[gurminder_81]

For my daughter:
I had put her in the car seat when she was just 1 month old, she would remain more calm and would sleep more in car seat as compared to when we were holding her. So, we used to keep the car seat in the house as well and used it as a rocker in addition to being in the car all the time.

Then after a year and a half, we graduated to Chicco 1-2-3 seat, which we used till the time she was 6-7. Initially, we kept the car seat in our bedroom where she would play with the seat, eat while sitting in the seat and like that we got the seat transferred in the car. There was some struggle initially, but we didn't budge, and she got used to it.

For my wife:
I just made her read some 10-15 pages of 'Accidents' thread on TBHP forum, and she was convinced. However, the compliance was not 100%, so, at one time while travelling on an empty stretch of a road, I braked hard when she wasn't buckled up in the rear seat. The next moment she was buckled up

Now, all of us are always buckled up 100% of the time specially while being in the rear seat.

[speed79]

When my daughter was below 1 year, she had to lie down in baby car-seat. When she became 1 year, she started resisting as she could walk around in car. I kept the carseat in her room for few days. She started using it as a regular chair while playing. Then I shifted it back to the car, and she happily started sitting in it.

At the same time, I bought a booster seat for my 5 year old son, and he happily started using it.

Now my son is 14 years and daughter is 9 years. Both of them use seatbelts, and it saved them from any injury when my Strome had accident with a truck in April in which it was totaled. Now my daughter is even more cautious about wearing seat belt. As soon as she sits in the car, she starts searching for the seatbelt.

[Ice]

My kids are not the problem - they have been in car seats from their first journey onwards. It's my parents. I am their "child" - why should they listen to me? Well, I'll tell you what I told them : the car has a safety mechanism where it won't start unless everyone is belted in.

[veedub89]

Convince them?

Just tell them. Be strict with real repercussions for not obeying you.
Don't understand why would you even want to have a discussion with them on this?

Parents these days are a little too soft, in my opinion.
I was born in the late 80s and we were brought up a certain way. Don't understand why we need to reinvent the wheel on parenting.

[Spaced Out]

Originally Posted by enj0y_ride

Many of us might have already gone through this : It's never easy to convince kids to stay buckled up! especially when they reach an age when they are hyper-active ( never willing to stay on seat for longer time ). There are many threads in public domain, but all focused on Western geographies and the tips they talk never work in India.

Taking my own personal case, when my kids were < 3 years old, I was successful in buckling them up on child seats. But the moment they grew beyond that age, I have exhausted my wits to even convince them to sit on seats when travelling. I bought booster seats, but in vain - they better stand than sitting on that.

As kids grow, age 6 onwards, the ego asserts itself and they are more likely to resist. I recommend educating them on why it's important. I showed my child what happens when I suddenly break and he got the concept when he was flung forward. I showed him how the seat belt arrests this forward movement.

It may also help seeing the booster seat from the child's perspective. I found two issues with booster seat:

- It is harder than a baby seat. I added extra foam padding to make up for this.
- Legs tend to dangle in the air - this is why kids often kick their feet or move around for relief. I put a bathroom stool so my son could rest his feet. Made a world of a difference to him.

[Ferruccio]

Simple, I brought my daughters home from the Maternity Ward, buckled in an age and weight appropriate child seat. The elder daughter even before she could speak would gesture to us if she was not buckled in her child seat. The younger one is rebellious and still tries to ride unbuckled sometimes - a holler usually does it. They are 23 and 20 now and drivers in their own rights. They insist ALL OCCUPANTS MUST BE BUCKLED. Yes, all this in India! I sat with my kids and wife and showed them crash test videos - they know exactly what happens to an unbuckled occupant. I have had my daughters in a SUV roll-oveer simulator to show them how they will be safe if buckled even if the SUV rolls-over.

I am surprised that people will watch videos of how to make softer chapatis / idlis on YouTube but will not educate themselves how to keep their kids safe in an automobile. Educated people ride with their kids unbuckled on their laps in the front seats, even driver's seats. Educated people let their kids pop out of sunroofs as they drive down promenades, sea sides and dangerous hilly roads.

Remember responsible parents raise responsible kids!

[lina]

I have used a car seat since the day my daughter was born. She knows nothing else. Never compromise on this principle. Even when we flew elsewhere, we took the carrycot with us and later we bought a portable car seat and now we mostly drive everywhere in our own car.

