Do your kids eat in your car?

Shanny

That's pretty much the question...

annerbones

Yes, because we spend hours in the car. I hate it, bit it is what it is.

smartycat92

Yes. And with my old car, I would even let them eat ice cream (what a mess!) but with my new car, I try to stick to apples or other less messy snacks.

fisch

Yes, but I pick the snacks. Goldfish, pretzels, ice water, along those lines.

K&H

Yes. Ugh. I hate it. I have a friend whose car is a year older than mine and he doesn't allow eating or drinking in the car. His car looks like it just came off the lot yesterday while mine looks... Well, you can imagine.
He also cleans his out every week and I don't... I could put more effort in I suppose.

roses25

Yes, we eat in the car....many times because of the distances we drive we save a lot of time by eating in the car vs. going in to eat.

mel

Only rarely. My kids used to eat dry cereal in the car pretty often (they don't really like to eat in the mornings before we leave but I wanted them to have *something* on the way to school) and I thought they were pretty neat about it, but when I took out all 3 seats to adjust the straps, well...it was embarrassing. I think I deleted the picture I took (out of shame!) or I'd text it to you. I still let them eat in there very occasionally, but we try to avoid it.

EMG_REL

Yes, and we are terrible about cleaning up after him. He is known locally as Snacky McSnackerson, in the afternoons especially, so our backseats get a lot of pretzel crumbs, granola bar crumbs, etc. I eat in my car, too, to save time in the morning, so I can't say he's the only one!

mommylove

Yes, but only dry foods...crackers, cereal bars, cheerios, apple slices, dried fruit, etc.
The only drink we allow in the car is water.

yfnr

Yep. I was initially going to be a 'no food in the car' mom...but that didn't last long.

Katydid

I like to keep the snacks readily available by not cleaning the car. That way if they get hungry and I don't have something I can just ask them to reach under the carseat next to them and find something!

cocolibby

No. Only water to drink and NEVER gum. On road trips I do pack lunches, carefully selected things to avoid fast food, but never in our day-to-day lives.

sara291

Yes but only certain foods. I do not do dry cereal or anything like that. It gets every where still. Honestly whole apples work well for us. Kids love them & if they drop they do not fit between anything and are a super east clean up. I hate that they eat in the car but some days are busy and times are hectic.

cocobay

Bronx eats in the car if we are all 3 going somewhere together. One of us will sit in the back seat with him and monitor. He is a messy eater and likes to rub his fingers in his hair constantly even when they are covered in whatever he is eating. He is still rear facing with no need to turn around anytime soon and I'm nervous to give him something to eat and not be able to get to him if he chokes. My car is only a year old and I try to take really good care of it so it will last us a long time, or if we decide to sell it or trade it in, I want to get a decent amount. I also try to clean it out at least once a week. I'm kind of OCD.

friendamy

not often... when he was RF, never (I couldn't see him well enough), and that was till he was 2.5. after that he would occasionally have snacks. but nowadays? nope. we don't eat fast food any more and the only drive thru I use use Starbucks LOL

he's 5 now, so he's a little neater when he does snack in the car. but really, it's maybe 1-2 times a month. tops.

old mama

Mine do...and I wish they didn't...but we are on the go all the time or have to sit and wait for siblings and kids get hungry and cranky...but it has ruined the interior of my van so the plan is just to wear the van out as it won't be worth anything once we are done with it!

Zen

Mine does but like mommylove said, only dry snacks (cheese sticks, goldfish, raisins, granola bars, etc) and water. Every so often I have occasion to remove the car seat and am amazed at the food I find there. But she barely eats at preschool and it's a 45 minute ride home after. So while I don't care for the mess, car trips are prime time for snacking!

A&J

Yes. We do string cheese, apple slices, banana, dried fruit, and a straw cup with water. I used to do crackers or.pita chips, but decided no way after vacuuming the crumbs for the millionth time. I also keep a bib that has that little catcher, trough like thing on the bottom, so any little crumbs are caught in there for the most part.

Kari

Yes. I put a beach towel on the back seat under the car seats to save the upholstery. I spend 10+hours a week commuting, so I'm always eating in the car. Both kids will eat breakfast in the car because there's nothing else to do whereas at home they want to play.

