Car Seat Escape Artist

Good, I am not the only one with an escape artist. My 2 1/2 year old has been getting out of her carseat since before she turned two. I like the other mom, tried the pulling over (which doesn't really work on the freeway, and when you do long commutes like me, most of your drive is on the freeway), I did the threatening, the ignoring, and even a little hand swatting, have asked other parents and pediatricians what to do, and I have yet to find anything that works. Fortunately, she is a little older and doesn't get out of her carseat as much but when she does for the most part I just need to tell her to put her straps back on and she does, usually. By the way, between my car, my husband's car, and grandma & grandpa's car, there are 3 different car seats and she manages to get out of all 3 of them. Hang in there, I know it is scary. Good luck! Maybe you will have better luck.

TRUST ME. My almost 2 year old was doing this. You just have to make it really really tight. As long as you can put 2 fingers under the strap on her chest it is not too tight. If she still does it just pull the car right over and scold her. Trust me, the kids know if I say, "Stop now or I'm gonna pull over" they know I'm not kidding. I only had to actually pull over 3 times to make them realize I'm serious.

This looks late in coming, and there are too many posts for me to read them all to make sure this isn't old info. So, here goes:

At Toys R Us there is an attachment you can buy that is VERY childproof and locks across the child's chest-right where they usually wiggle out. Our kids could NEVER escape out of this. It made driving sane again.

Here is something like it: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2301539

Good luck!

My little girl Sarah used to do the same thing until I used a safety pin (the "safe" kind that used to be used for cloth diapers). I would pin the straps together ABOVE the clip and there was no way she could get out of the car seat then! Prepare for screams though, when she finds out she's stuck! I highly recommend an IPod! Good luck! J.

Hi, When my kids wee little, car seats were much easier to escape from, so I had to get creative. Since every time they started to get out of their straps, I pulled the car over to the side of the road (and when possible tapped the breaks a little to make it seems like there was engine trouble) they thought the car wouldn't run unless the straps/seat belts were on. At first I made a big deal out of explaining why the car wouldn't go and helped them back into their restraints. After a few times, all I had to say was "Uh-oh...car won't go," and they'd get buckled up. Sounds pretty time consuming, but it really wasn't. Plus it gives them a "natural" consequence for their behavior instead of my begging or yelling, which is a much better and quicker learning experience! Good Luck! Grams

I was behind an SUV in the drive-thru at Starbucks and I watched a little girl do this escaping act. She was probably closer to three. I was once again grateful for my old, second hand 1st generation Alpha Omega car seat. It's got the big shelf thing that comes down in front of my son (which is great for setting toys, books or snacks on). The best part is that the buckle release is down between his feet, below the big shelf. He couldn't push that button if he tried. No way out! I know car seats are a big expense, but you might find the perfect solution at a garage sale!

Hi S.!
Well, I don't have a solution, but I just wanted to let you know that my 2 year old son does the same thing... so perhaps it's an age thing. I usually end up stopping and re-strapping him in and telling him not to do it again.

my son was the great houdini when it came to car seats. I'll never forget the time I was on the freeway and he came out; he was around 2 years old at the time and I completely flipped out. I had tightened it as tight as it could be, and even worried that I had it too tight, but his safety was important to me. I never found a way to deal with this, but he is 12 now so it's not an issue anymore. Good luck!!! :)

Hi S.,
Call me today please and we can talk about what to do about this.
C. at Kidzseatz Child Passenger Safety Specialit.
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Wow- scary! My best advice is to head to your local fire dept, where they will check your car seat out to ensure that it is working properly. No offense, but user error is often the culprit. They can give you pointers on adjustments and any accessories that you may need to keep your daughter safe and secure. Good luck!!

You are right to be so concerned. My 2 year old daughter did the same thing. Luckily my 6 year old daughter was always in the back seat and could tell on her whenever she wiggled out of her straps! Whenever it happened, I immediately pulled to the side of the road (or exited the freeway) and stopped the car. I told her we weren't moving again until she was completely buckled because it's not safe to drive without seatbelts. I only had to do this 3 times. She hasn't unbuckled herself in months. Hope this helps - good luck!

My daughter (19 months) does the same exact thing! I've taken to having little toys (play cell phone works best)on hand and when I see her starting in the rear view mirror I hand one back to her to distract her. So far that is all that has worked. Good luck!

