How to Keep a Teething Baby Happy in a Car Seat

 

We’ve all been there. You’re driving along on the highway, with no way to stop, when your teething baby screams out in misery at the drop of the teething ring. Don’t sacrifice your safety on the road, just follow these simple tricks for keeping your teething baby happy in a car seat.

 

Always Have Backups

Keep a supply of clean teething rings in a zipper bag where you can reach them. This way you can simply hand over a replacement if one is dropped. It is common to place the diaper bag in the back seat with baby before taking off, but doing so could cause you to have an accident while trying to reach for it. Trying to get to something out of reach while driving could jeopardize you and your baby’s safety and most car accident attorneys recommend waiting to pull over before trying to find something on the car floor.

 

Secure Toys

Placing a short (about 6″) Velcro lanyard through teething toys allows you to secure your baby’s favorites to the car seat, so they don’t end up on the floor. Never tie anything close to baby’s head where they could become entangled.

 

Chill It

Cold teethers are the best when it comes to relieving gum pain, and can keep babies interested longer than other teething toys. Place the teethers in the refrigerator, not the freezer, as frozen toys can be uncomfortable for babies and even cause frostbite on tiny hands. To keep the teethers cold on the road, just toss an ice pack into your zipper bag of extras. It will keep cold without freezing.

 

Avoid Food in Car Seats

Never feed your baby while driving. Teething devices that hold chunks of frozen fruit are great at home, but not safe in the car. You should always feed your baby when you are available to help in case of choking. Resist the temptation to console baby with oat cereal pieces or little fishy crackers, and use something they can’t swallow, like a standard teething ring.

 

Cool Water

Keep a sippy cup of cold water in your cup holder for your teething baby. Icy cold water works like magic! Babies love that cold feeling, and it will have a satisfying numbing effect on their gums.

 

Keeping your baby safe in the car is always a parent’s number one goal. Be sure keeping them happy is number two, but don’t ever sacrifice safety for comfort. These simple precautions can save you from having a distracted driving accident and will help keep teething time a little less annoying for you both.

 

Eileen O’Shanassy is a freelance writer and blogger based out of Flagstaff, AZ. She writes on a variety of topics and loves to research and write. She enjoys baking, biking, and kayaking. Check out her Twitter @eileenoshanassy.