car seat battles

Simplysomething

New member
Okay, so, I posted in a reply to a post over at that other forum about how we have this battle every day getting him in an out of the seat. How he gets straight up---and I can't bend him. Anyway, this past week, it's gotten worse. Like he's just that much stronger (and how do babies and kids master their bodies like that? I mean, the whole...I'm going to go ramrod straight when I need to bend and I'm going to go wet noodle floppy when I need to walk thing...).

Like I said the past week has been worse. He's also been sick, I thought it was just a cold, runny nose, sneezing and cough. He DID have a fever like two nights ago. But it wasn't a high fever, and I didn't have to give him any meds for it.

Last night he refused to sleep, would not lay down after about midnight. Plus he was extra clingy baby yesterday (I was at work, my mother had him all day long. She told me he would not sleep, so he was extra cranky). Anyway, I took him to the peds this morning. He's not only got an ear infection (well, two.)...he's got pnemonia.

Freaking pnemonia. She's given me a script for amox, and I'm waiting for it to be filled -- but the part that is relavent to THIS forum...is do you think that those two things could have led to the way he was fighting the carseat this week? Bcause the doctor said that he might have been having chest pain and that's why he wasn't sleeping. (and of course, ear pain). SO I was wondering if that included the carseat. Though the carseat isn't horizontal like his bed, it's still less than vertical, kwim? It would help explain SOME of the extra fighting. The other would be explain by the whole "he's almost 2" thing.

Here is the thing, how the hell did I miss that he was THAT sick? Ugh.

Whats great fun is that I have to wrestle him into the carseat again in a few minutes. At least he's good at taking medicine, I've lucked out there.


(Sorry if this post makes little or no sense. Obviously if he didn't sleep neither did I)
 
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Jewels

Senior Community Member
When my ds isn't feeling well he will fight to get into the car seat. I have found that ears always hurt the most at night! He can be fine all day long and then night comes and he can't sleep, his ear hurts and sure enough it's a ear infection! We have had a ton of ear infections for one child, so once he starts complaining, tugging, or just plain grumpy with a slight fever for a day or two in we go!
 

Alicia-N-2SafeBugs

Senior Community Member
Aw, poor little guy! Hope he feels much better soon!

Don't beat yourself up! My dd was sick when she was 3 months old, but not *that* sick. I almost didn't take her to the doctor...I did and she had RSV and had to be hospitalized. :( Sometimes we just don't know!

One thing I found with my dd when she was in that "I'm almost two, so I must act like a pill" stage was that I let her climb into her seat by herself. Giving her that "power" helped a ton!

Alicia
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
(((((feel Better Soon Kiddo + Mama)))))

Wow, I'm amazed he takes medicine! Not because of the other stuff you said, but just because it's SUCH a hhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaasssssssssslllllllllllleeeeee with Leila :eek:

I find it really amazing & even rather inspiring to observe how adept kids are working their bodies (especially to the total opposite of the given needs of any moment, LOL) -- Leila only did this when she was prematurely FF :)() ... as soon as I found this place & the Britax Wizard to fit my vehicle so she could revert back to RF the change in mood was atonishing!

Might you be able to let him play with the carseat indoors when not in use :confused: Just to maybe help "recondition" him to enjoying it? (heh) What you tried any of your own entertainment type tricks in the car? (Like, rotating soft toys, playing kiddo's favorite music, etc.) And/or creating a more preplanned car ride routine if possible?
 

SPJ&E

New member
Re: (((((feel Better Soon Kiddo + Mama)))))

My son is almost 2 (in about a week) and does the whole stiff as a board one minute, wet noodle the next too. He's never had an ear infection (knock on wood), so I don't know anything about that or pneumonia.

I would say that him being sick has played a part in his behavior...but he's almost 2...and 2 year olds are just plain nuts sometimes, lol. Pacey will sometimes, but rarely, fight getting into his carseat. He's straighten out, like you mentioned, so I can't bend him. I have to get really stearn with him before he'll relax. Then I just explain to him that I have to buckle him in so he'll be safe and when I tighten his harness, he says "tight" and I tell him "Yes, it has to be tight so you'll be safe", so he says "safe". Usually just talking him through it helps.

Most of the time now, I just help him climb in and get him turned around so he can sit down and he says "buckle" and I tell him "Yes, we have to buckle." Then he says "Tight" and I say "Yes, it has to be tight" and he says "Safe" and I say "Yes, so you'll be safe, good job!" That was a little off topic, but I am so proud of him when he does that, so I thought I'd share!

Anyway, he likes to be a wet noodle when he doesn't get his way and I want him to walk. He just goes completely limp and falls in the floor, lol...I think it's funny, but I don't let him see me laugh at him. He has also taken to beating his head on the floor recently...that's really nice to watch.

Your son being sick is probably the main reason he was extra clingy...mine does the same thing. He also fights going to bed because he knows that when he's sick, he'll get babied (even though he's never even been sick enough to need medicine) and usually if he'll take a big enough fit, he'll get to get out of bed. I figured that one out though...it's just a manipulation thing for him...so now, unless I know he is feeling really bad, I won't get him out. I will go up and give him and hug and a kiss and tell him it's time to go to sleep and that's it. So that can be part of being sick and it can also have a lot to do with age and learning how to manipulate us!

Anyway, sorry this is so long! I hope something in there helps...if nothing else, just know that you're not the only one with a strong, stiff as a board/wet noodle kid!
 

Simplysomething

New member
Thanks for the well wishes and advice. :)

I have tried the toy rotation thing, but he just takes them and flings them...usually toward my oldest. Might try a better routine though.

