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Screaming in car seat

(18 Posts)
Babs03 Tue 30-Jul-24 13:50:24

I have a 6 month old grandson who absolutely hates being in his car seat, so unless they time trips for when he naps my daughter and her partner have to suffer him going off like a fire alarm. They have tried fav toys and the dummy but nothing appears to work.
Any suggestions?

Grandmabatty Tue 30-Jul-24 13:53:02

Food! Dgs2 went through a phase of screaming in the car seat. We used bribery, chocolate buttons sparingly, halfa biscuit, the promise of going somewhere nice. The only thing that really worked was food

Baggs Tue 30-Jul-24 13:54:03

I think a great-nephew of mine was like this. One of the things they did is have mom sit in the back with him. I don't know how effective that was.

Babs03 Tue 30-Jul-24 13:56:34

@ Baggs mum or I do sit in the back but then he just turns to stare accusingly at us and screams. Is so awful not being able to comfort a little one in this situation.

Babs03 Tue 30-Jul-24 14:00:16

He is too young for a biscuit unfortunately.

fancythat Tue 30-Jul-24 14:01:50

Would you have any idea at his age what he doesnt like about it?

Does he seem car sick at all?[one of my grandchildren is dreadful].

Does he not like being strapped in?

Hates a car to move?

HowVeryDareYou2 Tue 30-Jul-24 14:09:44

An obvious one - is the care seat comfortable/in the correct position (not too upright)?

Toys or something for him to hold?
Sitting in the back with him
Taking a lot of breaks and only going on short distances - NHS recommends only 2 hours for babies

Grandmabatty Tue 30-Jul-24 14:50:35

Then a yoghurt pouch or something he likes to eat? I appreciate that at six months he's not able to eat a biscuit. It isn't to start a bad habit, but a temporary fix to get over his discomfort. Definitely check the fit of the harness. Dgs2 struggled with it being very tight over his nappy area

Grannynannywanny Tue 30-Jul-24 15:04:42

My grandchildren all enjoyed music in the car from a very young age. My granddaughter had a real dislike for her car seat. But as soon as the music started playing she settled. I had a few nursery rhyme CDs at the ready in the car . She was the only one out of the 4 grandchildren who also hated her pram when she was a baby.

welbeck Tue 30-Jul-24 15:13:34

why don't you ask over on MN.
much more traffic there, and recent experience.

NotSpaghetti Tue 30-Jul-24 15:29:38

fancythat - I think car sickness develops later.
It's to do with focus/inner ear disparity. It peaks between age 6 and 9 years.

At 6 months the baby won't have developed enough for it to be that.

My first baby hated it.
We sang, put music on and one of us sat in the back with them. Once about 6 months we took carrot sticks and toys, books with easy pictures etc...
And just rode it out I'm afraid!

We obviously made sure they were fed and dry and also stopped quite a lot as I was breastfeeding.

Chestnut Tue 30-Jul-24 16:33:18

Have you tried throwing a slice of processed cheese on his head?
You think I'm joking....just look here. ๐Ÿ˜‚
It seems to work but for how long I don't know.
www.youtube.com/shorts/WqH7RB-unvs

If you want to see more just search 'cheese slice baby' on You Tube. It's better if the slice is on their head I think, not their face.

MissAdventure Tue 30-Jul-24 16:37:16

Singing?
Every song known to mankind.

I lost count of how many old women swallowed a fly...

crazyH Tue 30-Jul-24 16:45:22

Someone sitting in the back seat with him.
CD of Nursey Rhymes
Biscuit

fancythat Tue 30-Jul-24 17:02:08

^fancythat - I think car sickness develops later.
It's to do with focus/inner ear disparity. It peaks between age 6 and 9 years.
^

You may be right about later.
But if it peaks between 6 & 9, she wont be able to go anywhere. She is not yet 3.

Babs03 Tue 30-Jul-24 19:44:11

Thanx all for ideas.
X

Floradora9 Tue 30-Jul-24 21:40:56

DGD did this as a baby and I am sure it was because the motion of the car made her feel sick . She would be sick in a car or coach when she was a bit older .

Deedaa Wed 31-Jul-24 00:34:06

One of my grandsons went through a phase of screaming. Normally DD is very safety conscious (even her dogs wore seat belts) but on one long drive back from Cornwall she did take him out of the seat and hold him on her lap. She said the risk of anything happening while she was holding him was a lot less than her husband crashing the car after being driven mad by the screaming. Fortunately he grew out of it quite quickly.