DS undoing seat belt

[bunnybunyip]

Hello
DS has a cybex pallas and has just worked out how to lean over and unddo the seatbelt, which he finds great fun and I find terrifying. I need to get a harnessed seat for him again anyway due to his size, do you think he will also be able to undo a 5 point harness?
If so, how do you manage? (He is only just 2, I can try using what I believe is called "discipline" but I am not sure he has enough understanding yet). I am especially worried if we get a rear facing, which I would like, as I won't even be able to tell he has undone it.

bunnybunyip - DD1 slipped herself out of her harness whilst rfing (I had moved the harness to the next slots too early and it gave her escape room).

We saw her in the viewing mirror, pulled over into a car park and proceeded to give her one of the biggest bollockings she has ever had in her life to date (she's now 5!). She was probably 2.6y/o-ish at the time. She never did it again and now she is in a booster she sits very well and doesn't mess with the seat belt what so ever.

You can try bribery (if you sit in your seat and keep your hands off the buckle you get a sweet/go on the swings/play with XX) or punishment (if you undo the buckle you won't get to go to the park/no juice carton/whatever) or you could try pulling the car over at the next safest spot and refusing to continue driving with him unbuckled (probably only work though with an older child though). I have heard trying very short trips like to the park 1/2 a mile away and letting them play if they don't mess with the buckle. If they don't they get taken home.

Good luck.

we have a clip from halfords - like bran said - we bought ours as we have a stage 2 seat in the middle and a high backed booster on either side,when our 6yo went to unclip his buckle he accidently got the wrong one and unclipped the middle seat,so we put it over the stage 2 's buckle to stop it happening.
i think it was about £5 and its fab,well worth a try :)

great, thanks, I had no idea those clips existed

He must have really long arms - I thought one of the selling points of the Pallas was that they can't physically reach the buckle! Thanks for the warning :)

bertie - its supposed to be lol!

My then 18 month old grand-daughter started slipping her arms out of the restraint on her baby seat. A friend loaned me a velcro thingy that covers the buckle and holds the straps together, but she quickly learned how to undo the velcro. I did some online research and found the Houdini Stop which is made in New Zealand. It's a strap with a couple of clips that keeps the two vertical straps parallel. I bought 3 of them, one for my car and one each for my daughter and son in law's cars. The daughter said I was over-reacting until she saw her daughter leaning forward with arms waving about the place! The Houdini Stop came out of the glovebox quick time! It mightn't stop your toddler completely, but it'd at least keep him restrained to some extent.

Thanks all.
I don't think DS has particularly long arms, he just managed to force himself into such a twist he leaned all the way over out of the seat. he is very tall for his age.

ds1 did this once, received a major bollocking a la Truthsweet above and never did it again. Was about the same age as her child and still recalls the telling off at 6!

So we were confident we could nip the problem in the bud with ds2. Ha!

Tried all of the tactics above, bribery etc, plus "oh no a policeman might see and we will get told off!" (Whilst conveniently parked next to a police car) and I am ashamed to say that I once even resorted to saying ok fine you can't come then and plonking him back on the drive and getting back in the car. Fortunately he soon came running and I was able to put his straps on. I didn't like this at all though or the messages it was sending so haven't done it again (only did the first time in utter despair at the end of my tether about to explode etc etc)

It made driving anywhere almost impossible to do safely and an incredibly stressful experience for all involved. If I actually managed to get his seatbelt on without a lot of crying involved (from both of us) it was a miracle and as I was constantly checking my rearview mirror to see if he was still in his seat I was not concentrating on driving as much as I should. It was awful and I dreaded driving anywhere.

He hated his car seat so so much that I have now ended up using the next stage up car seat- ds is 2.10 and so a little older that yours Bunnybunyip- which is not ideal for his age. It's one that uses the normal seatbelt. But i had to decide what was safer, a completely unsecured toddler or a secured one in a car seat that isnt entirely perfect. He doesn't try and get out of this one strangely. I just don't think he liked the sensation of being restrained to that extent (similar reaction in a buggy)

Good luck- hope your experience is better than mine!

theredsalamander - what weight is he? do you know if he is under 15kgs the seatbelt probably wont work properly and will not hold him in the seat if you were to brake suddenly never mind crash?

Sazm yes he's over 15kg. I did read the manufacturers recommendations before making my decision.

kool,lots of people think its juts a guideline,and dont realise the seatbelt doesnt actually work below 15kg :)