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 How To Persuade Your Child To Use A Child Car Seat/Booster
Posted on 25 March, 2007
To help you and your child adjust to the changes in car seat legislation, we've got some expert advice from Jean Birtles, the Director of Top Notch Nannies who has over 10 years experience in childcare. Here she gives us her top five tips on how to encourage your child to accept and use their new car seat.
Make it theirs - Take your child with you when you buy the seat. Get them to choose the colour/pattern they like best so that they have 'ownership' of the seat.
Explain why calmly - Explain to your older children why they need to sit in the seat. Don't frighten them with horror stories explain to them logically and calmly that it will help them be safe. That it will stop them bumping their head or hurting their legs if there's a sudden stop.
Routine - Simply make it part of the 'getting in car' routine. Children like routine and repetition, it makes them feel secure, and simply treating it as something normal and unsurprising will help them get in the seat without thinking about it. Make it a fun checklist, "Daddy seat belt - check! Mummy seat belt - check!".
Travel treats - Put together a special 'travel pack' that goes with the seat. Put a drink, a book, crayons and a puzzle book or whatever your child enjoys playing with on car journeys.
Name it! - Get your child to name the seat! He will be happier to sit on 'Henry' the seat if it's a name he has chosen. "
Getting your child to accept a car seat, even if they're older, is about making it theirs, making it part of the routine and not frightening or threatening them with horror stories. Children respond really well to calm explanation and the odd treat or two!" Jean Birtles from Top Notch Nannies.
Older Children
Some older children might have been using adult seat belts already and won't be keen to go back to using a booster cushion. Our experts at Norland College, who have been at the forefront of childcare since 1892, offer their advice on how to encourage older children to use car restraints:
Explain to the child that the seat isn't a car seat/booster seat, which they used to have to use when they were younger, but that it is the right equipment to enable them to wear an adult seat belt safely.
Try comparing the protective clothing worn by one of the child's role models (e.g. footballer, racing driver) to keep them safe, with the equipment in the car which keeps the child safe.
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