Child Started Walking Now Wont Listen

That's totally normal.. He's found independence and now he doesn't want to be strapped in anywhere.. But, it's a safety issue and non-negotioble(sp?). It's a very rare child that doesn't go through this exact same thing..

Ideas are: have special car treats. Toys/snacks that he isn't allowed to have any other time, only when he's buckled in.
Get out the 'tickle monster'.. Tickle him until he's buckled.. Always fun...

For some reason, all the rest of my ideas have escaped me.. But, if all else fails, hold him down w/one arm and buckle w/the other..

Good luck!!!!

Ooooooh, I feel your pain. All four of my kids have gone through various phases of that - it's just like nails on a chalkboard, isn't it?!?! Don't let it freak you out too much ("yeah, thanks, that's a BIG help, I'll treasure THAT advice always!"). It IS perfectly normal - he's old enough to know that he doesn't like it, but not quite old enough to vocalize WHY, to understand that this is how we get someplace interesting, or that sorry, kiddo, but Mommy is, too, the boss of you. Deal! ;-)

There are two things I find particularly helpful: distracting them with "silly" or getting them absorbed in the process ("Where does THIS buckle go? Does it go on your toes? Does it go on your nose? Does it go around your elbow? Can YOU do it?").

The other is the time-honored BRIBE. One particular favorite for all four of mine was a battered up purse I got at Goodwill. It had a billion pockets and zippers and buttons to play with - good times! I'd tuck other toys and surprises into it, occasionally even snacks!! Oh joy!! Oh rapture!!! I'd put it on the floor next to the carseat and then say casually, "OK! Now, you get in your seat and then you can have the bag!"

Once they realized how this deal worked, they tended to swarm right on up into the seat and let me buckle them up - you never know! There might be something with lights that flash! There might be something that goes 'beep'! There might even be (dare I hope for it?) a dum-dum sucker!! (Hey, it could happen! Or fruit treats. Fruit treats are good, too.)

Still had the occasional tantrum, though. At those times, really...take a deep breath. You're a good mom. He's a good kid. This phase will pass. It seems like *forever* right now, but it really will be gone before you know it.

my son also likes to throw fits from time to time. Usually when I take him away from something he wanted to do before we went to the car. Or, he'd rather stay outside than get into the car. Either way, I just strap him in and take him where we're going whether he likes it or not. At this point, I think they may just be asserting themselves and seeing how far you'll let them go. The more you give in to their tantrums, the worse they get and the harder it is to break them of the habit.
I know it's tough to see your child cry, but such is life. They can't get what they want 100% of the time and it's better if they learn that now. No kid is perfect and each will go through their own phase. If you decide before hand how you will handle it, stick to it.
I try not to put an unreasonable limitation on my boy (no hurting himself or other people) and that seems to do well for me. But when he does cross that line, he knows he'll have consequenses. He just likes to test me to see if I'll give in or not. :-D Smart kids do that....

When I was taking an ECE class, the teacher talked a little about the strong willed todler. She said at this age their favorite word is "NO!" and they don't like being "told" what to do. She said to approach this child from a different direction. She said to try giving a choice of 2 exceptable solutions. Such as "Would you like to get in your car-seat your self, or shall I help you?" or "Are you going to walk to the car, or would you like me to carry you?" This gives your son the option of CHOOSING, but you still get your way. She also said that at this age using "Please" when you NEED them to do something is a REALLY bad idea. Such as "Would you Please go to bed now?" This is a question that can be answered "NO!" Instead either state "You need to go to bed now!" in which "No!" is back talk or sas, or use the "Would you like to put yourself in bed or shall I help you" approach.

I know no matter HOW GREAT you are at using skills like these, or any other, a child will ALWAYS have days that you feel like you battle from the time they wake up until they go to bed. It is not bad parenting, it is a kid being 2! (or somewhere between 18 months and 18 years according to my mom! LOL) You will prevail, and he will (eventually) start listening again. Take care~ J.

My daughter is also 18 months old, and we are in the middle of the "terrible 2's" and experience what you do with your son almost every day when we get to the car. She loves the walk from the front door to the car itself, but has started dawdling on her way there as she knows the carseat is coming, and she seems to half enjoy the build-up to the tantrum. She often flings herself onto the concrete kicking and screaming, not caring at all wether she hurts herself or not - which often causes me to laugh, her little fits are just too funny sometimes - but when one has places to go and people to see, its not always so cute.
Now, realize that your son is going to continue to protest the getting into the carseat bit for probably quite awhile no matter what you do, as our children are now at that age where they feel the need to test limits - the SAME limits- over and over again periodically just to see if we will give in. But if you create a special car routine, he will test the limits much less often if he has something to look forward too once reaching the car. My daughter has special car toys that are ONLY for the car and remain in the car permanently - before leaving the house, we talk and get excited about seeing and playing with all those fun toys once we get in our carseat. She was allowed to choose some of these special car toys at the toystore herself so that she feels like she has some choice in the matter, and I go out of my way to make a huge deal over how fun they are to entice her into the carseat. She does, however, put up a protest 1 time out of 5 trips to the car, but when you create a special car routine, the chances of him throwing a fit decrease quite a bit. And when she does throw a fit, I completely ignore the fact that she is kicking, screaming, and arching her back out of the carseat (and she weighs 30 lbs, so she is STRONG) and give her no choice in the matter. She knows that Im going to put her in the car wether she likes it or not now, and once your child knows that you are in charge and mean business despite the fuss they pull, they tend to fight much less.

Good luck!

Dear C.,

Just pick him up and put him into the car seat while he kicks and screams or whatever he will do. He is not going to listen and do what you want him to at this age. If you continue to just put him into the car and strap up the car seat, then he will eventually realize that you are bigger than he is and will cooperate, but not at 18 months. No way. He just got his freedom, and he wants to use it.

My gr grandson did the same thing, and even got his sister to start crying so there we would go down the road with two crying kids in the back seat. We lived and so did they. C. N.