Things That Helped Make my Baby Hate the Car Less

Things That Helped My Baby Hate the Car Less

Some babies are totally fine in the car. Mine was… not one of them.

For a while, car rides felt like a full-body stress event. I would dread going anywhere because I knew there was a good chance he was going to scream, I was going to feel helpless, and every mile was going to feel like 400 years.

I am not claiming I found some magical fix that made every car ride peaceful. But we did try a lot of things — switching car seats, adding safe distractions, tinting the back windows, checking the car seat fit, using white noise, trying the right pacifier — and a few of them actually helped make the car more tolerable.

Here’s what worked for us, what kind of helped, and what I would be careful with.

Switching from an infant seat to a convertible car seat

This was one of the bigger things we tried.

We switched him from an infant car seat to a convertible car seat, and I do think it helped. I don’t know if it was the angle, the extra space, or just him being more comfortable overall, but he seemed less miserable once he wasn’t in the infant seat anymore.

Obviously, this depends on your baby’s size, age, car seat limits, and what works safely in your vehicle. But for us, moving to a convertible seat made car rides feel a little less dramatic.

The two car seats we personally have are:

Infant car seat:
https://amzn.to/4wyXjc9

Convertible car seat:
https://amzn.to/3RvAFkT

My honest take: I wouldn’t switch just because your baby cries in the car without checking the fit, install, and safety requirements first. But if your baby is getting bigger and seems uncomfortable in the infant seat, it might be worth looking into.

A safe rear-facing car toy

One of the biggest things that helped was giving him something safe and interesting to look at or play with while rear-facing.

We used a rear-facing toy mat / activity toy that attached where he could see it and reach it. I liked this because it gave him something to focus on besides just being strapped in and mad about life.

Add link here:
https://amzn.to/42Gf37Z

My honest take: this did not magically stop all crying, but it helped distract him enough that some rides were way better.

A rear-facing mirror

A rear-facing mirror helped more than I expected.

Part of it was for him, because he could see a little more instead of just staring at the seat. But honestly, part of it was for me too. When your baby is screaming in the back seat and you can’t see what’s going on, your anxiety goes through the roof.

Being able to glance back and know he was okay helped me stay calmer.

Add link here:
https://amzn.to/4eWZkss

My honest take: I know mirrors can be a little controversial depending on the setup, so I would just make sure it is installed securely and safely. But for us, it was helpful.

Portable sound machine

We also used a portable sound machine, especially if we were hoping he might fall asleep in the car.

It did not work every single time, but familiar white noise helped make the car feel a little less chaotic. Sometimes the car itself is noisy, the crying is stressful, and everyone is overstimulated. The sound machine gave us something consistent that he was already used to from naps and bedtime.

Add link here:
https://amzn.to/3RAP7bn

My honest take: not a miracle, but definitely worth trying if your baby already likes white noise.

Finding the right pacifier

The pacifier situation was very trial and error.

Not every baby likes every pacifier, and for us, finding one he would actually keep in his mouth made a difference. There were definitely still times where he spit it out and lost his mind, but when the pacifier worked, it helped.

Add link here:
https://amzn.to/4nDFUec

My honest take: if your baby hates the pacifier you have, it might be worth trying a different shape before deciding they hate all pacifiers.

Sitting in the back with him when possible

If someone else was driving, sitting in the back with him helped.

Sometimes he just needed to see a familiar face, have someone replace the pacifier, or be distracted for a few minutes. It did not always fix the ride, but it usually made it a little less intense.

Obviously, this only works when you are not the one driving, but for longer rides, it helped us survive.

Feeding before leaving

A fed baby was usually a slightly less furious baby.

I tried to make sure he had eaten before we left, especially if we were going somewhere more than a few minutes away. For us, hungry + tired + trapped in the car seat was a guaranteed disaster.

Of course, babies have their own plans and sometimes still lose it anyway, but hunger definitely made car rides worse.

Ms. Rachel or calm music

I know screen time in the car is one of those things people have opinions about, but honestly? Sometimes Ms. Rachel bought us a few peaceful minutes, and I am not above that.

Other times, calm music helped more than baby songs. It really depended on the day. Sometimes he wanted the distraction. Sometimes he needed things to be calmer. Sometimes nothing worked and we just had to get through it.

My honest take: I would rather use a little Ms. Rachel or calm music than have everyone in the car completely spiraling. Survival mode is real.

We tried stick-on window shades first

Before tinting the rear windows, we tried the stick-on window shades.

