Parenting

How to keep kids in their carseats?

DS will be 2 yrs old in June but he's figured out how to escape his car seat. He started out by getting his arms free and no matter how tight I got the straps down (I actually resorted to putting dish towels around the straps because he was getting marks) he still got out. Totally not safe, but I figured at least he still had something around his waist. He would lean to open the door and window though, so thank God they invented child proof door locks and windows! But now he's figured out how to unsnap the car seat stuff. We tright to limit trips, but obviously we have to drive sometimes! And I really want to nix this habit instead of him "winning."

So anyone with suggestions besides duck taping him to the seat every time we need to go somewhere? (I'm being sacastic of course!)

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Re: How to keep kids in their carseats?

  • I was going to suggest duct tape over the buckle. I had a friend who had to do that.
    AKA KnittyB*tch
    DS - December 2006
    DD - December 2008

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  • I thought that some carseat manufacturers made special kid-proof covers to go over the chest strap to prevent escape. . .
    imageimage Ashley Sawtelle Photography
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  • DD did this once, until I put the fear of God in her and told her that if she wasn't buckled in that she could be thrown out of the windshield if mommy stopped to fast and get run over by the cars.  She never did it again, but she does like to undo her buckles when we are stopped and ready to get out of the car so I let her do that.
  • I've seen people suggest putting a piece of velcro (the scratchy side) on the buckles to deter them from pushing it open...

    Can you bribe him? "sit in your seat and you can have a sticker at the end of the ride" Reinforce the good behavior "oh! good, your still sitting nicely in your seat!! Awesome!" Or scare him? "if you get out of your seat you might get an owie! We have to wear our seat belts-see Mommy has hers on." (My DS is scared of owies) Um... that's all I got right now. Good luck!

  • I used to put one of my hair ties around the chest strap when DD would undo that one.  That was a short phase - thankfully.  She hasn't tried to undo the other buckle yet.
  • I think I'll try to see if the manufacturer sells something to put over the straps. That probably would be the best solution.

    I've tried bribbing him, although I REALLY don't like doing that.....but M&Ms do work as long as I remind him every 2 minutes the entire trip. And I tried telling him it was unsafe and he would get hurt and get lots of ouchies, but I don't think he really understands yet because ouchies don't both him. He's a pretty tough kid so he only knows ouchies from falling and he cries for about 2 seconds and then he forgets.

    Thanks for the suggestions though and maybe duck tape over the straps will work for the time being.....it's better than duck taping his whole body to the seat. =)

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