[Love_My_Bubba]

Ok, so I'm not sure how it started. I think it was when the pacifier went away and DS became a toddler who constantly grazes instead of eating meals, which is fine with me! He now snacks in his car seat a lot of the time, something I'm not completely sure I'm comfortable with due to safety issues, choking etc.

I just have a hard time telling him to wait till we get where we're going when I know he's hungry and I tell him he can have a little bit of pretty much anything he wants (fruit, crackers, peanut butter toast, organic chicken nuggets, whatever) any time when we're at home. I mean this kid eats a "meal" in his chair maybe twice a week. AND he still nurses twice a day.

I'm just looking for experiences and opinions so I can make a better infiomed decision.

:

Thanks!
Julie aka "The 24 hour buffet"

 

[suprgrl]

My DS1 also eats in his carseat on occasion. We live in the middle of nowhere, so most of our trips are lengthy and it is unrealistic to expect him to wait. I make a point to feed him foods that he's least likely to choke on, and to be ultra aware of my driving and the driving of others while he's eating.
I still get nervous about it. I always offer a snack before we get in the car, but there are still times he gets hungry while we are driving.

 

[Korimomto2]

My dc eat snacks in their carseats.

: TBH, there are other things I worry about more than their choking in the car. They never have and if they did I am confident that I would be able to pull over and assist them. I don't give them foods they are likely to choke on, but that's probably as preventative as I get.

 

[Tiffany_PartyOf5]

I dont give any foods in carseats. My kids can hold off until we get where we are going.. If I know we will be in the car for a meal or snack time, I will either feed them before we leave or plan to stop somewhere for lunch/dinner/whatever.. Choking is a major fear of mine.

 

[margob73]

I may sound crazy or even irresponsible but my kids do eat in their carseats and yes ds has choked in his carseat! We were on the freeway and I pulled over and he shot it forward into the front seat on his own. We live a half hour from town, we need to leave the house at 7 AM a couple of mornings a week, I'd rather my kids ate before they got somewhere and were too busy to eat so it continues.

 

[Jes'sBeth]

Our daughter eats in the carseat all the time. I'm aware that she can choke. I'm prepared to stop if need be. I am careful about the snacks I give her, especially after that eating fresh peas and discovering they fit up your nose moment but that was more about the sticking small things up her nose concern than the choking thing...

 

[lucyem]

My 2 yr old and I spend over 2 hours a day in the car. Not eating is very unrealistic for us. I try to limit it. We eat lunch before the second trip out. But we do snack.

 

[nighten]

Our 18 month old only eats in her carseat while the car's moving if there's another adult in the car other than me.

But I'll give her a cracker to munch on while I'm getting ready to leave, and let her have her sippy cup with water to hold on to once we're driving. I don't start the car up until she's nearly finished with the cracker though.

When she's older I'll likely let her eat more in the carseat. But we've got a soft mirror tied firmly to the headrest bars above her (she'll stay RFing for a long while yet) so I can keep an eye on her.

 

[GuildJenn]

I only give snacks in the carseat that would likely dissolve/dislodge before there was a real breathing problem - crackers, basically.

 

[Momma2SoSweet]

My dd eats in the carseat all the time. She'll snack on crackers and such and always has a straw sippy with water in it. However, I still sit in the backseat with her.

Dp drives and I don't and since dd is still rfing seat I am just more comfortable sitting back there with her and keeping her entertained. If she were to choke while in the carseat then I am right there. If I didn't still ride in the back with her then I don't think I would let her snack in her carseat. Of course, we live in a fairly small city where going anywhere take about ten minutes or less.

 

[jillybean0216]

Wow, I never thought of it as a safety issue. My kids have always eaten in the car. Something to think about!