Brightest Bulb in the Book: Simplify Auto Light Replacement

I'm not sure why the numbers in my car's auto manual never match the brands that my local auto parts store carries. I carry in the book, but usually end up resorting to the print or electronic directory. The whole process takes at least five minutes. With a toddler and perilously stacked columns of wiper fluid gallons all around, those short minutes allow a lot of opportunity for movie montage style chaos.

With the right replacement bulbs, I copied the maker and bulb number into the manual. After both bulbs were used, I put the cardboard backing into the manual by the replacement instructions.

This time, when my brake light indicator lit up the dash, I pulled the cardboard out of the manual. It took me less than a minute to find the right bulb even with a change in packaging.

When the new pack is empty, the new card will replace the old one.

***Baby Toolkit is the independent opinion of a couple geek parents.

Heads Above the Competition: Britax Car Seats 20% off at Amazon.

Ranger is a tall drink of water. His atypical height and skinny build wreak havoc on finding pants and car seats that fit.

Since our beloved Graco infant car seat, we've gone through a number of convertible car seats that really didn't merit particular mention. Ranger quickly exceeded their 40" to 43" height restrictions (remember that kids with long torsos can outgrow a seat before they hit the height total requirement).

We bought a Britax Regent (max height: 53") for our primary car (a Honda accord) and my mom's minivan (the cars he rides in most often and on long trips). We chose it for it's five point harness. Upon first inspection, it looked like it wouldn't fit in my car. With a lot of wrestling, we were able to get it in place. It's huge in our small car, but seems both indestructible and luxurious (we call it the recliner). It's much easier to install in a LATCH vehicle (like my mom's minivan).

For Jim's car (compact sedan) which Ranger rides in less frequently, we have a Britax Parkway (height limit: 60"). It's a compact booster that uses the car seat's belt instead of an attached harness. We like it, but feel it's one he will do better in when he's more mature. We have to be attentive that he doesn't try to slip his shoulder out from under the seat belt mid-trip. He's starting to understand that we want him to leave it alone, but it's much easier to use (and feel confident in) a five point harness at this young age (2.5 years).

If you're currently looking for a Britax seat, all Britax is on sale 20% off at Amazon through Sunday, March 2nd.

The Things We Carry: Car as Utility Belt

When the Momemergency Kit busted onto the blog scene, I started thinking about all the stashed parental emergency supplies that keep us from minor disaster on a regular basis. So here's a peek behind the virtual curtain- into my car.

Although I have a handy tiny diaper bag, a larger "car bag," and some important stuff in or clipped to my pockets, the importance of my car cannot be ignored. Out here in the Midwest, we need cars to get around and to keep popular automotive urban legends alive [the preeminent urban legend writer Jan Brunvand wrote The Vanishing Hitchhiker (the 1981 book that launched popular interest in ULs) while studying at Indiana University].

ESSENTIAL CAR GEAR FOR EVERYONE:
Before we had Ranger, my car was already well stocked with essential gear: blanket(s), a great mutli-bit screwdriver, a standard metric portable tool kit, a big lug nut wrench (it's the only way I can get enough leverage to break the hydraulically installed lug nuts when changing a flat), a car owner's manual, a pair of mittens, a jacket, some cloth bags, a phone book, a cell charger, a Patsy Cline tape, 12 foot tape measure, a safety hammer, bug spray, a gigantic flashlight (don't make me bust heads), and a good national atlas.

But with Ranger on board, even more gear has entered the car. I've already mentioned my vinyl tablecloth liner to keep stroller gunk out of the upholstery and our beloved Maclaren stroller. We also have a car seat and a rolled up towel to keep it level.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg of Ranger gear:

ENTERTAINMENT: Do not put an infant or toddler in the car with nothing to do. They will get bored. Keep a variety of items in reach to hand them when they a) tire of what they are playing with or b) drop their current toy somewhere you can't reach.

