My five-year-old son has learned how to undo the chest clips on his car seat. Now every time we’re driving, he will undo his chest clip and climb out of his car seat. What can I do to prevent him from doing this, or what kind of car seats do you all recommend that would be harder for him to get out of?
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I put our chest clip backwards for a while. 100% accident but it worked. Its been switched back and he no longer undoes it.
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5 yr old is enough high back booster seat. Since that school age.
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Stop. Every. Single. Time.
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Stop the car every time, treat it like any other unwanted behavior, address it, re-buckle and go. As a last resort, CPSTs recommend a button up shirt. Put the harness on and then button the shirt over the harness so they can’t get to the chest clip.
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Is it a 5 point harness?
Pull over everytime. Explain carseat safety. It will be annoying, I had to pull over and explain each time for a solid 2 weeks. My daughter was 2yrs old when she figured out how to undo her buckles.
You could also try having a carseat tech come and talk to your child about seat safety, they may listen better to a non-parent
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I was honest to my kid and told him if he kept doing it and we crashed he could fly out of the carseat and get really hurt it worked he understood and stopped doing it, now he explains it to others who buckle him in if it’s not high enough on his chest. He was five when it started he’ll be 7 this year.
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Tell him cops will come and arrest him lol worked for me when i was a kid thats what my mom did haha
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Im sure she pulls over everyone…
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I drove up and down our road (we live in a small area so our road is fairly private) and would break check my kids when they unbuckled. Just straight slammed on my brakes and stopped my car until the buckled it back up. Just did it over and over until they finally stopped. Then when they stopped we went and got treats. My kids no longer unbuckle unless we are parked in our driveway.
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Maybe a piece of duct tape wrapped around it ? Hugs. Good luck I had a girlfriend who’s son did this by two and almost rolled a truck off a cliff. Yeah yeah I know wtf why wasn’t she paying attention he crawled into the front and leaned on the shifter. He didn’t move it on purpose.
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Probably shit parenting but I told him it was dangerous/ illegal many times and the police would be upset if they saw this etc etc because they keep us safe and this was not safe… finally i just rolled up in front of the police station the last time he did it and said I was telling on him . 
he hasn’t done it since lol
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Your car stops running when the clip is removed
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Put a button up shirt on him backwards over the chest clip and button it behind him
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Be honest with him about what can happen if he doesn’t wear it correctly, also call the sheriffs office and ask them to “pull” you over and have a talk with you, my sister had to do this with my nephew because he wouldnt stop.
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My godmother had to deal with this same problem she took her son to the police station and had them explain the reason why we have to wear our seat belts and what can happen if you don’t
If he meets the height and weight requirements he might be trying to tell you it’s time to switch.
I’m not going to argue with car seat Karen’s in the comments nor will I bother reading them.
But 5? It might be time to see about a booster if he meets the needs for one.
Buy one and test it out.
Kids have a weird way of saying “I need change”
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Do not use the Houdini clips as they have been proven to be unsafe. They twist and buckle under crash pressure and can’t be released. If you don’t want him just in a seatbelt with the high back, just stop the car, safely of course. Don’t go again until he sits. Or give yourself more time and if he does it again, tell him you’re going home. He gets upset, you tell him why. You can not drive if he’s not strapped in. It’s against the law and it’s dangerous. You don’t want to be stopped by the police and get in trouble or him get hurt if there’s an accident. Do this each time and 
he’ll stop
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A 5 year old is capable of listening and not doing it. You’re the parent. You need to teach him not to. There isn’t a work around on that.
Whether it is stopping the car everytime he does it or something.
My kid is 16 now, but I’d have whooped her for doing that mess while I was driving. I don’t know your parenting style and I’m trying to be respectful, but he can listen- you’ve gotta make him.
Best of luck.
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You stop and turn around and go home.
Let him realise consequences. Yes it’s annoying particularly if you have to go shopping or something but I’d go home try again in few hours.
