April 2014 Moms

Food in car question

Just out of curiosity- what would you consider to be a safe age for a child to eat in the car while driving?

Re: Food in car question

  • Hmmm... We're really strict about this so far. Our daughter had a serious choking incident at home, so we watch her like a hawk. At 3 years, we still don't allow it. Not sure when we will.
  • I sit in the backseat with Alera while FH drives because she goes batshit back there alone, and sometimes I'll feed her puffies. I wouldn't let her eat back there alone yet though. Probably not until 4-5.
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  • I'm not saying I'll never let my kid eat in the car but I'm going to avoid it as long as possible. That being said, maybe school age?
  • I would say three to four, definitely after you turn the seat around so they are facing you. And it depends on what they're eating, something bite size for sure.
  • Looks like I'm in the minority. We flipped DD around at 18 months due to her severe carsickness. It was probably around then that we allowed Cheerios and the occasional pouch.
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  • With DS1 I would sit in the back with him and let him eat on long trips starting around 14 months. When he switched to front facing we let him eat more often.
  • When I spin them front facing. That's what I did with DS but I spun him around at about 9 months.
    ETA didn't know the recommendation was 2 years at the time he met the state law requirement.
  • @mamrotu73‌ I may steal that rule for my DH and DSS. When I got my car (new) I was very strict on no eating. Over the past 2.5 years I've loosened up.

    I remember DSS eating in the car when he was 3. Not sure about Liam, but not while he's rear facing.
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  • Thanks for all the responses! I was curious because we spend so much time in the car during the summer. I'll probably be more comfortable handing LO a snack when he's 4-5.
  • Our rule is that carseats stay much cleaner when the kids don't eat in the car. It's rare for us to let our 2 yr old to eat or drink in the car.
  • I should add that I let DD (3 years) drink in the car with a sippy cup. She has probably done that since about 1 year. She just isn't allowed to eat. If she really chokes, she could be dead by the time I could pull over, get out and get her out of the car seat... I know I sound paranoid, but it's true.
  • I should add that I let DD (3 years) drink in the car with a sippy cup. She has probably done that since about 1 year. She just isn't allowed to eat. If she really chokes, she could be dead by the time I could pull over, get out and get her out of the car seat... I know I sound paranoid, but it's true.

    You don't sound paranoid to me, this is one of my fears!
  • It really happens so fast. DD choked when I was sitting right next to her at the table. By the time my brain had processed what was happening, she was already purple. The woman who gives the CPR program that I took said her child choked on a baby mum mum in the stroller and was blue and limp by the time she got him out of the stroller. And that's a stroller, not a driving car that has to pull over. It's just not worth the risk IMO.

    Sorry for being such a downer!
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  • We used to let our son eat cheerios when he was 3 or so but I think we will be more strict this time around. My nephew choked on a carrot at 2 (yes why was he eating carrots in the car at 2. Great question) even though my sister in law is an ER doctor they had to call an ambulance and luckily he was ok. Super scary though and got me thinking. Even the high chair makes me nervous with having to take the tray off and unbuckle bf anything else.
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  • I don't think that it's worth the risk. Also, may be in the minority, but I'm not wild about the idea of snacking all the time (carseat or stroller, etc) - I'd rather have structured meal times, so I don't foresee any times where LO would *have* to eat in the car and would rather just avoid it. 

    Definitely a FTM here, though, so STM can feel free to laugh at my naiveté.  
    TTC #1 since August 2012 |  BFP August 17th, 2013  |    EDD April 25th, 2014
    Living with Vestibulodynia (Chronic pelvic pain)


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  • @CalinAZ‌ I feel the same way and I'm a STM. We did pretty good with Liam
    Not having many snacks, but sometimes on road trips when he was crabby it was like eh ok have some Cheerios. I agree on the not snacking all the time though. My friends son snacks all day long and never eats meals. It's ridiculous.
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  • Yeah...I can see it more with road trips, but not every day traveling. Hoping to hold off for as long as we can, though!
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    Living with Vestibulodynia (Chronic pelvic pain)


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  • CalinAZ said:

    I don't think that it's worth the risk. Also, may be in the minority, but I'm not wild about the idea of snacking all the time (carseat or stroller, etc) - I'd rather have structured meal times, so I don't foresee any times where LO would *have* to eat in the car and would rather just avoid it. 


    Definitely a FTM here, though, so STM can feel free to laugh at my naiveté.  
    I agree 100%. I really want DS to have a healthy relationship with food and giving a snack every time he's upset/bored/whatever seems to defeat the purpose.

    The road trip thing, though. That would probably be my exception.
  • No food in car, except for long car trips.  We also do structured meal/snack times, so we typically coordinate our day around this.  She can eat at the grocery store, in the cafe area, or same at Target, and Costco (those are where we normally go).  She can have a bottle, usually always has one with water in the car, unless its actually time for a bottle.

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