Car seat struggles

[laurac11]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice about car seat struggles with my baby. He is currently 8 months old and the last few weeks has started refusing to sit down in the car seat. As soon as I lower him into the seat, he flips over, arches his back and stands up. If I try to buckle up his straps he thrashes around and gets very upset. This has escalated to the extent that I'm now unable to get him in at all and I'm getting very stressed and anxious. I'm sure he is now picking up on my fears too which is making it worse. Has anyone experienced these issues when their child was 8 months and has some advice? I've found lots of posts around toddlers but none for my son's age group. I would really appreciate any advice, Thank you

Hi @laurac11 , my LO want as bad going in his car seat but he definitely didnt like it. Would cry during journeys and if we stopped at a red light all hell broke loose!!

My LO is 9 months and quite a big boy so we have just yesterday put him in a stage 1-2-3 car seat, he loves it.

Front facing and he just stares out the window and giggles all the time hes in it.

I no opinions differ and some think rear facing til after 1yrs is safer but for us the seat was on offer and just waiting to be used, we tried it and our LO loves it.

Also before anyone comments about being too young for the next stage car seat its fully compliant with new laws and it can be used from 9months xx

I ask him to hold Mummy’s keys while I buckle him in and that usually holds his attention to make him sit still. An interesting toy that he only gets given in the car seat works too.

Please whatever you do don't turn him forward facing, it may be legal but it doesn't make it the safest option.

My ds hated being strapped into anything (car seat/pushchair/highchair) once he was able to move independently. I moved him to the axkid minikid at 10/11 months, which is more upright and he could see me in a mirror on the headrest and look out the window. He still argues sometimes lots about being strapped in but he'd rather be playing with the light buttons/climbing through the car than sitting still. walk at 10 months and hasn't sat still since

Mummy, there's no way that car seat can be compliant with new isize guidelines/laws if you have a 9 month old forward facing - the law is they must be 15 months before they can face forwards!

Melty puff things. Or something shiny.

Welcome to the bribe and distraction stage .

I no opinions differ and some think rear facing til after 1yrs is safer and you know... legal.

Please don't forward face any child under 15 months. At 9 months they still fit in the baby maxi cosi/group 0 whatever it is called. However big you think they are, they're not big enough to forward face at that age mine were in group 0 until gone 18 months

I agree with posters that have said to keep rear facing.
Keep persevering as things like this are usually a phase and won't last forever. He's too young to understand reasoning so it will just be a case of distracting him or making it fun.

I'm sorry to say, that between the age of about 1 and 3, whenever DS1 had to get in a car seat he was also presented with a mini-pack of haribo (the fun-sized bags) as he was absolutely against carseats - whether rear or forward facing.

Luckily, we didn't have to go in the car more than about 3 times a week.. and he's grown out of it to the extent that he rarely eats sweets and only drinks water - but still. I just took the path of least resistance, as forcing him into the car seat was getting increasingly difficult as he got stronger and bigger

Tickle him. You can't do the plank while you're being tickled.

@Divgirl2 the car seat im using isnt a isize car seat its a weight based car seat which is very legal and compliant with new laws. Its the first thing i checked when it was purchased.

My LO was not comfortable at all in his stage 0 car seat. Hes a big boy and long for his age, i read that once their head is at the top of the seat - which his was - its time to move them to the next stage seat.

Forward facing seats aren't illegal and if i thought for 1 second i was putting his life in danger theres no way i would do it. He's over the minimum age and weight for the seat so i dont see a problem.

@exwhyzed I don't understand what your getting at? Both rear facing and forward facing seats are legal for 9 month olds

If you moved a 9 month old baby into a new forward facing car seat yesterday mummy then I suggest it's you that needs to check whether it's legal.

And you know what, the point isn't even if it's legal or not. The reason they are bringing in the new legislation is because it's significantly safer for children under 4 to rear face. It's not some 'woo' theory. It's actually properly scientifically proven.

The government have set an absolute minimum at 15 months, I don't know why anyone would chose to try and 'cheat' the system when it's child safety at stake.

@exwhyzed the car seat states age 9 months - 12 years and 9kg - 36kg, it also has the registered mark on since new laws came in. So if thats not right then how am i meant to know??

