Some babies like to sit in the car, and car rides have long been a solution to fussy babies. But some infants hate being in their infant seats so much that they cry and scream through the whole trip. Listening to a baby cry while driving can be an unnerving experience for many parents, but an infant seat is the best place for your baby while you're driving. Distract or calm him with a few different tactics.
Step 1
Choose a few soft toys that your infant is only allowed to hold while in the car. Avoid hard toy bars and mirrors; though they may help distract your baby, they can also become dangerous in a collision, notes Lorri Walker, a technical adviser and manager for Safe Kids Worldwide Buckle Up. Soft teddy bears or rattling toys are safe and can distract your infant from crying.
Step 2
Engage other children in the car in keeping your infant smiling. A sibling can make silly faces, sing a song or otherwise calm your infant. Never ask your other children to care for the infant by feeding her while in the car. It's best to feed when you've stopped and can watch her carefully for signs of choking.
Step 3
Take your infant on a car trip when it is usually naptime anyway. Your tired infant may be more apt to sitting in his infant seat if he is tired. Schedule long car drives around naptime, or try going for a car ride late at night or very early in the morning, when she would be sleeping anyhow. She'll likely be too tired to scream.
Step 4
Bring the infant seat in the house and use it often, suggests Elizabeth Pantley, author of "Gentle Baby Care: No-Cry, No-Fuss, No-Worry: Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby." Having it around your house as a normal piece of furniture can help your infant become used to sitting in it, both inside and outside the home.
Step 5
Take frequent stops when traveling with your baby in an infant seat. Take your baby out, change him, feed him and allow him to wiggle at least once every two hours. Don't expect infants to be very good travelers at first. Go slowly, and plan for extra time to get where you're going when you're traveling with an infant. Consolidate trips when you can, and go for short, practice trips so that your infant has time to get used to his seat, suggests Baby-Place.com.
References
- Babies Today; Car Seat Crying
- Gentle Baby Care: No-Cry, No-Fuss, No-Worry: Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby: Elizabeth Pantley, 2003
- Baby Place: Car Seat Crying
