If you’re a parent or have had to drive any babies around, trying to soothe a crying baby in the car seat can be frustrating. Maybe you thought finding a free or lower cost infant car seat was tough, only to find that your baby doesn’t even like it.All you want to do is scream, help, my baby won’t stop crying!
You can’t pick up your baby and apparently not all distractions work. You could try to find the root cause, but sometimes your baby will cry for no reason. And, in some cases, that crying can be pretty persistent. If you’re stuck in traffic or out on a long road trip, it can be really stressful when your baby won’t stop crying.
As a third time mom, I’m still learning new things about babies — they are all so different.
I had no idea that babies that didn’t like car seats actually existed! You’d think with the constant motion and the natural white noise, babies would settle fast. My first two kiddos sure did.
When it comes to calming a crying baby, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But if your little one is upset and you’re out on the open road, try these 7 tips to help soothe them in the car seat. Whether you’re looking for a distraction or some gentle pressure, we’ve got you covered! So pull over, take a deep breath, and try our tricks to getting your kiddo calm again.
Tips To Soothe A Crying Baby
1. Don’t Panic
The first thing you need to do when you have a crying baby in the car is to not panic. It can be tempting to start freaking out when your baby is crying and you’re stuck in traffic, but it’s important to stay calm. If you start to panic, your baby will sense it and will only cry harder.
2. Check for Obvious Reasons Why Your Baby Might Be Crying
Once you’ve taken a deep breath and calmed down, the next step is to check for obvious reasons why your baby might be crying. Are they hungry? Wet? Tired? Cold? Hot? Is the sun in their eyes? If you can figure out what the problem is, it will be much easier to fix it.
3. Try to Distract Your Baby with Toys
If your baby is still crying and you can’t figure out why, try to distract using toys or games. This can be anything from a favorite stuffed animal to a toy that makes noise. You can put a spinning mobile or stroller arch over the car seat — some are interactive.
4. Entertain
Peekaboo games help distract kids from their discomfort. This is going to be tough if you’re driving solo, but if you’re at a stop light, try to hide your face behind your hand and then slowly reveal yourself again.
If there’s more than one person in the car, maybe someone could sit right next to the baby and hold hands or entertain the baby. My oldest child found that making fart noises at the baby worked — whatever works!
5. Put some music or white noise on
Music calms babies down and helps them sleep. If you’re driving around town, put on some soothing tunes. You could even sing along if you want! Try different types of music, like nursery rhymes, lullabies, or classical music.
Especially if you have an infant, you could also try tuning into an AM station with white static, or just choosing a white noise station on Youtube. This might also work for older babies that like white noise!
6. Talk in a Soothing Voice
This might be that “well, duh” tip, but if you’re stressed and sound like it, try to take a deep breath first. Babies are very in tune with their environment, and sometimes they might need some comforting words from a parent. Talk to them in a soothing voice and let them know that everything is going to be alright.
7. Give Them a Pacifier
Babies are primed to be soothed by sucking, though not all babies take pacifiers! Here are some pacifiers for breastfeeding babies that might work. Try
8. Blow Bubbles
Blowing bubbles is usually a great way to entertain a baby. Try blowing bubbles (when you’re at a stop light) into the back seat in your baby’s direction. Power move is to get a portable bubble machine.
If all else fails, you can always pull over and try to get the baby to calm down.
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