unbuckling the carseat - any solutions?

jerseygirl81 · May 2011

So this weekend I discovered that Charlie can undo the top buckle of his carseat. Any nice tips or ideas or miracle products that will make it an impossible feat for him, again?

jerseygirl81 · May 2011

Aside from duct tape, of course.

Meg41208 · May 2011

I know this is probably not what most parents want to hear, but it's actually not a dealbreaker as far as safety is concerned if the chest clip is not fastened. The chest clip is a "pre-crash positioner" that helps get the harness in the correct position. They are not used in Europe (where car crash fatalities among children are much lower than they are in the US) and it's not uncommon for them to break in a crash. As long as the harness is tight and he can't get out, the seat is still safe.

However, I can understand not wanting him to undo it. Would a rewards chart work? Other than that, duct tape sounds like a good plan.

jerseygirl81 · May 2011

Meg41208:
I know this is probably not what most parents want to hear, but it's actually not a dealbreaker as far as safety is concerned if the chest clip is not fastened. The chest clip is a "pre-crash positioner" that helps get the harness in the correct position. They are not used in Europe (where car crash fatalities among children are much lower than they are in the US) and it's not uncommon for them to break in a crash. As long as the harness is tight and he can't get out, the seat is still safe.
However, I can understand not wanting him to undo it. Would a rewards chart work? Other than that, duct tape sounds like a good plan.

Thanks, Meg, good to know! I should just email you directly, next time

Miller238 · May 2011

We had this problem this past weekend. I bought a new car seat with a buckle that is harder to undo. Let's see if she can figure this one out!

linzpinz14 · May 2011

What about a special toy that he can only play with in his car seat. You can tell him he MUST keep his straps buckled to play with it. HTH - I am knocking on wood that C never figures this out! What a pain!

Lucky_N_Love · May 2011

I heard of someone buying or making a little cover with velcro to go over the clip. Similar to the covers that come with the carseat that go on the straps. It could deter him from playing with it. Good Luck. I fear this day because DD loves buckles and helping me buckle the seat.

cops_wife · May 2011

Ellie has yet to manage to get hers unbuckled, but when I catch her playing with it or trying to reach the door lock or handle (usually with her feet), I tell her that's very dangerous and we can only ride in the car with seatbelts buckled and the door closed, so if she wants to go wherever we're going, she can't touch them. Then I try to give her something else to do. She generally wants to go out enough that it works.

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unbuckling the carseat - any solutions?

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