car seat tray for traveling?

Mouseygail · June 2011

has anybody used one of these? I was thinking the lip might be nice for DS to be able to hang onto some toys with all of our upcoming road trips this summer... does it seem dangerous? pointless (at least for an 11 month old)?

superned · June 2011

I think it might be a little pointless because he'll still be RF, so the tray will be tilting backwards and everything will end up in his lap.

Also, I am a stickler about toys/sippies in the car. All that stuff will become a projectile in the event of a crash, so DD is only allowed to have stuffed animals or cloth books while we're in the car. My rule of thumb is that if I wouldn't throw it at her head at 30/40/65 mph, then I don't have it loose in the car.

MBandBud · June 2011

I like the idea and it looks soft and not that much of an angle that it would have things flow downhill. I would def give it a try. Even with soft toys. Interesting point in pp regarding items becoming projecties, but FWIW I don't think that items in the car, if they become airborn, are going to get up to great speeds before they hit someone in the car. I do worry about things like pencils, etc becoming stabbing items...

mrsolsenk12 · June 2011

That thing looks AWESOME! I would love it for Hayden. DO you have a link to the site you saw it at? For Jones, I am not sure if it would be as useful at 11 months.

dusk42 · June 2011

MBandBud:
FWIW I don't think that items in the car, if they become airborn, are going to get up to great speeds before they hit someone in the car.

Just a note on the physics - the items are not getting up to great speeds - they are already traveling at great speeds (they are traveling at the speed of your car). So the objects (and people) are already traveling at 60 mph if that is the speed of your car. The objects will continue to travel at that speed until they are stopped by another force. The people are stopped by seatbelts/airbags/carseats, but the groceries and toys will continue to travel in the direction the car was going at the same speed until they hit something to stop them.

superned · June 2011

MBandBud:
I like the idea and it looks soft and not that much of an angle that it would have things flow downhill. I would def give it a try. Even with soft toys. Interesting point in pp regarding items becoming projecties, but FWIW I don't think that items in the car, if they become airborn, are going to get up to great speeds before they hit someone in the car. I do worry about things like pencils, etc becoming stabbing items...

Actually, the items in the car are traveling just as fast as the car is, so when the car stops suddenly, the sippy is still going 35mph (just like you are, which is why you wear a seat belt). If that sippy hits the seat or window and flies back at LO, it's going to do some serious damage at 35 mph.

Mouseygail · June 2011

mrsolsenk12:
That thing looks AWESOME! I would love it for Hayden. DO you have a link to the site you saw it at? For Jones, I am not sure if it would be as useful at 11 months.

Amazon link

Mouseygail · June 2011

superned:
I think it might be a little pointless because he'll still be RF, so the tray will be tilting backwards and everything will end up in his lap.
Also, I am a stickler about toys/sippies in the car. All that stuff will become a projectile in the event of a crash, so DD is only allowed to have stuffed animals or cloth books while we're in the car. My rule of thumb is that if I wouldn't throw it at her head at 30/40/65 mph, then I don't have it loose in the car.

gah...i think i become a more paranoid mom everytime I check this board today

eek! (the eating in the back of the car post surprised me a bit too...we haven't had him eat in the back, but will probably give him snacks on our road trip this weekend!)

ok, I shelved the tray idea for a while...DH wasn't keen on it either. Thanks for the input ladies!

choco_lab · June 2011

We have it and it worked out just fine. I bought it for him to use on a plane ride when he was 14 months old. He loved being able to play with his matchbox cars on the tray and we'd put his snacks right on there so not as many ended up on the floor. I used it a few times in the car, too, for longer rides. You have to have a carseat that will prop it up so it doesn't slide forward too much. DS's was OK but did tilt downwards. I'm not a paranoid mom and let him have snacks in the car and his toys in the car. It kept him happy and I had no complaints.

superned · June 2011

I'm sorry, but I don't think it makes me a paranoid mom to worry about projectiles in the car. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages 3-14 (https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811387.pdf). I actually tend to be pretty laid back when it comes to DD, but honestly, if there is a time and place to be paranoid, it's when kids are riding in vehicles.

Mouseygail · June 2011

superned:
I'm sorry, but I don't think it makes me a paranoid mom to worry about projectiles in the car. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages 3-14 (https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811387.pdf). I actually tend to be pretty laid back when it comes to DD, but honestly, if there is a time and place to be paranoid, it's when kids are riding in vehicles.

I wasn't picking on you! Just saying that people are making me think about things that I wouldn't normally think about...and that equals ME being paranoid.

superned · June 2011

Mouseygail:
superned:
I'm sorry, but I don't think it makes me a paranoid mom to worry about projectiles in the car. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages 3-14 (https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811387.pdf). I actually tend to be pretty laid back when it comes to DD, but honestly, if there is a time and place to be paranoid, it's when kids are riding in vehicles.
I wasn't picking on you! Just saying that people are making me think about things that I wouldn't normally think about...and that equals ME being paranoid.

Oh, I know! Sorry - I'm not meaning to be defensive, but I get a little worked up when people think that the whole thing about projectiles in the car is not a big deal. I get called "crazy car seat lady" a lot for this precise reason. Embarrassed

Mouseygail · June 2011

superned:
Mouseygail:
superned:
I'm sorry, but I don't think it makes me a paranoid mom to worry about projectiles in the car. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages 3-14 (https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811387.pdf). I actually tend to be pretty laid back when it comes to DD, but honestly, if there is a time and place to be paranoid, it's when kids are riding in vehicles.
I wasn't picking on you! Just saying that people are making me think about things that I wouldn't normally think about...and that equals ME being paranoid.
Oh, I know! Sorry - I'm not meaning to be defensive, but I get a little worked up when people think that the whole thing about projectiles in the car is not a big deal. I get called "crazy car seat lady" a lot for this precise reason.

well, I for one, appreciate people bringing these sorts of things to my attention! So thanks for being that "crazy car seat lady" Wink

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