Toys for convertible carseat?

[cat13]

Before DS (3 mo) was born I did a ton of research on car seats and decided to go straight to a convertible rather than getting an infant seat first. While I don't mind that it's not portable and a little more of a pain to buckle, what I'm missing is there is no handle to hang toys from. DS is a car screamer and I'd love to have some tools to distract him. Any ideas for a convertible seat? I do have a mirror with lights/songs that he totally ignores, I think because it is too far away and he can't touch it (it's strapped to the headrest).

[Maedze]

I don't think you're going to like my answer.  LOL.

Toy should never be hung from a child seat handle when the vehicle is in motion, and while the use of a mirror may not be the worst thing in the world, unless the mirror is super-lightweight and flexible (basically a cloth pad around a reflective sticker), it's way too heavy and dangerous to use in the car. The strap on the head rest cannot and will not hold it there in an accident.  A mirror that lights up is probably from the 'heavy plastic and therefore dangerous' category, although I concede there is a product out there I'm not familiar with. 

Anything that you put in the back seat with your infant should be something that you'd be comfortable hurtling toward his head at 30 mph, because that's what would happen in a severe accident.  Small, soft, plush toys are probably fine.   At three months old, his fine motor skills are not developed enough to really interact with things beyond generally feeling them anyway.   Some kids do well with some sort of pacifier in the car, even if they don't use them elsewhere.  

Is the seat comfortable for him and is reclined to the correct angle? What seat is he riding in?   He's not wearing a snowsuit or thick bunting, and there's no "Bundle Me" or similar product in the seat, right?   

Three months is a tough age.  My kids were miserable in the car then, and I avoided car trips as much as possible.   Then they were good for a few months, and then disaster struck around 13 months again...lasted until around 20 months, and we've been good since (they are 7, 5 and 4 now, and no permanent psychological damage ;-) )

[cat13]

Thanks for your response!

I had no idea that the mirror could be dangerous in the car, I wonder if there's a way to secure it better or get a different one? That also make me wonder about other things in the car like my purse, groceries, umbrella (random bits of trash ) that are always in my car, as it's a hatchback so there's no trunk.

As for the angle and such, we are using a True Fit and I have it set on the "infant" angle, according to the level that is on the seat. And we live in a hot environment, so he's usually just in a onsie or pj type clothes. I wish he would take a pacifier but he acts like they are torture devices! :)

Like you, we try to avoid car trips as much as possible too, although he is getting better on the trips we do take, so hopefully like your LOs he will just have to grow out of the hating-car-seat-stage. Thanks for the advice!

[Maedze]

The good news is, they do eventually grow out of it!  

As far as other projectiles go, do try to keep them to a minimum.  For example, if you keep your purse back there, I'd put it on the floor rather than the seat.  And I wouldn't, you know, store cinder blocks in the hatchback    

But for the most part, if it's a loose item, keep it low and secure it is much as possible, and if it doesn't *have* to be in the car, take it out....it's safer for you, too!  

[wishin'&hopin']

We would do soft rattles that velcroed around his wrists or feet in the car.  Sophie the giraffe also hung out in the car seat.

[cat13]

Originally Posted by wishin'&hopin' 

We would do soft rattles that velcroed around his wrists or feet in the car.  Sophie the giraffe also hung out in the car seat.

So smart, thanks!

[Honey693]

They sell baby socks that have stuffed heads (like pooh or tigger) sewn onto the feet.  They're kind of creepy, but my kids found them fascinating.