by Becky Vieira posted in Parenting

I was adamant that my child never eat in his car seat. Then I actually became a mother and laughed endlessly at all the stupid things I said pre-baby.
Yes, my kid eats in the car. And his car seat is a sad mess, one where hopes and dreams go to die. Specifically all my hopes and dreams for a clean car.
It was a slow descent into filth, I know that much. If things got this messy after the first time he ate in the car I wouldn?t be writing this. I?d have nipped this habit in the bud immediately. (Coincidently, ?immediately? also happens to be the same speed at which my son can make an entire snack cup of blueberries disappear into the abyss of his car seat.)
It took time to build to the crescendo of utter squalor. That?s how these kids get us ? and, in turn, their car seats. Slowly. It starts small. Grows over time. And before you realize what?s happening, you?re asking your dry cleaner if they work on car seats (true story).
Things for us began with a few rogue Cheerios. We were rushing out the door to get somewhere. I?d cut breakfast short so we wouldn?t be even more late. I let my son take his snack cup with cereal to tide him over. It worked wonders, as I'd hoped. He ate, I drove without a hungry toddler screaming in my ear.
I think I maybe found two Cheerios in or around the car seat after that first day. Not too bad, I thought. And with that we officially started down the path of car snacking. Also known as the point of no return.
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