Problem with chest-clip

[arul]

We have a Graco ComfortSport with LATCH.

Our two year old daughter has recerntly started unbuckling the chest clip and removing the shoulder straps on her seat.

This is getting to be a real problem as we have to pull over and strap her back in. She can do this no matter how tight we pull the shoulder harness.

Is this a common problem?

Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks,

Arul

 

[Robert]

Here is an idea that a mother told me she did that worked great. You take your daughter to her favorite place with her knowing (McDonalds, ect). You let her know that if she moves the harness clip and straps the car stops until she places it back where it belongs.

The mother told me the McDonals trip is only 10 minutes and on this day it took 45 minutes. Her daughter has not played with the harness clip since.

 

[softtail]

Good Morning Arul,

I'm also having this dilemma. I believe there is a replacement chest piece that would be more difficult to manipulate but am having difficulty locating where I saw it.
Jane

 

[Unregistered]

I'm having the exact same problem with the exact same car seat! And my son is 22 months. The McDonald's trip idea is good for older child but he's just too young. Did you ever find a solution? I'm going to call Graco tomorrow and order a new clip. Then I will try using both clips and see how he fairs. Until then, I may have to duct-tape his wrists to the car seat--ONLY JOKING!!! But it is a worrisome situation. Fortunately he announces to me every time he's undone it "buckle-buckle" and I have to stop and redo it. Today when I turned to see--he'd actually unbuckled the button at the bottom!!!!!

 

[Unregistered]

22 mos

He knows he isn't supposed to unlatch the seat...the mcDOnalds thing (or something similar) would work for him too...they are MUCH smarter than we give them credit for...

 

[AgwasStars2]

I agree, I believe that your son would know what you were talking about. They know when they want something!!!

 

[Victorious4]

Maybe this from SafetyBeltSafe USA is helpfull > http://www.carseat.org/Resources/635.pdf

& this from the same site....

"Which child safety seat is escape-proof?

Unfortunately, there is no escape-proof safety seat. Children who learn how to get out of one kind of safety seat soon learn how to escape from others. However, most children quickly respond to parental firmness. This finding is based on a study conducted by SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. with data collected from a range of English- and Spanish-speaking families.

For the others, first make sure that the shoulder straps are in the correct slots, that the harness is very snug, and that the retainer clip is in place at armpit level.

Next, plan to spend one or two intense weeks working on the problem. Bring the safety seat into your home and let your child play "mom" or "dad," and carefully buckle in a favorite doll or animal. This dramatic play begins the process of identification with the best way to behave. Schedule each trip so that you have enough time to pull over and stop the car every single time your child gets out of the safety seat. Each time, explain that you cannot drive until everyone is buckled up. If you act bored instead of angry, she will soon get tired of misbehaving.

Plan some rewards, too. For instance, arrange a special trip to a place the child likes to visit and explain that the car will get there faster if everyone stays buckled up. Try playing audio cassettes your child likes, and rotate them to prevent boredom. Also, give your child soft toys and books to enjoy in the car, but nothing hard or sharp that could hurt someone in a crash. Children look forward to having special toys for trips. Rotating a few items from week to week will help keep their interest.

If your child belongs to a day care or activity group, discuss the need for a buckle-up program for all of the children and parents. There are probably other parents who would welcome this kind of help as well. The excellent "Bucklebear" curriculum and associated materials can be helpful in such efforts."