Car seat advice for an escapee tot please!

[CocoLoves]

Hello

My little boy (I'm new to mumsnet and don't understand the "DD" codes?!) has just turned two and has started to escape from his Britax car seat. I'm not sure what the model is but he's had it since he was newborn. No matter how tight I fasten him in he can wriggle his arms out and then starts trying to open the door. As you can imagine it is VERY distracting when driving and all sorts of 999/ Casualty scenarios from the nineties start going through my head!!

I was just wondering if anyone else had a similar issue and what car seat you would advise? I think he might prefer something a little more grown up that he can get into unaided (Mr Independent) and that uses the car's own seat belt. He's always asking if he can sit in a big seat and put the belt on himself.

Hope someone has a magic answer for me! :)

Xx

Hi, I don't have this issue myself But there are extra straps you can buy to stop little ones doing this.

Google Houdini Stop and 5 point plus. They're different products and I've heard good things about both of them. One might be right for you?

Thankyou!! They sound slightly like they're made for ferrel animals... So should be good!

Have you adjusted the height of the straps? They should start above the height of his shoulders, not below. Then they need to be seriously tight. Remove any coat / jacket first. Tighten the straps, then pull them hard and pull tighter again. If he can wiggle free they are too loose. It's surprising how tight they need to be. I have 2 very wriggly escape artists, but the only successful attempts were when ds1 worked out how to undo the clasp (aged 18 months, quickly dealt with after a bollocking) and when my dad didn't tighten the straps properly on ds2, largely because the shoulder straps were too low.

My ds is the same. Bought a Houdini stop from amazon. Makes a big difference but you do have to put it quite high up on his chest or he still manages to get an arm out. It's a nightmare!

Thanks guys! Yup, the straps are adjusted to his height, only a t shirt on and straps tight enough to actually leave red marks on him- I literally cannot get them any tighter! I think he's just fed up of the baby seat tbh. Which I don't mind as its a great seat and I have a new baby on the way so it won't be a bother to buy a second one. I've seen the toddler ones but they have to be 15kgs and I think we may have a few cakes to eat before we get there (I say we but clearly I don't have a prob on the 15kgs front)!

I bought a clip from eBay. Can't link but type" not Houdini clip" into search box.

It's cost £10.50 with postage works great.

Thankyou am having a peek now!

My daughter has a Maxi Cosi Pearl seat. After many valiant escape attempts I bought the Houdini strap. It's such a relief, she hasn't managed to slip her arm out yet. Annoys her, obviously, but I'm delighted

I assume you've got the child lock on if he's fiddling with the door? This is coming from someone whose son opened the car door as we were coming off a slip road on a motorway causing the door to swing right open as we went round the roundabout... Been a bit child lock obsessive since then...

If you do want a different car seat then I can recommend the kiddyguard ones that have a sort of bolster in front. Stopped my houdini and it's one that lasts right through the next stage too.

Mamas and papas Pallas.

Stopped my charges getting out of their seats and still using it now at 5

That's so helpful thanks guys il look at those ones now! Wow mumsnet is rather useful isn't it! And yes we have a door and window lock but today I forgot to use it- whoops!

It's all only really problem when he's super tired and angry about being in the car and then it's impossible to actually get him IN the seat!! So maybe (hopefully... Please!!) a new seat will create a bit of excitement!! A Thomas the Tank Engine always seems to = compliance so maybe il slap a sticker on it!

It looks like the Pallas has been discontinued but the kiddy gaurdian looks PERFECT thankyou!