How can I prise DD out of her "baby" car seat and into a new one?!

[jamsandwich]

DD is 3 and very tall for her age - has been sprouting out of her old car seat (the sort for up to age 4ish - not in her case) for the last 6 months and now her head is totally out of it so I don't think it will be much good if we have a crash. She also moans constantly about the straps - that 5 point business must really dig in and messes up her pretty dresses that she's obsessed with.

So we got the next size up of car seat about 4 months ago and still have not been able to get her into the bloody thing. Have tried bribery (stickers, chocolate etc) and removing old seat to force her into it (she just goes crazy so I don't feel able to drive anywhere). My latest, desperate and completely unsuccessful ploy is to have both seats next to each other in the back, not mentioning the new one directly, I just make subtle, wistful comments about how nice it would be to sit in a big girl's seat, just one strap, much more space, easier for her to get in and out of (she really struggles with this now) blah blah. So far (4 weeks into the campaign) and it's still not had any effect. I can see her age 9, still folding herself up to get in the old one!

I should add that she is like this with every new thing - new clothes, new spoon, food even new people walking into the house. But usually I find a strategy. Anyone else been there? When do most people find dcs are emotionally mature enough to handle the new freedoms that the "grown up" car seat offers?!

is your dd 15 kgs? mine is nearly 3.5 and not nearly heavy enough to go into big girl one so cant help really. we can only go to 'this place you really erally like' in your new car seat? (find somewhere she really wants to go?) maybe?

I would pick a time where you dont have anywhere you NEED to be over the next few days. Get rid of old car seat - really get rid, so its gone not an option. Tell her its the law, police say you cant drive with her in baby one as she is not a baby. Refuse to take her anywhere unless she sits in new car seat. Shall we go to the (insert fun thing that requires car journey) act normal, get in car etc, if she refuses give her one chance "you get in that car seat or we dont go." she refuses to get in, then she doesnt get to go.

roffle. I know i shouldn't but you have such a way with words
The only one i can think of is 'borrowing' another friends child and sitting it in the new seat - at which point your dd may well change her mind
My ds1 was like this.
My other two (#2 & 3) were certainly not, mainly because from birth they thought they were grown-up or the age of ds1, thus wanted everything the same as him . bit tricky that one.
We just used to end up making the 'old' seat / buggy / cup / coat [whatever] erm sort of disappear.
My youngest has only had this trait over one thing, and it was a small buggy. She amazingly decided that when baby twins arrived next door, that they had to have the old buggy . Hasty charades arranged with helpful neighbours, for DD's benefit.
No way us mere parents can work out the minds of toddlers.

giraffe - love it, love it! Why didn't I think of that?! The police are quite a big deal to her - obviously don't want to scare her, but she does have a sense of there being rules (just that she doesn't tend to follow them).
I can see us getting into a hilarious stand-off with me not being able to go to work/ take her to nursery for weeks (best excuse ever for asking for time off! please sir, dd won't sit in her new shiny car seat!) but it's got to be worth a try.

Nowwearefour - yes she's 17kg, although she was too tall for the darned thing when she was 14kg

gigglewitch - another ace suggestion, obviously a good night for mn-ers. The question will be selecting the right child - he/ she will need to pretty robust to withstand the onslaught, but you're right, it could just do it.
I spent 7 weeks trying to get her to just TRY ON a new pair of wellies, then she saw a boy in the same ones, on the other side of the street, just a glimpse and that did it. Hasn't stopped loving them since. Bit worrying what it says about her and how she's going to succumb to peer pressure as a teenager...another thread I guess.

Have you tried putting one of those drawing boards you can attach to the back of the car seat - they don't work with baby seats as they're too high but, with a shiny new big girl one...

Sorry I was going to link to a picture but, can't find it but its basically a satchel type thing which attaches to the seat in front with a couple of velcro straps - the front unzips to make a firm drawing surface. It comes with a pad, crayons, pencils and felt tips. They are usually about £12.99 but, they were in Wilkinsons 3 or 4 weeks ago at £4.99.

brilliant - no I hadn't even thought of that one. She'd love it.
There are some very cunning brains out there, kids with wily ways don't stand a chance if we all stick together!

I used to put the new car seat in front of the TV for a few days, so they got to sit in it indoors, before moving it to the car.

They used to love it and play all sorts of games with it.