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thread: Car seat belt...PLEASE help!!

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    6,869

    Exclamation Car seat belt...PLEASE help!!

    I know there has been a thread on here about how to stop kids from getting their arms out of the car seat belt...but 1 i cant find it now and 2. nothing i can remember from the thread worked.

    My DD1 (20 months) has now been doing this from about 13 months old and i cant get her to stop

    I have a Securerap and it does nothing...i put it on and with in seconds she pushes it down and her arms are free. Tonight i picked her up from car....belt on...shut the door. I got in the car, looked in the mirror and her belt was off and she was trying to turn around...i had not even got my own belt on yet!!!

    So then i had to go get DH.....2 stops in 20 mins to buckle her in again....and then 2 on the way home....in a 50 min round trip!!

    I have gone to all baby shops and they said theres nothing better then what i have for her, and its a safety issue putting anything on the belts cos if we were in an accident then they need quick access to get kids out, and not to be trying to work out how to get items off the belt.

    I dread the car cos she always does it...and never learns not too...its putting her safety at risk if there was an accident and then its throwing DH and i off while driving cos we contstantly being stressed by her actions

    HELLLLLLLP...please ?????????

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Nov 2006
    brisbane
    3,975

    Hey Kim,

    Myles is a wriggler too so hopefully he wont do the same?

    Is she still in a 5 point harness booster? I know they say they should be in them now till they are 7? Correct me if i am wrong?

    Maybe its just a phase? I dont have any other advice but maybe try to explain how dangerous it is and she wriggle as much as she likes when she is out?

    Good luck x

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    6,869

    Yeh Amber still in a 5 point restraint....but this has been going on 7 months now...she just does not listen or understand. She got in trouble everytime tonight...but she still kept doing it....im the bad mummy, but i smacked her hand...and it hurt me...so surely she realised.....but nope..again and again.

    Def need to be in a seat until 26kg....from about 14 kg they can go into a booster seat, and i am looking at one with the 5 point harness, rather then the H harness (or what ever they are called)

    For your sake i hope Myles does not do it..its a night mare!

  4. #4
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber & MPM

    Feb 2007
    Melbourne
    5,462

    I don't know Kim! Have you tried handing her something she likes as soon as you've put her in her seat like some food or a toy? That way she is distracted by the food/toy and not thinking about getting her arms out.

    Joel went through a phase of doing it, but after being told off a number of times he stopped doing it. Not all kids are as easy as Joel though LOL. It sounds like you've tried everything!

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Feb 2008
    on a journey called life, finding our way home
    629

    The only thing I used for my Ds was a heavy duty saftey pin, and that worked for him. BUT i never thought about what would happen if there was an accident and you had to take it off while in a panic state i guess.
    Sorry I am no help. but i can definatly sympathise with what is going on...

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Nov 2006
    brisbane
    3,975

    Aww kim your not a bad mummy for giving her a smack on the hand! Its for her safety. Can you make the straps quite tight so she cant wriggle out?

    Maybe what trish said give her something to ocupy her? Oh hun hope it gets better xxx

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    NSW Central Coast
    5,301

    Could you maybe make the straps longer, twist them together and then clip them in? I don't know if it would work, or if it would be safe? Just a thought!!

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    6,869

    Trish i tried the toy/food thing...its fine til she gets bored (liek 2 mins later) and then she cracks the wobblies and gets out....if its not going her way then the arms come out.

    If i make the straps sooo tight its impossible to buckle her up..AND she still finds a way out

    Its doing my head in!

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Aug 2005
    Melbourne, Victoria
    1,635

    We have this thing that holds the straps together at the chest so they can't get the arms through.

    It works for DS (i think he got out of it once, but we also get very cross and make a big deal of pulling the car over and saying how dangerous it is).

    I'll find the name for you. Highly recommend it.

    ETA: Look up SECURAP on ebay - it's made by Infa.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    6,869

    Thats what i already have Yael (i spelt it wrong though..LOL)...and it hasnt ever worked for us....Chelsea pushes it down!

  11. #11
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber & MPM

    Feb 2007
    Melbourne
    5,462

    I did the same as Yael and pulled over every time Joel did it and told him off. Some kids are more strong-willed though!

    Hope you find something that works soon.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Aug 2005
    Melbourne, Victoria
    1,635

    Oops, helps if you read the thread. I would pin it to the straps so she can't push it down.

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Sep 2005
    In the middle of nowhere
    9,362

    Kim this isn't something I'd normally recommend, but do you know anyone who is a policeman?
    Maybe they could help her learn. ...about being a good girl and leaving her belt on, rather than no it's naughty (I know it is - but Darcy seems to go better with "this is how you can be a fantistic little helper" as opposed to the attention for being naughty). I wouldn't recommend however getting them to show her what happens to naughty girls etc cos then they beocme frightened of the cops (nothing more heartbreaking I can tell you).

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Aug 2005
    Melbourne, Victoria
    1,635

    I forgot to say, the say the straps should be so tight you can only get 1 finger underneath them (which is actually really tight).

    Maybe a combo of that, pinning the securwrap on, and telling her off might work??

    Otherwise you can try duct taping her to the car seat (j/k!) But its tough i know - and bloody distracting when you are trying to drive.

  15. #15
    BellyBelly Member

    Jun 2005
    Sydney
    2,121

    Thankfully my girls dont do it - although i have caught them, but i gave them one almighty evil look and they soon stopped....
    I saw my mum once put my niece in her car, in a car seat, and she was prone to doing what your lil girl does - so she tied a hair elastic around the seatbelt - across the chest.....i know this can be dangerous should you be in an accident, but it worked, there was no way she could undo the hair elastic......


    Maybe you could threaten her with no more car. LEave her with your DH and drive around the block without her in it.....maybe it will soon sink in.....

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    6,869

    Nope dont know any cops round here....

    Might have to tighten the belt even more....hmm...then try the pinning...then the elastric bands.

    Im just so stressed the cops will pull us over...and then we will get in trouble...its not like we are bad parents who dont strap their kid in...we do but she gets out Im sure the cops wont see it like that though.\\Duct tape is sound good right now Yael!

  17. #17
    morgan78 Guest

    Kim - Even if you dont know any cops maybe drop into your local station and see if one of them would have a chat with your DD.
    How would she respond to a reward system...even maybe popping stickers on the straps of her seat when she leaves them on so her car seat starts to look "pretty"
    I hope you do find something that works.

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    Newcastle, NSW
    4,219

    My eldest son used to do this too... so I would just have the seatbelts as tight as possible, and adjust them to get him in and out... it only took a few minutes more but was definitely worth it.
    From my understanding, if there were in an accident, they would cut the belts on the car seat to get the baby/child out, so don't worry too much about the wrap thing being on the belts.

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