I have a major problem. My son is able to get out of the top portion of the child's restraining straps in his carseat. Originally, he was just unsnapping it and pushing the straps to the side. While it irritated me that the straps on this model were not childproof, I simply went to the store and bought a replacement that he could not undo. Now he is pushing the sliding restraint down to his lap and wiggling out of the side straps. Only the lap clip is holding him in. Short of corporal punishment, does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this problem.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I had a similar problem when my son was 2-3 years old. And I can totally understand your frustration! The only thing that worked for me was to buy one of those car seats with the bar that comes down across the child's lap. Good luck! Blessings,
B.
Since he is pushing down the sliding restraint to get out you could always sew a couple of buttons under neath it to prevent him from sliding it down and to prevent a battle. There is also rewarding him for staying in his seat,a sticker,candy,what ever he likes. Don't forget to encourage him. Strap him in start driving and let him know how proud you are of him for staying in the straps. When he gets out, pull over, strap him back in,and remind him in a stern voice the strap has to worn for safety,close the door ,and you are on your way! Say nothing else! After a few times of this he will understand it pleases you when he safely strapped in! All kids are eager to please! Hope it helps!
Hi P.,
Try a reward (or just a distraction) and see what happens. We have a pile of toys, books, games in the back of our car that keeps my 2-year-old's hands busy... she wouldn't have it any other way! Though now that you mention it, if she were bored she would probably play with the carseat straps.
You could do a reward so that if he stays put he gets a special favorite toy to play with once home or arrived at your destination.
You could also just tighten up the straps. I have read that they should be pretty darn tight for safety's sake anyway... check the manual and see what it says.
Best of luck!
I tried all of the below suggestions when my daughter started doing this, none of them worked for me. Whether this be "right" or not, it worked for us. I told her that if she didn't leave it alone, she would not come anywhere with me again. She did it once or twice after I told her that and when I turned the car around and pulled back into the driveway she started screaming/crying that she wouldn't do it again, and she has not. She does it occasionally if we are on a long ride, but as soon as she sees me looking, she fixes it. Hope you find something that works for you.
Give him something to do while he is riding. If his hands are busy playing with something else he will leave the seat alone. The little steering wheel that hooks on the car seat is a great thing to keep a child busy. The one with the turn signals, horn, etc. is the best. My girls were great in the car seat. They knew when I put them in it they had to stay. No problems at all.
Just a couple of suggestions. First check the tightness of the straps. I beleive that you shouldn't be able to get 2 fingers under them (at his shoulders) to make sure they are the proper tightness. If they are tight enough, he shouldn't be able to get out of them even if he does slide the chest slip down. The second suggestion is about sewing a button on the strap; it seems like it would work. Hope you figure something out.