• Mini-Magna Doodle- We love this thing. The pen can't get lost or mark up the upholstery when dropped.
• Sliding bead toy- This abacus-meets-maze toy caught my eye at a rummage sale. I have no idea about it's origins, but those were definitely 50 of the best cents I've ever spent.
• HABA marionette toys- These pocket-sized toys are great for carrying into restaurants and stores. Tiny kiddos just like grasping them, and bigger kids can use them for imaginative play.
• Plastic links- we used these for everything when Ranger was a wee GeekBaby. There are probably still a dozen of them under the seats.
• Improvised toys- goldfish container/toddler puzzle, plastic eyeglasses case, leather drink coaster (not sure why he loves it, but he does)
• Books- even for non-readers, books are fine entertainment. They're great tactile objects for grasping. Some wee tikes just love turning pages and looking at pictures. Ranger particularly liked die-cut board books with irregular shapes. Squishy Turtle and Friends has great textures and sounds (crinkly stuff between some of the pages).
• Little cars and trucks- Maybe Ranger's into the meta-transportation experience: cars and trucks make him happy on the road.

FEEDING: When toys don't work, food sometimes does. Plus, a little guy gets hungry on the go. It's nice to have some Ranger-friendly treats within reach.

• Crackers- easy, non-perishable, not heat susceptible. Vacuum up easily.
• Shelf-stable milk boxes- These are great even though Ranger sees any cardboard beverage box as an instant fountain. I just cut open the box and dump its contents into his drink cup.
• Juice boxes
• Out of car feeding supplies- a LeachCo Sit 'N Secure wrap for places without high chairs, a spare straw cup or bottle, and Table Toppers.

CARE: For accidents and or their prevention.

• Monkey harness- We can debate the ethics of kid harnesses in a future post, but Ranger loves wearing it and likes to hold it and talk to it in the car.
• A pack of disposable changing pads- These are versatile. They're handy when there's a diaper leak that soaks the car seat or you need somewhere to set muddy shoes. They can be cut and used as makeshift tie-on bibs. They can be set under a kid who has just played in a sprinkler but doesn't have a change of clothes.
• Jacket and hat- Weather changes frequently here. It never hurts to be prepared.
• Sunblock
• Bug spray
• Car seat sized blanket
• Zip-lock baggies- useful and versatile. They make great makeshift snack servers for some toddlers.
  

PARENT CARE:

• Foam ear plugs- because sometimes you have to sit parked with a wailing infant. Don't drive with them in place, it's illegal in many states.
• Aquaphor in a lip balm tub- It's chap stick, a cut/abrasion ointment, and I suspect chafing dish fuel (among a thousand other things).
• Sunglasses and other prescription glasses- Seeing is really handy while driving. Having backup eyewear can be a lifesaver.
• Dental floss- My mom would be so proud, so please don't tell her this is one of my favorite Macguyver project tools. I'm no red-light flosser, but instead practice flossing in the privacy of my own home.
• Sharpie or other permanent marker- just don't let it fall into young hands.

So- what and where are your parenting survival tools? I invite other bloggers to photograph and share a corner of their personal parenting arsenal. Add a comment and a link below, or email me and I'll add it here.

And, yes Mom, I am now going to floss.

Break Out: When An Infant or Child is Accidentally Locked in A Car With The Keys

If you drive or ride in cars regularly with infants or small children- or know people who do- you should be thinking about automobile lockouts as summer is arriving in our hemisphere.

While we were loading our cars after baby group, one mom (a wonderful, caring, responsible person) loaded her baby and toddler in the car and their stroller and ended up accidentally locking her kids, her keys, and her phone in the car. A few of the playgroup moms were still there, so she didn't have to summon strangers to assist.

With the help of the hospital's security staff (our baby group meets at a local hospital), we were able to get her car open in about 20 minutes. The kids and their mom were frightened and relieved, and no one was hurt.

This lockout happened to an excellent, attentive mother through an atypical series of events. This could happen to anyone- even a stranger you see in a parking lot- so be prepared to help if it does happen.

#1- DO NOT PANIC. This seems to be the first item on many an emergency/disaster checklist, but it's for a good reason. When you panic, you have a much harder time sorting through the actions you need to take. Occupy your mind with "What CAN I do?" rather than "What's going to happen?" or "Why did I let this happen?" This is not the time for reflection or blame. Those kids need you to be clear headed and proactive.

Also, your children are taking their cues from you and you need to help them stay calm. You know how your child gets hotter when they scream? That is the last thing you need now. Make faces, sing songs, hop up and down like a rabbit, try and engage your child in some distraction (the more you look like an idiot the better your odds of making the baby laugh). Your kids need to know that everything is okay- so put on your goofy face and keep them as mellow as possible.

#2- NOTE THE TIME. During an emergency time takes on a completely abnormal feel. For me this incident just flew by, but for the mom it felt much longer than the time it took to get the car open. Knowing how long the car has been closed lets you know when it is time to break the window.

