Babies Teething on Ride Safety Bars

[Waddler]

Does anyone do anything special to prevent their baby/young toddler from picking up bugs from ride safety bars?

I'm taking my 12-month-old to WDW in a few weeks. I imagine he'll ride on my lap most of the time. (I'd love to keep him in our baby carrier, but he tends to squirm when I sit down.) On rides like Pooh and HM, the lap bar will be just a few inches from a face. I'm sure he'll be eager to taste-test it, or chew on his fingers after touching it.

I not usually a germaphobe, but I'll do whatever I can to prevent my son from catching an exotic cold or stomach virus on our trip.

I've contemplated bringing a small, waterproof changing pad (about 12"x24") to drape over the bar in front of him, but I'm not sure if that would be allowed. Seems easier than constantly fighting to keep his hands and mouth away from it.

Thoughts?

 

[wiigirl]

Yes...I brought tons of teething toys and sanitizer. Gnawing on anything that public is just gross.

 

[RachaelA]

I don't understand why you need to do anything special. Just don't let him gnaw on the bar. Give him a toy maybe?

I just sanitized DD's (11.5 months on our trip) hands after every ride and a lot of the time we wiped off the bar with a sanitizing wipe as soon as we got in but that was for all our hands. I wouldn't let her put her mouth on it.

 

[Waddler]

I don't understand why you need to do anything special. Just don't let him gnaw on the bar. Give him a toy maybe?

I just sanitized DD's (11.5 months on our trip) hands after every ride and a lot of the time we wiped off the bar with a sanitizing wipe as soon as we got in but that was for all our hands. I wouldn't let her put her mouth on it.

Because hand sanitizer doesn't kill everything (like norovirus), and he can catch something by just touching the bar, then touching his mouth.

I'm just curious how other people handle it. (But it's DIS, so I expected snark.) ;-)

 

[DopeyDame]

I don't remember it being a problem, but my first instinct is to say just put your hands on the bar where his mouth will be, so he gnaws on your hands, and not the bar. You definitely don't want him gnaring on the safety bars - ick!

 

[Timandalicia]

Does anyone do anything special to prevent their baby/young toddler from picking up bugs from ride safety bars?

I'm taking my 12-month-old to WDW in a few weeks. I imagine he'll ride on my lap most of the time. (I'd love to keep him in our baby carrier, but he tends to squirm when I sit down.) On rides like Pooh and HM, the lap bar will be just a few inches from a face. I'm sure he'll be eager to taste-test it, or chew on his fingers after touching it.

I not usually a germaphobe, but I'll do whatever I can to prevent my son from catching a catch an exotic cold or stomach virus on our trip.

I've contemplated bringing a small, waterproof changing pad (about 12"x24") to drape over the bar in front of him, but I'm not sure if that would be allowed. Seems easier than constantly fighting to keep his hands and mouth away from it.

Thoughts?

I remember when my 10 mo old stuck her mouth on a garbage can rim in Central Park. I don't think anyone could top that for germs. Ugh. We used a cloth diaper, and a teething thing. The cloth diaper wasn't a barrier as much as a deterrent. BTW- we use cloth diapers as napkins, Kleenex, wash clothes. Everything except as diapers. They are so soft for baby skin.

 

[Waddler]

I remember when my 10 mo old stuck her mouth on a garbage can rim in Central Park. I don't think anyone could top that for germs. .

LOL. I can't top that, but little guy loves to gnaw on the cart handle in the grocery store. I adorn my waterproof cart cover with teething toys, but the cart handle must feel better. Thankfully, he can't really catch anything through the cover.

A "no" will keep him from repeating the offense for about 2-3 minutes, but then it beckons him. He's cut 3 top teeth in the last month. Maybe it's only a temporary issue.

 

[Annie78]

Does she like pacifiers? At that age we normally only used them during sleep, but for travel I would let DS have one the whole time - that kept his hands out of his mouth, and he liked to gnaw on the "wings" of the pacifier when teething.
If you go this route, put the pacifier on a tether so you aren't constantly needing to wash dropped pacifiers!

 

[Waddler]

Does she like pacifiers? At that age we normally only used them during sleep, but for travel I would let DS have one the whole time - that kept his hands out of his mouth, and he liked to gnaw on the "wings" of the pacifier when teething.
If you go this route, put the pacifier on a tether so you aren't constantly needing to wash dropped pacifiers!

No, fortunately or unfortunately, he never took to pacifiers. I definitely don't want to start now. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't think they will allow you to drape a pad over the bar. Too much of a chance of it falling off. I think you just need to keep a firm grip on your baby, and keep them as far back as possible. I've been to the parks with kids as young as 3 months old, and I don't ever remember them gnawing on stuff being a problem. And try and remember you won't be able to prevent t hem from being a little germy, no matter what you do.

