My 20mo old daughter hated the carseat. Everytime we had to go somewhere we had to brace ourselves before getting into the car.

About a week ago I almost lost it. I couldnt even force her into her car seat because she was crying so hard and physically was resisting it.

Then I had an idea...

What if I bring the car seat into the house and leave it in the family room for her to play in??

So I did.

We brought it in the house for a few days before the long trip. Instantly she went in it, played with the buckle, and we could start talking about the car ride and how she could sit in it.

Even more importantly, we could actually measure where the seatbelt, head rest, etc should be adjusted so she is safe and comfortable (hard to do when they are screaming at you!)

We also tilted her car seat mor upright, extended the leg rest, and removed the sun shade from the window so she could see more.

Hopefully this helps someone else!