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19 March 2008

Cars, kids and your sanity

Crying, shouting, fighting, hyperactivity and moaning are some of the pleasures travelling moms have to deal with. Stay sane with these top tips.

To be safe, it is important to keep your children busy and relaxed while on the road. Here are some tips for safe driving and fighting away the boredom:

To keep your kids busy in the car you can pack them a small bag with their favourite toys, a book and a tape player with headphones (for your own sanity). For longer journeys you can even pack a surprise bag, containing fruit juice and healthy snacks as well as a new toy. If you cannot afford a new toy each time you travel (who can!), keep the car toys reserved for travelling only.

Magnetic board games and mini Lego sets are also a good idea.

On long distance trips you can give kids older than eight a journal to record their travelling experience.

Play some classical music, it is known for its relaxing qualities on kids and moms alike.

Focus their attention on what's happening outside the car. Play a game with them where each chooses a certain colour and count who can see the most cars in that colour. You can make it even more fun, by saying they have to start from the beginning every time a truck in their colour is spotted.

Another fun game is to tell your kids to list everything you need for your holiday starting with each letter of the alphabet.

Singing helps kids to focus their attention and keeps them from becoming bored.

Good toy shops stock games that are specifically geared at entertaining kids in the car – keep these under the seat.

The game "I spy with my little eye something beginning with..." is still a winner.

Include frequent stops when travelling over long distances.

Avoid the “Are we there yet?” question by tracing your route on a road map. Simply tell them to answer the question themselves.

Avoid smoking in the car. Not only is the second-hand smoke unhealthy, there is also a danger of ash being blown back into the car and landing in an eye or burnng the skin. A sure recipe for a big drama.

Ensure that childproof locks are activated.

Make sure there are no loose, heavy objects lying around that could cause injury in the event of an accident.