8 Month Old Hates Car Seat!

i don't think there is some mystery "problem" - i think she has gotten herself worked up and now everytime she realizes she's going into the car she automatically freaks out. maybe try putting the car seat on the livingroom floor. serve her a snack or a bottle in it. let her watch tv while sitting in it. change her attitude. whatever you do don't start catering to her tantrums. car time = carseat time. you wouldn't quit making her wear her seatbelt if she decided she didn't like it would you? you will have to figure out a way to chill out and tune out her tantrums. don't try to placate her, don't get big brother to try to "soothe" her, just let her cry if that is what she wants to do. there IS no other choice, when riding in a car. i would treat it just like any other tantrum - ignore ignore ignore. poor big brother :( maybe he could have some extra fun toys or books for the car (or headphones??!). he's the one i really feel bad for. a 3 year old is too young to know how to ignore such an upsetting tantrum. i would try to get her used to the seat out of the car, then maybe try to take her places without big brother as much as possible until she gets over this.

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My son was the same way from about 4 months old until 7 months. It was torture. It didn't matter how far we would go we would scream the whole way. He would never cry himself to sleep he would just scream and scream. I noticed one trip where my husband was driving and I was in the backseat with him and I put my head up to his and notices the car seat drowns out all the noise in the car. I mean I couldn't hear my husband talking to me and I think that is what made him so upset. It was muffled sounds and he couldn't hear me and thought I had left. Something I did that is a little pricey but saved us until he grew out of it was invest in a portable car DVD player. I was able to mount it on the back seat and we would play Sesame Street or Thomas in the car. It would distract him and the noise was right in front of him so he didn't feel so alone. Other then that it really is just a phase she is going to have to grow out of. I remember coming home after ever car trip wanted to scream myself because of how stressful it was but you just have to deal until she no longer is afraid. I promise it will get better. Hope this helps some!!

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Some car seats don't have complete padding down the entire back (it stops at the top of the low back). This can cause abnormal pressure on the low back of an infant, making it uncomfortable to sit in the car seat. This can lead to misalignments of the infants spine which creates even more discomfort.
I was shown this by a chiropractor, and put some additional padding (where the manufacturer's padding didn't reach) and it made a big difference.
If you would like your child's car seat to be checked, or get her spine checked for misalignments, go to SpectorChiropracticDFW.com and schedule an appointment.

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There is an age where many kids decide they don't like to be restrained. I think it has to do with being able to do more and it didn't always stop with being turned FF. Nearly every kid in my DD's infant class hit that stage and cried when being strapped in to the carrier/car seat. Your mileage may vary, but do you feed her a snack before a trip? Or could she handle something, say in one of those sock food things?

If you suspect she might be motion sick, talk to the pediatrician. They make stickers for longer trips (like cruises) so maybe they have something that would help her for shorter ones. My stepson got carsick a lot and had to learn to cope because even forward facing, front seat wouldn't always work.

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Do NOT turn her around! Her body, not matter how big, is not yet built to handle even a minor fender bender. She could be internally decapitated!

See if she is too hot or too much bulky clothes on. Giver her a sippy cup or baby snacks. If that doesn't work, here is the advice I heard Dr. Laura give a few weeks ago.....turn up the radio. Some kids just don't like to be restrained.

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My son used to cry too. Until i learned he was hot! I would have the air conditioner on high blowing to cool him off in the back seat. It gets hot in a confined car seat. He quit crying and i started dressing him cooler. Hope this helps!

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She's at the age where she doesn't want to be restrained at all. Proof in that is the second she's out of the car, she's fine. I know its hard, but she will get over it.

I think the law is that they have to face backward until 1 year. My wife's sister hated the car when she was a baby. I think some kids are just that way. I would try removing the mirror; that may be confusing the issue. Otherwise, I think you'll just have to deal. And don't even try to Britney Spears it!

I agree that she HAS to be in the carseat...there just is no other choice. My grandson was the same way...hated the carseat..it was a battle royal to get him into the thing everytime they went someplace. He still doesn't like to be out on the highways ( He just turned 3) and seems really worried about it when they have to be on the highway. My daughter and SIL have decided that possibly he was suffering from a bit of car sickness...because it got better once they turned the carseat around so that he was facing forward instead of backword. I know that they suggest that children be rear facing until they are 2 years old but maybe you could talk to someone about whether it is a really so unsafe for a child 10 months old to be sitting in the forward facing position.
Good luck...I know that this can be a very frustrating situation for all of you!!

the car seat is probably too small for her or too tight or something. see if it seems to be to tight on her or something everytime mine did this i went to a bigger car seat and he stopped. and went back to being a normal kid in the car

This sounds weird, but when my DD throws a fit in the car, blasting music helps! lol. Not loud enough to damage her hearing, but pretty loud. My fiance discovered this when we were driving a 3 day road trip... she was screaming and he jokingly turned the radio up... and she quieted down! He turned it back down, and she started crying again. Turned it up, silence. I don't get it, but hey, if it works! lol.

Obviously like the other mom's have said she has to be in the car seat, and she needs to be rear facing. I'm sure you have thoroughly checked the seat to make sure there is nothing causing the crying? Have you tried switching where you put the seat in the car? I agree with Adansmama that you just have to treat this as a tantrum and do not cater to it. I like th idea of bringing car seat into house and sitting in it to make it less scary.. I also might take small little trips in car maybe everyday, to show how the seat isn't so bad.. and you go in it, but you will also get out of it....but she will grow out of it good luck til then