Baby Cries in Car Rides and in Stroller

Updated on October 17, 2011
M.S. asks from Palmyra, VA
12 answers

my 4 month old hates to be buckled into his carseat unless me or his father is carrying it. he cries as soon as the seat is clicked in or he is buckeled into the car. everyone keeps saying hell get used to it and suggesting i try toys or music or talking to him for distraction. so far none of it has worked for more than 5-10 mins. how do i fix this?

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

My first was like that. I hung a mobile up he could look at and put the car mirror back there on the seat so he could look in it. It helped a little, but not always.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

OK..I got this.
Here's what you do....
Get 2 average sized cotton balls...
Stuff O. in each of YOUR ears! LOL

Seriously, I remember going through this. My son would SCREAM in the car seat. My mom lives 50 minutes away. I was driving home with him, from her house and he screamed the ENTIRE way. In a thunderstorm. I was almost on E, and when I stopped at the only (thank God, with a roof over the pumps) gas station, I remember looking at him through the back window with his mouth open and screaming--but I couldn't hear it--and I thought "I am never getting back in that car." Of course I did. But it got better as he got a little older. Hang in there!
Try classical music and talk to him NON-STOP like a babbling idiot? Non-stop! Don't STOP! That will sometimes work.

4 moms found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

Most babies like car rides. Not all. My guy hated them / screamed entire trip for more than 6 months. I did find when he started using the regular car seat (vs the carrier snapped into a base) he was a lot happier. I am not sure if it was a coincidence or if he was just high enough to see more and that made him happier. It will pass eventually. Good luck that it is sooner than later.

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M.F.

answers from Houston on

My first child was that way it didn't get better until he was old enough to have the carseat forward facing. Car rides were miserable:(

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A.R.

answers from Houston on

If it makes you feel any better, my almost 10 month old is the same way. We have tried it all, including standing on our heads I think. Classical music, sitting back there with him, toys, singing, talking, regular car seat, blah blah blah. All car rides are miserable, teeth gritting affairs. The stroller is also a miserable experience but now that he's big enough, we got him a wagon which he LOVES. I figure one out of two fixed isn't bad. Then again maybe my standards are slipping. Good luck.

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J.A.

answers from Spartanburg on

Sorry I don't think there is really any "fix" to it...I am currently enduring my third baby who doesn't like to ride in the car...but I do know it will get better with time b/c I can't remember the last time my 3 and 5 yr old cried just b/c they where in the car :) I think my oldest did it at least 9-12 months and my middle one at least 6 months, my youngest is 2 months and going strong! My husband bought some really nice ear plugs, he also claims that loud music with a strong bass/beat calms the baby...IMO it just adds to the noise...good luck and he will get used to it you both just have to endure it until then.

M.D.

answers from Dallas on

I feel for you M., my youngest was that way. Not so much being buckled, but as soon as he was put in the car. He didn't mind his car seat, just when it was put in the car. This lasted until he was about 1 1/2 or so. At least by then he could understand pretty much what I was saying. I hated taking him anywhere, he would just cry and scream the whole time I was driving unless I would put my arm back, so he could hold his tiny little fingers. However, my arm would go numb on our long outings. He didn't get better until he was little over a year. I first I thought it was because he couldn't see my face, but that wasn't it, when I turned his car seat around he stilled cried.

I do hope your child will out grow this sooner, but I didn't have much luck. Just being honest with you. My oldest child, I would put her in the car to put her to sleep some nights. Not my youngest, it was a nightmare. He wasn't being pinched or anything like that, he just HATED it...

Hugs are going out, I do understand your pain...

A.D.

answers from Washington DC on

BOTH of my kids hated being buckled in too...my 13 month old still doesn't do too well after 15 minutes in a car seat. Nothing works except making trips short--and maybe try baby wearing instead of using a stroller. This past summer we had to make a 7 hour each-way drive with both kids and my baby girl would scream for 2 hours, then pass out for 20 minutes MAX. Then rinse and repeat for the whole car ride. It was miserable for everyone...i definitely feel for you!

E.S.

answers from Dayton on

Both of my babies were car screamers.
My 1st would not ride in a stroller till she was a toddler.

One thing that helped my son was really loud music w/ a good beat.
His favorite band was Explosions in the Sky-no lyrics just music.

http://www.amazon.com/Take-Care/dp/B004QIUGOM/ref=sr_1_1?...

HTH!

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M.B.

answers from Lancaster on

Both my kids hated the car seat and being in the car, but they both grew out of it at about 6 months. Nothing I tried worked. Yep, most car rides were miserable, but it does end.

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M.M.

answers from Fresno on

I remember when my baby was that small, I had the same problem. So I started to do all the necessary things to make sure he was comfortable like feed and change him and burp him. I would tie him up in his car seat in the house first and talk to him calmly and let him know that we were gonna go bye bye and give him a toy. I think if your calm your baby might stay calm. I talk a lot to my boy! He is now 11 months old. I still tell him when I'm gonna buckle him when we're going bye bye's. He is so cute and he will talk back and point at the truck so he understands now. So try calming down and talking to your baby and getting your baby happy first. Play with him and make sure he's all happy and then buckle him and let him know so that it becomes habit to explain. Hope that helps...Good luck!

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

he will grow out of it.. My daughter finally stopped crying in her car seat at 15 months when we turned it around. She hated th stroller, we would take a stroller walk and she would start scraming and one us would carry the baby and one would push the stroller.

She was and is very sensitive.. she has told me (now that she can talk she was afraid of falling down.. and in the car seat she couldnt see anyone and that is scarry.

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