Make sure all your friends think the same way. Ensure your friends dont indulge in stupid things like making their kids stick their kids out of the sunroof etc.
Also, Insist on all adults wearing seat belts in any seat. DO NOT buy cars without ISOFIX mounts and middle rear 3 point seat belts. I can never understand how cars with a HUD cant have such basic items.

It brings me to tears when I see parents holding their kids and driving especially in the front seat. I mean, kids are nice and squishy but your car already has airbags, there is no need for additional protection.

[D'Ro@dSt@r]

It was easy for us as we both were clear that our son has to be put in a car seat, where he is buckled up and wife can also be buckled up at the rear taking care of him (Or rather i shld say enjoying a picnic while being on the road )

We went to a shop to try out a car seat and my son (6 months that time) enjoyed sitting in that. The shop keeper was also amazed looking at that sight.
We got that car seat, brought it home, and made him used to it at home for a few days and then moved it to the car. From that day onwards, my son (5 yrs now) doesn't want to sit anywhere else in the car and ensures that Mumma is also buckled up before I move the gear to D mode.
There were a few instances where he wanted to come out of the seat while driving and we were strict about it. Stopped the car, made him comfortable for sometime and them moved him back to his seat.
He now looks forward for booster seats in a year or two.

Hello from my lil champ

[gary]

I told my son that this is a new rule by the police and they will impose a fine if the
cameras catch anyone in the car without a seatbelt. He still tends to forget to buckle up, but does so when reminded.

There is some history to this. I got a speeding fine when I was dropping him to school and there is a nice picture of me on the traffic cam. He has seen that and is more aware of traffic violations now.

[vivekkp]

My kids are always buckled up since the first time they sat in the car. They do not know any other way of sitting in the car. So as far as they are concerned they feel weird if they are not buckled up.

[subhro1988]

This is a very pertinent thread given the lack of information on these aspects in the internet. The problem I am facing is different. My son is 5 years old and he is ok with wearing a seat belt. But the upper belt strap goes across his throat, which is uncomfortable and so he is using it like a lap belt where the upper portion goes behind him and thus the safety is compromised. Is there any way this can be addressed?

Another problem I face is that when he feels sleepy, he just lies down in the back seat with the belt across the lap still on. I think the seat belt pillow suggested by few Bhpians above should address this issue.

[UD17]

Originally Posted by vb-san

It’s good to start young. In my experience kids are much better at following basic rules than adults. It was easier for me as I live in a country where seatbelts are mandatory for all passengers. When we are in India, my daughter always insists that the grandparents always wear seatbelts even if seated in the rear; probably that’s the only 2-3 weeks they put on the seatbelts

Very truly said.

I remember one incident, Friday was a office party day, I was requested to carry few people in my car to the party venue so i had to remove both car seat (2 kids) from rear and put on trunk.

There comes Saturday, Morning 6am we were heading to a park. My both kids refused to sit on the car when they saw there seats missing. They are so habitual to their car seats since childhood and one more reason that they can enjoy outside view better.

Once my friend brought his Innova and we were suppose to go to a wedding together. My kids refused to sit in his car, they asked for their seats.

[TDIRaghav]

I have experience with 3 kids. My sister’s daughter, who will soon turn 4 never sits (forget about buckling up) and keeps jumping so we have to drive really slow and with extra caution. Learning from this experience, My brother’s daughter who is now 16 months old has been sitting only in the kids car seats properly buckled up since she was about 6 or 7 months. Now, my kid who is a little more than 9 months has also been sitting in kids seat since we started taking her on drives with us.

I believe that of we get the kids habituated to using seat belts in cars from a tender age then we will not have any problems keeping them buckled up in later years.

[ajmat]

My 23yr old daughter was conditioned tube belted in from day 1. Except for short rides in town, she always belts up in the rear. Front - without question. All about education!

[nibedk]

To be honest never even bothered once. She has been on car seat since she was 10-11 months old. We hardly travelled during her first year and were in US even before she turned one.

Didn't have to put any effort as it was by law and had to be followed. It stayed the same way when we came back. Its only when my daughter throws some tantrums that I have to show her some YouTube videos on the effects of not buckling up. She usually has followed it and its my father who makes more noise if we put her in car seat. She had started throwing tantrums as she found a supporter. My father prefers flying more than long road trips now with age catching up and joint pains flaring up. So more or less we never had much issues. Daughter should graduate to using belts without car seat in a year or so. Close to 4 ft and 8 inches now.