What can I do to prevent my twins from having a meltdown when I put them in their car seats?
Q: My twins are 4.5 months old and lately, every time I put them in their car seats, at least one of them has a complete meltdown! What can I do to get this to stop? I give them their passies, toys, a blankie and none of these work...
A: Oooh, this is a tough car seat age, no doubt about it. Babies learning how to move do not like being strapped in. But, life goes on and babies must travel, right? Start with the basics and talk to them. You'll be amazed at how much babies understand. Give them a 5 minute warning before getting into the car seat. Tell them what you need to do and show them the car seat. This gives their brains time to prepare for something they don't particularly enjoy. Then, when you are actually wrestling (I mean placing) them into the car seat, talk them through it. Let them know you get it. Say, "I know you don't like this. I'm sorry this makes you sad. You don't like it". Then, "but mommy has to go to the store and you need to be safely buckled in".
You might think it's silly to talk to your babies like little adults, but seriously, after a few times, they will know that you understand them and in turn, they will understand you too!
Now, this is not foolproof. The hope is that this works more often than not. Also? do your best to limit the times they get in/out of the car seat in one day. Oh, how I remember only scheduling one trip per day to lessen all our anxieties with the car seat. And I know you probably hear this a lot...but truly, it does get better with time. Soon, they'll be hopping in themselves proclaiming, "I do it", and then it's a whole other issue...
Answered by Dr. Melissa Arca
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