Something to stop DS2 taking his arms out of his carseat straps?

[FourArms]

I thought I saw these advertised... somewhere.... but years ago when I only had placid DS1 who never did the Houdini act on me!

Anyone know where you can buy these, or if they work?

handcuffs? I'm going to keep my eye on this thread as I have a houdini toddler

I think this might work... but it says "The cross straps are not suitable to be worn with chest padded harnesses as it will be positioned to high up near the neck."

The car seat is as tight as I can physically pull it. It's an isofix seat, so I pull as hard as I can. Having read lots of threads on this, I can see that raising the height of the top of the straps might help.

Seeing how a seatbelt works / safety / bribery / being very cross just wouldn't work with DS2. He has a temper like nothing I've ever known (and I think he's got it from me ). He screamed for a whole hour the other day whilst we drove (really really really screamed) whilst I held his hand to stop him escaping.

It seems that a lot of products which would solve this problem have been discontinued, as they are apparently illegal. I think if that's the case, that I might make something similar. I know about the extra seconds in the event of a car crash, but at this rate DS2 being out of his car seat will be what causes the crash. I've stopped over 10 times on the hard shoulder of motorways / A-roads to put his shoulders/arms back in, only for him to repeat the escape a minute later.

I used on of these and it worked, flamesparrow has it now for flameboy

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sunshine-Kids-Lock-Tite-Harness-Clip_W0QQitemZ400007268497QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item400 007268497&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177

That looks ideal, but do you think that it would work on a carseat with straps like this?

I asked for that in John Lewis the other day but they said they don't sell them as they can be dangerous if you need to get the baby out quickly.

I said surely it's more dangerous for your baby to climb out mid driving and she just shrugged.

it would have to go on the actual webbing

I have heard of people using big freezer clips just above the belt buckle.

Hate to sound flippant, but my Houdini's arms just stay out once she's wriggled. She's so skinny, I can't tighten the straps so that her arms stay inside (they do start off there, honest). The belts across her lap keep her in, and stop her flying across the car.

i had a Hug-It for ds ... it was the only thing that did the trick!

Hi Car Girl!

Glad to know my dd isnt the only escape artist about. I DO nearly sit on her to get her in tight but have watched how she cunningly escapes but I now dont drive anywhere on my own as she is 17mths old and rearward facing in back of car. I will watch this with interest.

Also escapes from freedom harness on pliko but I solved that with some velcro holding straps together across her chest

Actually, I can take those padded bits off the straps, so I could use that mechanism I think. Will have to try and see if there's a friendly US MNetter to post me one as the postage on Ebay is £20+

BlueCow - I do a lot of long drives by myself, and I can't bring myself to just leave him. Not saying that you're wrong to do that, I have occasionally done this on the way back from the supermarket (1 mile), but I drove from Kent to Devon last week, and that is just too far for me to drive worrying about his car seat straps. If I had DH with me it would be a lot easier, but he's away at sea a lot for the next few years, so it's going to be just me driving.

I sometimes wonder if our dc are double jointed. I can stop and try and put arms back in straps, but have to loosen them so far it's unreal. Tighten them up so far I think I'm going to cause real breathing problems, then before I'm even out of second gear, Houdini strikes again and those arms are waving around [fed up icon!]

My sister certainly has some sort of joint condition which means that she's unusually bendy. Perhaps DS2 has it too? Or he's just a persistent little bugger

Put your hand behind the seat and pull the straps tight there. Hold it while you pull the strap that tightens it permanently. I always tighten and loosen from the back because it's so much easier. Don't worry about hurting him, it does need to be tight.

BTW, the vertical straps are important to. Without them your child could suffer from organ injuries in an impact because all their weight (added to the speed you were travelling) would be taken on the buckle.

my son does the houdini bit plus reaches down and undoes his seatbelt!!!!! im at my wits end. any suggestions please??

handcuffs?

When all of mine did this in turn at approx 21mo-2yrs, they were sufficiently shocked when i pulled the car over to a safe spot at the side of the road, firmly told the tot that they needed to put the seatbelt on or they would be removed from the car [cruel parent alert] ds2 didn't need any more than this, but ds1 and DD who are both braver stubbornly refused. At this point I went round to the passenger side and removed squawking toddler from car, stood it on grass verge and told it very simply that if you don't wear your seatbelt, you don't come in the car.
No further issues with seatbelts

This is the advise I received from here a few weeks ago.
By ShosheTheGhoshe on Sat 18-Oct-08 20:03:02
put reins on back to front, put child in seat do up seat straps then do reins up over the top, they cant undo them then.

I love it giggle!

Grublin I can't figure that out.

Grublin I use that reins trick in the highchair. When they are on backward i.e. fasten accross front of chest they cant get any movement. Might try the double up in the car seat.