My precious little pumpkin has learned a brand new trick (and it's not a cute one) ... He has learned to Scream his little lungs out during car rides. Yes, the entire car ride. No matter where you are going or how long it takes to get there. This started a week ago. Friday, on my way to our halloween group party, he screamed the whole way there. I thought it was because his morning nap was cut short. We had a great time at the party. We was in a happy mood and things we chill. We left alittle early so we could pick up E and drive to my sister's (5.5 hours away). I put the lil stink-pot in the stroller and headed towards the elevator ..... at this moment again, my sweet precious lil boy was replaced with a screaming banshee. I was in public .. and a public hospital on the L&D floor. I HAD to do something .. So I picked him up, and put the diaper bag in the stroller and wheeled it to the car He stopped as soon as I picked him up (ahh he just wanted me, Isn't that sweet) ... I got to the car, Changed his diaper. (thinking it was the root of the problem) .... he screamed the whole process. Picked him up, He stopped crying .... I felt loved but really?..... Tried putting him in the car seat again, the screaming banshee returned .. In a parking garage (oh the echo .not so sweet) ..... I seriously thought he was just overstimulated and tired, so I just buckled him in and drove ..25 mins later there was STILL a screaming banshee in my back seat ..I was trying to get home as fast as humanly possibly. I got home, LUCKILY E was home ... I handed MT off as i cried and explained I thought he was just tired ...
Saturday and Sunday were different days for us because someone was in the back seat with him while we were at my sisters.
Monday -Thurs he has done the same exact thing ... scream in the car seat all the way to our destination ..... There is a mirror there so I can see him and he can see himself. It has been there since we installed the car seat. He used to talk to himself in the mirror ... I can no longer use the overstimulated and tired excuse because it has be realized that if One touches him, He stops crying...... like Immediately... .... Problem: I cannot safely drive and touch him at the same time. I cannot pull a britney and drive with him in my lap ... He needs to be safe and I need to be safe ... I am losing my mind over this ..... any help, tricks, ideas, earplugs, suggestions, etc.. ANYTHING ..PLEASE help, I am desperate ....
2 days into cereal - things are going ok. Our schedule seems to be a tad off now. I am not sure what to blame.... He usually goes to bed at 8 - both days now it's more like 9:30. I may have to try doing the cereal earlier. I have been doing it at 10am. It does make that next nap VERY long .. Which is why it's 9:00 and he is not tired yet. Or maybe I just let it be ... not sure what I feel about this yet
13 comments:
Lemy does this sometimes too. Have you tried pulling the hood on the carseat all the way so he can see out the window? That usually works for us. Or I put on a CD that I always listened to while pregnant and that has helped too.
I'm thinking of you, sweetie. I, too, have a screamer and its not fun. ((HUGS))
My SIL bought me a CD of children singing children's songs. The sound of the other little voices, instantly stopped my oldest from crying in the car, every time. It also worked pretty good w/my others. Only play the CD when he's fussy, don't just have it on all the time. GOOD LUCK!
I can commisserate. M is really the perfect baby. So sweet, always wants to be held, never cries unless something is really wrong, always sleeping.. BUT.. the girl HATES the carseat, HATES the car. She screams the entire way there and the entire way back. When R is driving, he is reaching one arm back holding her paci in. I can't do that though, since the seat is like a foot forward for me, haha. So she just has to scream. She's okay and nothing is wrong, and mommy can't stop to help her every five seconds or reach back there and crash into a brick wall. So I just have to turn the music up, tune it away, and tell her that she's okay and mommy loves her (obviously more for me than her).
Okay, get a rubber glove, fill it with warm water, and see if you can get him to believe someone is touching him. Hehe.
Actually, I'd probably just grab a pair of those foam earplugs. You'll still be able to hear, it will just take the edge off.
I have heard tyring to put a picture of you and E back there with him. Apparently at this age, they realize there is more to the world, and they are just really frustrated / bored. I got all of this from Diana's blog. So I hope it helps. I think it is a common problem though.
what happens if you take the mirror away so he can't see himself?
Wyatt doesn't do this every car ride, but some days he just doesn't want to be in his car seat. He never screams, but he will fuss. I have a baby einstein auto mirror that has a remote, so I can just turn that on. Sometimes the lights and music from it calm him down. Otherwise, I can usually give him his toy, and he calms down. I bought him this new toy and he just LOVES it! It never fails to calm him down. I am not sure what it is about it, but I have been places and see other babies have the same one. I even had a convo with a mom in Kohl's about how much her baby loves it. I will e-mail it to you, but not sure how much he is into toys. Basically, Wyatt just gets to where he wants to hold something. I have tried other stuff animails, but he loves his "bug". Maybe just see if he will hold something? He seems to comfort them.
I love that one of the labels for this post is "screaming banshee". I have no suggestions, I'm sorry to say. Good luck!
when driving on the highway, we can sometimes get V. to chill out if we crack the windows open. It may not work in winter :-) But you live in a warm state! The rushing sound of the wind seems to soothe her.
I haven't really experienced this yet.. but boy it doesn't sound fun :) You have some good suggestions from others though that sound like they are worth a try!
Good luck!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream...hmmm I know that wasn't helpful. I just really like to say that and I usually don't get a chance. So I thought I'd take advantage. I hope screaming dies down a bit and the cereal continue to goes well. Lots of hugs to you!!
Ugg...I hope that carseat business gets better. LG has always behaved in her car seat, except when we've gone on long trips. It's like she senses that we're going somewhere and decides she'll give us a little background noise. She cried all the way to Tampa last year....a 12 hour drive...and no, I'm not exaggerating.
So I'm guessing you've already tried to gag him? Benadryl? Valium? What?!? Those are illegal?
Sorry for the stress. If you find something that works, pass it along!
Good luck!
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