6 month old- Still doesn't like the car seat!! Suggestions pls!!

Hi ladies...
Since the first day we brought him home from the hospital my son HATES his car seat. He starts to cry the minute we place him in it and will cry until we take him out.
This really is a problem as it's very distracting when he is screaming and driving becomes very difficult. And if we are on a highway we can pull over right away to console him.
I have been riding in the back seat with him except for the few times that I have driven and when he starts to cry I sing to him or otherwise he starts to scream until we take him out.  
We would love to take him out more; but I cringe at the thought of him screaming all the way until we reach our destination.

Every one keeps telling me stories of how their kids would fall asleep in the car and would wake up only when the car stops. That's deffinitely not the case with my son!
We've tried placing him in the seat after he falls asleep, ignoring him (although we do not let him cry it out at home at all). He also gets plenty of goodies to keep him enterained in the car and we have tried a soother but he spits it out.
Can you pls offer me any suggestions to help my son enjoy his car ride?
Thank you very much and as always I appreciate your suggestions!!

[beachbunn1986]

my son loves his car seat   but my little sister not so much she too would cry and scream her lungs out    i started playing classical music in the house and would put her in her seat while stil in the house she cried and screamed but once she started listening to the music she relaxed and that made putting her in the car easier.  hopefully he grows out of it soon  good luck

[Lostinaphorisms]

My daughter was the same way. I think she just didn't like being restrained, so it was all about distracting her. I got her a mirror for the seat in front of her so she could talk to herself during rides. It worked pretty well and she couldn't drop it like she would with toys. Also, opening the back window a little bit helped calm her down sometimes.  Unfortunately I never found a method that was 100% effective all the time, but the good news is she did grow out of it. The front facing carseat really helped. Also, once she got better at entertaining herself it was a lot easier to distract her with toys.

[AnnieBrooke]

It might be the sound of the car.  As a baby, my son cried and cried when I would run the hair dryer, or rip paper, or similar sounds.  Even now (at 3 1/2) doesn't like me to have the dryer on "high" because he tells me the sound is scary.  Have you ever tried those noise-deadening headphones that the sell in the lawn-mower section at Sears, to see if it's the noise and not the movement that is distressing?  Also, have you tried another kind of carseat?  Maybe his pinches him in some way you can't discern.

[Ladybugbc]

It's comforting to know we are not alone here and that there's hope that he will eventually grow out of it.
beachbunn: I'll try the classical music, I haven't tried it before. So far my horrible singing had worked a little bit. But our car sounds like a bad audition of an American Idol reject.
So your suggestion sounds much better.
Lostin: I guess what you say is right. He doesn't like being restrained in it as I notice he tries to pull himself up and free from the seat straps when he's crying. He drops the toys when he starts to cry so a mirror would be a good idea.
AnnieBrooke: He doesn't mind the sound of the car when he take him out (I pick him up when we pull into our parkade as I can't bear to see him cry any more). I run the dryer when he's playing next to it and I haven't noticed it bothrting him.
We actually have a head set like that at home so I think I'm going to give it a try next time.
And no; we haven't tried a different car seat as he doesn't mind being in it when we push it around on the stroller.

Thank you so much for all your input and I greatly appreciate it.

[amandamae1126]

So if he doesn't mind sitting in the seat while being pushed around, I would say it's not the car seat itself that bothers him, but maybe the car, the motion of the car ride, sounds around him, or maybe even motion sickness. I can remember having motion sickness as early as age 2 or 3. Fresh air seemed to help with that, keeping my eyes opened, having a full and settled stomach before getting into a car, and a physical or touching distraction (like someone touching my forehead) all seemed to help. Oh, and having a shaded area helped too - when the tree shadows flash light/shadow/light over and over it made me sick too.

[30something13]

My little one has been the same way!!! We have only been out a couple of times that he has not cried, and I pull over each time he cries which makes it take longer to get everywhere! I have tried going over the rumb;e strips on the side of the road, letting the windows down, but now it is too cold, I always sit by him unless it is just me and him, and I will lean over and nurse him if I am not driving. I always sit by him and he just turned 5 months. I drive 5 hours one way for visitation for my kids with theri dad and I have to travel when he falls alseep for the night or it took me 9 hours and a whole box of tissues and over 200 min on my phone crying to my DH:( It was horrible! I have 4 others that never did this, He is his own what can I say LOL.

I sympathize with you I do! I have no suggestions. I ahve tried everything also, mirrors, toys, music, sitting by him and nothing worked! He just does not like sitting strapped awake and can't be held or move. We have a longggg drive way and many times when we get home I take him out down the drive way becasue he is just crying poor thing. I have even gotten out a mile away and left my car down the road and walked home becasue he was soo upset, and DH went later to get it. And you know his seat goes on his strollar and he is fine in it! I oush him all over even in the house so it is just the car and not being able to move.

Sorry girl no suggestions, but I hope your little one likes it better soon!

Oh I forgot my little one likes to hear daddies voice on the cell phone and sometimes I will call him and put the speaker on and he sings Itsy Bitsy Spider and he will stop crying! Works every time for a little bit.

[Ladybugbc]

Sorry for my late response.. my son has been sick with a cold for the last couple of days so I have been busy with him :(
amandamae: Motion sickness is a very good guess. I had this problem until I was about 5-6 yrs old. May be he has it poor guy!!

30something13: Wow!!! I really do fee for you and trust me I know how hard it is.
We are changing and trying things hoping we'll figure this out soon. Nothing can colsole him when he's crying in the car. Only my singing help a little bit.
I hope once he get's sit in the front facing car seat things improve for both of us.
At almost 16lbs that is still a few more lbs away.
Wishing you and your little one "Happy Car rides"!!

[Ladybugbc]

Hi..
It's been almost 2months since my post and I wanted to update where we stand now.

From hating his car seat my son miraculously went to LOVING it!! This may sound crazy but he falls a sleep right away in the car now.
Our guess is that the car seat may have been getting too warm for the poor guy. Naturally as a baby I dressed him warmer sticking to the advise "babies should have at least 1 more layer of clothes that adults do". Looking back I am really sorry for how uncomfortable he would have been.

Now that the weather is colder and me being more comfortable of the whole "not over dressing my baby" idea, he doesn't end up soaked in sweat in the car seat and he sleeps until we park the stroller+car seat some where warm!