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Parenting

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Original poster

Car journeys =screaming 3month old

16 replies

Nicnac81 · 10/09/2016 21:19

Help!!

Our little cherub hates car journeys!!

DH has just passed his test and got a car a couple of weeks ago, so we have always walked or got the bus with LO before.

Any tips on how to make a car journey less stressful for all, tried distraction with toys, dummy ( she doesn't use a dummy at all normally), we have the radio on as well. Nothing seems to calm her!

Any help gratefully received

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scoobyloobyloo · 10/09/2016 21:24

No tips but mine is the same at 10 wks. Also hates the pram.

Has got slightly better lately as I only put her in at nap time so she'll cry then sleep. Crying before sleep is getting less too.

I can't bear it as it makes me feel pretty trapped unless I use the sling and walk/bus.

Original poster

Nicnac81 · 10/09/2016 21:29

At least mine likes the pram... It's the only way to get her to nap!!

We feel trapped too, family is a 30+ min drive away, the longest we've gone in a car is 10 mins and it's like we are torturing her 😞

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TheRedCarWon · 10/09/2016 21:36

My dd only stopped screaming on car journeys when she moved to a forward facing car seat at about a year. We used to avoid driving as much as possible because it was a nightmare. Sometimes we'd put her in the front (air bag off, obvs) and that would be a bit better.

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Bryna · 10/09/2016 21:39

My middle one was like this, she would scream until she was sick every time we went in the car, I used to get her to sleep first before we went anywhere!! As she became older she suffers from travel sickness, so I wonder if that was part of the problem.

thescruffiestgiantintown · 11/09/2016 07:19

Both of mine have been car screamers. It's very hard and honestly I just avoided the car as much as possible. If you're accustomed to using public transport maybe go back to that for a while?

The things that helped included having them higher up so they could see out of the window better (ie having infant seat plugged into base rather than seat belted), a mirror fixed to the headrest so they could see themselves, not driving when they were tired (opposite to pp I know) and time.

waterrat · 11/09/2016 15:09

This is what dummy's are for !

Bryna · 11/09/2016 17:37

thescruffiestgiantintown they're all so different.My first DD would fall asleep within seconds whenever we went anywhere in the car, but DD2 was only quiet if I got her to sleep first then transferred her to the car seat!!!

Peachesandcream15 · 11/09/2016 20:14

My dd did this for a number of months then gradually stopped. I kept going with the 10 minute journeys to try get her used to it. I would talk and sing to her all the time. I would shake a rattle when I could (bit dodgy trying to drive as well, but at lights etc!). Gradually it got better and she learnt to relax and fall asleep on longer journeys.

Sammysquiz · 11/09/2016 20:18

Oh it's so grim isn't it, mine were both like this & I turned into a right hermit because I hated going anywhere in the car. Tried everything, but it wasn't until they were old enough to forward-face that things improved.

ODog · 11/09/2016 22:11

I have had 2 car screamers. Things that worked for one or both:

Dummy (but must be used outside of car so they learn to use it properly and associate it with comfort and not the car)
Switching to a Grp 0/1 erf car seat
Putting baby in front
Timing car journeys around naps
Different toys
Time

DD seems to have grown out of it at 4mo but DS was well over a year before he was reliably 'good' in the car.

Bubbinsmakesthree · 11/09/2016 22:15

I think it is common when they are tiny - mine would scream nearly all the time he wasn't asleep. I think things improved for us about 6-7 months. We had to travel London>Scotland by car when he was about 5 months, was torture!

NapQueen · 11/09/2016 22:18

Could you clip them in the seat, then tuck a thin blanket across them so they are extra snug, pop a dummy in, or one of you sit in the back and give a bottle as the other drives?

NapQueen · 11/09/2016 22:19

Or just blast some Queen or similar style music out the speakers.

BertieBotts · 11/09/2016 22:27

Some of them just hate it.

Do you have any friends with different car seats you could borrow and see if it makes a difference? Something more upright might help.

I used to find that singing helped calm DS down. And I'd sit in the back with him whenever possible.

Original poster

Nicnac81 · 12/09/2016 08:40

Thanks all!! It seems that singing twinkle twinkle on repeat and white noise seems to be working..... She even fell asleep during a car journey yesterday 😀

Only issue is i am growing to hate twinkle bloody twinkle😂

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Sparrowlegs248 · 13/09/2016 21:14

I have to do two very short car journeys each day and I think this helped. Long journeys were dreadful. But yes singing helps as does someone sitting in the back. Do you have a mirror so she can see you?

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