old car seat tantrums

[honeyhen]

everytime we try to get my 2 year old in his car seat or pram it results in a massive tantrum (think 10 mins upwards!) I'm exhausted and starting to feel isolated as its much easier just to stay home. Nothing seems to work Any ideas?

When all else fails, I resort to the offer of a tiny chocolate. Its a bribe and I am in theory totally against it, but as I say, if all else fails, that usually works.

I used to tie a toy to the headrest in my car on a string and now I have CDs in the car. With the pram could you let him walk for some of the time, and then get in when he has had enough of that.

urghh. I had this with my DS at the same age. Buying a children's CD (him getting to chose) helped me, as his enthusiasm to get in the car for the first few times broke the cycle, and his tantrums moved onto a different target (e.g. bath time!). But that obviously won't work if your DS already accustomed to having his music in car.

I also do the food thing, but so as not to make (me!) feel I'm bribing him, I do it with his regular snacks '"right, we'll have your snack in the car on the way to xx today, here's the pot, you carry it to the car".

Have you tried doing the 'big boy now, show me how you can climb into your carseat/pushchair on your own" ruse?

The playful parenting approach would be to make getting into his pushchair/carseat the best game he has ever played, and one he wants to repeat again and again - my imagination is failing me at the moment, but I'm sure someone will come up with something!