Baby Shower: Evenflo Savvy Parents Gift Pack Review & {GIVEAWAY!!}

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I packed up our 2 year old and headed to Georgia. I am an unpleasant traveler, especially being pregnant, and usually our son starts getting angry within 10 minutes of being stuck in his car seat. Between being uncomfortable, the mess, and the boredom, traveling typically doesn't seem worth it. However, this trip was important. It would be the last time we would be able to make it to Georgia to see my husband's family for a long time with a baby coming soon.

I received a travel pack from Evenflo that really helped. A car organizer kept my son's snacks and toys next to him for easy access and without piles everywhere else in the car. Snacks and a fun Fuzzy Bee book kept my son distracted and quiet, the 'Baby on Board' window shade prevented a lot of screaming from having the sun in my son's eyes. The car dust buster from Black & Decker kept me sane. At gas stations, I was able to vacuum up all the snack messes and keep that traveled in scent out of our car.

Speaking of traveling, Evenflo conducted a survey among parents. Check out some of the things they learned:

• More time on the road often puts safety concerns into high gear. And it can trigger tears of frustration – in kids AND parents.
• The biggest worry parents have when taking car trips is that their young child will be harmed in a collision (76%).
• Integral to a safe ride is proper car-seat installation, but a full 65% of mothers and 72% of fathers encounter challenges when installing car seats.
• And – oh baby! – nearly half (49%) admit that installing the car seat caused them to sweat more than actually making the baby did!

The Seat Feat

Talk about a pain: 60% of moms and 63% of dads confess installing their car seat was challenging, while 5% of moms actually compared the experience with going through labor. And the challenge doesn’t end when the seat is installed, parents expressed other car seat frustrations: Adjusting car-seat straps got parents in a tangle the most (60%), followed by making sure the straps were tight enough (48%). It’s no surprise, as a third (34%) of parents say their child has wiggled out of their car seat and one-fifth of parents admit this happens at least once a week.

Stemming the Tide of Tantrums

All parents hope for a smooth getaway when heading out for a family road trip. So after safety, what do moms and dads worry about the most? Some 48% of parents worry about keeping their child entertained while in their car seat, 34% worry that their little Houdini will wiggle out of the car seat and 32% worry their child will have a temper tantrum. But preparation and creativity is the key to keeping car-seat-strapped kids happy: 72% of parents stock the car with toys, 54% rely on Cheerios and Goldfish snacks, 46% sing silly songs, 36% play DVDs and 27% keep books on hand. Happy kids can sometimes mean messy cars! Of the Cheerio-chompers, 37% leave behind at least a dozen Os in their seat after a road trip, and 11% leave enough for tomorrow morning’s breakfast bowl.

Pot Holes and Potty Mouths

Let’s face it … parents are humans and are not exempt to frustrations of the road! Parents admit that when in driving mode they don’t always take the high road: Almost three-quarters (74%) of moms and dads admit to cursing at another driver in their child’s presence, while 28% have flipped the bird, and 21% have rolled down their window to scream at another driver. While 30% of parents say they never swear in front of their kids in the car, 61% say they sometimes let the loose language fly.

And talk about a “wheel” distraction: attending to a baby while driving causes 38% to miss their exit once in a while, and 12% to miss their exit often and has caused 38% of parents to get lost.

WIN IT!!

Evenflo has generously offered one of our lucky readers the Evenflo Savvy Parent's Car Kit ($100 value!!) which includes:

$25 Gas Gift Card, a little treat for mom and dad
Moist Wipes, for quick car clean up
• Baby Mirror, to check out rear-facing baby while driving
Soft Book, to secure safety of passengers when thrown during tantrum
Kid/Parent Friendly CD, to inspire a family sign along
Car Dust buster, for hunting down cheerios between seats
Window Shade, to keep the hot summer sun out
Animal Crackers and a Snack Trap, to carve cravings
Car organizer, to keep it all arranged neatly!

Mandatory entry:

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Good luck! Contest ends on September 2nd at midnight. Winner will be announced September 3rd.

Winner will be chosen through random.org. Open to US only.

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We are not compensated for our reviews. We receive product(s) for free so we can provide our experience. These are our honest opinions. Your experience may vary.