Support for parents of carseat haters

[~inbalance~]

Wasn't sure where to put this!  I know I've had a thread in the past about hating the carseat with DS2 (so years ago already), and I know I've seen tons of similar threads since then.  But I just need to vent.  Why do I get babies who hate the car so much?  Ok so my DS1 actually loved it and was amazing in his carseat, but of course after that I thought all babies did so when DS2 hated it and screamed murder it was so unsettling.  I remember feeling so panicked whenever we drove somewhere and he screamed so much.  Luckily he got over it around 5mos.  But now DD hates it too!  Though granted she is *slightly* better than DS2 (he had reflux) and I can tolerate it much more.  It doesn't get to me the same way it did with him.  Also thankfully everything is close here so we never have to be in the car for long.  Still, occasionally we go on longer drives and it's so horrible listening to the screaming.  We drove 1.5hrs to my dad's last this past weekend and I thought she'd probably scream for 20mins but then fall asleep and sleep the rest of the way, but she didn't she just cried almost the entire way there an back (and everywhere inbetween!)  I don't get it, she actually likes the swing and the bouncy seat (unlike DS2 who hated everything), and she doesn't have reflux.  I don't know why she has to hate the car so much.  Anyone like to share a moan with me?  I hope she gets over it by at lest 5 mos like DS2 did!

[~Lori~]

I will share a moan with you!!!!! J is the SAME way.  From the moment he was born though, he hasn't really liked the car seat.  ANd we have a nice comfy one!!  We went to a wedding that was 1 hr away yesterday and he cried nearly the whole way too, but crashed out for the last 15 min.  It is soooo frustrating!  2 of my 3 kids have HATED the carseat...IT IS TOUGH!!

[~inbalance~]

We have a really comfy carseat for DD too!  I'd be happy to sit in it, I don't know why she's not!  Do you remember when your other carseat hater outgrew it?  I hope it doesn't last too long, we are going on a trip about 4 hours away in another 6 weeks or so and I really hope she's at least a bit better by then!

[~Lori~]

I know my DS1 started doing okay in his carseat at around 5 months!  We are headed out of town on Thursday, a 3 hr drive and it's supposed to be 96 degrees F!!!!  SO dreading that drive as he gets hot enough in his seat without the super high temps

[~inbalance~]

So J is almost 5 months and he still hates it?  *sigh*  I doubt there is much hope for us for a few more months. 

[~Lori~]

LOL, J just turned 4 mths.  I am hoping your LO will start liking her seat a whole lot sooner!!!  We've got reflux issues and a Touchy guy so throw that in the whole mix of the carseat "love" too

[gogomama]

Hugs Em..a carseat hater can make the shortest journey feel like the longest.  DS was pretty bad until we were able to turn him around front facing. I think he just needed to feel a part of the action or see something else besides the seat Hopefully your DD grows out of it soon. Does she have anything to look at in the back? On the long trip I would maybe try to have you or DH sit in the back with her to entertain.

[~inbalance~]

On the long trip I would maybe try to have you or DH sit in the back with her to entertain.

This is what we did on the way home yesterday.  The only way he could keep her happy was to let her suck on his finger!  (oh, she WILL NOT take a paci! ). 

She has one of those toys that dangles from the carseat handle but doesn't care for it.  She is facing the boys in the back so I'd say she has plenty to look at!  LOL  And she has a mirror.  But I think she's still to little to care about that stuff.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Um, I probably shouldn't share this...but we took Spencer for her first trip to my 6 weeks check up (1 hour drive) and it went so badly I didn't take her any further than our local store until she was 6 months old and I had to go to my Grandma's funeral. Otherwise she probably wouldn't have been on a trip until she was 1, but by that time she was fine in her seat. 

She didn't take a soother either, but what I did was try to mimic her white noise and darkness of her room by playing the same CD (something loud) over and over and draping a bedsheet over the entire van seat! If I remember right, that was probably the first and last time she ever napped in a vehicle for longer than 10 minutes!

[~inbalance~]

She didn't take a soother either, but what I did was try to mimic her white noise and darkness of her room by playing the same CD (something loud) over and over and draping a bedsheet over the entire van seat!

Yep, we did this too!  I brought her sleep sheep and we covered her seat with a blanket.  Guess we're just going to have to keep at it.  Like I said luckily it's not so bad around town as we never have to go far.  She's so weird too as she's usually perfectly happy when I buckle her in and is looking around, but then always starts up once we get going.  Occasionally I get lucky and she'll be quiet for a few minutes first, or sometimes it's more of a start and stop complaining type of cry.  Usually though it's full out screaming. 

[nwmm]

One dr. told me she wonders if some kids have motion sickness and that is what makes them "dislike" the ride so much.  Not that they actually get sick.  Just that they feel not good.  It makes the case for those who have more than one child act this way because they say motion sickness runs in the family.

And if they are sitting backwards then it makes something like motion sickness even worse.

[~inbalance~]

I have heard that too and that could be a possibility.  Both of my boys started getting proper motion sickness but only after they were forward facing.  So maybe they feel it when little but then outgrow it for a bit?  DS2 hated the carseat until 5 mos, but then was fine in it until I turned him forward at almost 2 years old.  Then he started throwing up just like DS1.    Yuck!

[ZacsMumme]

hugs ladies BTDT and it is so STRESSFUL!
Ugh! My almost 2 yr old toddler STILL isnt a car fan....well he happily gets in but as soon as there is nothing to see and he is bored or has no food in his gob we get the whining I am one of those awful mothers who lets him have the paci in the car....sleep and car I decided (for my own sanity!)
Following along as no doubt this #2 will hate it as well and they will 'feed' off each other

[BenBen]

Can so relate! My almost 7 month old still hates sitting in his car seat although it got a little better lately, it's still very stressful to drive places.. I try to avoid driving as much as possible and if we go anywhere I make sure it's a short drive. He pretty much hates sitting in his stroller as well so we can't really go on walks..and the weather is perfect right now!
Falling asleep in the car? Forget about it!!!

[~inbalance~]

It's so not fair!!  I thought all babies liked the car!  What's frustrating me at the moment is I can't put her in the stroller for walks (I have a carseat attachment so it just goes on top).  Most of the time she's in the carrier anyway, but just once I'd like to stroll around with her not strapped to me, it would be so much more enjoyable for me!  I also go to an outdoor postnatal bootcamp once a week and we walk/jog outside, and she just cries so I dread going.  I'm so over it the carseat hating stuff!