 

[MSSANDRA]

You have gotten great suggestions and I would use any of them that might work for you. I have no doubt that DS has picked up some things at WDW when he was smaller because those finger went into his mouth. I would have which ever parent not holding him to have some type of wipe ready and do a quick wipe as you sit down. Not just his mouth but his hand may touch it too. I think your hands there, on a cleaned area might be about as good as you can do. It will also prevent a bump to his mouth on anything the least bit bumpy. Just do your best and he will be ok.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I didn't find this to be a problem, but you could always just put a burp cloth around the section of the bar right in front of him. He won't be able to reach very far.

Just an fyi, my ds has been fine on all the rides except the Haunted Mansion. He did NOT enjoy that one. I was very surprised, I didn't think he would find it scary (it's not like he knows what ghosts are, etc.), but he was scared right from the start of the ride.

 

[Waddler]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll probably just bring a burp cloth along - less conspicuous than a changing pad.

I'd bet lap bars and the new-ish interactive queues play a large role in WDW's virus outbreaks. They encourage people to touch hard surfaces, where some viruses can live for days and can only be cleaned by bleach. Unlike the local playground, the honey wall has contagions from all over the world! Handwashing plays a huge role, but it's hard to keep very young kids from ever touching their mouth and eyes.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

No, fortunately or unfortunately, he never took to pacifiers. I definitely don't want to start now. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Quite frankly, giving a 12 month old a pacifier, especially if he doesn't use one, is a terrible idea! No 12 month old should be sucking on a pacifier.

OP - if your son tries to put his mouth on the bar, just say "no" and give him something safe to teethe on. Not only is the bar germy, any sudden motion could injure his mouth.

 

[SweetMissy]

Great something else to worry about, lol. I didn't think of this. I wear my baby so he has never sat in a shopping cart, so I'm not sure if he'll dive right for the ride handle bars. Being 17 months, he's a little older than putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, so hopefully he won't. I'm somewhat of a germaphobe....I guess we'll just put our hands over the bars so he's not tempted to germ taste. Putting a cloth diaper or a receiving blanket over the bar is a good idea!

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

Quite frankly, giving a 12 month old a pacifier, especially if he doesn't use one, is a terrible idea! No 12 month old should be sucking on a pacifier.

OP - if your son tries to put his mouth on the bar, just say "no" and give him something safe to teethe on. Not only is the bar germy, any sudden motion could injure his mouth.

everyone should gently remember that everyone parents differently. I personally would not make it my place to tell another parent their child is too old for a pacifier (whether the child is or isn't). What works for us may not work for another family <3.

but I do agree that allowing your child to teethe on the lap bar could certainly pose a safety risk if the ride vehicle came to an abrupt stop.

 

[SweetMissy]

everyone should gently remember that everyone parents differently. I personally would not make it my place to tell another parent their child is too old for a pacifier (whether the child is or isn't). What works for us may not work for another family <3.

but I do agree that allowing your child to teethe on the lap bar could certainly pose a safety risk if the ride vehicle came to an abrupt stop.

Maybe the poster was just trying to point out that medically pacifiers aren't recommended...especially for the teeth. Has nothing to do with what's best for whose family.

 

[maxiesmom]

Great something else to worry about, lol. I didn't think of this. I wear my baby so he has never sat in a shopping cart, so I'm not sure if he'll dive right for the ride handle bars. Being 17 months, he's a little older than putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, so hopefully he won't. I'm somewhat of a germaphobe....I guess we'll just put our hands over the bars so he's not tempted to germ taste. Putting a cloth diaper or a receiving blanket over the bar is a good idea!

But how will you make sure that blanket doesn't fall off, and become part of the ride? Or worse yet, stuck on the track, making the ride stop for everyone. I wouldn't bank on the CMs letting you cover the bar with a blanket or cloth.

I honestly think it is nothing to worry about! If you are holding on to your child tightly, they cannot reach the bar to put their mouth on it. As has been pointed out, getting germs is not even the worst thing that can happen.

 

[Waddler]

Just to be clear... I know that it's bad idea to let him gnaw on the safety bar. I'll do my best to hold him away from it. I'm just contemplating a second line of defense.

If the bar is resting in his lap or is an inch or two from his face, it'll be tough to keep him from touching it at all.

 

[maxiesmom]

Just to be clear... I know that it's bad idea to let him gnaw on the safety bar. I'll do my best to hold him away from it. I'm just contemplating a second line of defense.

If the bar is resting in his lap or is an inch or two from his face, it'll be tough to keep him from touching it at all.

And I think it is unrealistic to think that you can keep him from touch it all of the time. Just do your best, and don't stress about it. That is kind of what parents do, isn't it?