13 mo-old who hates carseat/stroller

[njbeachbum]

Hello! I have an almost 13-month old who's been walking since 10-months. Recently the carseat, as well as shopping carts and the stroller (if we're in a store shopping) have all become a complete nightmare. She seems to be OK in the jogging stroller for walks. The only thing that will help in the carseat is her paci, which she only gets at naptime, bedtime and now in the car although I'm trying hard to not use there. In the shopping carts and stroller, I have a gaggle of toys, books, etc to keep her occupied, but they only work for a short period of time. I'm now at the point when I'm trying to time quick trips to the store around her snacktime, as I know food will keep her occupied (I would prefer not to offer her food at other times b/c I know she's not hungry, she's just bored/annoyed b/c she wants to be walking). I know the issue is that she doesn't want to be strapped in, she wants to be walking herself!! She has a lot of freedom at home to roam, so if it's going to be a short trip, I'll carry her in and then let her walk a bit in the store. I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this and if so, does it typically pass and can you offer any suggestions for things I may not have thought about trying? I want to make sure I'm exhausting all of my options in keeping her as comfortable/happy as she can be while I tackle some errands! Thanks so much for the help!

[tobecontinued]

It sounds like you have it a little worse than I did/do but it will pass..........eventually! My dd is now 20 months old and we still have to plan grocery trips to be around snack time but thankfully we are learning about having patience. Being as independent as she is she likes to help, so helping pick out produce and putting it in the bag, telling her we need that and have her put groceries in the cart, just little things to keep her occupied. My dd started walking at 10 months as well so we have been at this awhile! = ) She has now figured out how to get out of her car seat, if that isn’t a trick in itself, trying to get home from daycare is challenging. All I can say is thank goodness for dvd players………….she doesn’t watch tv but this is my saving grace on our 20min drive home from daycare. Right now I would work on having her walk as long as she hangs on to the side of the cart, our dd LOVED that and to push the cart in between our legs.

All I can say for now is keep taking and having her in that environment is going to make it only get easier.

I want to wish the best of luck to you!! = ) I totally understand where you are coming from…………

[craftyashley]

Yeah, it's a stage of not wanting to be confined. She just learned she can go all sorts of places on her own- and doesn't like to be pinned down. Perhaps when you are in a store, try a leash so she can walk around, but can't get away.

[jaxon1015]

I agree with TBC and craftyashley...The fact that she doesn't want to be confined is the culprit. My son is 18 months and the same way...if he could walk to town for errands (about 10 miles away), he would. We've actually started telling him to point out certain objects on each trip (usually flags, but cars are starting to work, too)...he likes to look out the window to find the objects and gets excited to find them...by the time he finds 1-2, we're already in town and almost to our destination...as for the grocery store...my husband always tags along (may not work for everyone) and he wrangles him while I shop. Every once in a while, we'll meet in the store and my son will want to push the cart and then he's off on his merry way...I can't do it alone though...sometimes, it will work for short trips, like you said, but big trips, I use my hubby...hey, that's what their for, right? They're getting to the age, where they're intrigued by everything and want to explore it all. So, as long as it's safe, let'em...of course, implement rules too, that if she takes off, then she sits in the cart/carseat/etc, until she can listen to you. It will take a few times to work, but she'll understand that there's a time and place for it. Good luck.

[sarahcarlisle61]

Hello friends.It is really very difficult to handle babies if they hate to be in car seat and buggies.The best option is to change the car seat and stroller.I faced similar situation with my baby so I immediately switched over to Icoo baby from www.icoobaby.co.uk .I suggest you to do the same.

[H.Starr]

I agree with everyone except the person immediately above me who is clearly just an ad, and the leash thing.
For the love of god, please don't put your child on a leash. Ever. She is not a dog. There are plenty of other ways to deal with the issues.