Car seat escaping!

[babycornplease]

My 2.7 month old daughter has discovered how to undo the buckle on her joie 360. She's so far only being doing it once the car has stopped.

Until today. When she undid it and started to climb out as I was driving and literally had nowhere to pull over. Which was absolutely bloody terrifying. She then did it repeatedly on the twenty minute journey home which ended up taking over an hour as I had to keep finding somewhere to stop and buckle her back it.

Tried explaining, tried shouting (mostly out of fear that she was literally going to climb all over the car). Nope. She found it hilarious.

I know you aren't supposed to put anything on them (and I tried sticking Velcro on the buckle as advised by the car seat fb group), but I cannot have her doing that again, for obvious reasons!

Anyone know of anything that would stop her being able to do this that's safe to use?

Would this work? You would be able to go instore and see it on one of their seats and see what you think.

www.halfords.com/baby-and-child/kids-travel-accessories/child-safety/5-point-plus-anti-escape-system-326378.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLA--Baby+and+Child%3EKids+Travel+Accessories%3EChild+Safety--Baby+&+Child%3EKids+Travel+Accessories%3EChild+Safety--326378&istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=62b447cf-331e-4fec-a47a-9985ff72d404&istItemId=xxtqwtaw&istBid=tztx&$ja=tsid:94971%7Ccid:8979078155%7Cagid:94446540687%7Ctid:pla-328657248702%7Ccrid:412800843746%7Cnw:g%7Crnd:984931662442815912%7Cdvc:t%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9045255&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0rr4BRCtARIsAB0_48NqbyIrlKEdKMx0CuXE1ydGMAz4bCXYMLw9vHStHTOV3Ndu1VxKyFwaAnM2EALw_wcB

Until you can get hold of something like the above, I'd go for duct tape over the buckle.

Argh, meant to post in parenting not pregnancy! Asked mnhq to move post.

@FatherBrownsBicycle I looked at them, but it's not the straps that she is escaping. She's able to undo the buckle itself 😱

We do at least four journeys a day to nursery and back, and I don't think duct tape would be a viable option

Tell her not to very firmly and reward when she doesn’t.
In the meantime, until she’s learned not to, make a buckle cover. It’s not difficult to run one up.

[quote FatherBrownsBicycle]Would this work? You would be able to go instore and see it on one of their seats and see what you think.

www.halfords.com/baby-and-child/kids-travel-accessories/child-safety/5-point-plus-anti-escape-system-326378.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLA--Baby+and+Child%3EKids+Travel+Accessories%3EChild+Safety--Baby+&+Child%3EKids+Travel+Accessories%3EChild+Safety--326378&istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=62b447cf-331e-4fec-a47a-9985ff72d404&istItemId=xxtqwtaw&istBid=tztx&$ja=tsid:94971%7Ccid:8979078155%7Cagid:94446540687%7Ctid:pla-328657248702%7Ccrid:412800843746%7Cnw:g%7Crnd:984931662442815912%7Cdvc:t%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9045255&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0rr4BRCtARIsAB0_48NqbyIrlKEdKMx0CuXE1ydGMAz4bCXYMLw9vHStHTOV3Ndu1VxKyFwaAnM2EALw_wcB[/quote]
I have this because dd can wiggle out of the straps but it won't stop them undoing the buckle.
Sorry op I have no suggestions, but that must be terrifying. Dd wiggled out of her straps twice and I was terrified never mind her being able to climb out of the car seat. Hope you manage to get a solution soon

@CherryPavlova unfortunately my dd finds it hilarious. I tried shouting, and stopping and explaining, etc. All good and well telling her a firm no, when she's clambering out of her seat on a dual carriageway
As for running one up. I am a single parent and I work full time. Plus I am crap at sewing/diy etc as it is. By all means; if you have a pattern or whatever, please do share it.
I was wondering if anyone knew of any gadgets that would help, that wouldn't compromise the safety of the seat.

Is she forward facing? Mine stopped escaping when he was turned to forward facing.
I know people say it’s dangerous before 4 years old but I couldn’t keep him in the seat.

We had something like this for DD car seat with bumper

The solid cushion sits on the child's lap and normal seatbelt wraps round the front into the normal seatbelt clip.

Her elder brother was an unbuckler. Heart in throat on the motorway one day. The urge to slam on and scream. You do you best silent inner voice scream whilst calming requesting excited toddler to get back in their seat!

www.littleangelsprams.co.uk/Cybex-Sensorsafe

Cybex SensorSafe stops our little one escaping

I'm sure I read this somewhere, so put your daughter in a zipped cardigan or one with small buttons, but leave it open. Put your daughter in the seat, fasten buckles. Then do up the cardigan over the top of the straps, and it should enclose the buckle inside also. Then she can't reach the buckle, and should lose interest in undoing it. Hope that makes sense!

