2yo Houdini

DS1 - 2y 3m 38" 27lb - has discovered how to undo his car seat buckles (radian r120) and quite happily undoes them and gets out while I am driving down the road. Bribing hasn't helped yelling hasn't talking hasn't and I am at a loss. Ideas???

Stopping the car does nothing. Turning the lower buckle has prevented him from undoing that so far, but it's only a matter of time. This is what he did THREE TIMES on the way home from MILs house this afternoon (a 2 mile trip!!) not counting the twice before we even got out of her driveway::

He has been doing this with the top buckle for a few months. Started the bottom buckle about a week ago. I did have some success at first with running a shoelace through the chest clip but he has now figured out how to undo the KNOT. On the rare occasion he doesn't take the time to undo the lace he still slides the clip down as far as possible and gets his arms out and from there starts to wiggle out the rest of the way. The straps are not to loose or too tight and I do not have money to buy anything to add to his seat. Tape Velcro etc on the buckle does not phase him. I threaded the buckle through a pant leg spur of the moment one time and the second time I tried it he figured it out. He's too small to turn FF as far as I'm concerned (dh doesn't care). Toys, snacks, drinks, books, etc - none make any difference.
Leaving him home is not an option, at all - dh works 4 jobs (1 is on summer break) and has too varied a schedule to keep him. Babysitter is not an option, at all. Staying home is not an option either - between drs appts shopping errands and his speech therapy/early intervention....I need him to stay buckled.


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Are the harness slots just below his shoulders?

For the chest clip, you could try adding a button up shirt over his tshirt, and button that up over the harness once he's buckled in. I assume it wouldn't take long for him to figure out how to undo the buttons though. And in that case- while it would not be fun/easy for you, perhaps buckle him in with the harness loose enough, put the button up on him backwards, and then tighten to the appropriate tightness.

For the crotch buckle- while him unbuckling it is clearly not safe, I don't think how you have it twisted around is safe either. Perhaps give Diono a phone call and see if they would permit you to turn it around from underneath the seat, so that the webbing isn't twisted.

Twisting it was suggested to me by multiple cpsts earlier. I will call diono mon.
Yes to the harness slots and yes tried putting stuff overtop in reverse. It didn't work very well. Le sigh.


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He's about the same age as my grandson. There would be no reasoning with that kiddo at all. I don't think the discipline technique of aborted short trips somewhere he would want to go would help at that age either, at least not for mine. You could try that if you think it might work though.

Could you try giving him something to play with in the car only that has a buckle he could fiddle with? Isn't there a toy that has some different things on it like that? A doll type toy?

The only toy I can think of that hasn't been taken to the car is a latch board and I don't have money to buy one - not that I think it would last more than 5 maybe 10 min before he would be done with it (attention span of a gnat and all, lol) and even then it would get me one maybe two trips.
I've even tried electronic toys (pads etc) - nope.
My girls never did this. two maybe three times reminding them to leave the clip alone and that was the end of it. I really hope the 5mo doesn't decide to follow in this one's footsteps.....


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You cant use a shoes lace to hold the clip together. That would prevent the clip from doing its job, adjusting the harness to the position they need to be in during a wreck. Its also not a good idea to twist the buckle either. Where is the belly pad? They are required. That could possibly stall him some.
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I started overtightening my nanny girls straps when she tried this. It was uncomfortable and she hated it. When I buckled her every time she touched the chest clip I pulled the harness tighter. Didn't take long for her to stop touching the chest clip.

Honestly, with what he's capable of, I would get a long sleeved shirt and sew the ends of the sleeves shut. That is his car shirt. No finger use equals no way to unbuckle.

babyherder said:

I started overtightening my nanny girls straps when she tried this. It was uncomfortable and she hated it. When I buckled her every time she touched the chest clip I pulled the harness tighter. Didn't take long for her to stop touching the chest clip.

Honestly, with what he's capable of, I would get a long sleeved shirt and sew the ends of the sleeves shut. That is his car shirt. No finger use equals no way to unbuckle.

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I bet he would still be able to use his fingers well enough inside the shirt if he was really determined!

Is duct tape allowed on a chest clip?

I would also think tightening the harness so much that he can't get his arms out even if he does unclip is a good option. It won't be fun if he can't get himself out and neither is the tight harness!

I have no doubt he could undo it even without fingers, but even without undoing the clip he still slides it down to the bottom buckle and slip off the straps. I have tightened them to the point they were cutting into his shoulders and a one mile 5 min trip to the store left marks on him when he got them off halfway there.
On the bright side, he is also learning how to buckle them so hopefully soon I won't have to climb over the seat to rebuckle him.


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Aren't their some specific products that the car seat blog reviewed a while ago for this purpose? I know their not recommended as a first line of defense, but it seems as if this is what it is made for? I'll try to find a link. Edit, found it! http://carseatblog.com/27151/merrit...nd-of-the-line-for-the-carseat-escape-artist/

Note that the chest clip guard will work but the crutch buckle one doesn't work with the diono radian.

Twisting the buckle used to be a commonly suggested trick, however it was discovered that there's a risk the child's body could release the mechanism by pressing against the button in an accident.

I would much sooner try the Merritt accessories linked above.

Maybe some thick fingerless mittens sewn onto the sleeves of a shirt. I've seen some that are waterproof and very thick so they would be hard to use your fingers through.

I could never tighten straps enough that kiddo could unbuckle the chest clips and get her arms out. I wish.

Someone on Instagram said to get a jacket put it on backwards after buckling and sew the hand holes shut. That will be the 2yr olds car jacket.

I found our Radians crazy easy to undo. Good for me, but not for a Houdini!

My 4 YO cannot undo his Evenflo Sure Ride. It's more difficult. I know you don't want a new seat but just in general, all our Evenflos have always been difficult to undo. And the Radians, super easy. Luckily we did not have a Houdini.

Chinese handcuffs. Get a bunch of them. He'll be so busy trying to get his fingers out that hopefully you'll be there before he succedes,lol

Of course stopping the car isn't a punishment to him but buckling him back up, telling him no, that's not safe and redirecting him to a different activity (toy) will get old for him really fast. I would also suggest letting him play in the seat or getting an old/spare seat to keep in the house for him to play in. When you make it a power struggle or a challenge for him you're never going to win. You just have to be consistent with calmly telling him no, rebuckling him and redirecting him. Eventually he will grow out of it and until then give yourself lots of time to get to your destinations!
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