Why does my child hate the car????

fyrfightermomma · Mar 8, 2010

I never had this issue with the other two. Granted Joey's been in the car like 6 times his entire life, but he's screamed every....single.....time....

Today I took him to BRU. As soon as I sat him in his seat he started to scream. He screamed the whole way there, the whole time there (even though I picked him up and held him right away) and the whole way home. As soon as we got home, he stopped.

He is NOT a crier. This child never cries or fusses. This was an all out blood curdling scream and it's everytime he's in the car seat.

We have a KF 30. I looked the seat over, looked at the insert, straps etc. Nothing is rubbing strangely. The only thing is he sweats profusely in it. I've never seen him sweat any other time, but every time I take him out (even the one time he didn't cry) there was a huge wet spot behind his head. Is that normal with that seat? My girls had Graco's and cottony cloth covers, not the weird ones Chicco has.

I have no other seat to try. What gives??? Is it the seat? The car? What?!?!?!

Maedze · Mar 8, 2010

It's really, really normal. I'm surprised your other two didn't do it!

keri1292 · Mar 8, 2010

My middle child did that until he was about 9 months old. Can you give one of your Radians a try, just to see if it makes a difference?

It probably won't.

JerseyGirl'sMama · Mar 8, 2010

Sorry that he hates the car so much - I know that is no fun.

Not sure what you may have tried, but white noise really helps to soothe my Joey in the car. I have a between the stations, static sound programmed and I turn it up super loud. It helped a lot when DS was really young. Maybe try that?

And also make sure he isn't over dressed or wearing a hat when in the carseat since he sweats so much.

SusanMae · Mar 8, 2010

We had the same problem. A pacifier helped. He would normally settle down once we got going. Then there was the "pray every light is green" phase. Now he's fine.

Susan

Babywearing Meghan · Mar 8, 2010

yep Nolan too, he HATES being in the car seat, he screams the whole ride he fights getting in too now that he is old enough, the whole time I try to get him in he flips around in my arms, screams, wont sit (we are all "nolan you have to bend" but he stiffens and screams) its a blast..When he was little I used to make Julianna sit next to him and hold a paci in his mouth (he never ever took a paci but if she held it there he would stop and suck for a few minutes then cry again)

I feel your pain mama.. its like torture!
I had a woman at Fiona's school tell me (while I was fighting him into his seat one day) "ya know he is big enough to turn him around.. you totally need to do that so he will stop fighting you" I just told her rear facing was just so much safer that it was worth the fight to my husband and I to keep him that way till he reached the seat limit to rear face.

daisie125 · Mar 8, 2010

Totally normal

And why we spent like $60 on pacifiers to get one she didn't hate. At almost 4 months she RARELY cries in the car anymore. (My first two didn't mind the car either so this was new for us too.)

todzwife · Mar 8, 2010

DD did that in her Fuego snugride. We haven't used the new KF30 (miro) but I was wondering about the fabric in it this summer. I'm tempted to order one of those cotton covers for it though if she hates it.

cpsaddict · Mar 8, 2010

Well, we had the Safeseat 1 in Jenny, which was cottony in the middle. DD screamed constantly, to the point of throwing up. Even when I got to the store and put her in the carrier, she was still fussy. What a miserable summer that was. Once we moved her to a convertible it got so much better. Hugs! I hope he starts doing better soon.

autumnlily · Mar 8, 2010

We had the Britax Companions and my twins sweated like crazy in them. Etta went through a horrific screaming phase from 1.5mo to 3.5mo. Nothing helped. at. all.

Grace would respond to the window being opened enough to make white noise and perhaps feel a bit of the wind.

My oldest, screamed like that for 2 years. I was one of *those* parents who turned her child FF when she reached 20lbs (slightly over a year old) thinking it would help. Nope. Just made it louder and she had better aim when throwing things at me. I finally stopped putting shoes on her after being hit upside the head a few times!

Hopefully, Joey will move through the phase. Perhaps it's the position it puts on his belly - I wonder if he would do better without the infant insert? If that is allowed.

fyrfightermomma · Mar 8, 2010

Maedze said:
It's really, really normal. I'm surprised your other two didn't do it!