@2155User problem is that doesn't actually stop them achieving freedom! Or have I read it wrong?
@RippleEffects I was sort of hoping not to have to shell out for a whole new car seat

@giftponderings yes someone on the fb group suggested that. Just thinking that if she can press the buckle to undo it, a cardigan won't be a challenge for her will give it a go though tomorrow morning.

@gonewiththerain she is rear facing at the moment. And I did think maybe forward facing might solve the problem... will turn her round tomorrow (thank god for the spinny seat!! And see if that makes a difference.

I've had it drummed into me that rear facing is best, but as you say, if you can't keep them in the seat, it's def worth a go.

I was literally alternating between screaming 'don't move' and growling 'just sit bloody still'.
Not my finest moment, but what can you do?

@babycornplease

It sits slightly higher than the buckle meaning there isn't enough 'space' to squeeze arms through.
And honestly (meant as nicely as possibly) if they can get out whilst something like the SensorSafe is on, then the straps aren't tight enough

What age does her current seat go upto? The bumper style ones, the bumper removes to become the stage 3 so it might be buying the next stage earlier rather than a duplicate purchase, but depends on what you have.

Although it's a very small risk it's another thing to add to the worry pile, when DS2 used to escape I did the put things over the buckle ( he also climbed out by slipping shoulders out) I was advised against it by a fireman friend as single click seat release mechanisms are for ease of swift rescue in the event of an accident.

In car safety centre sell a buckle cover.

Those belt buckle covers don't meet UK car seat safety rules. The AA have some guidance here

Appreciate that it’s not always possible depending on the journey but after mine did this twice on a motorway I turned the car around at the next junction and told her she wouldn’t get in the car again until I could trust her. I was fuming (out of fear). We were going somewhere nice. It was a tough day with lots of tantrums but she didn’t do it again.

We had to go to a bumper seat our daughter was Houdini-esque in he’s escapes. Escaping cots at 9 months, trying to pull herself up in the pram at 4 months, could launch herself over stair gates at that age.

I can definitely recommend the cyber seat, and they last a long time she still uses it age 7.

Can she do it up again?

If she can I would pull over, softly ask her to do it up, and sit there silently until she does.

If she can't do it up, pull over, calmly explain why she needs it on, do it up and sit quietly for someone time.

It's an exciting new power she has discovered. You need to bore her into not doing it. Once she sees undoing car seat means dull quiet time sitting on side of the road with absolutely nothing happening she will quickly stop.

I've used this method to effectively head off a few undesirable behaviours in my DC over the years.

I wish I'd remember to do this the other night when dc1 called dc2 a dildo 😀😀😀. She meant dill pickle 😃. Now I am dreading one of them googling dildo. I should have ignored it completely.

I can still remember the terror of my nephew unfastening his straps on the M1 and standing up on his seat while I was doing 70mph. Probably the single most scary moment of my life.

Had to pull off on the hard shoulder and strap him back in. I think I ended up putting a load of tape around the buckle so he couldn't get it undone. Probably not helpful because it scared him too I think and he never did it again.

Fireman won't fuck around with buckles - if needed they'll just cut the straps.

I think the key is in your reaction. Try not to give it too much attention. Why my DS did this i would stop the car and wait. Preventing her getting to it may help stop the cycle.. I know you werent keen but the duct take seems the simplest idea, just make sure you have scissors to cut out. And give her something else to play with.

@TheClitterati that's so funny!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions, and I think you are all right, my reaction yesterday just fuelled the situation, but I was bloody terrified and it was a knee jerk reaction!! Plus at that moment there was literally no option of stopping for about five minutes. So next time will just stop (hopefully if there is somewhere) and wait, and speak quietly, etc.

Will see how she is today, luckily only short journeys today. Will also buy duct tape in preparation... someone else suggested gloves, but again, she would have those off before weMd even left the driveway. If not, will have to look into the bumper seats...

Aaahhh toddlers, such fun. This is the sort of stuff they should teach you at antenatal classes!

Can you plan a lovely day somewhere she’d love to go, but explain she can only go if she keeps her straps done up, And if she undoes them the day will be cancelled. Start driving, and I’d she undoes the straps Then turn round and go home and have a boring day, explaining it was her choice to undo the straps. You could repeat this another day and maybe this time she will manage it? Then lots of praise?

No idea if she’s old enough for that sort of reasoning/reward? Also it might only work on journeys to places she wants to go...

oh my gosh i could have written this post!

My just turned 3 year old has done the same with the Joie 360!

We have bought a Joie Trillo shield and she is totally restrained in that!

Just popping back to say thanks for all the suggestions.

I faced her forward today (against my better judgement but what can you do?) which she really liked, and as she went to undo the buckle I said 'if you undo your seatbelt you will have to go backwards again' to which she stopped... and at least waited until we got onto the drive today...

Hopefully that will keep her occupied for a bit, just dreading longer journeys and when the novelty of forward facing wears off... then I'll try all the tricks suggested here! And if all else fails, invest in one of those bumper seats!