Toddler Still Hates the Car - update

If your DC was atrocious in the car, when did it get better? DS is 18 months old and I thought it'd be better by now, but it's not. We are driving home from LI right now (about a 3-3.5 hour drive). For the first 2 hours, he slept. He's been screaming for the last 30 minutes. We pulled over so I could nurse him to calm him down, but he refused to nurse and just wanted to play. I've tried toys, books, iPad with games and videos, food, drinks etc. We've tried sitting next to him, not sitting next to him. We've also tried three different convertible car seats.... We travel a lot to visit family and his crying in the car makes me dread the trips.

Update!

For long car drives, we decided to turn DS so that he is forward facing. For around town, we're keeping him rear facing. I know this is frowned upon but 3 hours of screaming does not promote safe driving. At this point, he's 28-29 pounds and 19 months.

He did SO much better. He got a little fussy around the two hour mark so we stopped for 30 mins and gave him some food. For the last hour, he's been sitting in the car playing on the iPad without making a peep.

Message edited 11/25/2015 7:03:04 PM.

Toddler Still Hates the Car

My DD hated the car for a long time. Luckily the screaming stopped earlier, but she used to do what we called the hump dance (trying to get out of the buckle) the whole time we were in the car. She did this until at least 2. Now she is 4.5 and has no problem with the car. Is he forward facing? Maybe he is car sick?

Toddler Still Hates the Car

Car sickness will likely increase if foward facing.

Toddler Still Hates the Car

my daughter used to get car sick rear facing... it was a nightmare just getting her to the car.

at 11 months old i just forward faced her, and she was the child in the car i thought i would never have.

no more car sickness, no more screaming when she saw the car, driving was peaceful and calm.

Toddler Still Hates the Car

He's still rear facing due to safety. I think he hates being restrained. He's the same way with his stroller. We just let him cry and eventually he stopped, but it's honestly not safe to be driving with him screaming for an hour like a lunatic, but it's not like we can stop driving places. Sometimes he has a fit when we drive the two miles to daycare. On Friday, he was good for 3 hours of our 3:15 car trip so I don't think it's sickness related.

Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

Does he need to poop? DD can not tolerate the car seat for some reason when she needs to poop, has always been that way. At least now she can let us know but it was torture when she was younger.

Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

My extremly fussy DD became noticeable better once we switched the seat to forward facing. It was like a miracle. She has a lot of sensory issues and just couldn't handle rear facing.

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Toddler Still Hates the Car

Dd is almost one so I can only hope she's better by that age. We survived all our summer road trips so im hoping she's better by the spring. We found that if she sleeps for a while, once she wakes up we just need to stop. We usually do a restaurant and get out of the car for at least a half hour if not an hour. Pulling off somewhere and just trying to nurse doesn't work, she just wants a break. There are times we stopped for an hour 45 minutes into a 2.5 hour trip. It's frustrating but when we get to go the rest of the way home in peace is so worth it. The only other thing that helps is singing to her if she's cranky or overtired and we're trying to get her to sleep. We get the added bonus of our 3yo screaming bc she doesn't like the baby crying and then dh just about loses it.

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Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

I think he'll grow out of it, and it likely will get better when he can face foward. DS did not like riding in cars - though it doesn't sound as extreme as your son. Once he turned forward facing, though, it was a totally different story. We also bought an SUV and he can see out the window more, so we play "the color game" where he looks for different colors outside. He's more entertained now. I know you tried toys, but maybe buy him a really special toy that he wants, but that he only has in the car?

Keep trying things, but no matter what, just remember...it will get better!!!!

Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

we had the same problem with both of my kids (dd would actually get car sick though so it was a lot worse).
The only advice I can give is to tough it out until you feel comfortable to forward face him. that was the life saver for both of my kids. Until that point, we tried to do car rides when they were due to nap/sleep

Toddler Still Hates the Car

My son is 20 months and hates RF. He enjoys his stroller so I know its not the restraints. His legs get a little bunched up so he doesnt like being in that position. We will switch to FF at 2 yrs old and I hope then he will be better.

Message edited 11/9/2015 10:54:54 AM.

Toddler Still Hates the Car

DS is exactly the same way. Hates to be in the car seat and stroller or high chair. He's 18 months as well. It makes traveling miserable. I find that if he has some toys, that helps. And try singing lots of songs or playing toddler songs on the radio. Luckily, he has an older brother sitting there with him, so sometimes that helps as well.

He's been like this since he was an infant. We thought it was that he hated his car seat but even changing that at a year old didn't help.

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Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

I know the car seat police will attack me - but I would bet if you had him forward facing he'd be a different child.

I doubt he's carsick, he would have been sick ....not just crying.
I don't understand the logic that carsickness would be worse forward facing - I, personally, get horribly sick if I'm sitting 'backwards' ........

I KNOW the ideal situation is to keep them rear facing as long as possible, BUT, if you think logically, and this has always been an argument of mine .........having a screaming child in the car is a major distraction, stressor, etc. The chances of you getting into an accident when you're distracted by a screaming kid and considerably higher than if you're in a quiet, stress free car. - So ..........it's the lesser of two evils.

Message edited 11/9/2015 2:24:39 PM.

Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

Toddler Still Hates the Car

Dd1 was 1 when we turned her forward facing and she got better

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Re: Toddler Still Hates the Car

Toddler Still Hates the Car - update

Bump for Update

For long car drives, we decided to turn DS so that he is forward facing. For around town, we're keeping him rear facing. I know this is frowned upon but 3 hours of screaming does not promote safe driving. At this point, he's 28-29 pounds and 19 months.

He did SO much better. He got a little fussy around the two hour mark so we stopped for 30 mins and gave him some food. For the last hour, he's been sitting in the car playing on the iPad without making a peep.