Tips to fix car seat battles
What to do when your child dislikes his car seat.
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When my grandson Xavier was about 20 months old, we took him on a road trip. He was not thrilled about spending so much time in his car seat. At the time, he believed his name was Honey because that’s what we often called him, so as we drove along, he’d announce, “Honey happy? No! Honey want out now!”
As adults, we know that car seats are necessary for keeping children safe. But toddlers often seem to believe their car seats are instruments of torture. Even getting them into the seat can be a challenge. Elina Hill, mother of five-year-old Rowen and three-year-old Walter, says: “When Rowen was two, he would squirm around and resist me as I basically forced him into the straps, and then he was miserable for the whole drive.”
Hill found that getting Rowen into the seat went more smoothly if she let him take charge. She allowed him to climb into the seat on his own and stick his arms through the straps. “I praised him for being a big boy as I did up the harness, and the focus shifted to his new accomplishment and he was much happier,” she says. When Walter began resisting his car seat at 20 months, Hill started encouraging him to get in the seat on his own, and once again it seemed to help.
Kristen Gane, coordinator of programs for Safe Kids Canada, says the most important point for parents to remember is that safety is not negotiable. “You need to use the car seat every time you start the engine in your car, even if you’re not going very far. Your children will learn from you being consistent about this that it’s important.”
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What do you think?
Atta (not verified) says ....
Agree with Penelope even if you are family if there is money vneolvid its amazing how quickly family previously uninterested suddenly want to know where all the money is going!