Escape Artist Toddler - Help before we have a car crash!!!

[Flamesparrow]

He must be able to dislocate his shoulders or something!!!!!

I pull his car seat straps as tight as I can, and he STILL wriggles his arms out. He can't get his legs out yet, but with his arms out he leans over the side and UNCLIPS the entire bloody car seat!!!!

I can pull over and fix it on normal roads, but his latest preference is to wait until we hit dual carriageway.

How do I stop it?!!? I'm leaning towards a baby straitjacket

I don't know if the problem is where his nappy is bulkier than a disposable, it has more of a gap coming up from his legs to his shoulders (iyswim) so he is able to wriggle his arm under there more easily?

HELP!

Surely Marsy's twins do this if no-one else?!?!

DS does this. And so does my friend's disposable wearing DD. So clearly nothing to do with nappies!

After fruitless shouting, SnugSits & 'we're going home as soon as you do that' threats (which only work on the outward trip, duh!), I give DS his favourite things to play with, and as soon as he whips out his arms, I stop the car, put him back and take away the toys. I make it clear that this is what is going to happen each time we set out in the car. I have had to do it once. (Which didn't bother him because he started trying to take off his socks to amuse himself. I whipped those off too and THEN the message hit home).

I think I have seen baby safety gadgets for car seat straps (to stop them wriggling out), and covers for seatbelt clip and button (to stop undoing whole car seat belt). I think I would try and make it impossible for him to do it before I tried to stop him doing it IYSWIM.

Kay's correct, there is a thing you get which clips over the bit where the seatbelt clip and button are. I can't rembember where I saw them though

my dts do this. (I think marsy's twins go on msn at night and train mine )

I think it is partly some car seats, but now mine have learned to do it, they manage in any seat. There are things you can buy, try googling the snugsit, which hold the straps together. Mine tore the snugsit to shreds though. I've also tried looping hair scrunchies through them to tie them together, but nothing works for long.

The only thing that worked with mine (once they got a bit older), is to spend a few days pulling over and stopping everytime and refusing to drive on until they had put their arms back in. I now jsut have to keep a close eye on them and threaten as soon as I see them goign for it.

How old is he? I don't think I really sorted it until the dts were 2.

hug-it new version of the snugsit, looks unrippable!

How much does he weigh now flame? I'm wondering if he's just too small for the seat as the straps tend to only tighten to a certain point, to allow for a certain size of child inside. I know he seems very old for it, but could you fit him in a rear facing one and see if he can still get out of that?

You shouldn't be able to fit more than 2 fingers underneath the straps once they are tightened.

Halfords sell the clip that goes over the main seatbelt to prevent children from undoing it. I had to get one for DS but tbh, it was rubbish. He just leant on it, causing it to crack and then undid the seatbelt!

They would be much more effective if they were made out of metal, the one I bought was plastic.

Gaffer tape....

My DD 3yo has done this a few times recently and it is just so annoying! I had a serious chat to her about the police stopping us and telling her off if she took her seatbelt off and it seems to have worked.

Maybe you could try keeping his naughty hands busy during trips with books, toys, snacks/drinks etc.

My DS2 does it also. Very scarey driving down the M1 looking in your mirror and finding the child you thought was asleep sat on the parcel shelf.
I pull his straps very tight too, and give him warnings about taking his arms out of his straps. I will keep an eye on this thread to see what ideas you guys come up with.

Oooh liking the look of the hug-it!

He's 22lb now CSWS, so def too big for the rear facing.

Keeping his hands busy - he flings the books/drinks/food on the floor and wriggles out

with the parcel shelf!!!

I would suggest the houdini stop

www.houdinistop.co.uk

It has been crash tested as well as approved by the ACRI as safe.

It clips on dead easy, you can do it with one hand

It doesnt move up or down without any real force

Our youngest was always pulling his arms out but this totally did the trick.

We feel much happier and more comfortable driving now knowing the he is fastened in securely and not with his arms out all over the place.

this thread is 3 years old

This would be an expensive option but might be helpful if anyone is wanting/ready for a new carseat.

We have this. DD is very snug and has no way of undoing any clips to get out.
She also uses the impact cushion as a little table to put her toys on. You can also buy little Aquadraw type mats to go on it.

We love ours, DD is very comfortable and secure. The seat is very light and easy to move between cars.
Scored VERY highly in 'Which' Crash test reports.

oh yesterday.. cross post with you. I hadn't spotted that.

Theres alot of Cars seat posts about at the mo and funnily enough they all seem to have the Houdini Stop thingy posted recently

This clown has hit loads of websites today with their spam about escaping from carseats