Carseat Woes

First of all, for your daughter's safety AND so you do not get a ticket (or worse your daughter taken away by CPS) in the case of being pulled over for whatever reason, turn your child so she is rearfacing. If she is too small for the infant carrier seat then put her in a convertable seat that is designed to be rear and forward facing for the age/weight switch.

Regarding your daughter's tantrum over riding in the car...I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes children just do not like to be in the car. For some it is the constraint of the carseat, for others it's not being able to see much of the world around them. Some just don't like not being in close contact to their parent. And finally, for some, there is no reason or all of the previous mentioned.

The fact of the matter is that there are times they need to be in a vehicle whether it's for a few moments or several hours.

I, myself have a daughter who did the same exact thing you are desribing. There was nothing that stemmed her screaming and crying about being in the carseat (short of falling asleep on the longer rides) I even tried different types of seats and nothing worked.

The good news??? Your daughter WILL eventually outgrow this phase or simply stop the tantrum when she is old enough to comprehend that her tantrum is not going to do anything to resolve the situation.

I am sorry for your discomfort in the meantime. It took my daughter over a year to stop...but in that time it did lessen gradually until she only did it on long trips.

What you are doing with pulling over and giving your and her a break in the meantime is highly recommended and all you need to do is leave a bit earlier to accomplish this...Though I only suggest it if you are on trips over 15 min to/from the location, or if you get stuck in traffic..

Good Luck!!! ;-)

My son was the same way. We used the carrier car seat for only 3 months because he hated it. The only thing that would ever calm him was the white noise machine we had. We have used it from day one to help him sleep, so we bought a second one to keep in the car, it had the option of using batteries. We decided to try to put him in the "big" car seat to see if he would like it better and he did! We have a Britax Decathlon (which is GINORMOUS), but even at 3 months it fit him very well because of all the removable pads and positioners that come with it. I hope you find the solution that works best for you. I know how frustrating it can be when all they do is cry! Most kids like to sleep in the car; mine liked to scream!

On Dec 22, 2008 and Jan 9, 2009 other moms wrote for help about car rides. This is part of my response for the mom about to go on a long car trip. The mom asked the question right before they were leaving so she did not get many responses.

I know how you feel. That crying is awful when you are driving. Try to stay calm. Just use soothing words and purchase some earplugs. You will still hear your daughter but it will not be so loud.

I used to try distraction by asking her questions. Even though she was so young, each time I asked her a question I would say her name. "Suzy, what color are your shoes today? Suzy,I think they are red. Suzy,do you see the HEB? Suzy, what color is your jacket? Suzy, I wonder what you will eat for lunch today.

Remember, this is one of those moments where your and her safety is more important than figuring out her needs at that moment. Concentrate on the driving.

"My daughter went through this phase for a while. The thing will be that for this trip you may end up doing things you will not be able to do in the future in regular car travel.

First of all make sure the car seat belts are not too tight. Make sure it is sitting up at the right angle. Make sure there is not glare from the sun shining in her face. Make sure that the cushions are not too hot for her. My daughter did not like her car seat because it was so warm. I would pick her up and she would be drenched on her back. I purchased a lot of thin cotton blankets that I would place on the seat cover. This seemed to help putting the cotton closest to her. I also did not dress her very warmly even in winter since we were traveling in a well heated car.

Next, you may want to give her some new "car toys" to play with. These should be toys that she only plays with in the car. Also take her "lovey" if she has one.

Some kids get car sick. She may get a little queasy back there. Mint will calm her tummy. You can add a little bit of mint tea to her watered down apple juice. Grape juice and orange juice can be too acidic for car rides.

You can take turns sitting back with her for parts of the trip. Read to her, sing car songs."

This will pass. She may also just be having a little separation anxiety in the car, since this is one of those times she cannot see your face.

I feel your pain. It seems like my daughter decides to shake things up every few months by causing a ruckus about the car seat--never mattered if she was facing front or back. Now that she is almost two it is a whole lot harder to get her in while she is fighting.

I have done two things. First...I bought a little clip-on oscillating car fan. She likes it to blow on her. Second, I roll the rear windows up and down randomly to distract her.

Have you tried switching locations? It worked with my son!