My Child Hates The Car Seat

Annie The Nanny
Hi Annie,
The problem is this, my child hates the car seat. She’s two. Every time we go on a trip she screams that she wants out. We’ve tried various ways to help her enjoy the trip such as car snacks, toys and games, but it doesn’t work. It’s makes car trips a nightmare and even her six year old sister has had enough, not to mention my husband! Have you got any suggestions for me as I’ve run out of ideas? Ellie
Hi Ellie,
This must be very frustrating for you all. I wonder if you’ve considered the possibility that she may feel car sick? If the snacks, toys and games don’t make any difference, her troubles aren’t likely to be because she’s bored. Car sickness can obviously make children very unhappy and it’s difficult for them to explain their problems at that age. If this sounds like a possibility, take a look at her colour when she’s in the car. Does she look pale? If so, I would check with your doctor and find out what’s available to help prevent car sickness. You may also find remedies such as acupressure bands can make a difference. I get asked a lot of these kinds of questions through my parent support services so you’re not the only one dealing with these kinds of issues.
Try taking the car seat out of the car for practice
Make sure too, that your car is not too hot and stuffy and that your child stays away from greasy fried foods, which can often contribute to the problem. Offer frequent light snacks and keep going with the games etc. making sure she’s encouraged to focus on objects further away from the car. Travel on highways as much as you can, as frequent stops and starts can also contribute to feelings of discomfort. If you don’t think that’s the problem, maybe it’s an issue with the seat itself and a possible dislike of being confined. You don’t have the option to dump the seat, but you could bring it inside the house and let her get used to it outside the confines of the car, which may help. I would try these out and see what happens. Best of luck.
Annie