@exwhyzed The fact that your insinuating I am trying to 'cheat' the laws and put my childs safety at risk is disgusting!

I can only go off the information I read and if its got all the registered marks on then how am I meant to know?

I thought this page was to help and support other mums not put them down and insult them

You know and I know that the page you gave screenshotted says directly above the bit you have screenshotted that height based seats (I size) are legally rear facing until 15 months.

The government have allowed the old seat laws (rear facing until 9 months) and the new seat laws to run alongside each other for a couple of years so that parents didn't suddenly have to buy a new seat.

I'm not 'insinuating’ anything. The new law is 15 months rear facing (minimum). You have said yourself you have a 9 month rearfacing and have actively sought out a chair you think makes this legal.

My point was it doesn't matter if it's legal or not, the evidence shows that rear facing as long as possible is the safest option.

I say that as someone who knows a family whose child may have survived a fatal accident had they been rearfacing like their younger sibling. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them.

Yes your right it does say above the piece i screenshot that height based isize seats have to be used until 15 months.

But it doesnt say weight based seats cant be used before then? And if the 2 laws are running along side each other then the seat im using should still be legal?

Ill hold my hands up if im wrong but i cant find anything about weight based car seats being illegal. I have read over and over that isize height based seats HAVE to be used rear facing until 15 months but nowhere gives a age for weight based seats.

I bought the seat thinking it was perfectly legal hence my previous post regarding age, weight and trademarks on the box.

If its not legal then it shouldnt be sold or advertised as being compliant with new laws.

And if what im doing is illegal then i would like to know but nowere says weight based seats are illegal?? I think ill phone Halfords tomorrow to get a clear understanding of what seats are and aren't okay to use as I obviously dont want to put my LB at risk

Really confused with all this

Unfortunately @MummyOf1Boy is correct. There is no 'new law' around forward facing until 15 months. There are 2 laws running along side each other.

For a weight based seat the legal MINIMUM is forward facing from 9kg.

There is a separate law for height based seats which is forward facing from 15moths.

These are both legal. It is not rear facing until 15 months for all seats.

But they are the MINIMUM in car seat safety.

Please @MummyOf1Boy do NOT forward face your 9 month old. You say if you thought you were putting your child in any danger you wouldn't do it. Well sorry but you are. If you are in an accident or even just a 'prang' at 30 mph your child can be internally decapitated and die. It is so dangerous.

Children should be rear facing until AT LEAST 4 years old, their bodies cannot cope with the pressure on their spinal column in the event of an accident and it can literally be the difference between life and death.

It is not scare mongering, it is fact. Rear facing your child is 500% safer.

Imagine some arsehole driver smashes into you, even at 35 mph and your child dies from internal injuries, how would you feel knowing that if they were in a rear facing car seat, they would have survived? Could you live with that guilt?

I couldn't.

That sounds dramatic but that is the reality.

@MummyOf1Boy please turn your baby round.

The In Car Safety Centre is really good with the legal side and fitting seats. If you're able to visit one then I'd thoroughly recommend it.

Have you removed the new born insert if there is one? This tends to be situated under the bottom and can provide a bit more room. Try a mirror over the head rest so he can see more.

My DS hated his car seat to the point where I avoided long journeys. I think he was around 7 to 8 months when I swapped him to an extended rear facing seat which gave him more room. He improved dramatically after that and still fits the seat at almost 4 years.

@MrsT4 Thanks for clearing that up i was so confused.

The problem I have now is it says all isize seats are fitted with isofix, which my old banger doesn't have 🙈

So i was looking at group 1 seats but so far the ones i have looked at are only rear facing until 9kg then turn to forward facing.

My LB is 11kg, so i cant find a seat that can rear face with a better weight limit.

I also need 2 seats and im on maternity and OH is out of work so dont have hundreds of pounds to spend on car seats, obviously i cant put a cost on my childs safety thats the most important thing but any recommendations for car seats that are rear facing and wont break the bank would be appreciated

Britax two way elite harnesses and rear faces to 25kg and doesn't need isofix.

incarsafetycentre.co.uk/product/2-way-elite-cosmos-black/

@gallicgirl Yes the insert is removed, my LB is tall and big for his age.

Can i ask what car seat u have all the ones so far ive looked at only rear facing until 9kg then convert to forward facing. Thanks