So uhh how do I stop it?? Atleast with the other two I had the option of never going anywhere as they didn't do anything other than stay home with me all day LOL. This kid has to be carted all over once my maternity leave is over to school and therapy and doctors and the sitters.

EEK!

Pixels · Mar 8, 2010

I second trying him out in a Radian. Some kids hate the car. Some kids hate the bucket. Maybe you have a bucket-hater.

fyrfightermomma · Mar 8, 2010

autumnlily said:
We had the Britax Companions and my twins sweated like crazy in them. Etta went through a horrific screaming phase from 1.5mo to 3.5mo. Nothing helped. at. all.

Grace would respond to the window being opened enough to make white noise and perhaps feel a bit of the wind.

My oldest, screamed like that for 2 years. I was one of *those* parents who turned her child FF when she reached 20lbs (slightly over a year old) thinking it would help. Nope. Just made it louder and she had better aim when throwing things at me. I finally stopped putting shoes on her after being hit upside the head a few times!

Hopefully, Joey will move through the phase. Perhaps it's the position it puts on his belly - I wonder if he would do better without the infant insert? If that is allowed.

He's already too fat for it

Has to be removed at 11 lbs and he hit 11 the other day

Thanks guys. It's good to know it's normal and probably not the seat (cause yeah...I don't want to buy another seat).

I'm gonna try him in a convertible and see what happens. I'll just stick S in E's seat one day she's at school and Joey can have the Radian. I have a feeling it won't matter

What's so strange is he LOVES sitting upright in similar items at home. We have a 15 year old Fisher Price infant carrier (like a car seat without the harness). It's exactly like a car seat. He loves it. His swing is shaped like the car seat. He loves it. I'm baffled....

I hope he outgrows it soon!

robbertbobbert · Mar 8, 2010

Apparently my sister and I BOTH had this problem when we were babies. My mom also did the try-85-brands-of-binkie-until-you-find-one-that-stops-the-fussing thing. It worked for me, not for my sister. For a while she just sang while driving and that shut us up, she would always sing to us to put us to sleep, so we were used to it. Singing for an entire drive does seem pretty over the top but she was desperate.

I know I haven't been much help, but I hope you find something that works!

Kat_Momof3 · Mar 8, 2010

well, we had a cottony cover on our snugride and it wasn't nearly as padded the keyfit... and the boys could have cared less... they loved anything that involved them in the car... Ruthie loved the scenera (also very little padding)... but something about the infant seat... Ruthie loathed from the moment she ever set bum in it...

we never went anywhere without her screaming a blood curdling horrific sound that drove one to pull one's hair out.

at 2mo old, I had enough, and we got her a convertible seat... the old 40lb triumph... and honesly... after then upgrading to a Marathon and getting a scenera as a spare and finding she liked them all the same, I say I could have gotten her a scenera and used it from birth (she would have fit)... well, the touriva... the scenera wasn't out then..... and she would have been far happier and never given me such issues.

HEVY · Mar 8, 2010

Rachel cried until she went into a convertible.

Maggie · Mar 8, 2010

I had 2 happy carseat riders, followed by a huge carseat hater. It sucked.

The things that helped were the swaddleme traveler and time. The swaddler made it tolerable, but really it just took time. By 3 months she was happy to ride and I was able to actually go shopping.

White noise did help. We rode around with static cranked, LOUD, for months.

Sorry, it sucks. I know. But really, it will get better. It might just take some time.

Yoshi · Mar 8, 2010

Maedze said:
It's really, really normal. I'm surprised your other two didn't do it!

:yeahthat:

I think the movement of the car and noise of driving/traffic/etc and bright fluorescent lights of stores made my DD scream and cry until she was about 3 months old. I rarely took her anywhere like that.....DH did all the grocery shopping. I stuck to walking with the stroller into our small town for awhile.

Why does my child hate the car????

fyrfightermomma

New member

Maedze

New member

keri1292

Well-known member

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member

SusanMae

Senior Community Member

Babywearing Meghan

New member

daisie125

New member

todzwife

New member

cpsaddict

New member

autumnlily

New member

fyrfightermomma

New member

Pixels

New member

fyrfightermomma

New member

robbertbobbert

New member

Kat_Momof3

New member

HEVY

New member

Maggie

New member

Yoshi

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics