Photo: nhtsa.gov
Constant motion is most toddlers? default mode, so it?s no surprise the average toddler considers being constrained by a car seat for extended periods of time as more of an agonizing punishment than an act of loving protection. Kat Armstrong, a Toronto-based mom of three, went through a period in which her middle kid would stiffen up like a board whenever she tried to buckle him in. Even short jaunts in the car with her son Lauchie, now three, started off with a wrestling match.
?It got to the point where I?d have to put my forearm across the lap section of the car seat to keep him from straightening out when I fastened him in,? Armstrong says. She was careful, however, to talk her son through the process while she got him into position. ?I?d say, ?I know you?re not happy about what I?m doing, but we have to go. Let?s have a hug now, and we can talk more about it when we get there.?? As simple as it sounds, acknowledging and validating those feelings?especially with a toddler who?s not yet verbal enough to articulate his frustration?can go a long way toward helping to shift the dynamic. How to get your toddler in the seat

In an ideal world, our kids would be precocious enough to respond to rational arguments from birth. In reality, it?s rare for a thorough explanation of safety and provincial laws to have much of an effect on a tantrumming toddler. Even if your child isn?t able to grasp the particulars, providing context?and being consistent?is key, says ...