Screaming in the car.

[mrscotton]

I’m completely lost with all this as a FTM.

My LO was 8 months this week & has always loved his car seat and going in the car. He use to smile & kick his legs like mad when i got his car seat before. Always talked, played with toys or slept in the car. We even done a 3 hour journey when he was 2 months old and he was good as gold.

That’s all changed since the clocks have gone back. He is fine when i take him out during the day but if he goes in the car after 3/4pm, he just cries the whole way home.

Example was yesterday, left home at 7am to take him to nursery (20/25 min journey). He played with his toy then fell asleep, put him in the car at 4.55pm to come home and just cried the whole way. He had his toys, dummy & was tired but still cried. I did stop about 5 mins from home & put him on my front seat (i couldnt listen to him cry any longer & turned the front airbag off). He was happy as anything, laughing, smiling then fell asleep by time we got home.

We think it might be as he couldn’t see me from the back as he did look at me alot when he was in the front but i really dont want to travel everywhere in the afternoon with him in the front as its not the safest place for him but also hate to hear him cry for so long.

Anyone had this happen before or any ideas of why hes suddenly like it?

They do go through phases of hating the car. But this sounds to me like he's actually just really tired at the end of a long nursery day, and probably wants a feed and his mum? Could that be it?

Has he got one of those mirrors so he can see you? That might help if that's the issue.

Or maybe a little light, if its the dark which he doesn't like?

My lo has screamed in the car since day 1so I know your pain. 10mo now and I don't drive anywhere more than 15 mins because that's the limit on how much screaming I can take. I've also had suggested to me every explanation :p it sounds like maybe separation anxiety, which happens about then plus overstimulation from nursery? Is the journey far? I've had some modest success with YouTube on an iPad, if you feels you're dangerously distracted and need him calm :)

He's got to the age where he realises there's lots going on around him that he can't do or see, and the more tired he is the more that distresses and annoys him

The only real solution is forward facing, so you might just have to ride it out.

Its all the time not just after nursery. I went out with a friend on Tuesday and it was the whole way home. He was even like it last week when his Dad was sat in the back with him.

i have a mirror on the headrest so i can see him & i do pop the light on in the back.

Completely lost with what to do.

I have been wondering if he has seperation anxiety as hes very clingy lately. He has gone from sleeping on the sofa back to sleeping on me, he always wants to be held or stood up.

I spent 7 months with him everyday and been back to work 4 weeks so has probably come at the same time.

Its strange how its only at the end of the day :(

I used to give mine a light up toy which kept them entertained for a bit as it was definitely the dark they hated.

i used a light up noisy toy when DD was little and we were coming home in the dark, that and playing nursery rhymes They helped.

Have you reviewed the straps and inserts? Is it time for the straps to be moved up or any inserts to be removed. Check your manual, he might be uncomfortable. This fixed my baby’s hatred of the seat when she was about that age.

The insert has already been removed but I do need to raise the headrest which is on the list of things to try. Hopefully might give his bum a bit more room. Also thought about removing my sun shades as they cover the whole windows and make the car darker.

My dd hated rear facing so we turned her forward at 9 months old and she was much happier

Same here but you'll get shot for saying that on MN where everyone RFs their 12yr olds.

Is he still in a baby carrier? He might prefer one of the fixed group 0-1 seats that sit more upright and higher so he can see out of the window.

It's just as safe to have them rear facing in the front (so long as airbag off) so I'd do that.

No practical suggestions but you have my sympathy. DS was a car screamer for no reason we could discover. He eventually grew out of it (and drives his own car now).

@Changeableweather dd was actually 5 months old when she was forward facing.

Surprised we've not had people threatening to report us to social services for neglect for not having them rear facing.

So today we went out, he moaned twice on the way in the morning but put him in the car at 4.30 to come home, didnt get 5 mins without him starting to cry.

Put nursery rhymes on and sang along, he was quiet as a mouse & went to sleep.

Off to see if we can get a bigger car seat tomorrow to see if he will be more comfy.