What to Do if Your Baby Hates Their Car Seat
🎙 Listen to this teaching (click here), or 📖 read below.
So you're prepping for a road trip, but there's one big hurdle looming in your mind: your baby hates their car seat. First off, don't panic! I can guarantee you aren't alone, and the good news is young babies often quickly outgrow this and learn to love their car seats as they get bigger and more adjusted.
Here's what you can do right now to help your baby learn to love their car seat with time:
- Make sure they're safe.
- Make sure they're comfortable.
This looks like...
- Make sure their straps aren't twisted and are in the right position.
- Make sure their buckles are adjusted correctly.
- Check that they aren't too warm or too cold. Their little body can't regulate temperature like ours yet!
- Make sure they're dressed appropriately.
- Minimize stimulants. If their car seat is loaded with hanging toys, try removing them.
A few other things you can try if your baby is really struggling...
- A portable sound machine.
- A calming essential oil like lavender in a car diffuser (like THIS). Make sure it's natural, not chemical based.
- Take your baby for walks in their car seat first to help them get acclimated.
- Sit in the back with them. Remind them that they aren't alone and are safe!
- Play music and/or play games. Make being in their car seat fun 1:1 time with you!
When it's all said and done, you can't force a baby to love their car seat. Sometimes all you can do is grin and bear it, and know that they'll likely learn to love it with time. Remember that you aren't a bad parent if your baby cries! You're doing the best you can, and that's what matters.
Tomorrow, we'll dive into the next lesson: Help! My Baby Won't Sleep.