The imperfect toddler

She eats pretty well.
She sleeps great.
She responds well to our discipline methods.
Her tantrums are pretty mellow compared to what I have heard can happen.
Her only real vice is her paci for sleep at home.

But the car seat. OH THE FRIGGING CAR SEAT.

Some mom please read this and tell me I'm not the only one. She screams all the way to school and then all the way home.

It's only 3 miles one way. But it's been 2 years. I get the pleasure of it daily. I dread picking her up at the end of the day, even though I'm so happy to see her. I dream of a peaceful co-existence with my Tank.

I look forward to when this crap will end. You have no idea.

I've tried books, snacks, drinks, games, talking, pointing out objects, and for awhile last year, I tolerated endless toddler songs, which I firmly believe is the cause of her early talking. Each appeased her in phases. I've told myself over and over again to just let her scream. On some days it's so easy to just let her scream because I tell myself that ignoring the tantrums will make it stop. But it hasn't stopped, has it? Other days, like this morning, I have to consciously control my desire to lose my mind completely and turn into an evil, frothing beast that would scare her into car seat silence forever. Actually, if I knew it would silence her in the car seat, and if I could turn into that beast, I would.

Yesterday she got a Time Out for it when we got home. This morning she got a tap on the leg while still in the car. So the Time Out didn't "stick" and the tap on the leg was a joke. She knows what I mean by "no crying and no screaming in the car". Disregarded.

I feel like she's still too young to feel the full freak-out factor that would accompany me actually pulling off the road, getting out, and threatening her. So that would be pointless.

But I can't take this anymore. She is over 2 now. She's too old for this crap. She likes to climb into the car seat and buckle herself up like a big girl. After that, before my butt even hits the driver's seat sometimes, it's all over.

She's ironically fine on long drives and when running around town on errands. So this is starting to seem personal. Like it's now a routine for her. See mommy's truck, climb in, buckle up, let the screaming begin! Yay, way to let out all toddler complaints in one sitting, where I have mommy's complete undivided attention!

Paul didn't really believe my complaints about the daily scream fests till he called last week while we were in the middle of one. He was surprised! Like I am this creative to make this up?? Do I exhaggerate? No.

Someone tell me what I am doing wrong. What opportunity for discipline am I missing here?