Recommended Car Seat for a 2 Year-old MacGyver!

I agree that it is a discipline issue and that you can't be sure of any device intended to keep a 'houdini' child in or out of anything. It may not be as easy with your son as some are suggesting... though I hope for your sake and his that it is. But, just stay firm with whatever form of discipline you choose to use. Remember not to panic if you see him out of the seat while you are driving. Calmly look for the safest place to pull over and then deal with it. Remember, for many, many years seat belts and child safety seats weren't required in cars... in fact I can remember when they weren't even available for cars... and children and adults alike survived. Not that I'm saying the protection isn't a good thing in the case of an accident, but it's better for you to stay calm enough to avoid an accident rather than get too excited over your child having escaped his carseat. If you happen to be pulled over by an officer who sees him out of the seat, you can explain your situation... and depending on the officer, they might even be able to put some respect for the carseat into your child.

If you kid is Houdini, this is a discipline issue. He will figure out how to out of whatever carseat you buy. The trick is that the car does NOT move if he is not buckled. Even if it makes you late for something--you'll only have to do this a few times, 'cause he doesn't get to get out of the car. It just pulls over and stops if he undoes his buckles. Umm...if you think he'd be sufficiently impressed, it might not be a bad thing to arrange a visit to the police station & let an officer talk to him about how everyone has to be buckled up in the car. A friend was having this problem, and we lucked out one day--saw "McGruff, the Crime Dog" (this was about 15 years ago) in the police station parking lot, & got him to talk to the kid. Took care of the problem.

Definitely a discipline issue. You can't protect them from themselves. They need to learn self discipline. My son only undid his car seat once, maybe twice. The first time I lucked out and had just turned onto a gravel road when I saw his head pop into the rear view mirror. I Stopped the car immediately, gave him a couple swats on the bottom and buckled him back in again. I think he only needed one refresher about a year later. Now at 4, he reminds me if I don't have my belt on before I put the car in gear.

A.,

I don't know if this will work for you or not, but I have an Eddie Bauer Convertible carseat that is really hard to get the buckles to unbuckle. Maybe that would work for you? I got mine at Target-- and it is a super safe carseat and not as expensive as Britax or some other brands.

Molly

We used the Alpha Omega by Cosco Juvenile (http://www.coscojuvenile.com/usa/eng/Products/For-Travel/...)

It has these interlocking clips that lock into the thing between their legs. I have a tough time unhooking it. I really have to press down hard.

We have had this carseat since my daughter was 1 yr old. She is 7 1/2 and we've turned it into a booster. She loves the side wings when she naps.

Stephanie