#3- CALL 911. You're phone is in the car? You're alone? Enlist the help of strangers. Repeat after me: "Hey, you- please call 911 my baby's locked in this car with my keys. We need help." Who cares what they think- as long as they get help there fast. If there is more than one person there, pick one to assign the task to. Sometimes in groups people become immobile- if you single someone out, they feel more involved in the situation and are more likely to help.

I didn't call 911 today because I didn't think they helped with lock-outs and I didn't want to waste any time. Nor did I call my auto club locksmith service because that always takes at least 45 minutes. It turns out that 911 will dispatch police and/or fire emergency responders if a young child or infant is locked in a car. They have a special universal tool to open a locked car door. Their tool may break your car's lock or do damage, but who can compare that to your child's safety. Don't worry that you may get the child out of the vehicle before they arrive, if so, they'll understand why you called. It's very good to call 911- because if the child needs assistance when removed from the car, they can provide first line medical assistance.

#4- COVER THE WINDOWS WITH BLANKETS OR TARPS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE- then the roof if you can get enough blankets. Do this fast. The heat and light entering through the windows and absorbed through the roof are causing the temperature in the car to increase. Covering the windows can help slow the rate of temperature increase inside the car.

#5- REMEMBER YOU CAN BREAK A WINDOW- BUT DO IT ONLY WITH PLANNING AND EXTREME CAUTION. This is an important option to remember, but it should only be used as a last resort. Breaking a window poses some danger for the children inside the car as the glass can spray everywhere. That kind of auto glass is almost impossible to clean out of the car fully, and you'll probably be finding bits of it in the car for years after the breakage. This is obviously bad with toddlers or infants, so pick your window judiciously and AS FAR FROM THE CHILDREN AS POSSIBLE. Also, don't injure yourself breaking the window. You don't need another emergency situation to deal with.

#6- ONCE YOUR CHILDREN ARE OUT OF THE CAR- REHYDRATE AND GRADUALLY COOL THEM. Human bodies are not designed to go from one temperature extreme to another without transition, so make sure you don't chill your kids while cooling them down. Give them plenty to drink- room temperature to cool drinks, but don't load up on ice. Truly cold things can make them quite sick when overheated. A cool washcloth is fine- but a cold one can cause more problems. You can take their shoes and clothes off to cool them down. A drastic change in environmental temperature can be problematic as well, so don't rush them into a room the temperature of a meat locker. Call your pediatrician if their behavior is at all abnormal.

#7- MAKE SURE YOU'RE OKAY BEFORE YOU DRIVE. This can be pretty emotional and traumatic, so don't feel like you have to rush off immediately. Take some deep breaths, get centered, and if you're still too shaken up to drive- try and think of someone who can help you and your kids get where you need to go. It's okay to ask for help.

#8- LEARN WHAT YOU CAN, ADAPT FOR THE FUTURE, AND FORGIVE YOURSELF. Yes, this whole situation sucks. And, yes, in hindsight any series of events could have been prevented, but you didn't want this to happen and you didn't intend for your kids to be at risk. Learn what you can from the incident and adapt so that it won't ever happen again and move on emotionally. Guilt alone gets you nowhere- and it can obscure actual insight into the situation.

And no matter how other people react or what they say to you, remember that accidents happen even with very good parents.

It hasn't happened to you yet? BE PROACTIVE:

-Stash a spare key on your car. My parents' cars always had magnetic key boxes on them while we were growing up. There's even a new powerful rare earth magnet one from GE with a combination lock and a connection point for a zip tie or wire cable. If you use a magnetic key box, make sure to put it somewhere inconspicuous (people will know exactly what's in it if they see it) and somewhere that it won't be bounced loose during travel on bumpy roads. You can use zip ties or a strong wire to secure a magnetic box (or even a naked key) to your car's superstructure. With the naked key method make sure the key isn't somewhere it will get a lot of exposure to corrosive elements (water, road salt, etc) or where it could get too hot and melt the key or the tie (close to the exhaust system, etc.).

-Stash a spare key in your wallet. If you always carry your wallet on your person, then this might be the best solution for you. At many locksmiths you can get a plastic key cut that fits into a credit card sized holder that fits discreetly in your wallet. This key won't work to get the ignition started if your car has a microchipped key, but they will probably get your door open. Consult the locksmith on this before ordering a plastic key. These wouldn't work for me as my bag is very likely to be wherever my keys are.