He can't quite get up into the seat by himself (yet he can scale any peice of furniture, if you take your eyes off of him.). But he does try. He does try to buckle his chest clip (he buckles everything still...anything that can be snapped together he will snap it for you. lol).

Thankfully when we went to get his medicine he didn't fight too much. But I also let him hold my keys (I usually don't, but i had my grandmother with me. I don't know why that makes sense, but it does to me). Now, he's sleeping

My oldest has had one ear infection. Last year. In Kindergarten! LOL This is the baby's 2nd or 3rd. Not a huge amount, but still more than my oldest.

Omg! Banging the head on the floor---he does that! He does the whole drop down on the floor..having a fit --fits. MY oldest NEVER had those. I thought they were...fiction. How I'm being proven wrong with this kid. He's one strong willed little fart, I'll tell you that.

I'll tell ya'll this, he's an ear puller. When he is tired he tugs his ears (and your ears..). So, I tend to dismiss ear pulling, kwim? Ugh. Anyway, I hope he has a nice long nap today. lol

Thanks again for all the well wishes and suggestions. :)

K.
 

cantech

New member
Simplysomething,

Don't beat yourself up over not realizing he had an ear infection. It all seems so much clearer in hindsight doesn't it. DD#3 had an earache last Sunday night, she's not a complainer by nature so I guess in hindsight, I should have realized something more was up. By Monday morning her ear infection had perforated her eardrum, probably about the time she settled down. A week of antibiotics later, she starts with a major fever! We are currently on antibiotic #3. Antibiotic #2 made her gag! As my doctor said, "It won't work if you can't get it in."

Any way...the position of the car seat may have been causing him discomfort, or it could just be the "2" thing!

It's truly amazing how siblings can be soooooo different!

Hang in there! This too shall pass.

Belinda
 

Morganthe

New member
((((HUGS!!)))) That's about all I can do and hope it helps :)
As for being really sick and not noticing it, well, I"m an expert at that. Makes me feel like a total failure for not realizing it while Rowen is ill. She's just really good at covering it up so she can still do what she likes to do.

Usually dd's recovering from whatever is when it's finally hit me that's she's been sick. Up until 6 weeks ago, I couldn't even get an ear thermometer near her. She is finally old enough to play 'doctor' with me and try it out on me, then herself. She used to just completely flake out and go into such a tizzy that her temp would go up no matter what, so I didn't know what her start point was to begin with. There's now a pattern with her that's basically 24 hours of high fever (103-104) followed by deep sleep and actual nap the next day. Then the few days afterwards she needs to take it easy. She's always clear eyed, just gets very very hot.

I've worried about the Rota gastrointestinal virus because this is followed by intense diarrhea & cramps, but her peds dr has basically brushed off my concerns even though this has happened 3 times since August. She had a massive episode last year on the same morning we left for vacation. That's what's so amazing about the photo I use in my signature. 45 minutes prior, this child was covered in nasty bodily fluids and crying her eyes out. Now she's so cheerful and thrilled to be going on vacation.

I don't remember any fussing going into her carseat, ever since she was an infant, she's wanted OUT of the house.... but there has been other physical incidents showing how strong willed and stubborn our child can easily be.

My solution was to follow a wonderful book -- Happiest Toddler on the Block by Dr Harvey Karp. Talking in toddlerese (as he coined it) really helped us through those moments of brain frenzy and hysteria. She's slowly matured out of it, but occasionally the other tips he has in his books still work very well.
good luck and I hope your son is feeling better soon.
 

ccjones

New member
I feel like my son lives on Augmentin for ear infections, so I know what you mean. In case any of you haven't seen this yet, I wanted to mention that you can buy what's called a Temporal Artery thermometer. You basically scan your kid's forehead, and it's apparently just as accurate as rectal. We love this thing! When I bought mine at BRU last year, it was $50! Now Walmart sells the same one for $30!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3936091
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
My solution was to follow a wonderful book -- Happiest Toddler on the Block by Dr Harvey Karp. Talking in toddlerese (as he coined it)
I loved that book, too! & my Early Childhood Education textbook has research about "motherese" :) The same stuff: good stuff....
 

Jewels

Senior Community Member
I feel like my son lives on Augmentin for ear infections, so I know what you mean. In case any of you haven't seen this yet, I wanted to mention that you can buy what's called a Temporal Artery thermometer. You basically scan your kid's forehead, and it's apparently just as accurate as rectal. We love this thing! When I bought mine at BRU last year, it was $50! Now Walmart sells the same one for $30!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3936091

I have the Braun ear thermometer and now I wish I had the forhead one. I feel bad sticking something in his ear when I think it is infected, so I usually end up just kissing his forhead. I know it isn't accurate but at least I know if he is warm or not. If he is really hot then I do it. When I got this one they had just come out with this head one and I wasn't sure what to get. I think I might still get one. I saw them at our Walmart for $30 as well and that is in Canada!

Hope your little guy feels better soon!
 

Simplysomething

New member
We have an ear thermometer. I don't recall how much it cost (my mommy bought it for us. lol, when my oldest was ill once). I love the ear thermometer.

It looks very similar to this one.
 

Kellyr2

New member
No clue about the seat stuff, but don't feel bad that you didn't realize he was "that" sick. Last spring, Aaric had not been coughing at all, then vomited twice overnight and coughed a bit the next AM. We were freaked by the sudden vomiting for no apparent reason and took him to the doc. Doc checked him over and he seemed okay overall, but he heard some rattling in the chest and checked his WBC count and it was elevated, so he dx'ed it as pneumonia. I kinda think it was strep, but whatever. Anyway, moral of the story is - apparently they don't have to be terribly sick for it to be pneumonia!
 

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