Refuse to take him anywhere optional in the car and when he wants to know why tell him that it is too dangerous to let him go in the car. Just putting something over the lock just makes it harder to get him out in the event of an accident. Make him realise that this is absolutely a NO.

@airconne take them all out and turn then back to front so the fastening is on the inside and he cannot see what he is doing.

Have you tried one of these seats?

Yes. He can get out of those.

I once drove in tears for 6 miles with mine sat next to me on the middle console because she’d undone her seat on a dual carriage way that had all the lay-bys coned off for some reason! Absolutely nothing I’d done with her siblings worked in stopping her.
so in the end I moved her seat into the front passenger seat with the air bag off. Not ideal in anyway but I was at my wits end… she never even attempted to undo her straps again.

I stopped using the car when my toddler did this as it just wasn't safe. We switched to walking and public transport and then went back to using the car when she was 3 and she seemed to have forgotten she ever tried to escape. I think it helped that I could interact with her more on trains and read books to her.

Mine used to do this. He grew out of it but it is stressful. You can’t always stop the car and besides, it can turn it into a game.

How heavy is he?
what particular seat do you currently have?

You need a Houdini harness. Special needs children have to use them. They are impossible to get out of

https://incarsafetycentre.co.uk/products/belt-guard

might be worth looking at this if you have a BeSafe seat

Duct tape over the buckle so he can't get to the button?

He's around 12 kg now I think, maybe 13 kg.

We have a joie car seat at the moment. I also have a cybex one with the bar.

He forward faces.

He has something similar. It doesn't stop him from just undoing the buckle at the bottom.

so tricky! My daughter did this a few times and I stopped and got her back in etc. then one day (maybe 2.5-3) she undid her belt on a fast road and i freaked!
On instinct I really shouted briefly tbh - I was terrified more than angry - and I think it shocked her. She’s never done it since. Age 4 she still often buckles-off just after we stop the car but for a while she’d keep saying ‘we don’t take it off while driving’
i have no idea if this was a good/healthy approach (it was random) and also if it just worked cause of her nature.
my daughter has suspected SEN - and is very risk taking and also good with locks / buckles etc. Even if yours isn’t you might find some help though SEN parents?
Good luck - it sounds hard

I think this would work on 3-4 but not 2

My own 2 year old, years ago, did this. Once he did it before I noticed, and I had to brake suddenly. He hit the seat in front, although he didn't hurt himself. I stopped and told him off and he never did it again.

Not that I'm advocating this as a method. I don't know the answer, unfortunately.

When my elder son was 18 months he could undo his car seat and he used to pull my pony tail too. In the end I used to tie a chiffon scarf around the strap. I know it wasn't great because I'd worry what if the car caught on fire but in the end decided needs must. It stopped him from getting out of his seat on car journeys. This was years ago when there was less choice of car seats available.