I have a kiddo who has learned to undo her buckles and climbs out of her seat while I'm driving. I have tried everything to keep this kid in her seat but she is one strong willed kiddo who won't simply listen to someone talking stern to her, spanking her butt, or the police and fire talking to her about it. She is just determined to get whatever it is that she wants at that moment. I know there are locks I can put on the bottom part that hooks like a seat belt because there are seat belt locks that I think will work for it. So really the problem is finding a lock for the chest strap so she can't unbuckle it. any ideas? Has anyone found a seat belt lock that would work for the chest strap too?

Cherlyn
Mom to GGB Gabriella, Isabella, and Tayllor DOB:3/2/08

I can't help you with your question about a seat belt lock. I have never seen anything like that. But, what worked for me is pulling over and stopping the car if someone was being unsafe or some other behavior that I didn't like. Obviously, it was only when it was safe to do, but they absolutely hated it. I didn't need to scream, or spank, or lecture. I would just tell them that I was not moving the car again until everyone was safe and ready to go. It really did drive them nuts and was very effective for us.

Good luck!

Kelly
Ben, Jack & Drew 05/28/02
Charlie 07/06/06
Aunt to: Liam, Aidan & Connor 03/05/08
www.outnumberedmommy.blogspot.com

Thanks Kelly,

Believe me I've tried that. Sometimes you just can't stop and wait for 20 mins until she decides to get back into her seat and stay there. She is one determined and strong willed kiddo. Stopping works great for the other two and all I have to do is tell them I'll be stopping if I hear that belt click open but this one...she is an entirely different kind of kiddo. Obviously I can't keep driving around if she isn't buckled so I have no choice but to keep stopping, however, I need the ability to get from point A to point B in a timely manner without having to cancel appts. just because my daughter won't stay in her seat.

I do appreciate the comment, I just have a very willful child, I should have been scared in the hospital when they called her princess all the time because she was so loud when she wanted to eat or be held. As an infant I had to breast feed her, despite the fact she was mostly bottle fed, just to calm her. I think it's sensory issues but without anything else I can't get anyone to evaluate unless I want to pay for it privately. All I get is "she's not being affected developmentally so as long as it's not interfering there isn't anything we can do." I do the best I can with her but getting enough sensory activities in some days are hard. : ) I personally think she needs therapy but I digress...I need a lock for the car seat. : )

Cherlyn
Mom to GGB Gabriella, Isabella, and Tayllor DOB:3/2/08

Well I have a couple of answers to curb her behavior. The first is reward--make some paper "travelers checks" and tell her if she keeps her seat belt on and tell her that you'll give her one if she stays buckled from point A to point B and then point C to point D etc. etc. and if she gets all her travelers checks you'll all go for ice cream at the end of the trip. If she unbuckles, no ice cream.

The other thing, and this is kind of mean but....get someone to come over to watch her, or leave her with DH on the weekend, while you take the other two someplace special. Make a big deal out of the fact that she can't go because she doesn't keep her seat belt on. Take the other two out, leave her at home and when you bring the other two back make sure they have lots of goodies so she can see what she missed out on. Or put the whole family in the car to go someplace special, making a big deal of where your going and then if she unbuckles you turn the whole family around, go back home and tell her that you all can't go because she unbuckled.

The lock thing sounds good in theory and it would probably work short term but I always find that it doesn't take long for them to figure it out if they really want to. Trust me I understand strong willed, my daughter does things my triplet boys never would have thought of and dealing with her is exhausting, she's very tough to out think.

Can I hire you ^^ ? I love these ideas! Can you give advice on taking sheets off the mattress during naptime? They are driving me crazy doing this, after the sheet is off they rip plastic strips off the mattress covering and stuff it in the air return (flat screwed into the wall). Today they took the sheets (and their shirts) and used them to toss up high to knock items down they can't normally reach.

As happy as I am to have great leg muscles from it, I'm SICK of running up the stairs every few minutes during the one break I get in a day!

Catherine

Bri, Mikayla, Tristan 3/09 (32.2)
Sage 10/06
Hunter 11/04

www.WhispersofPromise.blogspot.com

Sure--take two flat sheets sew them together with an open flap on one end, essentially making a pillow case for the mattress. Use super strong velcro for the closure and make sure the flap folds over the end and well past the edge to the underside of the mattress.

Thanks. I'll try the voucher idea. She likes tickets for some reason. I could probably even get away with little love notes to her with her name on them and all kinds of praise. I leave her little notes at preschool and she loves it. Now why couldn't I think of that? At least you understand a strong willed kiddo and your probably right about locks. She does figure them out or break them in the long run.

Love the sheet idea too. Mine aren't too bad at that any more but they were inside one of the sheets on the bed today "hiding" with the mattress half off the bed. My strong willed one has her bed in a trundle on the floor so this doesn't happen very often because the other two actually prefer their beds be left alone most days. THANK HEAVENS!

Cherlyn
Mom to GGB Gabriella, Isabella, and Tayllor DOB:3/2/08

Thanks. I'll try the voucher idea. She likes tickets for some reason. I could probably even get away with little love notes to her with her name on them and all kinds of praise. I leave her little notes at preschool and she loves it. Now why couldn't I think of that? At least you understand a strong willed kiddo and your probably right about locks. She does figure them out or break them in the long run.

Love the sheet idea too. Mine aren't too bad at that any more but they were inside one of the sheets on the bed today "hiding" with the mattress half off the bed. My strong willed one has her bed in a trundle on the floor so this doesn't happen very often because the other two actually prefer their beds be left alone most days. THANK HEAVENS!

Cherlyn
Mom to GGB Gabriella, Isabella, and Tayllor DOB:3/2/08

You've probably thought of this but you could also do the reverse reward - reward the two that keep their belts on. Or give all three the tickets. I know in my world my trouble maker would start to behave and his brother would decide to cause trouble...

Marie

>You've probably thought of this but you could also do the
>reverse reward - reward the two that keep their belts on. Or
>give all three the tickets. I know in my world my trouble
>maker would start to behave and his brother would decide to
>cause trouble...
>
>Marie

Definitely! Bragging to Daddy is always good too. At dinner, "Daddy, you just can't believe how good A & B were in the car today. I didn't have to tell them one time not to undo their buckles." "Oh, girls, that's so great to hear! You sure are getting big - you have enough self-control to stay buckled - good job! Sounds like y'all are big enough to stay up a little late tonight - why don't I run you two out for ice cream?" No comments whatsoever until the naughty child starts throwing a fit, then kindly and sympathetically comment that you hope she will be big enough next time, and hopefully she will learn to keep her buckles done soon too.

BGG born 4/25/05 at 31w1d




New baby girl born 9/19/06

I do that with cookies at Walmart for the other two staying with me. She misses out on cookies about every third trip or so, which is definately much better than it used to be..so I haven't done that with the buckles because I feel like she is always missing out but perhaps that is exactly what it's going to take to get this kiddo to follow directions and do what she is supposed to be doing. : ) My kids spend quality time with dad so seldom that going with him somewhere is a special treat to them. He did tell her if she stays buckled he'd take her to work with him, (he owns his own framing company) and she stayed buckled the entire 2 hours they were out driving around looking at different jobs he's got going. Going with dad is a HUGE reward for my kiddos. I need to capitlize on that more. Problem is that they NEED time with dad so I try not to use it against them too much. I suppose one benefit of having three is that we can use the reward as a way to rotate and help them get one on one time with dad. : )

Cherlyn
Mom to GGB Gabriella, Isabella, and Tayllor DOB:3/2/08