Any tips for mirror with 5 month old alone in car seat

[jodieeleanor]

I’ve got a mirror so she can see me, I give her her favourite toy and a dummy… but the second she looks away from the mirror it’s like she forgets it’s there and the inconsolable crying builds really fast, often before I can find anywhere to stop. I even hold and rub her hand as much as I safely can manage, I say go to comforting sayings that always work at home, sing our songs, nothing at all helps at all. Has anyone got any tips for me? I come back from a 5 minute journey feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus from the stress of her cries, I can only imagine how she feels! I’d appreciate anyone’s help, thank you!

If you can turn you airbag off then have her in the front with you?

@welshweaselthank you for your reply! I’m in the UK, as far as I understand it’s illegal under 15 months of age!

No that’s not true - so long as they are in a rear facing car seat it’s legal (and safe) from birth. You just need to disable your airbag.

@welshweaseloh wow thank you, I had no idea! I think you might’ve just changed my life 😅 thank you!!

Yes, it's legal if you can disable the airbag. It's only illegal to have them in the front seat if you can't turn the airbag off. It is very dangerous to combine a rear facing car seat with an active airbag.

It's illegal to put them in a front facing seat before 15 months but you can bring the rear facing baby seat into the front at any age provided the airbag is off :)

the inconsolable crying builds really fast, often before I can find anywhere to stop

This is going to come across harsher than it is meant to be, but if you pull over and stop the car every time she wails she is just going to keep doing it. You have to push through

I know it's really really hard, one of mine went through this stage, I used to sing as loud as I could to drown him out a bit. He might have been fed up, but he was safely strapped in and he knew I was there because of the singing so sometimes he just had to cry for a bit of we needed to get somewhere.

Also please don't reach back to rub or hold her hand while driving, that's super dangerous.