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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

anyone prepared to admit they have given up trying to get their toddler into their car seat?

27 replies

Tutter · 25/11/2007 18:32

because i came pretty close today

had to get home quickly

ds1 had a mahoosive tantrum and did that hip-thrust-i'm-staying-like-a-banana thing

took brute force to get him into the car seat

it crossed my mind to drive home with him loose int the back

i can't be the only one...?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

NAB3littlemonkeys · 25/11/2007 18:33

I hope so.

One of mine refused to get in their seat the other day so I put them out and got in the car. We are at the end of a dead end so it was quite safe.

sugarfree · 25/11/2007 18:34

Trouble with that is as soon as they realise the car will move with them out of the seat,you will have hassle every single time.

sugarfree · 25/11/2007 18:35

Tutter,I've had to do the (my)knee to (their)groin manouevere several times getting them into the buggy.

BroccoliSpears · 25/11/2007 18:36

It can take me up to 30 minutes on a bad day to get her in. Never been tempted not to though. Have been tempted to give up and just live in the park for ever and ever though. And have twice not managed to go out because she simply wouldn't get in the damn thing.

And I do resort to the most apalling bribery.

NAB3littlemonkeys · 25/11/2007 18:36

How old is he? Mine is nearly 2 1/2 and he tries to stop me putting him in his seat at times but it is a no-brainer.

Original poster

Tutter · 25/11/2007 18:49

he's 2.5yo

aka age of perfecting the tantrum

trouble is, our car is too high to use the knee-in-groin technique

serves me right for driving one of those cars...

OP posts:

NAB3littlemonkeys · 25/11/2007 18:50

DS2's seat is higher up than his siblings and he weighs a tonne so lifting him up can be hard if he is being uncooperative.

Great that you only thought about not restraining him.

sugarfree · 25/11/2007 18:51

Thats why I only said buggy my knee doesn't reach in the car either.

hoxtonchick · 25/11/2007 18:52

i let dd ride in ds's booster sometimes though she hasn't quite hit the 15kg lower limit. she's the same age as your ds1 tutter, & sometimes the thought of the fight is just too much.

sugarfree · 25/11/2007 18:53

What about a sharp jab to the ribs with your elbow,then a karate chop to the nose? While he's still dazed,harness on,jobs a good'un!
{wink]/

lemonaid · 25/11/2007 18:56

DS did that for a few weeks around 2.5 but got over it (phew!). Now we just have to deal with the "don't want to get out of the car" tantrums...

Much physical force and ingenuity was required when his campaign was in full force, though...

QuintessentialShadowOfSnowball · 25/11/2007 19:01

When we were in India, my oldest was just under 2. There were no car seats. There were no seatbelts. They had been chopped off. If the car had seatbelts, it was a legal requirement to use them. So all drivers, and most car owners chopped them off.

I had no option but to have my son on my lap in the mayhem of Bangalore traffic.

QuintessentialShadowOfSnowball · 25/11/2007 19:01

I had no option but to have my son on my lap in the mayhem of Bangalore traffic.

sugarfree · 25/11/2007 19:03

My 4 year old went through a phase a couple of weeks ago of getting out of his seat(when parked) and then scooting over to the opposite side of the car .Then waiting til I got to the other side the car then scooting back or jumping over the seats to the back.
Nearly reduced me to tears a couple of time and did have me sceeching like a banshee once before I got back in and sat in the drivers seat for almost 30 mins.
Sooo frustrating.

andaPartridgeinClareV · 25/11/2007 19:06

ds usually becomes more cooperative with a haribo 'but only once strapped in' not ideal, but gets the job done if you're in a hurry...

PanicPants · 25/11/2007 19:23

Sugarfree - ds did that to me for the first time on friday - the little monkey was killing himself laughing while I raced from one side to the other. Needless to say I wasn't laughing.

Sometimes tickling works - if you can get a good tickle in, he has to laugh which makes his body relax just enough to get those straps done up.

Have done the bribe thing as well - a biscuit or milk is nearly always guarenteed to work.

However, during the times when all the above doesn't work I have forced fixed smile, gritted teeth and dream of the day he's old enough not to have a car seat (sigh, only another 9 years....)

PanicPants · 25/11/2007 19:23

Sugarfree - ds did that to me for the first time on friday - the little monkey was killing himself laughing while I raced from one side to the other. Needless to say I wasn't laughing.

Sometimes tickling works - if you can get a good tickle in, he has to laugh which makes his body relax just enough to get those straps done up.

Have done the bribe thing as well - a biscuit or milk is nearly always guarenteed to work.

However, during the times when all the above doesn't work I have forced fixed smile, gritted teeth and dream of the day he's old enough not to have a car seat (sigh, only another 9 years....)

ScoobyDoo · 25/11/2007 19:27

Yes happens most days after picking ds up from school, not sure why she picks this perticular time but she does, i never give in though & in the end she gets bored & gives up.

I would never not strap her in because as soon as the car moved she would be jumping all over the place.

BroccoliSpears · 25/11/2007 19:28

I have dd's carseat in the middle of the back seat so I can kneel on the seat next to her to wrestle her in. Kinder on my back.

LambethLil · 26/11/2007 11:55

The only time I nearly gave up, a car then swerved at us coming the wrong way up a one way street. I had to slam on the brakes- they'd all have fallen into the seats in front at the least.

BibiThree · 26/11/2007 12:05

Make out that you don't care how long it takes, like you have all the time in the world and that the whole thing is just really, really boring. Sit in the drivers seat and let them get bored trying to get your attention in the back. (For the next few journeys try and allow 10 mins for this, leaving a little earlier than you need to when you can).

Offer them something nice if they cooperate. If you get in nicely we can sing songs all the way there, or maybe we'll stop at the shop for a chocolate frog later (or whatever bribe you think might take his fancy).

Wait it out. They get bored eventually - maybe even keep a book in the glove box to distract you from the mayhem

Best of luck! But whatever you do, don't move that car an inch without them strapped in - they'll know it's possible and that's your worst knightmare! DD still believes the car won't start until we're all buckled up.

BibiThree · 26/11/2007 12:06

Also, the whole point of the post - es I have been tempted, but never done it. They drive you to the point of insanity at that age, but you did well not to give in.

BibiThree · 26/11/2007 12:08

knightmare? WFT?

jenjenns · 26/11/2007 19:59

get them to climb into the car seats by themselves and try turning it into a 'what a grown up you are' kind of thing. Start by pretending to try and pick him up and 'oooff you're sooo heavy I cant do it anymore, do you think you're big enough to climb in?' make sure you arent rushing tho it can take a while but after a few practises the kids dash in whilst you're still loading the buggy. worked with both of mine (20 months & 3 yrs now they race to see who gets in first. Bingo!

laura032004 · 26/11/2007 20:12

DS1 was getting to this sort of stage whilst I was heavily pg with DS2. Anticipating a second C/S, I thought I'd best train him to get into his seat by himself. Now that I no longer lift him in, he's stopped struggling, and is very proud of himself for getting in without any help. We have a whole collection of cr@p on the floor of the car , any item of which can be used for bribery in case of difficulties (yes, you can have the Tweenies book once you're strapped in....)

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