Parenting books, blogs and experts that say babies shouldn’t be left to cry for more than six minutes are having a laugh aren’t they? If like me you have a baby that hates the car, there will be a lot more than six minutes worth of crying on an average day.
My beautiful nine-week-old baby Leo has had to cry for up to 40 long minutes on car journeys and it is simply awful for both of us. I avoid driving where possible but if I want to see friends, get groceries or attend appointments, there are times when only the car will do.
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Our first-born son Toby, who is now six years old, was exactly the same. A rampant ball of screaming fury each and every time I turned on the car engine.
“But babies love the car,” friends said. “It should send him off to sleep!” Like hell it did.
I began to dread leaving the house. I’m not proud but sometimes I would scream back at him. Sometimes I would turn up the radio and sing over the top of the noise and other times I would weep at his clear distress and my feelings of frustration and overtiredness.
Top Comments
Just turn the radio up so you can't hear the noise.
It also works if your car is making a funny noise. Turn the music up and the weird sound disappears.
I had one of those too. It was very isolating for a first time mum in a new city with no family and very few friends. I had to walk everywhere-gp, supermarket, chemist, clinic.
It only stopped when I turned the car seat to forward facing, which I did probably a bit earlier that I was supposed to.
She is nearly 15 and she still gets car sick and can't face backwards on public transport.
Yep my 15 year old is the same - motion sickness & the backwards facing seat etc. is the worst!