I have three children, ages 7, 5, and 2. I feel like that statement right there probably gives you a good glimpse of the state of our car interior at most times: chaotic.
The car clutter snuck up on me gradually, so much so that I almost wasn’t even bothered by it for a while? until one day as we had our minivan’s side door open at day care pickup, I glanced into the back and saw it for the wreck it was: cereal crumbs, juice boxes, toys and all.
From that point onward it’s been a goal of mine to keep our car presentable; my standard is having it so we wouldn’t be embarrassed to offer someone a ride. Over time I’ve learned to manage the clutter and keep the car decent, and have a few tips that might help you, too. Here’s the first:
1. Package food well. I think most parents will agree it’s pretty ridiculous to suggest a no-eating rule in the car. I tried it for one week, and realized it made life harder, so I abandoned that pretty quickly. When we’re running late in the morning, it’s easier to let the kids eat breakfast on the drive to school, for instance. I’ve learned that we have to pick smart food – granola bars work well; cereal with lots of small pieces does not – and that we need to package food in the right way to help keep crumbs at bay. When the children do bring cereal, we put it in a larger baggie, filling it only about ¼ of the way. You don’t want leftovers, because those will inevitably be spilled.
For the rest of these great tips, check out my guest post at the East Hills Chevrolet of Roslyn dealership blog!
