Help! DD keeps taking arms out of carseat straps, what can I do?

[babycat]

Have Maxi Cosi Tobi carseat. DD, 19 months keeps taking arms out of straps whilst I'm driving. Obviously I'm concerned about her safety. Yesterday, I noticed she had done it almost straight away and stopped the car and fastened her back in, today I didn't realise until we got home. I told her off but I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand that what she is doing is very serious. I'm not very confident at disciplining anyway. Anyone have any solutions to this?

Both mine went through a phase of doing this. I shouted so very loudly and consistently that they both got the message very quickly that it is Very Serious - not that I am recommending this approach particularly but it did work! It was usually on long journeys when if I am honest they were bored: so snacks and sticker books also work well.

tell her you will stop the car and it won't move until she is properly strapped in

a bit drastic this but...tell her the police will throw you in jail and you won't be allowed out for ages (MY DD1 came up with this one when DD2 kept doing it - they had just had a safety talk at school - it's the only thing that works for us )

Hi! my DD has just started doing the same thing! i have read that this is a common thing with the maxi cosi tobi. my DD has done it twice and like you i had to stop and do them back up again. I was told that you have to make sure the green bit is showing and really tuck the straps up by their ears (don't let them sit on the edge of thier shoulders) and then check the green bit again.

I wonder if you took the spring out of the straps that would work?

LOL @ the police - DD1 never did it again after I pulled onto the hard shoulder of the motorway to strap her back in and a very big very bald traffic officer came to see if I was ok and told her to keep her arms in!

ps - i did act very shocked and concerned when i saw she had done it and told her she mustn't do it (like you say at 18/19 months i'm not sure they would understand the whole seriousness and threats thing) and i have to say when she saw how upset i was (big face and 'oh no what have you done?!!' made her quite concerned and she then tried to put her arms back in and got upset when she couldn't do it!

My dd2 does this to, i can't shout at her as she has autism and just does'nt react to 'NO', i have tought dd1 to tuck her arms back in for her , dd2 just thinks its one big game.

I have bought a gadget that allows you hook the top straps together really securely so they are pinned into the seat. You can get it online and from baby shops, not sure of the brand though.

pps Very funny at the thought of the police officer and a very well behaved child sitting carefully!

my dd went through a phase of this too, i kept stopping the car and strapping her back in really tight so she couldnt even move her arms!! she really didnt like it and soon stopped taking them out, now if she tries too i warn her that i will have to tighten them and she soon stops!

bamboostalks somebody told me those hooks were a bad idea because you can't get your child out fast in an emergency? Don't know though.

Oh God! More worries! Hadn't thought of that. Nothing is ever simple.

Sorry . There's always something.

I have same seat. dd just 19 months,and has done this a few times. Last time she did it was unsafe to stop.
I yelled so loudly she hasnt done it since. I say put your arms back in now please. She puts them in straight away. So i know she understands.
Felt very guilty yelling,but dont usually, so thinkn it helped to get the message across. plus I panniced because i couldnt stop.

Thanks for all your replies . Guess I'll just have to stop and shout very loudly whenever she does this until she gets the message. Think I've seen something in the Jojomamanbebe catalogue that connects both the straps together but not sure if this would work with this type of seat and how safe it would be.

even those extra clips didn't work for us. I jsut had to keep pulling over until they got the message. Still does it every so often now and I have to start the pulling over again.

actualyl I was a bit mean today and braked quite hard so that ds1 and his seat bumped forward. He wasn't hurt at all, jsut rather shocked and I'm hoping that might get the message across as to why the belt needs to be on properly, but he is 3 now so quite a bit older.

I use the clips and it worked for us. I think the chances of you being in accident where slowing down the release of your chil by 5 seconds would make a difference is far less than the chances of being in an accident when they had taken off the straps.

You do have to pull the harness very snug indee though.

this is the one I had

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sunshine-Kids-Lock-Tite-Harness_W0QQitemZ130173364868QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item13017336 4868&trkparms=72%3A984%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&trksid=p3286.c0.m14

it is about 4cm wide so it does reduce the amount of movement in the straps considerably

pull them very, very tight. That is all that worked for ds1. TBH though it was the beginning of the end of second stage carseat and he is now in a booster but he was a bit older when he started doing it, about 2 1/2.

My DD is 19 months and has been doing it since she turned 1. Doesn't matter what brand of car seat it is - she's been in a few she always wriggles out and doesn't understand that she mustn't do it. Thanks for the online link. I will definitely have a look as I think that's all that can be done. I had heard of the clip and asked about it in John Lewis but was told they weren't considered to be 'safe'!!! But what can you do...