My niece has a thing of when she wants out of her car seat or wants to see something out of range, she'll pull her arms out of the straps to see. I'm worried because when my mom takes her places, she's afraid to be pulled over. The kid is almost four years old, about 26-27 pounds and 34-35 inches high. I know it's not time to take her out of a toddler's car seat, but is there any solution to keep arms in?
2007-07-23 17:25:20 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
She has the mind of a toddler, btw...>_> She won't understand the concept of getting hurt or being rewarded.
2007-07-23 17:32:38 · update #1
Tighten up those straps!
2007-07-23 17:30:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
If you can't get a different car seat that has a chest piece that holds the straps together, then believe it or not you can call the police dept. and they have some kind of a group that tells you what to do. It's like a carseat inspection thing. I don't know the name of the group. Also you could contact the hospital. They also have groups there that can help. I think you should take her to a cop and tell him to tell her that he will arrest her for it. Then maybe she will stop. I had a friend that her kid kept getting out of his seat no matter what. A cop pulled her over and she told the cop what he was doing. They agreed together on it and the cop told the kid he was gonna take him to jail if he did it again. He never did it again. He was 4 at the time. Hope this helped.
2007-07-23 17:34:58 · answer #2 · answered by Me2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like the car seat isn't on tight enough. A 5 point harness is the best way to keep a child secure in their car seat. They should have the strap between their legs, then one over their chest. The one over their chest should be at underarm level. Then the straps should be pulled tight enough so you can't pinch any fabric between your fingers. If the seat is put on like this, then the child will not be able to pull her arms out.
She still needs to be in a car seat for as long as she can. Even if she has reached the weight/height requirement for a booster seat, it is best to keep the child in a 5 point harness for longer.
At 4 years old, a child will understand the concept of a reward. I have a 2 year old, and she fully understands a reward. We use them for her potty. As soon as she goes potty, she asks for her sticker. You can use this same type of reward system for her.
2007-07-23 17:54:08 · answer #3 · answered by Umm Selma 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's odd for a four-year-old to not understand the concept of rewards, so I would say you should at least give it an honest try (an "honest" try does not mean once, then giving in when it's difficult).
Anytime one of my kids gets out of the seatbelt while I'm driving, I pull over immediately, get out, put the seatbelt on, and let them know as soon as we get to our destination, they WILL have time out immediately (this is especially effective when they're going someplace they're excited about... having a time out the second they get to the park or McDonalds is a pretty low blow for a preschooler). Anytime it happens after that, they get double the time-out time.
My sister told her daughter the car can't go when the seatbelt is off. She took it all the way to pulling over the second she heard "click" and "tried" to restart the car. Supposedly she couldn't turn the key, and when she told my niece she had to put the seatbelt on because the car wouldn't go if she didn't, she believed her, and wears her seatbelt now.
At that height and weight, you should be able to get her in a transition seat. When my youngest, who is very small, had just turned three, he switched to a transition seat. I was worried about it, so I asked his doctor and a police officer friend of mine, and both said it was okay. She may be really uncomfortable in the 5-point harness.
2007-07-23 18:50:33 · answer #4 · answered by CrazyChick 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to be aware that 3rd party car seat covers can make the carseat unsafe. It is far better to repair or clean the seat as it is than to risk having the child be thrown from the car when he slides out. I am cringing just reading your question, much less a couple of the answers. The only covers that are safe are the ones that go OVER the child and seat for when it is cold. Never under the child.
2016-05-17 04:50:06 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I worked in day care the police came out and gave a mini car seat camp to the pre - k kids( 4 yr old) maybe if you know an officer or call the local dept they have a group or maybe can have you come down to give them a mini demo after my daughter attented she was even hassling me about buckling up
2007-07-23 17:52:08 · answer #6 · answered by kkoe 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At almost 4 years old she should get the concept of being rewarded. Kids pick up on that at a very young age.
2007-07-23 17:42:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a similar problem with a friend's 4 year old daughter. When her mother was driving, she would undo the belt, or climb out of her seat, and would stand between the front seats.
I told her when I took her that everyone in my car kept their seatbelts on and stayed in their seats, otherwise she couldn't come with me. The first time she tried it, I pulled over and told her we wouldn't be going anywhere if she did that. She believed me and never did it again.
Sometimes it just takes firm discipline.
I also had to take a older disabled boy who refused to do up his seatbelt, after I told him the same. So I waited, even had his principal come out and ask if there was a problem. I said "No, I am just waiting for him to do up his belt". Seconds later I heard the belt click on, and we were on the way.
To get the children to understand the importance of seatbelts, NEVER MAKE AN EXCEPTION. If they don't belt up they don't go.
2007-07-23 17:38:13 · answer #8 · answered by Barb Outhere 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Give her something entertaining to do while sitting in it. She'll never even think of getting out of it. If she does try to get out, take the special toy. Tighten the straps. If that doesn't work just pop those arms. She'll get the point!
2007-07-24 03:52:48 · answer #9 · answered by Teresa E 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
she's as big as my 2 yr old
ok so i have a 2 yr old and she did the same thing and i just told her to stop and if she did it again i lightly smacked her leg she doesnt do it anymore
it also sounds like the straps just arent tight enough
they should be tight enough that she cant get her arms out
she's 4 she will understand unless there is something wrong with her
2007-07-23 18:34:35 · answer #10 · answered by squeaker 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If she's almost four she should be told that she can get a little reward/treat if she keeps her arms tucked. Tell her if she takes her arms out she could have a bad accident and get hurt.
2007-07-23 17:31:05 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