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Oh my I can remember this for my kids and my grandkids after they get a certain age they learn to take it off you can’t get them to get back in that seat you making stop and scare him a little bit for a while but eventually they’re going to just start doing it again it’s just something they have to outgrow I guess
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Wrap a hand towel around the clip so he can’t open it
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Put him in a light jacket. Buckle him in and zip up over the clip? Worked with my nephew
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Both my boys went through this around age 2, it passed
Take him to the police station
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Just wonder if anyone spanks their kids any more? 
Sometimes that’s all it takes for them to know you mean business. 
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My son is 4 and can un-buckle his seat. He knows he is not allowed to do it unless the car is in park. Is there a reason to why your 5 year old is not able to understand and listen? If there is no medical reason for not listening then you need to start having consequences and discipline.
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Get a shirt big enough to fit into your son, cut holes in the back of the shirt to feed the belts through, when you put your son in the car seat, put him into the shirt as well, buckle the belts and then button the shirt over the belt. A small child has enough dexterity to open the clip on the car seat but not enough to unbutton the buttons on the shirt
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Taking away privileges always worked for me. Still does as a parent of teens.
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You can take those clips off and put them back on backwards so they are facing there chest, worked for my son
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Take the clips off and put them on so that the button is backwards.
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My daughter was 4 when I taught her to clip & unclip herself from her 5 point harness. She while driving unclipped herself ONCE. To which I had a very stern very harsh very real conversation with her about what would happen if we got into a wreck while we were driving & she was unclipped. She never did it again. She understoood that unless the vehicle was at a full stop & I verbalized to her it was time to unclip she would not unclip herself. Explain to your child if need be like I did harshly what the true dangers of not staying clipped in is. I did it also because in the event of a wreck & she is concious but im not she was instructed to get my phone dial 911 & get out of the vehicle & stay on the side of the road. How well that would have worked out? Idk. But I at least had a plan for her in the event it occurred. Also. I think someone said that means the kid needs change. No. They don’t. A 5 point front facing convertible carseat has certain weight & height limits once either weight or height limit is reached it’s time to switch. My 6 yr old is 1/4 inch in height to grow out of her front facing carseat thats convertible. She’s getting a 5 point harness booster seat that converts to the one with the seatbelt. She wont reach being without for another year or 2 then the booster with seatbelt. Please do not let people to have you switch to a booster. Maybe im over paranoid but the idea a silly seatbelt is gonna keep a 5yr old in place is a laughing matter to me. A 40mph collision seems like enough to send them flying. I’d rather be safe then sorry anyday.
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Teach your kid there’s a consequence if he does it. Hes old enough to understand. (My twins are almost 5 and got popped on the but when they did that) they don’t do it anymore.
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The child is clearly not ready for a booster seat if he won’t stay in his car seat, its easier to get out of a booster. Thats a clear sign he CANNOT handle a booster. Stop the car and don’t move until he gets back in, yep you might be late some places but he has to learn to ride safely in a car. Especially when you are taking him somewhere fun
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My kids know I’ll stop and go for there butt I give a warning but their safety is more important
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My son did this a few times and I always pulled over immediately to spank and reclip. He needs to know that is very dangerous.
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It’s called a good old fashion ass whooopinnnn…!!! I guarantee he won’t do it again!!!
Put the clips on backwards…he won’t be able to push the button to unclip. Then have a stern talk with him about how dangerous it can be to take his belt off in a moving car!
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I got very graphic with what could happen if she wasn’t buckled and we got in an accident. I work in the emergency room so my daughter knows I’m telling the truth. She makes sure it is on and in place every time now on her own. 
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I had a sister in-law son that did the same
Give him plenty off spankin he will quit
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Stop treating the 5 yr old like a baby they understand plenty well …explain urself and why he has to sit nice if he does not there must be serious consequences tell him how serious it is to play in a vehicle moving or not…his brain is capable of understanding
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This may not be the best parenting tip, but my son started doing it around the same age. After repeated attempts, I told him- sternly- why he needed to keep it done up, for safety reasons. I told if I had to stop suddenly and/or we crashed, that he would be thrown through the glass windscreen and the damage that could do. The sternness of my voice, and having to face that possibility, halted it in its tracks quickly.
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Tell him what will happen if you get into an accident and it is not properly fastened. That worked for us.
