Almost every day after school Josiah goes for a ride of some sort.  It used to be a ride on my bike but he has been too large to squish himself into the attached infant carrier for some time now. Rick recently removed it to deter Josiah from attempting to climb up on it.

The other options are to ride in the wagon or to ride in the van. Yesterday, we did both. My hope was the long wagon ride around the block with the dog in tow would satisfy Josiah.  It didn’t. Moments afterward, as I was relishing the idea of resting on the couch for a quick breather, Josiah was at the back door, trying his best to unlock it to get outside.

It’s much easier to ride around with him safely buckled in the van than it is to chase him around the house, redirecting behavior and cleaning up after him.  So, off we went on our daily 30 minute ride. Typically, I use this time to check in with my parents.  We chat on the telephone while Josiah relaxes in the back seat.

Well, that’s how it’s supposed to go.  But not so much anymore. The last few days our drives have been much more adventuresome and quite a bit more challenging. Josiah has figured out how to wiggle out from under his seat belt.  He thinks it’s great fun to walk around the van, climbing over seats while we are in motion.

I’ve pulled over numerous times to strap him back in, to no avail.  Before I even get back to my seat and buckled in, Josiah is already out of his seat belt, climbing around. Yesterday, we passed 2 Police Officers standing out on the side of the road, moments before Josiah hoisted himself up over the backseat and into the trunk space of the van.

As I attempted to pull over, he emerged from the back and began scaling 2 rows of seats, to join me up front. At one point, he was actually squatting down on the floor beside me. Then instantly, he was up on the passenger seat while I was speeding down the freeway, powerless to stop him.

He plopped down, quite contentedly, as if that was exactly where he belonged.  At least with him up front, I had some semblance of control.  I held his hand and encouraged him to stay put.
Thankfully, I was able to keep him up front with me until I could get us safely back home.

Unless we can find a very large Houdini-proof car seat for Josiah, van rides will have to be a thing of the past. Maybe we just need a safety clip or a lock of some sort that will prevent him from busting out of his seat belt. I’m not sure what the answer is quite frankly.  

Until we can figure it out, I’m thinking this may be the best solution.