2 yr old DD on car seat strike!

[barlow]

I've been having increasing problems getting my 2 year old daughter into her car seat and then staying in it. It sounds trivial but it is so stressful as it is such a battle and she gets herself in a terrible state. Also the more stressed she is as we set off the more likely she is to wriggle out of the straps. It got a lot worse after last weekend when the car was so hot but it is continuing now its cooler. She's the same if my husband takes her in his car.
I've been considering the "naughty step" if at home but hard to do if out as nowhere safe to leave her. Also sticker charts for getting in and staying in, but do you think they will work at her age? (only just 2).

We've had a similar problem - our dd just turned 2 few days ago. She would become hysterical at the mention of going in the car seat, so we decided to make it interesting and it's been great ever since. Before going in the car we prepare a "pot of goodies" (she now asks for it as soon as we mention a car trip) - a cup with her favorite caracter(s) on it, with lots of different things inside it - sometimes we put sweeties in it, sometimes biscuits - but it can't be all the same - we mix'n'match so she finds it very interesting and is quiet for the whole journey. You can even put different cereal in it - the varieties are endless. Good luck!

My DS1 used to do this. We used to turn off his music whenever he wiggled out. I think we'd stop the car, too. But the music was the real trick.

We got a special clip that goes across the chest (linking the two over shoulder straps) - so ds could not wriggle out of his straps in his seat, which he accidently discovered he could do. Also, your straps may need tightening (or made higher - the shoulder staps should come out of the car seat above where the childs shoulders are, if they come out below the shoulders, the child can wriggle out).

Grandad started calling the car seat ds's "pilot seat" (he is nuts about planes) as he never wanted to get into the seat for grandad. Now whenever we mention his special pilot seat, he can't get in there fast enough, he is so excited.

Maybe girls need a special "fairy seat" or "princess seat" or whatever (depends what they are into, I suppose).

Also, ds love Thomas the Tank Engine, and we always have some Thomas books on hand for him to look at when in his seat (he gets so busy "reading" that he does not even seem to know where he is).

I would suggest the houdini stop

www.houdinistop.co.uk

It has been crash tested as well as approved by the

ACRI as safe.

It clips on dead easy, you can do it with one hand

It doesnt move up or down without any real force

Our youngest was always pulling his arms out but

this totally did the trick.

We feel much happier and more comfortable driving

now knowing the he is fastened in securely and not

with his arms out all over the place.

Don't punish her. Make it a really fab place to be. Nice tiys specially for the car, chocolate buttons to eat etc. She'll grow out of it, but you're only prolonging the hatred of it by forcing her into it and making her associate it with angry parents.