Hysterical crying in car seat by 9 mth old. Any no-cry solutions to this??

[Again]

We pretty much practice attachment parenting, in an unconscious way. I never leave him to cry unless it's just a bit of light whinging. I also feed him or walk him back to sleep several times a night. I also carry him in a sling a lot.

He is a very active boy. Started crawling at 7.5 months and pulling himself up a week later.

Most of the time he is very happy. It's the comment made most about him. But he absolutely hates being contained in his car seat. The first 15 minutes are fine, but then it just decends into hysteria. The other day he cried for half an hour like this and then fell asleep. Yesterday it was just crying without sleep and I eventually put him in a wrap in the back seat and he fell straight asleep nuzzled into my neck and stroking my skin.

I know it is wrong to take him out of the car seat, but it just doesn't seem right to let him get so upset.

What do you think?

Just booked an internal flight to see the in-laws later this month and will let hubby drive the car on his own!!

I am a bad mother. After a 400 mile road trip on friday, DS3 (23 weeks) did NOT want to be in the car for the return 400 miles the next day.
I bought an in car dvd player, and mounted it so he could see it. He stopped screaming.

I was going to rather quietly suggest an in car dvd player too.
MIL was disgusted that I bought one for our car "I think children watch enough tv" which yes I could see her point if I was taking the time away from some lovely outdoor persuits but when I am trying to concentrate on the road AND deal with the children I thought it was a fab idea.

We did our first long journey easter weekend and dd who never stops talking or moaning in the car and ds who just never stops full stop were good as gold on the whole journey there and back.

At the end of the day, if baby being quiet watching dvd makes the trip safer as your nerves are not frayed and you are not distracted (hubby pranged car last week as DS3 was crying for a feed as he was parking) then it's got to be a good thing. Safety over "worries about tv" anytime

My advice is to test the DVD at the back of the seat thingy with the baby before shelling out for the car.

My dcs hardly watch TV despite my best efforts. And I can't imagine a baby being distracted by a small TV for any more than minutes before launching back into histrionics.

It might work more reilably for an older child. My dd tells me she gets bored on long car drives.

Well yesterday I managed to drive for 15 minutes out of town witout ds whinging or crying. We then took him swimming and drove back home for 15 minutes, again- no crying. No big deal for any other baby but a major break through for us! Just wanted to update you all!

meandmyjoe, great news! So happy for you and ds. With these babies, it is 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. But he is getting there. The break in the clouds.

My dd used to do this , I found in the night garden and tellitubbies cd very helpful !! Very cute as she looks around waiting for po or tinky winky to jump in the car !!!If this does not work turn the radio up and be thankful you are in your car and not on a crowded bus full of london communtors looking at you as if you should only be allowed out with your child after 11am ( which is why I got my car ! ) ps sorry for going off on a random rant !!

dd1 was like this.

Now she is 2.8 and absolutely fine. Grew out of it at about 10 months or so, iirc. But it was awful while it lasted.

We just didn't use the car. We literally never put her in it for the first 10 months. It didn't actually kill us, though it was a hassle getting 2 kids about by public transport. We still saw relatives etc-I actually went down to my parents in london about once a month by train.

I'm resurrecting this thread in the hope people who posted can assure me their children grew out of it quickly, and hoping for good tips.

DS is 10mo, he's never liked his car seat. I hoped he'd be happier when he was forward facing (although I almost bought a RF carseat because he's a big lad and I didn't like him forward facing so soon.) But if anything his screaming has got worse.
He's not too bad in the morning, but from 3pm onwards getting in the car will mean hysteria. Today he was asleep when I tried putting him in the car, he woke, I fed him and settled him again, bribed him with a biscuit, but he screamed the minute I opened the car door. He fell asleep 40 minutes later, (10 minutes awake from my parents.)

I live near Manchester, my parents live near Sheffield, so far I've driven the Woodhead, The Snake Pass and the Cat & Fiddle with him screaming. If you know these roads you'll know they're not ones to drive with a hysterically screaming child.

I've always carried him in a sling, and he had got very clingy since I returned to work 4 weeks ago, my husband is a SAHD, he uses the pram, but DS is starting to fight going in that now too.

Any tips greatly appreciated!

bump Anyone?

Hiya, I was meandmyjoe so I posted on this yrs ago! Just wanted to reassure you that my now 5 year old definitely grew out of it and I can promise you yours will too! I THINK he stopped screaming on every jorney by about 16 months when he could talk but a lot of others grow out of it much quicker! No real advice, just had to time long journies around naps and distract him like a loon on shorter journies! Snacks and toys sometimes though not often worked. DS2 is now here and is far better at going in the car though he's still prone to the odd screaming fit in there when he gets bored or tired but at least it's not every journey now.

So I find your post only 15 years later to say I have the exact same question. You must be experiencing teenager issues now may be ;).

In hindsight, can you remember then how you solved this issue? Sometimes parents with experience have the best suggestions.
Hopefully you read my comment and respond :)