Kid-Proofing Your Car

Finding a gummy worm or collection of worms permanently fused to the rich Corinthian leather of Grandma's Cordoba, or syrupy soda staining the utilitarian fabric seats of your station wagon is but one of many examples of just what can happen when kids and cars come together. While completely kid-proofing a vehicle against things spilled, hurled, tossed and sprayed is one of those "we can send rockets to the moon, but can't protect leather seats against gummy worms tasks," the best bit of advice is this: remember when.


Remember when you were a kid and you stuck a wad of gum under a seat, or wondered what would happen if you took the lid off that giant soda while the car was moving to and fro? Of course you do! The best way to kid-proof a vehicle is to think like a kid then add your hopefully vast knowledge gleaned as an adult. With the memories of the road disappearing into the distance as you watched from the kid seat in the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser wagon fresh in your head, let the future of kid-proofing commence!

Stop Asking for Trouble
The best way to protect against vehicular incidents involving kids and melted chewy candy is with prevention and realism. Remember the words of your Dad as you tried to climb into the Oldsmobile with that corn dog from the fair swimming in a paper bag full of bright yellow mustard. "Not in my car!" or something less succinct in the universal language of Dads and yellow mustard when it comes to clean vehicle interiors. This advice continues into the modern age. Preventing accidents from happening in the first place will save cleanup in the long run.


A net or cage to hold kid supplies and jars of yellow mustard safely out of the reach of curious fingers will help to prevent multicolored interiors. If the combination of food, drink and travel with kids is unavoidable then choose non-staining car-friendly foodstuffs. If the little ones are still little enough to be looking out the rear window while riding in their car seats, install smaller rear-view mirrors made specifically to provide a few of impending disasters in the backseat before they strike. All measure of prevention will never prevent kids from being kids. Accidents will inevitably happen.

Space-Age Polymers
To protect against these inevitable mishaps, think again of rockets to the moon. To re-enter the earth's atmosphere, space vehicles must have a protective shield. You too can install such shields to protect against the re-entry of a spilled soda or adhesion of gummy worms into the foam cushions of the seats and onto the carpets on the floor. Inexpensive seat covers and floor mats are a good defense against spills and stains or expensive stain removal bills. Better cheap seat covers get ruined than Grandma's rich Corinthian leather. In case of accidents or intentional spillage, merely peel off and replace the offending seat cover or floor mat.