She won't keep her clip up! Help!

[jewlsvern]

My DD is almost 2 and she keeps pushing her chest clip down. I have tried everything but as soon as I turn around she moves it down. The other day I stopped the car and fixed it almost 15 times, well, part of the time we were waiting at the bus stop for her cousins.
What do I do? I am so frustrated with her. The terrible twos have started and I don't want to let her win this battle. We deal with this like 5 times a week.

Any suggestions on how to keep her clips where it goes? She is in an EFTA.

[CelticLabyrinth]

Try putting a thin zipper jacket on her, and zip it up over the straps after she's buckled in :thumbsup:

[jewlsvern]

Try putting a thin zipper jacket on her, and zip it up over the straps after she's buckled in :thumbsup:

Tried that. She just unzipped the jacket and pushed the clip down. She is very adamant about having things HER way.

[Dillipop]

I find that the EFTA chest clip is very easy to move down. My 2 year old was doing it for awhile and I just kept moving it back up. If the harness is tight enough and properly positioned, I am not as concerned about it's placement. DS stopped doing it on his own, but part of that may have been that we moved the EFTA to Daddy's car, where he only rides in it once a week, and moved him into the radian in my car, which is much harder to move the chest clip.

Sorry that doesn't help much. I would just suggest keeping on placing it in the right place and hoping she outgrows this phase quickly.

[ketchupqueen]

I would give her a reward every time she does NOT move her chest clip. Like a sticker, or an M&M, whatever will motivate her, just something small. Then I would take her on a bunch of short rides to give her lots of opportunities to get a reward, and make the reward almost immediate (like 5 minute rides or something.) Then, when she is used to getting a reward for not touching it, cut back to just regular trips but still give the reward. Then only give the reward if she doesn't do it the whole trip there and back, then only if she doesn't do it the whole day, etc. to gradually wean her off needing a reward for it. By that time it should be second nature.

As my mother says, "It's not bribery, it's positive reinforcement!"

[BW1426]

I would try getting some sticky backed velcro and putting the rough side on the clip.

[bobandjess99]

I'd stop making a big deal out of it, as long as she is still staying harnessed. The chest clip isn't an essential part of teh harness systme, just a pre-crash positioner..so as long as the harness is still on her with it oushed down, I'd ignore it. bet she stops.

[ketchupqueen]

If it's low enough, can't it cause an injury, though?

[emandbri]

If it's low enough, can't it cause an injury, though?

I don't think so. They often come apart in crashes anyway.

[ketchupqueen]

Hmmm. I've heard clips being in the wrong place cited as cause of internal injury when reading accounts of accident injuries. I'm sure of it... It probably depends on the crash, the seat, the child's age and weight, FF or RF, etc. But between what I've read and the fact that a smaller child may not have the straps positioned over the shoulders correctly (from wiggling out of place) if the clip is way low-- in fact they may get all the way out of the seat-- I'd just not be comfortable driving around like that. I also think it's important that kids learn that it's important not to mess with the seat once they're buckled in. :twocents:

[Defrost]

My concern with ignoring her messing with the chest clip is that it could lead to her messing with (as in, unbuckling) the buckle. Some kids won't - they'll be happy to have control over the chest clip and leave it at that. But other kids will continue to play around with the concept, and it's much more dangerous to have her messing with the buckle. Better to "nip it in the bud" while it's still something less risky, yk?

I'd say just keep being consistent and persistent about the chest clip. Keep your response as much the same every time as possible. She'll eventually get the message, and if it keeps the chest clip as her focus rather than having her move on to the buckle, that's a good thing. :thumbsup:

[safeinthecar]

Replace the zip up jacket with a button down shirt.

[kelandmad]

it sounds like it's more of the fact she can control it by putting it down, and since once your driving there isn't much you can do about it, she still in a way has control, it probably doesn't help with the reaction she is getting out of you, I would try letting her clip it herself, just make sure it is in proper placement when you allow her to do it, and if she moves it down just let her know then she can't clip it herself, I would make it more of she wouldn't be able to reach it kinda thing, and when she doesn't push it down let her know what a big girl she is for keeping it in place so she can clip it herself. at that age she is just testing to see how much control she can have.