# Baby doesn't like car seat! Help!



## babyulu (Apr 26, 2010)

Hello,

My baby is so easy and happy, except for in his car seat. He is about 6 and a half months, and is rear facing. I don't like using this word, but he hates his car seat. To the point where I barely leave the house because of it. He loses it beyond control in it and it is installed right and a pretty nice seat!

Everyone has told me their kids changed and were fine in the car as soon as they were forward facing. I need to be able to go places and do things with him for my and his sanity. I can't just be stuck home.

Is it absolutely wrong and dangerous to put his forward facing soon, like in the next month or two? I have heard that there is some pretty great seats with neck support and stuff. I know people who put their kids forward facing at 9 months because the babies hated the seat so much, and it pretty much fixed it.

Don't know what to do. Thanks!


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

It is absolutely risking your child's life to turn a 6mo FF. It's a pretty bad idea to turn a 1 or 2 yo forward facing. RF is MUCH safer. My DD hated her carseat from birth to about 7-8 months when she could play with her toys. Then she was ok for a short trip but still kinda cranky in the car until about 18months. Now she LOVES the car and throws a tantrum when I get her out, lol. She's still RF at nearly 2yo.

Have you moved him to a convertible (RF) yet? A lot of kids prefer the convertible. Also, at 6mo, you can install the carseat a little more upright, which helps some kids.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Children should rear-face to the limits of their convertible seat, or between ages 2-4. It is wrong, dangerous, potentially fatal, and illegal to turn a child before the age of one. A child who is forward-facing too early risks internal decapitation, even in a "good" seat. The spine is not yet ossified to support the spinal cord: the spine can stretch several inches, but the spinal cord can not and may snap in a crash because it has nothing (neither ossified spine nor protection from a RFing seat shell) to support it.


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## jeminijad (Mar 27, 2009)

The single biggest thing you can do to protect your child in the car is keep him rear facing. FFing a 9 month old is illegal most places and unsafe everywhere. Think about the load on that tiny neck when you just stop quickly, let alone get in a crash.

I agree with putting him in an upright convertible seat, rear facing. My DD didn't like her bucket, but loves her rear facing True Fit and Marathon (14 months.)






Give this a quick watch.


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## mumsafari (Apr 26, 2010)

hi babyulu, i heard of this problem all the time. when my kids were that age, my hubby will drive and i will be accompanying baby at the back seat. will be pretty busy like singing songs and playing toys to the baby. when baby gets older, you can offer snacks too.

Yup, i think u should rear face until ur baby is older.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

And if you haven't, try installing the seat more upright. Sometimes that helps.

But yes, insanely dangerous to turn ffing for another good 2+ years.


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## beru (Nov 19, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TheGirls* 
Have you moved him to a convertible (RF) yet? A lot of kids prefer the convertible. Also, at 6mo, you can install the carseat a little more upright, which helps some kids.

Ditto this. I am convinced that many of the kids who "do better" when turned forward facing are actually responding to a more upright seating position.


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## babyulu (Apr 26, 2010)

Thanks everyone! This is just what I needed to hear. I wasn't about to do it right now, but was thinking of doing it early because I had so many people telling me it helps and its no big deal, "I did it with my daughter at 9 months," blah blah blah.

He's not in a convertible yet, good idea! He's in a Chico key fit 30.

And I rode in the back with him the first few months but actually stopped doing that because I noticed that hes mellower alone back there, I think when he sees me there he thinks Ill take him out if he cries.

Thanks!


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## syd'smom (Sep 23, 2008)

Yep - get a convertible, installed rfing, and babe will be a bit more upright and able to see more. That's what worked for my dd - and she turned 3yo in Dec, and is still happily rfing!


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## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

Best of luck Mama! This can be a hard road! I hope the more upright convertible helps solve your problem. Music helped us a lot too. It sounds like you know now, but you can't turn a baby under one legally in most states, the bare minimum for forward facing is one year and 20lbs according to most states. However, we now know that babies and toddlers are 500% safer forward facing. By contrast, the center vs. outboard is only a 4% difference in safety! So please do be sure to do your best to keep baby rear facing as long as possible!


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

You can install his infant seat a little more upright and see if he likes it better.

I feel your pain--my oldest screamed the entire time she was in the car, no matter if it was 5 minutes or 5 hours. It was awful







She did much, much better when we switched her to a convertible, and now at nearly 5 she is super mellow in the car.


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## averlee (Apr 10, 2009)

My daughter has never enjoyed riding in the car or being put in anything like a car seat. One thing that helped was keeping her Leap Pad electronic book reader in the car, as soon as she could work it herself. Also, if someone else could drive and I could sit right next to her, I could keep her happy and entertained with fingerplays and stuff. Now that she can understand where we are going- to grandmas, to the store, to the zoo- she seems to be able to hang in there a little longer. Also, for long trips, we use a portable DVD player. I'd rather listen to Barney than her screaming, for sure.


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## Roxswood (Jun 29, 2006)

Going into a larger convertible rearfacing seat helped my dd like the car a whole lot better too.


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

Yeah all my babies HATED the carseat LOL I highly doubt turning would do any good for such a small baby. Panda is 3 months old and still occasionally fusses. My son is going to be 5 in june and he still RF (in my car anyway) LOL


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