From the day we brought her home, Ellie has hated her carseat. She screamed from when we closed the car door until we got on the highway and she fell asleep (at which point we were then terrified that she had stopped breathing – you know how that goes).
For three months, she has hated it. Not necessarily the moment you strap her in. But if she has to be there longer than, say, 20 minutes or so? HELLZ NO. You will feel her wrath. The half-day drive we took to Long Island, including three ferry boats, was rather unpleasant.
I’m especially sorry to say that her dislike extended to the stroller. Whether or not she was in the carseat, clipped into the stroller, or sitting in the stroller itself, she still hated it. BOB or City Mini, upright or reclined, it was NO GOOD.
This puts a serious cramp in my style. Not only can I no longer trust that a trip to the Starbucks drive-thru will be relatively quiet and peaceful, but it severely limits most of our activities if I know she’s likely to lose her ever loving mind within 20-30 minutes. She does a little bit better, for a little while, in the Moby Wrap or the Ergo, but not much. I couldn’t even make it around the block to walk the dog with her. Seriously, I’ve got two four-year-olds. We’ve got places to go and things to do, and Ellie has to come along for 95% of it. Avoiding the carseat and the stroller is simply not an option.
And then, last week, she managed to sit happily in her carseat for an entire outing. Just hanging out, awake, smiling. And then she did it again. I almost didn’t want to say anything.
Today, I went for broke. A walk around the pond with the big kids, with Ellie in the stroller. I didn’t even take the Moby with me.
Oh, sure. She started crying on the way back to the car and I had to carry her for the last 1/8 mile or so. But she was happily in the stroller for a solid hour before she got cranky. And even then, it mostly had to do with the fact that she was getting tired. Halle-freaking-lujah.
Please, oh please, let this be a permanent turning point. How I would love to actually be able to go for regular walks (for the poor dog’s sake, if no one else). Fresh air, sunshine. Maybe even a run with the jogging stroller, or one of those Stroller Strides classes. Oh, Ellie. You in the stroller and the world is our oyster.
Hooray!!!
I think I would DIE if the twins hated the car. It drives me bonkers when they start screaming back there. I literally can not concentrate on driving. Hoping Ellie learns to enjoy it!
Yay! Thankfully, for the most part except for my escape artist little girl, the stroller has been our friend. I would have cried if they wouldn’t stay in the stroller. They are still in the stroller and Michael is almost 3 1/2.
Oh I’m so glad for you! We also have a little one who absolutely hates his carseat and any trip longer than 15 minutes, so I totally know what you’ve been going through! I do hope this sticks! (and I’m holding my breath that the same will happen for us too!)
Ooh I feel ya. We are dealing with a slightly less severe case of the same carseat angst. Fingers crossed that your improvement is permanent and we join you soon!
I hear you! I have a carseat hater and it’s tough to plan our days around NOT going places in the car.
Luckily he likes the stroller. And we have a dog who likes to walk. And I don’t have 2 4-year olds. So, yeah. I feel your pain, but on a much smaller scale
And I will remember that next time we get in the car!
I remember vividly the first time my boys stopped screaming their lungs out in their stroller and actually went to sleep – bliss! I phoned everyone I knew to report, and it was the beginning of many, many logged miles of stroller sleeps. Ahhh. Hope this is the start of a trend for Ellie, too.
I know exactly how you feel. Our little girl is just starting to get used to the car seat. It’s touch and go getting out the door to walk down to get the twins from the bus stop and I bring a carrier with me too. Also signed the kids up for art class and so far it’s been a screaming match by the time we get there. Looking forward to some hopeful stroller runs in the future.