For anyone else who has a houdini toddler car seat escape artist...

[MrsMopple]

I know that there have been threads on this before, and I tried moving the harness straps lower and higher to try to stop my ds from getting his arms out (especially after having seen crash test dummy pictures of what could happen in a crash if he had his arms out and was only restrained by a lap belt). I also read in these threads that it is illegal to put any extra restraining things across the straps because of release in an emergency situation, but agreed with the poster who said that she'd take the chance rather than risk the injuries if not properly restrained.
My ds now sits very nicely in his car seat and doesn't take his arms out, thanks to a few trips using one of these:

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I put it across the straps above the buckle and it either stopped him getting his arms out in the first few minutes of the journey, after which he wouldn't bother, or if he DID get them out, I'd stop the car and put it back on, which he didn't like. I also would say before we set off that if he took his arms out I would stop the car and the clip would go on and this seems to have done the trick! I probably had to use it for 5 or 6 trips and the habit seems to be broken.
Just thought I'd share, and when I posted this in chat,the thread disappeared very quickly

I used one of these they are designed for children who get their arms out of the harness and are brilliant easy and quick to undo for an adult and dont affect the harness adjustment at all.

my 2 year old stopped taking his arms out when (after taking them out ont he motorway ) i screamed at him as loud as humanly possible right in his face that 'you do NOT take your arms out of your straps it is very very dangerouse and it makes me very very cross.'

Given that i nrt his parenst ever shout (we do have our stern voices) it terrified him... he cried and cried for ages and ages, and got NO sympathy at all, but has never taken his arms out since

helenhismadwife - if I'd seen those, I would have bought one instead! I didn't even know they existed, the links from previous threads I looked at led to a product that had been discontinued.

it is really good it breaks the habit and you can just leave it on so if they start doing it again then you can just use it again I still have it on dd's seat

ooh that looks really good, I might try that lock tite. I had a snugsit, the fabric thing that goes over the straps, but my dts tore that to shreds. Maybe others were doing the same.

The site helen linked to costs £5.45 for delivery. I've found it cheaper on ebay.

DS was. We went through three and then started using 'toys to be taken away if arms come out' as a punishment/bribe. Every now and again we have to repeat the process but on the whole it's been successful. Mind you, am sorely tempted by a Loctite.

I bought mine on ebay as well but just wanted to use a link that would be less likely to disapear

my locktites came today. Spent 20 mins undoing the straps, threading the thing on, then put dt2 in it. He promptly undid it and sat there grinning at me.

I've put it on backwards now, so that the catch is underneath and that seems a bit better. COnsidering they are aimed at houdinis though, you would think they'd be a bit harder to open.