Need car seat help right away, re my child loosening straps

[strollinmama]

My dd has learned how to loosen her car seat straps in her Britax Marathon.

She does it all the time. We have tried to get her to stop and she'll be fine for a little bit, and then she loosens them again.

I am worried she is going to loosen them when I'm driving and I will not notice, and worse case scenario, we get in a wreck.

I am at my wits end, and considering just getting new seats, but not even sure what a good seat would be at this point, that she wouldn't be able to reach the adjuster.

She is 3 years old, and weighs 34lbs

Thanks

[SusanMae]

Since she likes to play with the straps, let her tighten them when she gets in the car. Tell her she is only allowed to put on the strap(which will only tighten it for her). Also tell her that if she doesn't loosen the straps you'll go someplace fun or she'll get a treat(3 m&m's maybe?). Everytime she makes them loose pull over and tell her you can't go until she is in tight, make sure to do this when you are going to someplace she really likes to go.

It might take a while, but if you are firm and consistant hopefully her behavior will change.

Susan

[o_mom]

If you aren't able to stop her, you could try the Britax Decathlon. It has a push-button adjuster that would be hard to push from in the seat.

[kijip]

Stop the car and don't move until she stops playing with the straps. On the way to the park, her friend's house whatever. Tell her that if she does it again when you are going someplace she wants to go that you will turn around and drive home. Then do it. She is only 3, she can learn not to.

[uccomama]

I realize this is an expensive option but the new SafeGuard seat is probably close to impossible for a child to loosen the straps because the adjuster is on the front of the seat and is a resessed button that you push up on. I can't see how a child sitting in the seat with the harness tightened is ever going to be able to reach down and push up on it at the correct angle while pulling on the harness straps at the shoulders.

Deborah

[tjham]

I have been thinking about getting a Marathon but this concerns me. Exactly how is she getting the straps loose? Why would they make it so a child can do that?

My granddaughter is 4 1/2 and would leave them alone, I'm sure, but we would be passing it down later to a grandson who is a little more antsy and I can see it being a problem with him!

[kellyotn]

Can you place a piece of cardboard or something under the cover and over the adjuster? It'll be a pain for YOU to adjust, but hopefully she won't be able to do it. Or sew the flap shut? You could still slip your hand under the cover, but she shouldn't be able to.

I don't adjust my straps on a daily basis because I simply find it too annoying. Its more of a struggle to buckle, but the lesser of two evils to me. So there is always that option too - just get them where they are right, cover the adjuster and hope she forgets about it.

I've also seen mention of attaching the prickly side of velcro to the adjuster, but I don't know if that would help on a Marathon adjuster. I've seen in mentioned for the push button type and for the buckles themselves.....

[o_mom]

Just reminded me of something I read before. Thread the adjuster strap down the front, under the cover. Then pin the flap shut from the inside with a safety pin. You can untuck the pad from the front edge to adjust the straps. The lack of access may deter...

[strollinmama]

Deborah, what is the Safeguard, and how big can they be in a harness (our main reason for getting the marathon)

Thanks for the pin down advice, I'm going to try that.

She can reach them because she leans sideways a bit and then grabs hold and pulls the lever up and then leans forward. I have no idea how she learned it.
We have had Britax car seats since they became available in the US (yearssss ago) and we have never had this problem. Nor with the Graco and Evenflo we used to have either. My daughter is apparently a Houdini

[uccomama]

The SafeGuard is a FF seat which harnesses to 65 lbs. It has taller top harness slots than the Marathon, but it is pricey, like $429 pricey. I have one for my five year old and love it.

Here is a link to the SafeGuard website: http://www.safeguardseat.com/child/index.htm

and here are some photos of my SafeGuard: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39555873@N00/sets/927718/

Deborah

[strollinmama]

Great thanks.