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My baby hates the car seat
My three-month-old son has hated his car seat from the day we drove him home from the hospital - so much so that he cries till he is sick and I have to stop the car. He always wants to be held. We literally cannot go anywhere.
You can try to restrict the amount of time spent in the car with him, but you must be able to do the shopping and other errands.
This is not the first time I have heard this distress call. Some babies hate being restricted in a car seat, while others almost purr for a drive. The good news, as well as the bad news, is that he is already a child with specific likes and dislikes. So much for the "blank book" theory.
Try building positive experiences around the car seat and driving in the car. If he responds to music or singing, you could try playing cassette tapes. My grandson, who also hated the car, calmed down when his mother sang to him while driving. Assuming this does not overly distract you, you may want to try it.
Try putting him in the car seat at home for ten minutes at a time while you gain his interest with visual patterns, other toys, singing or music. Don’t be put off by his initial protest. Instead, trust that by singing or directing his attention towards his car toys, he will calm down. Play with him for ten minutes, then take him out before he tires of it. You will be teaching him that the car seat can be a fun, safe, and at the very least, tolerable place. Simply the act of putting him in when you are not under stress to go somewhere will allow him to get used to the seat.
Develop these strategies at home. Then transfer them to the car, with someone else driving and you sitting next to him diverting his attention to the toys. Finally, begin taking short trips despite his initial protests. Give him his toys, all the time saying with as much conviction and calmness as you can muster, "You'll be okay. Mummy needs you to sit safely in your seat while we drive to the shops."
He will learn to fit in with you eventually. His ability to adapt to your needs will increase as he grows.
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