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He’s 5 and old enough to follow rules. Explain the dangers and the rule about keeping the clip done up and if he doesn’t listen give him a punishment.
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Is he doing it because he’s uncomfortable? If so, check to make sure the straps are coming from above his shoulders and that they aren’t too tight.
Is he doing it because he just feels like it? You can hit him with a huge dose or reality and scare the daylights out of him OR after you buckle him in, put a button up shirt on him backwards. Button a few buttons behind him and he’ll have a much harder time undoing it.
Please don’t switch to a booster yet as some are recommending. A child in a booster needs to be mature enough to sit properly in the seat 100% of the time.
Try to find a CSPT in your area if you’re not completely positive on the install of the seat and buckling. It’s completely free!
Get onto him every time. Pull over, firmly tell him we do not do this and explain why, then take something away from him. Be it a toy he likes or an activity/game. Tell him he can only get the thing back if he stays buckled in the car for a whole week.
Before we switched to the seatbelt in a high back booster at 45lbs and 6 years old, I explained to my kid that they SHOULD NOT unbuckle their seat while we are between destinations. I explained that if they were unbuckled and we got hit in an accident, they could go flying through the window and die.
I caught them unbuckling in our long driveway once and I hit the breaks while doing 5-10kmph. When they slipped out of their seat and caught themselves on the back of the front seat, they understood just how dangerous it is to be without a seatbelt. So now they’re very aware to make sure their seatbelt is seated across their hips, over the shoulder and locked in.
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The child is old enough to understand things. I would show him what a car accident looks like ( youtube) so that the child knows how serious it is to stay seated and buckled
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I would show YouTube videos of what can happen if not properly strapped in.
He could switch to a high back booster if he is at the height and weight requirements.
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I just told my kids that if there was an accident, they could get hurt in a way the doctors couldn’t fix.
That was how I warmed them about all things that were super dangerous. Seemed to work.
Kids are a lot smarter than people give them credit for.
I tell my son ot protects his heart. At 5 hes old enough to understand that he needs to be in his seat. He will get popped for it and will get privileges taken away. Neither him or his brother have done it but they have been growing up what the car seat is for.
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Do what my dad did. Seat belt check. If he hurts himself, he will realize not to do it again. If not, try sitting him down and explaining him what could happen.
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All 4 of my girls knew this by 2. And pulling over to the side of the road taking that child out of their seat swatting their butt, telling them they need to stay buckled (at 5 most kids ride in a booster seat unless you’re a helicopter mom)
But on another note. By 5 that child should understand what the seat belt is for. Don’t be dumb don’t treat your 5 year old like they are 2. Kids grow up and get smarter. Treat them that way if you want a baby, have another one don’t keep treating you’re older child like they should still be on diapers.
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I wouldn’t switch him to a high back booster yet because they have to be able to sit properly 100% of the time and him currently unbuckling himself means he isn’t ready for that. Talk to him about why it’s important for him to sit properly and stay buckled. If he doesn’t listen you could punish him. When he does it a very harsh no that’s dangerous.
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only thing that’s ever worked for me was telling my kids the hard truth. told them if we get into a car accident, they could die if they don’t have their seatbelt on. they can fly out of their seat & break bones or go thru a window and die. it might sound brutal but it’s serious & they needed to understand why i was so serious about them keeping it on. to this day, even out of car seats now, seatbelts are taken seriously by all my kids.
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So just had this bitch try and message me like an idiot.
Seriously if you can’t take the response do not post a question.
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Geez. Don’t terrify your child with horror stories or show him graphic videos. He’s 5. I had 4 kids and just one who thought car seats were entertainment. Of course, I explained the need to ride safely in cars. I also pulled over every time he did it slowing progress to everywhere. In addition, I added a large diaper pin just below the chest clip to prevent it from being slipped down and also easily opened.
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Everytime he fiddles with it pull over. He will get sick of going no where, just as well as us adults do.
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My daughter did that and I pulled over. Made her clip and told her she would die if we got in an accident. Never happened again.
