Car seat crying
My 6 month old boy Luke was okay with his car seat until recently. Out of sudden, he hates his car seat and he is crying and screaming nonstop.
This is weird for us cause he NEVER cries. Only in his car seat... with real tears in his cheeks. I usually stop the car and either feed him or play with him for a while until he's distracted enough that I can make it another couple blocks. I personally hate hearing him cry and seeing those tears so I stop for however long it takes to play with him and calm him down! Someone told me that putting the car seat facing forward will change that, but I personally think Luke is too young.
He has a special car toy-butterfly- hanging over his head, a mirror to see each other. However,he just kept on screaming all the way home. Two days ago, we switched him to a "big boy" car seat, but it doesn't necessarily make it better.
Anybody else? What have you done about it? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Views: 166
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Molly H on -
My daughter hated her car seat - she still doesn't love it and she is 15 months old. Does your baby like white noise? One good piece of advice that I was given was to turn the radio to AM and tune it to so you just hear the white noise - this seemed to help for a while. We also got kid music CDs and this helps us now as well. Lastly, a portable DVD player works wonders. I was one of those parents that said I wouldn't let my kid watch TV at all until they were 2, but it is the only way we can take any sort of longer car trip without hearing screaming the entire time. We got the Baby Signing Time and So Smart videos - she loves them and we mostly let her watch them in the car only, so that is a treat and keeps her quite.
I wouldn't turn the seat until at least 1 year as the law dictates that and it is safer for the baby. Recently, they changed the recommendation for rear facing to 2 years - we still changed our daughter's seat at 1 year and that really seemed to help.
Good Luck - just know you are not alone!
-
Permalink Reply by Hailie on -
Hi, Molly! Thank you so much! Like you, I didn't want to let my kid watch TV at all this early years, but I might try next time.
Molly H said:
My daughter hated her car seat - she still doesn't love it and she is 15 months old. Does your baby like white noise? One good piece of advice that I was given was to turn the radio to AM and tune it to so you just hear the white noise - this seemed to help for a while. We also got kid music CDs and this helps us now as well. Lastly, a portable DVD player works wonders. I was one of those parents that said I wouldn't let my kid watch TV at all until they were 2, but it is the only way we can take any sort of longer car trip without hearing screaming the entire time. We got the Baby Signing Time and So Smart videos - she loves them and we mostly let her watch them in the car only, so that is a treat and keeps her quite.
I wouldn't turn the seat until at least 1 year as the law dictates that and it is safer for the baby. Recently, they changed the recommendation for rear facing to 2 years - we still changed our daughter's seat at 1 year and that really seemed to help.
Good Luck - just know you are not alone!
-
Permalink Reply by Michelle Lebron on -
My daughter at about 5-6months suddenly freaked out in her car seat also, but it was primarily in the evening time. I realized that she was most likely frightened by the street and car lights passing by. It took her about a month until she got use to it and/or just grew out of being afraid.
-
Permalink Reply by Hailie on
-
Right...Mine gets worse in the evening as well. Thanks for your sharing, Michelle.
Michelle Lebron said:
My daughter at about 5-6months suddenly freaked out in her car seat also, but it was primarily in the evening time. I realized that she was most likely frightened by the street and car lights passing by. It took her about a month until she got use to it and/or just grew out of being afraid.
-
Permalink Reply by Hailie on
-
Thank you, Tanya. I really hope that my son goes through this stage soon. Thanks for your suggestion, in the long run, I would better be a tough mama. :)
Tanya said:
Hi there,
Yes your son is definitely too young to be forward facing...the Children & Families Commission of Orange County and the American Academy of Pediatrics show that children should be rear facing in infant seats from 4lbs-22lbs and in a convertible seat from 5lbs-35lbs. (this of course varies and your specific infant seat instructions should be consulted.) It is never an age limit, always a weight limit, as weights vary from child to child.
As for the crying, it might be just a stage that your child is going through, goodness knows mine goes through stages for a couple weeks at a time and things she usually loves she all of a sudden despises but goes back to them later. Their little minds are changing and growing so much at this young age!
