Family Car Dilemma: To Eat or Not to Eat on the Road?
Family Car Dilemma: To Eat or Not to Eat? Hot Tips to Help You Decide.
Do you allow your kids to eat in the car? Different parents have differing tolerance levels. That said...
Different parents have differing views and criteria.
If you have only one child, you can probably be a little more lenient than if you're chauffeuring a mob.
Yes, it's best if kids don't eat on the road - for the car's interior, their clothes, and our nerves. But real-life schedules aren't always conducive to obeying that rule.
That said, you know that if you have a 500-mile road trip, you'll give the little one anything that will keep him quiet part of the way.
But as kids get older and easier to shush, some parents start getting strict about eating on the road. It doesn't matter which way you go, just stick with it.
And consider these rules of the road if food is allowed: It has to be of the non-sticky, nonstaining food group.
No chocolate (however if someone forgets this rule, read
How to Get Chocolate Stains Out of Upholstery
so you and the kids won't miss a roadtrip beat), no grape juice, nothing difficult to clean up.
-- If your kids do eat on the road, vacuum the interior weekly. If you don't let the kids eat at the dashboard diner, you can probably get away with vacuuming monthly.
-- Clean up spills immediately, using upholstery or carpet cleaner for carpets and fabric seats. My baby wipes came in handy when those spills happened on the plastic console between the seats.
-- Each week - or at least once a month - clean the dashboard and doors with a damp cloth or the old standby, baby wipes.
Use a damp brush for vents and hard-to-reach spots. Then apply a vinyl cleaner and restorer.
Summer brings with it important seasonal chores - such as cleaning the garage. What can you reasonably expect your child to do alone or help you with? The
garage chore guide by age
can help.
