dd is 11 months and i have started her with sippy cups. I would never give her food to eat in the car, but when is it okay to let her drink in the car without someone next to her? She is a terrible car rider, never sleeps and often will cry during long trips. is it okay to let her have a sippy cup to help with the car ride?

By Amecmom on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 08:09 am:

I've let Helen have a cup (it has a straw) already, probably at about 9 months. She gets wet, but it did seem to help calm her when she needed it.
Ame

By Lauram on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 06:13 pm:

Absolutely! I'm laughing about the food part. You should see the floor of my car! YUCK! I can't remember when I started food- but I always gave sippy cups fromt eh time they could hold them.

By Marcia on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 08:45 pm:

Oh Laura, sounds like my van!! LOL
Mine all had sippy cups in the van, and they have food. They didn't have food at that young age, without one of us with them, but they did by the time they were 2, I'm sure.

By Dana on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 09:20 pm:

I still don't allow food or drinks in the car. As a baby because if there was an accident while it was in their mouth it could cause a lot of damage. Now I just really like having a clean car. It is nice to see just some minor "stuff" in my car and then see other cars w/ tons of crumbs and other food/drink left overs. Ick. Plus I still don't like the idea of a straw or food being at or in the mouth during an impact.

Even DD, now 7, comments on how gross all of her friends' cars are and how happy she is that I have always kept the no food rule.

By Andi on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 10:58 pm:

DD is 13 months and I let her have a Sippy Cup. I even let her have a snack if I know she is hungry and we are going to be in the car for a while.

By Agreen on Sunday, July 24, 2005 - 06:54 am:

Thanks everyone! i appreciate the advice and the laughs!

By Jackie on Sunday, July 24, 2005 - 03:49 pm:

We have always given our kids, sippy cups in the cars.We even allow snacks. Our van is not clean.. butheck, what can you do with 3 kids.

By Boxzgrl on Sunday, July 24, 2005 - 05:04 pm:

Ditto Andi. (And my car is very, very clean.)

By Vicki on Sunday, July 24, 2005 - 07:53 pm:

My dd has both snacks, drinks and even the occasional meal in the car! Just because people eat and or drink in the car is no excuse for them to be pig pens. The people that have the really gross cars just don't take car of them period. That is why someone invented car vacs!!!

By Vicki on Sunday, July 24, 2005 - 07:54 pm:

ps) I was talking about the really gross cars that Dana was talking about. The ones with food and all of that left in it.

By Kaye on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 10:07 am:

I have so much other junkin my car you can hardly see the crumbs We eat and drink in our car because sometimes we live in it for what seems likes weeks on end. Remember we are on break and so life is easier now that during school. We just drove 2 weeks ago to arkansas, stayed there for 5 nights, had a blow out on the way home, had to stop for new tires, got home at 1 am. I had to do laundry on sat, we drove 2 hours to take my dd to camp on sunday, we had a million other errands, plus i decided to paint the bathroom, so the car didn't get all the way cleaned out, we went picked her up on friday at 8 pm, drove on to dallas (5 hours) then home late yesterday, again I got all the laundry out (camp clothes are icky) but I didn't get it all the way cleaned out. It is 100 degrees here now, okay only about 90 right now, I am not going to clean out the car, when I have a free evening or an early morning then I will get to it! I try to bring in a handful each time I come in, but sometimes we are running out for food and I don't have a free hand. It happens and it is okay.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 11:48 am:

My car is actually clean! DH cleaned it out the other day and took it to the fancy car wash, where they vacuum the upholstery and clean the inside windows, too. He had gotten it all messy taking branches and other yard waste to the drop-off site. He gave them a good tip, since my car was very messy. Then he and one of the kids cleaned out my trunk and vacuumed that, at home! My car can be a pigsty, but at the moment, it isn't!

What makes my car messy are doggy nose-smears on the windows and dog hair! LOL!