Zen

I like the idea of a towel under the seat!

Shanny

Zen - before you go rushing to your linen closet....you should never put anything between your car seat and your car that isn't tested for safety, aka "after market" products. It can affect the way the seat reacts in a crash.

Of my soap box on that now

My car is so disgusting. All 3 girls have sandboxes at school, Kate is famous for bringing in acorns and the like from the playground and immediately losing them between the seats. Their seats are HARD to install and so close to eachother I try to never take them out. Kate and L's seats have a foam pad (safety tested by the carseat makers) that goes underneath to help rear facing Radian's have a better angle...well, it's just like a sponge under there! I finally took out all 3 seats this weekend and paid almost $100 to have my car cleaned! That's how nasty it was!

Funny though, I am the total opposite of what a lot of people said - I let them have very little dried food - crackers and such - because of the crumbs. Kate mostly eats fruits and veggies which eliminates A asking to eat because she barely touches fruits and vegetables! L is just too young between being rear facing, choking hazards and messy I avoit it at all costs!

The lost pony tails and hair clips are almost as bad as the lost food (I found 2 intact cherry tomatoes yesterday - gross!).

I'm just thankful that I have leather seats, will pay off this car in 6 months and plan to drive it until it won't drive anymore!

Goobie

Katydid - LOL I like that!

Yes, all our kids eat in the van. We let the dog in there a few times a week to snuffle out the crumbs left behind. Ivy HATES car rides, but we can keep her happy with a gingersnap and a straw cup of water. Oh, aqnd I have a 2 mirror set up so I can see her while she's munching rear facing if her siblings are not with us, although she likes to sing to her food, so I don't worry unless the singing stops.

Goobie

Oh, and Shanny, excellent point! Check your local laws, here in Canada the rule is "nothing thicker then a towel" between car seat and carseat, or between carseat and baby. A normal towel (single, not doubled over) doesn't affect instal too much, unless you have leather or vinyl seats

Flowergirl

Goobie, Shanny...

I have leather seats and had been planning to put something under the base so it doesn't dig into the leather so bad - I was worried about it cracking it in the ice cold weather. Now that you mention it though, it got me rethinking my plan... is there anything I can/should use? I don't want to compromise safety!

2moms

Flowergirl wrote:

Goobie, Shanny...

I have leather seats and had been planning to put something under the base so it doesn't dig into the leather so bad - I was worried about it cracking it in the ice cold weather. Now that you mention it though, it got me rethinking my plan... is there anything I can/should use? I don't want to compromise safety!

Placing anything between the seat of your car and your carseat should not be done at all. Car seat manufactures don't test the carseat with anything between the seat and the carseat therefore it's not safe. You should never use any third party accessories for your carseat. If it came with it (originally/brand new) use it....if it didn't it shouldn't be near your carseat.

Goobie

what brand of carseat will you be getting? some brands have underseat mats you can purchase seperatelythat are tested with the seats

Flowergirl

Goobie, are you asking me?

We have a Graco Snugride 35.

Goobie

LOL yes Flowergirl, I was! I'll look up accessories for you BTW, Graco has the best customer service

Flowergirl

Oh thanks, Goobie! you're the best! I would love to find something that is approved. I really am afraid that with the extreme cold weather, and with how tightly we have to push the base down to install it properly, the edges of the base may end up cracking or at least make permanent marks in the seat. Not the end of the world I know - my car isn't new, but I would like to avoid it if I could.

Goobie

^^^ please please please FB PM me about this later - I have to make breakfast for the gaggle of girls that slept over last night, but will do the research for you later!

In 5+ years of installing/checking carseats I have NEVER seen a base crack a leather seat, and we have come pretty extreme weather too. You Wll have "stretched out" spots, little dents, but they normally pop back out after the seat has been out for a while. And having a towel or something under will help keep your seat clean, but won't do anything about the push in marks.

jenoglv

Yes, but I won't do it with a new car if I can prevent it. Rhys is the messest eater and my car is beyond help of being restored to pre baby.