My two year old will not stay in her carseat. No matter what I do I can not keep her from unbuckling her seatbelt!!! I have tried everything I can think of. I have to get out at every light to buckle her back up, this just isn't working. HELP
2007-02-02 03:12:24 · 7 answers · asked by j_n_js_mommy 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Here are a couple of suggestions (some of them already mentioned):
1) take her to the local police/fire department and have someone talk to her
2) create a reward system for leaving the seat belt on. You can start out with very short car rides (down the street or around the block) and make a game out of it. If she can keep her seatbelt on the whole time, she gets a piece of candy, to watch a favorite TV show, or whatever appeals to her. Then gradually lengthen the amount of time required for the reward. Eventually, you can reward her for each car ride, then for each day, week, month, or whatever, until you completely phase it all out.
3) get a more complicated car seat. I also have the Alpha Omega Elite. I like my Britax for my son better, but if you're looking for something complicated, it might better suit your needs. The unlatching button has to be pushed downward instead of inward (okay that's hard to explain, but it's harder to work than a regular button), so it might be too hard for your daughter.
4) be very consistent with consequences for her behavior. Depending on what you normally use for bad behavior in other areas of her life, make sure you are consistently showing her that it is NOT acceptable behavior for her to be taking her seatbelt off, EVERY time she does it. But you have probably already been working on this aspect, so I would try to emphasize the rewards for when she does do it, especially for a behavior that is so rampant that you would have to be punishing her every five seconds.
5) and above all, make sure you are modeling the behavior!! ALWAYS wear your seatbelt, and don't let anyone ride in the car (especially with your daughter in it) without a seatbelt. Talk about how everyone wears a seatbelt in the car, and even look out the window and see other people wearing seatbelts in their cars.
...and my mother says, "Duct tape!!" hahahaha :D
Good for you trying to teach this very important concept to your little girl and good luck to you!
2007-02-02 03:47:56 · answer #1 · answered by calliope_13731 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my son is 2 and a half, and he couldn't get out of his carseat if he tried. both the buckle at the crotch and the chest clip are much too hard for him to open. is your daughter in a carseat or a booster? if she is in a booster seat and she just undoes the seatbelt, it is too early for her to be in a booster (as long as she isn't too big for a carseat). i recommend you purchase a new car seat, and test the buckles to be sure they are though enough to undo. i have the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite, and it is a wonderful carseat. it can be used as a carseat from 5-40 pounds, and then converts to a booster for up to 100 lbs, so you really get your money out of it.
i also like the idea of taking your daughter to talk to a policeman about wearing a seatbelt. that can have a big enough impression to make her want to wear it!
good luck... sometimes kids are so impossible!!
2007-02-02 03:25:55 · answer #2 · answered by Rebecca O 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell her she cant go because she wont stay in her seat. Then leave her home a few times even if you have to make up a destination to show her what you mean. (not alone of course-figured if I didnt say that someone would call me on it). Then when you let her go again every time she takes off the seatbelt take her straight home. Now to do everything you have to do you may need the help of a babysitter but it will be worth it to show her she has to stay belted. She has to wear it forever so she might as well get used to it.
2007-02-02 03:18:24 · answer #3 · answered by elaeblue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I understand that you have to get out and put your child back in the seat. Are there consequences for this behavior? If not, then who is in charge? If there are repercussions for the behavior, then I would take the child to the local fire department or the police station and ask someone there to take to your child about why they need to be safe in the car.
Good luck!
2007-02-02 03:21:05 · answer #4 · answered by laesjb 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A two year old should still be in a car seat. Even I have a hard time undoing those. If it is easy to undo, then you need a new harness or car seat because the five point harnesses should not be easy for a two year old to undo!
2007-02-02 03:19:57 · answer #5 · answered by finding_my_dream 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had this problem with my nephew, my sister first tried explaining to him that the police man says we have to keep it on. She tried to give him things to do, when that didn't work she took him to the police station and had one of the policement talk to him. That worked and he talked about it for weeks.
Good luck
2007-02-02 03:17:13 · answer #6 · answered by PLJNYC 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not rocket science...pop those thighs.
2007-02-02 04:08:54 · answer #7 · answered by Nisha 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