In theory, they made sense. They were cheap, easy, and seemed like a simple way to block the sun from his face.

In reality? They were constantly falling off.

Maybe some people have better luck with them, but for us they were more annoying than helpful. They would peel off, slide around, or just not stay where I needed them. That’s part of why tinting the rear windows felt worth it for us.

Add link here:
https://amzn.to/4ffw14D

My honest take: I don’t think they’re a terrible idea, especially if you want to try something cheap first. But they were not a long-term solution for us.

Tinting the rear windows

After fighting with stick-on window shades that kept falling off, we ended up tinting the rear windows.

This made a bigger difference than I expected. The sun wasn’t blasting directly on him as much, and the back seat stayed a little cooler.

Obviously, tinting isn’t the cheapest fix, and you’ll want to check your state laws, but for us it was one of those things that actually felt worth it.

Keeping the car cooler

This one seems obvious, but I swear it matters.

Sometimes I think babies get hot and uncomfortable way before we realize it, especially when they are strapped into a car seat with layers, padding, and the sun coming through the window.

I started being more aware of the temperature in the back seat and trying to cool the car down before we got in. I would also avoid overdressing him for car rides.

This helped more than I expected.

Timing car rides around naps… when possible

I know this is not always realistic. Life does not revolve around perfect nap schedules, even though the internet acts like it should.

But when I could, I tried to time longer car rides around when he was fed, changed, and either ready to nap or at least not already overtired.

The worst combo for us was hungry + tired + stuck in the car seat. That was basically guaranteed chaos.

Making sure the car seat fit was actually comfortable

This is one of those things I think is easy to overlook.

Sometimes the issue is not that your baby “just hates the car.” It could be that the straps need adjusting, the insert needs to come out, the headrest position is off, or something is bothering them.

I checked the car seat manual and made sure everything was adjusted for his size. As babies grow, the fit can change quickly.

This is also one of those situations where it can be worth having a certified car seat tech check your setup if you are unsure.

Pulling over when I needed to

This is the least glamorous tip, but it is probably the most important.

There were times when he was screaming so hard that I just needed to pull over, take a breath, check on him, feed him if needed, or just reset for a minute.

It is so tempting to want to do anything to stop the crying, especially when you are driving and your nerves are fried. But sometimes the safest option is to find a safe place to stop.

Things I would be careful with

When you have a baby who hates the car, people will suggest all kinds of “hacks.” Some might be fine, but some are honestly not worth the risk.

A few things I personally avoid:

• Taking baby out of the car seat while the car is moving

• Giving loose toys that could become projectiles

• Using bulky inserts or accessories that did not come with the car seat

• Propping bottles

• Anything that interferes with the car seat straps or positioning

I have also seen people suggest using bigger toys, like the Baby Einstein Sea Dream toy, in the car. I totally get why it is tempting because babies love that thing, but I would be really cautious. Anything heavy or loose in the car can become dangerous in a crash or sudden stop.

The truth: sometimes they just cry

This is the part no one wants to hear, but it is real.

Sometimes you can do everything “right” and your baby still screams in the car. It does not mean you are doing something wrong. It does not mean your baby is broken. It does not mean you are a bad mom.

Some babies just hate being strapped in. Some outgrow it. Some slowly get better with practice. Some days are just survival mode.

For us, the goal became making car rides safer, calmer, and slightly less miserable — not necessarily perfect.

What we used

Here are the things we personally tried or used:

Infant car seat:
https://amzn.to/4wyXjc9

Convertible car seat:
https://amzn.to/3RvAFkT

Rear-facing car toy / activity mat:
https://amzn.to/42Gf37Z

Rear-facing mirror:
https://amzn.to/4eWZkss

Portable sound machine:
https://amzn.to/3RAP7bn

Pacifier we liked:
https://amzn.to/4nDFUec

Stick-on window shades:
https://amzn.to/4ffw14D

Window tinting:
Not really a product link, but honestly one of the things that helped the most with sun and heat.

Ms. Rachel / calm music:
Not a product link, just part of the survival strategy.

Final thoughts

If your baby hates the car, I feel you. It is so stressful, especially when you are driving and cannot immediately fix it.

The things that helped us most were switching to a convertible car seat, giving him a safe distraction, using a rear-facing mirror, trying white noise, finding the right pacifier, keeping the back seat cooler, reducing the sun in his face, checking his car seat fit, and accepting that sometimes we just had to pull over and reset.

Not magic. Not Pinterest-perfect. But real-life helpful.

And honestly, sometimes “a little better” is good enough.