There are those moments when you have engagements with your little one, may be its an outing or attending a birthday party and while you are busy driving to beat the traffic and get to your destination on time you hear weird noises coming from the backseat only to find that your toddler has unbuckled from his/her car seat. This for many people is a real struggle which leaves them wondering how to keep their toddler from unbuckling the car seat.
Here are a few tips to keep your child buckled up
- Be playful
When you see your toddler has unbuckled from the car seat just talk to him or her in a playful voice and tell them something like “uh oh we are in space ship and we can’t move until you are strapped in” By making a game out of it the child is likely to strap back in and stay there. Since most toddlers learn through repeated experience it would be best to go for practice rides around the neighborhood during your free time. Once they unbuckle stop the car and talk to them in a calm voice without over reacting and let them know that it is not right and only continue driving when they buckle back up.
- Create a reward system
Toddlers love it when they are rewarded either by a gift, a sticker or a favorite toy that they only get to use once something is done well. Letting your toddler know that if he stays buckled in you will give them a certain reward will motivate them not to unfasten themselves. Another way to reward them is by having a cup in your car that you put coins for each trip you take and they have not unfastened themselves then when it gets to a dollar you can go to the dollar store and let them pick something they like. Having that in mind they will definitely be on their best behavior.
- Electronic gadgets
Giving your kid a gaming device or even a calculator will keep them occupied and won’t have the urge to unbuckle themselves. Also mounting a screen on the headrest of the seat before them and letting them watch a favorite cartoon is also a good idea for a distraction.
- Stop the car
Once your toddler unbuckles just stop the car and don’t move until they decide to buckle back up no matter how long it takes you may even take a book and read so that the child can know that whenever he/she unbuckles then the plans of going to where you were going may simultaneously be dissolved. This however applies to those times when you were going to somewhere or an event you can afford to miss and won’t affect you or the toddler.
- Using buckle guards and chest clip guards
In this day and age there is a gadget that provides a solution for whichever problem you may be having. These buckle guards are devices that can be put over the buckle to prevent children from unbuckling. Remember your child’s safety is all that matters so however expensive or inexpensive it may be if the other steps don’t work you should consider investing in this.