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Seat belts is something I never compromise about. If my kids un-buckle during the ride they knew I’d pull over immediately and they’d get a spanking. He’s old enough to understand consequences, so I’d show him accidents on a video - even just the car test dummies if that’s more comfortable for you - of what happens when not buckled and then tell him if he does it again he’s getting a spanking, no TV for the day, whatever it is. Follow through of whatever you say and he’ll get the point. But you need to put down a hard foot with this one.
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Scare him with reality. Show him what can happen.hes old enough to understand and frankly should be scared that things can happen!
Tell him if he won’t stay buckled in his seat he can’t go in the car anymore
I just told my daughter they’d take me to jail and then who would care for her… its the law and my job to make sure she’s buckled safely. She’s almost 6 now but handt tried it since she was 4 we just upgraded to a backed booster
Pull over immediately,put him back in every time, tell him if he keeps doing it he will not go with you anymore
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I have never done this to my kids…but my mom break checked me. As an adult it is the first thing I do when i get in a car.
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Take him to a police station and let a police officer explain to him the dangers and that mommy could get in trouble
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Use a button up shirt and do the buttons up over the clip.
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Ummm… he’s five. He should know better. 
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Depending on his size he might be ready for a booster seat rather than a car seat.
My 4-year-old does this as well we pull over and sit until he gets back in his seat we have been late for things but he understands I will not drive unless everyone is buckled I do it to my adult friends as well
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Button up shirt! Have him wear a button up shirt and then after he’s buckled button it over the chest clip! Car seat techs recommend it and it’s completely safe! I think the Carseat Lady has an article about “houdini’s” who get out of their seats 
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My daughter use to do it when she was younger. I talked to a local cop friend of mine to see if he could talk to her and teach her safety and he hooked me up. He was so good with her and told her all about why it’s important to stay in her seat. He gave her a little badge and it worked.
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5 years old could be old enough for a big boy seat. My 6 year old did it and I put him in a big boy seat. No more problems
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When mine were little I would pull over to the hard shoulder when I heard the click of a seat belt. Told them that car could not go unless belts were done up. Once everyone was buckled up again the car moved. Only had to do it a few times before they got the message.
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Yell at him like you mean it!! Before y’all leave, after getting him buckled. & explain to him that there are signs all over and it’s the law that you must "Click-it or ticket ".
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Oof. Ya. Refuse to drive unless everyone is safely buckled, explains why we wear seatbelts, give him HELL if he does it.
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My mom would pull over smack my ass and tell me there’s more where that came from if I did it again.
Had a niece that did this. Mine haven’t. Pulling over and popping her butt got her to stop with me. Her mom never disciplined her,so one day she decided to unbuckle the seatbelt and actually opened the car door and almost fell out. Better to pop their butt than not to do anything and they almost get killed thinking can do anything…
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Simply pull over and read a book. Until everyone is seat belted the vehicle isn’t moving. Do it when you are going somewhere they want to go.
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My 4 year old does this same thing, I have gotten to the point where he does it i will pull over and not move until it is buckled back up
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Stop the car spank his ass and put him back in.
Every time he undoes the clip another spanking.
Every time.
He will learn NOT to do that.
Car Seat Safety For The Littles (CSSFTL) please ask on here and not a bunch of people that give unsafe information
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Break check him. My son’s 2 yr old cousin was doing the same thing. She learned really quick why she needs to stay buckled.
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Cold hard truth. I never lied to my son about the dangers of not being properly buckled in. 
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Talk you him and discuss the importance of safety e.t.c.
(It may sound extreme, but extreme measures need to be taken for certain things.)
Next time he climbs out of his seat, slow down until you’re barely moving the car, like 1-3mph and hit the breaks. Obviously make sure they aren’t in a position that’s going to actually hurt them, but the small jolt and shock will give them a scare and then say “you know if you had been buckled that wouldn’t have happened” my daughter had an issue with taking off her buckle. I did this one time and she now refuses to be in the car unless she is buckled. Didn’t hurt her at all, but now she actually understands the importance of seat belts.
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My five year old uses a seatbelt now maybe that would help? Maybe your son feels the harness is uncomfortable and that is why he takes it off
The old fashion way, pull over and crack his behind, now days everybody is afraid to discipline their kids