HI, This is a five point harness? If so, the bar you speak of should be at underarm level and should be tight. The top slot where the strap meets the car seat, should be at shoulder or a tiny bit higher than shoulder level. The bottom of the strap where the strap meets the car seat should be at thigh level not towards the knee. (some times there are two different slots.) And the straps should be pulled tight. No loose straps. She should not be able to move around. I don't mean strangle her, but tight. But it is meant to be tight. Two fingers under it. There should be no way to get out. Or go to babies r us and try other car seats. and write to or return the one you have. Good luck, this is a very important situation. Lia

My son was the worst and then I would find him climbing into the front seat. I don't know how many times I had to pull over. I think some days he needed a straight jacket. I would do all the creative things and that wore out like coloring, toys, ect. I finally took him to our local police station and had an officer talk to him. He was 3 at the time. Since then he didn't do. I guess the big bad man with a uniform scared him straight back into his seat. Good luck

My 2 year old daughter does the same thing and i got fed up with it and just tightened the straps so that she wouldnt be able to move them but they were not squishing her too much. i would rather her be slightly uncomfortable for a few minutes then to be hurt badly in an accident.
we are also thinking about getting a different car seat!

Hey S., I am a certified safety seat tech. This is a discipline issue with your two year old. In CA it is a $375 fine for improper use if you get cited. Like all strong willed kids, they test you, and when they realize they won't win a particular battle, they move on to the next thing. Constant remindeders, actually stopping the car and getting out to scold , count, take a toy away, etc... to get their attention. After two - three times of consistent action, they stop messing with it. Jim

Hi S.,
I had the same problem with my son although he was a bit older (close to 3) when he started taking the shoulder straps off. I decided that learning to keep your seatbelt on was the most important thing (rather than trying to find a hook or something he couldn't undo). So, the rule was that your straps/seatbelts stay on or we don't drive. This meant that every time he took the straps off, we pulled over and waited for him to put them back on (or we did it). It was time consuming and a pain but once it clicked in for him (couple weeks), that was it. He never takes it off now and understands that he cannot drive in the car unless he has the seat belt/car seat straps on. They really don't like just sitting there on the side of the road!

It takes lots of time/patience and effort but is well worth it in the long run so that you don't have the same problem again when they move to a booster!

Good luck,
-K.

I bought a wooden spoon...mind you I did'nt have to use it but the threat was there. For me it worked. I was never one to try to reason with a toddler... I find it hard enough trying with late teens and older. I was the boss from day one ...end of story.

My 3 year old does the same thing and usually what I do is I tell her if she does not get back into her seat then she won't get to play with her toys or get a treat. One thing that I did that I thought was the best investment was I bought her a portable dvd player and that has held her attention so now she watches her movies and gets distracted from trying to get out. That might be an option for your little one.

Oh what these little guys put us thru. I have three the same age and when one would do it they all would. Not a very re-assuring thought when you think of 3 unbuckled in the car while mommy is trying to get them buckled back in and drive. Here is what I did none of which was very successful but, it eased my mind for a bit. I would pull over to the side of the road or freeway and re-buckle them in. I did stop and have a police man/woman speak to my children about being safe in their car seat more than once. This usually ended in tears but, at least they were safe. The good news is that they outgrow it just like many of their dangerous stages.

Yep, I had the same problem. The carseat safety inspection people told me that I didn't have the car seat straps tight enough. You shouldn't be able to pinch the straps at all - it should be tight. Maybe you don't want your child to be uncomfortable, but it's not safe loose. I tightened it and my son can't escape anymore.

If your strapped for time and don't mind the crying make the straps a little tighter.

But honestly, I had one of my girls do that a lot. The only thing I could do is pull over and restrap her and tell her it was not safe. I did that over and over again. When she was closer to 3 I had my cousin, a police officer, talk to her about car safety. That worked.

I have found that the less I fight the stages my girls go through, the faster they get through it.

My best friend has the same problem with her daughter. She tells her that it is illegal not to be properly buckled in, and that she is going to have to tell a police officer, or go to the police station and tell them that her daughter was not sitting in her car seat safely and that her daughter would get a ticket. Heaven help her when the kid figures out that she will get the ticket not her daughter!

I absolutely had a problem with this. I bought a grommet gun at Michael's craft store and made holes in the straps below the chest straps. I made about 2-3 holes on each strap. Then I threaded a shoelace through it - kind of imagine threading a shoe. This stopped the escape artist in her tracks because she couldn't push that bar down and then remove her arms from the harness. It was a pain in the neck, but the peace of mind was well worth it. If you want to reuse your car seat, you can just order new straps from the manufacturer. I felt like I wasn't driving safely because I was always checking to make sure she was in her seat. Hope this helps.

I had the same problem and the only solution I found was a five point harness carseat. The seat I had prior was a three point with the big bar in front of her chest which was in the way. With the five point there is no bar and her arms could move freely so I could entertain her with books and there was no way out of this seat.

They are all great suggestions. One thing I would caution is not over doing the threat of a cop to your child. Use them to talk to your child in a kind, yet assertive way. They are there "to protect and to serve". They need respected yes, but not feared. Cops don't like being the bad guys all the time. They can get the job done and still have your child like them in the end. I've watched my husband do preschool and kindergarten class visits and tours and its all a matter of how its presented. The kids love him, but respect him.
Just my 2 cents....
C.

Dear S.,

Try putting a small pillow in the seat before you put her into it. C. N.