My personal suggestion is to tough it out and not keep pulling the car over and stopping if you know that your child is safe, not hungry, clean diaper, etc. because they will learn that if they scream and throw a fit, they will get you to be at their mercy and never learn to be self-sufficient when all is well. I know that may seem hard to do, but will benefit you in the long run! :)
Best of luck :)
-
Permalink Reply by Samantha Brook on -
I can say my kiddo did it to. Her's seemed to be related to the speed we were going. She hated when the car was stopped. So if I was driving a side street she was screaming at red lights and better when we were moving. I toughed it out and she was fine. I did give her toys, etc to appease but I didn't find anything that helped. It just took time. I turned her forward facing at a year and she does fine now. (She's 2). Good luck.
-
Permalink Reply by Shelby H on -
It must be the age because my son started crying in the car around 6 months also. One time I was driving in Laguna Beach and he was crying harder then I ever heard him..being in Laguna there was no where to pull over. Finally when i found a place and got to him he had tears and very red face. It broke my heart.... I was about to switch to the bigger seat in hopes that would help. All I can tell you is most of the time I start to sing to him and he stops and is happy. I have made up so many verses to 'The wheels on the bus' :) Good luck to all of us. I hope it is just a phase.
-
Permalink Reply by Jennifer Gunderson on -
My son has recently being doing this as well. We have figured out that he hates sitting in the seat because he is leaned back. Since he has started sitting up by himself, he does not want to be leaning back. He tries to climb out of the seat now. So the search for the right convertible seat has begun. Usually one of us tries to sit in the back seat with him to cause some sort of distraction for the ride. Good luck!!
-
Permalink Reply by Hailie on
-
Hi, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing! I was not alone. We just got britax marathon 70 convertible car seat for my son, and I hope my son will enjoy sitting in it. Good luck!!
Jennifer Gunderson said:
My son has recently being doing this as well. We have figured out that he hates sitting in the seat because he is leaned back. Since he has started sitting up by himself, he does not want to be leaning back. He tries to climb out of the seat now. So the search for the right convertible seat has begun. Usually one of us tries to sit in the back seat with him to cause some sort of distraction for the ride. Good luck!!
-
Permalink Reply by Hailie on
-
Thanks for sharing Shelby! I totally feel for you. I am relieved to know that my son is not the only one who suddenly changed like that.I sing "I love you You love me We're a happy family With a great big hug and A kiss from me to you Won't you say you love me too?" :D Good luck!!
Shelby H said:It must be the age because my son started crying in the car around 6 months also. One time I was driving in Laguna Beach and he was crying harder then I ever heard him..being in Laguna there was no where to pull over. Finally when i found a place and got to him he had tears and very red face. It broke my heart.... I was about to switch to the bigger seat in hopes that would help. All I can tell you is most of the time I start to sing to him and he stops and is happy. I have made up so many verses to 'The wheels on the bus' :) Good luck to all of us. I hope it is just a phase.
-
Permalink Reply by Hailie on
-
Yes!! I am trying to tough it out and not stopping the car so often. :) Thanks so much for sharing Samatha!!
Samantha Brook said:I can say my kiddo did it to. Her's seemed to be related to the speed we were going. She hated when the car was stopped. So if I was driving a side street she was screaming at red lights and better when we were moving. I toughed it out and she was fine. I did give her toys, etc to appease but I didn't find anything that helped. It just took time. I turned her forward facing at a year and she does fine now. (She's 2). Good luck.
-
Permalink Reply by Miko Y on -
Just another mom here to say yep, you are not alone. My daughter just turned 3 and is only NOW tolerating the car with a portable DVD player. It's been a LOOONNNNGGG 3 years in the car with her. I think the longest we've gone in the car with her to date, is 45 mins. We are SO looking forward to traveling more now that she's fine in the car. Hang in there, mama, it will get better. =)
© 2013 Created by OC Mommies.