-Hook the keys to your person. I carry a billion keys, so many that my pants visibly sag when I shove them in a pocket. I always use a carabiner to attach my keys to myself, bag exteriors, and Ranger's stroller. This can be great when I clip them to my clothes when buckling Ranger in- or it can be disastrous like the time when I left them clipped to the diaper bag in the front seat while taking Ranger out and then closing the locked door. Ever since that storytime lock out that left Ranger and I stranded at the library (good place to be stuck during business hours) until another key could be delivered, I've been very conscious of hooking the keys to my pants when I put him in the car and not closing his door until I have my hand on the keys.

My mom, an elementary school teacher, can't afford to lose track of her keys at work, so she keeps them with her at all times with a stretchy coil wrist key chain.

-Load a couple useful items into your car in case this happens to someone near you. It was very frustrating to know that the lack of a simple wire coat hanger stood between us and those kids. We tore apart two umbrellas to try and get enough wire to open the doors, but it turned out neither wire was strong enough. Definitely stick a wire hanger in your car- preferably one with the paper tube at the bottom so you don't absolutely need pliers to cut/shape it. Pliers can come in handy too, and you should always have a general toolkit in your car (see Dad, I did periodically listen!).

Carry a large blanket or blankets (again, your should keep one of these in your car anyway) to cover windows and windshields.

I would also go so far as to recommend a safety hammer designed for breaking tempered auto glass (a third item that's always good to keep in reach of the drvier's seat). There are a number of brands and even some keychain models. If we'd had to break a window today, the safety hammer in my car would have been used. You don't want to be swinging a heavy object against the vehicle containing your children- that just creates additional risks and might cause the glass to spread further.

Does anyone have more tips to offer on automobile lockouts?

The Big Muddy: Keeping Stroller Gunk Out of Car Upholstery

As a huge fan of Bryce Courtenay's novel Power of One, it slightly pleases me that there has been an atypical amount of rain in our sometimes drought-prone region since BabyGeek's birth. The symbolism is pleasant until I have to put a wet, muddy, or otherwise gross stroller into my car.

After a few months of stroller use, I found that mud and black wheel tracks had become regular additions to my station wagon's tan interior. On snowy and rainy days, the carpet got damp, so loading in groceries or other clean and dry items became an exercise in peril.

There are rubber cargo area mats for many vehicles, but I couldn't find one shaped for my specific late-90s vehicle. An ill-fitting universal mat seemed like it could be more inconvenient than helpful.

At a rummage sale, I found a Thanksgiving themed flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth. It was large, oval, and in like-new condition. And it was kind of hideous. It was essentially free because they were having a bag sale, and I had room in my bag. These factors made it the perfect test subject.

I laid the tablecloth in the back of my car and traced the outline of my cargo area on it with a Sharpie (I keep two in the glove compartment- a fine and a regular). The desired portion only took half of the tablecloth, so I folded it in half and cut out two floor coverings using household scissors.

Originally, I had planned to sew the edges on a serger, but they seemed to have plenty of integrity without the extra work, so I decided to take my chances. Plus, the Thanksgiving design wasn't exactly something I wanted to keep forever. I bought two lovely solid colored replacements for the Thanksgiving cargo area liner. They both sit untouched in a closet.

The Thanksgiving liner has been in my car for over 9 months and shows no sign of wear. Dry matter (dirt, sand, Cheerios, etc.) is easily brushed or shaken off. Wet, mucky stuff cleans off easily with a sponge, paper towel, or baby wipe.

Out of laziness rather than insight, I stacked both Thanksgiving liners in the cargo area. This turned out to be quite helpful. When one get wet, it's easy to pull it out or fold it around around the icky item (leaving the other liner to cover the carpet).

Vinyl tablecloths are easy to find at big box retailers, discount stores, dollar stores, and thrift shops. They come in a huge range of styles, prints, and solid colors. They are reasonably indestructible (if the Thanksgiving liner is any indicator). Even at full-price, they cost only a small fraction of the price of a commercially produced cargo area or trunk liner.

Please add your own clean car hacks to this post. My car is a perpetual mess since BabyGeek's arrival, and I can use all help I can get.

BabyGeek (at 16 months) actively despises going through the car wash (not alone, of couse; I'm in the car too). Is that normal? Can I hope it's a phase?