Toddlers: 24 Months+
SportyChic24
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Any suggestions? (2 1/2 yr old getting in car seat)
SportyChic24
member
Help! I don't know what else to do, my 2 1/2 yr old sometimes does not want to get in the car when I pick her up from daycare or sometimes when we leave the park or other places. Most of the time though she does get in the car but will not get in her carseat. She throws a tantrum, yelling no, climbs to the other side of the backseat and the front seat. If I pick her up and try to physically put her in her carseat she starts trying to hit and slides down in the seat and screams. It is horrible and I feel embarrassed about it. I've taken things away, I've calmly explained/told her that in the car she has to be in her seat buckled in, I don't know what else to do. For the park we can just not go but picking her up from daycare is a must. Any help is appreciated.
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Re: Any suggestions? (2 1/2 yr old getting in car seat)
have you asked her what the issue is?
also - bribes? I let DD hold my car keys walking to the car/getting in the car, we also let her open the garage door, etc.
Mine is the same age as yours and has occasionally done this. I don't even bother trying to explain or argue. I've had to get in the car with him and put my knee on his chest/abd while trying to buckle him in. Once safely buckled in and we're on our way, will I try and divert his attention to something else...Let's go to Gma's or let's go home and you can help Mommy make dinner..
It doesn't last forever. She will get a clue that this is not an option and be more cooperative.
Unfortunately (for her!) she picked a nonnegotiable area!! What I'd do is calmly explain in advance that she had to get in the carseat and that I would force her if she wouldn't. Then, I'd force her in the seat -- screaming or not. I'd try to sing and distract her, but I'm not letting a two year old dictate whether we leave the house. I'm fairly sure after a couple days of this she'd give in. Good luck!
Yep, me too. It's awesome when people are around and my DD is screaming at the top of her lungs, hitting, and making her body stiff. She'll also yell when we are driving "I'm stuck, I'm stuck mommy." Yes my dear, you are stuck
Hahahahah! Sorry, this is not funny when it's happening to you. I'm just glad it's not only happening to ME!
My DD is fiercly independent. Has been since her little (big) personality roared to life around age 1. For us, this problem started when she was 18 months old! It was easier then, because she was lighter and I could get her safely into carseat without using too much force. Now, she's a bit better, because she now knows there are consequences to her actions. I do bribe a lot, too. It's about the only thing that works with 2 year olds (and 3 year olds). I keep a little bag of her fav snack in the car, and she only gets it if she nicely climbs into the seat and sits down. (oh, and she has to get in now by herself or she'll freak out).
Time count-downs work a lot, too. When we are planning on leaving, I don't just tell her it's time to go NOW. I give her a 10 minutes countdown, a 5 minute countdown, etc. She usually listens after a little bit of push back.
It's a phase. She'll get through it. Try some little non-harmful bribes, the countdown, have consequences to her actions and follow through with them, and I'll bet she figures out that sometimes it's easier to listen to Mom than to fight Mom!