Car training?

We've all heard about sleep training.

You know, when you let your babe cry it out, in hopes that he/she will learn to sleep through the night?

Is there such a thing as car training?  Where you let them cry it out and maybe, just maybe, they won't hate the car anymore?

Well...this past weekend my husbands work had an annual golf tournament.  I, of course, did not golf.  However, Brendon of course did.  He wanted Beckham and I to join him in the evening after golf to meet the guys he works with.  He planned on having a few beverages during his round of golf and asked if we could drive him to the tournament, which was held in Camrose (about an hour and a half drive from our house).  This meant that I would have to leave the house fairly early in the morning to drive to Camrose and drop him off, to turn around and drive back home to then later drive back to Camrose and then drive back home.  So...that's about 6 hours in the vehicle total with an hour and a half driving stretch each time.

I was nervous.

I can't stand hearing my babe cry as I drive and not be able to help him.  It is heart wrenching.

The drive out there he more so fussed then cried, for about 40 minutes, but eventually fell asleep, as it was his nap time.  The ride back home he cried for about a half an hour and again fell asleep, but would periodically cry in his sleep.  I prayed he wouldn't wake up once he fell asleep, because I knew if he were to wake up and realize he was in the car that he would cry, hard.  He slept until we got home, phewf.  On the way back out there he fussed/cried for 20 minutes and fell asleep for about 45 minutes and then woke up and bawled for 20 minutes and then fell back asleep.  Once I picked Brendon up from the golf course we had to then drive a half an hour to get to the campground where the bbq/festivities were held.  Everyone camped out there for the weekend, but I was not interested in sleeping in a tent, with a baby, and being eaten alive by mosquitos, since he can't wear bug spray.  Certainly wasn't up my alley!  Brendon and I have always 'made fun' of those people that you see where the wife sits in the back seat with the baby/child as the father taxis them around.  Well...we were those people!  I made Brendon jump in the back when I picked him up to see if this would prevent Beckham from crying.  It certainly helped but he still fussed on and off on our way to the campground.  Then it was time to drive home.  Brendon jumped in the back with him again but this time he cried, and he cried and he cried.  It did not matter that Brendon was sitting back there with him, he was not a happy camper.  It didn't help that it was nearing his bedtime and he really didn't get any good naps in that day.  I finally had to pull over off the road to try and calm him down.  I nursed him to comfort him, and then back in the carseat he went.  He would arch his back so that I struggled to buckle him back in and off we were, with a crying baby.  Oh joy!  Finally he fell asleep on the outskirts of Edmonton.  Needless to say he slept amazingly well that night.

Today is Tuesday and Beckham has not cried or fussed in the car since.  I, of course, have been out and about Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and he seems perfectly content in the car.  I know it's only been 3 days but there has never been a time since he was 2 months old where I haven't heard a peep out of him as we drive.  Today he fell asleep while at our moms group and when I put him in his carseat, I didn't even attach his toy bar to the carseat and when he woke up he didn't even make a peep!  So...did we car train him by having him cry it out?  Or is this just a coincidence and we'll be back to square one tomorrow?

Oh my gosh driving has become much less stressful!  Although I have never let his crying be a reason not to go out, it has been SO nice not to listen to a baby cry as I drive.

Here's to hoping it stays this way.

xo
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