crying in the car - Page 2

[californiajenn]

DD hated her carseat until I upgraded to a Britax. I wish I had known that was the reason so much soone. (At that time, very few came well padded.) If you have a "bare bones" seat, you should consider getting a cushier one.

[MommytoTwo]

You know, sometimes there is just nothing you can do and the kindest thing is to just drive and get there and get it over with. My 3rd baby HATED the car and I got so much advice to pull over and nurse him all the time - it was insane - by the time I got him calmed down we would have to start driving and he would start again. It was cruel IMO.

Eventually he did get over it.

[sungodis]

Man, my LO also hated being in the car. It just broke my heart everytime I put him in there because I felt like I was making him CIO or something. We upgraded to a Britax, but nothing helped. Until we got him one of those little portable DVD players. Now, I was always against letting little ones watch TV, but he only does it in the car and it has absolutely saved our sanity. There is no public transpo where we live and, as a military family, we have had two cross country moves since he was born. Oh, I meant to mention that he really screamed whether I was in the back with him or not. He just hated it back there. HTH

[mamadelbosque]

That was my son too. We switched to a convertible, and that helped some (switched WAAY early, around 5 or 6 months), but honestly, it really only got better when we turned him around at 13-14 monthsish. I know that was 'early' by a lot of standards around here, but honestly the difference it made was incredible. I'd definetly get a convertible and keep her rear facing till shes "eligible" (12 months & 20 lbs+), and then turn her around and see how things go. Sorry I'm not mroe help!!

[MamaLuvsMatthew]

My son was that way until we joined Kindermusic. Then I started playing the Kindermusic CD and he was happy. So I discovered playing some cool kids music makes him happy in his car seat, most of the time.

[sunnymw]

DS1 was like this until we got a convertible also, and installed it closer to 30 degrees (upright) instead of at 45 degrees. He is much happier. We had him FFing for awhile at 1 year before we knew better and it was horrendous... he whined and cried the whole time b/c he kept dropping stuff and couldn't reach it--when he's RF the seat cocoons all his stuff

[bluehairedwoman]

my DD does this too. she is just now starting to be able to ride in the car and be calm enough to let herself fall asleep. i was stuck inside all summer (between this problem and the heat) because she screamed her head off in the car or stroller.

we call her the baby that couldn't slow down (referencing a simpsons episode referencing the movie speed) because if we go below 45mph or so she wakes up and screams.

you're not alone! it sucks big time.

[mamamille]

UGG just wrote the best responce then it got lost!

In recap- get a mirror, it made all the difference

get some nice music (elizabeth mitchell is our favorite) that you can listen to in the house and in the car.. something familiar, and you won't go insane listening to over and over.

bring the car seat into the house so she can play with it... maybe try snapping her in it a couple of times a day while you do something so she gets that it is only temporary. I would even explain to her- 10 months isn't that young not to understand.

I'm sure you give her toys and books and stuff, but one thing that I realized that my dd sometimes had a hard time accessing her hands. Make sure she can get her fist to her mouth. Sometimes clothes get too bulky.

and personaly I never made it a point to stop unless my dd was turning blue (oh, yes, we had such a FUN time in the car) I always felt it just added to her frustration (last time I got the boob, where is it now?) I would prob recommend going in the am after breakfast and she is alert and happy, or whatever time she is the freshest so she can look around and start to "enjoy" the car ride. I could NEVER do more than one errand, but after a while she will realize that it is only temp.

Good LUCK!

[Breeder]

I also drive a WAAAAHmbulance.

Some things that help my little guy, (some of the time):

-Cracking the window just a smidge so that the airflow makes a "white noise" sound

-Singing him his favorite songs while banging the steering wheel in time

-Putting him in the seat in the house and talking to him in a happy excited voice about going bye-bye


We're getting our Britax in the mail soon and I'm really hoping it makes a big difference.

[TefferTWH]

My son had reflux and I switched him to the Britax at 2.5 months because he'd literally spit up everything in his tummy and then just plain ol' acid until we took him out of the bucket. Oh yes, and spitting up acid makes the screaming just unbearable because you can smell it and know it hurts! Rear-facing Britax was better, FFing was a huge change for him. The drugs for the reflux helped too, but he never really got over disliking the car trips, and he doesn't sleep in the car either.

Anyway, when I had to drive him and he was/is screaming, I just have to ignore it. I don't turn around in my seat, hand him things or any other potentially dangerous behavior, because there is literally nothing I can do. When he was smaller, he got a pacifier in the car, and we kept it tethered to the seat on a short tether, and I'm willing to roll the windows up or down or change the music, but that's it. Experience has taught me that when he's miserable there's nothing I can do but let him out of his seat, and that's just not possible.