Need Dad Mods

LOL I love the goldfish round up

 

When that time comes, look into what the different pediatric associations say about “screen time.” Usually they’ll recommend avoiding tablets and smart phones and stuff for the first two years unless it’s a video chat. They’ll also recommend not using them as a pacifier, etc.

 

Probably somebody mentioned already...baby cd's...our son that's 9 almost 10 used to love those cd's. One other thing...water proof mat under the baby seat (diapers can leak) and good, preferably water proof seat covers. Congratulations !, the Tacoma will do !

 

Brace yourself! I am coming up on 3 weeks and the child is by far the most expensive mod of all time. Congrats to you and all of these tips have been amazing and useful!

 

sub for 2nd arriving in feb

 

Follow up after first road trip using the taco. Took out my Greco 4ever1 seat and used my wife’s uppababy seat and base because it fits behind the seat compared to the middle seat. Everyone who said make sure to have wipes near by were right. Put a pack and play, 3 tents, little baby dome thing and 4 chairs with suitcases in the truck bed and it all fit with the cover on. There are a lot of things on here that I can’t name off the bat that have been useful but goodness this thread has been a treasure trove of goodies. The input for car seats has been amazingly helpful. Only thing I forgot to get before hitting the road was ear plugs…6hr drive one way and the 4.5hr mark little one was letting us know she was ready to get out. Those would have helped. I cannot thank everyone enough for all the input. It has and continues to be very much appreciated. Crazy that my little girl is now 4 months old and it feels like I posted this 3 weeks ago. Congrats to all the future dads that have subbed to this as well!

 

My two kids each have there own designated 1 gal ziploc bags with their name on them to use for puking. Learn the necessity of this after a long day of wheeling in the mountains. After they each took a turn, my boy puked a second time. Went through a whole roll of paper towels and wet wipes, and the boy was down to wearing only his shorts by the time we got back to town. Luckily my wife was not along to freak out. Took all my will power to stay (relatively) calm, but the third time was a test. Kids took it all in stride, and had a bunch of fun. Dramamine is now also a crucial item for road trips.

Rigid seat protectors under child seats if you have leather also highly recommended. I ended up making my own out of FRP wrapped in neoprene. No more dimples.

Sliders so they can climb up into the truck on their own.

Disabled the passenger seat belt chime with seat belt extender or Techstream so that Mom can tend to the kids when needed and not be driven mad.

 

Dam this thread is growing, liked it all. Best advice don't sweat the small stuff, set your priorities. There is way more stuff available now than when I had little ones. When I would pick up the grandbaby, the stuff I was given to take along made me feel that the taco wasn't enough. My first kid car was a 66 Newport then a 76 Caprice, both used. The Newport wasn't exactly car seat friendly. First kid was born in 82 then we got a real pile a 2yr old Accord. In 88' got our first new car it was a Corolla and we had a couple of them with 2 kids then we got our first Tacoma in 04 . We had down sized with our kids and it all worked out. The grandkids just seem to need more space.

 

Some kind of holder for a wet wipes pack and or a Kleenex box.
Frantically digging in the glove box or center console for something to clean up or clean off a mess just doesn't cut it.
Also keep armorall wipes handy. Out of reach of the kiddos though.

 

Tweeter upgrade. Start them young, 'cause music is good for the soul....

 

I’m 3 months in on my first kid and just before he was born my wife gave me this Eagle Creek pack-it cube:

She called it an “Oh sh*t! Bag”. It’s got pretty much all the essentials; couple diapers, a spare outfit, wipes, burp cloth, small blanket, garbage bag, rubber gloves, sanitizer, spare bottle, formula, pacifier, diaper cream, etc...

It has already come in handy at least twice and I just keep it under one of the seats.

 

Random thought...it's funny that if I get my truck all dirty and muddy from hiking/camping and going places that only my Taco will get me...I don't care. But the instant one of my kids smashes a goldfish into my seat cover...I NEED to detail the entire interior.