Do you enjoy travelling with your kids? For many parents, TV and movie scenes of families singing songs and playing games are incredibly fake and couldn’t be further from reality. Siblings fighting on the backseat, moody teens giving you attitude, constant choruses of “are we there yet?” Toilet stops, dropped toys, kicking the back of your seat in boredom, the baby crying because they’ve dropped their pacifier…these examples are probably truer to real life, right?
The truth is, that unhappy and unfocused kids in the back seat are distracting. And distracting driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents in the US. If you’ve been in a car accident speak with a Columbus car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Even simply turning in your seat for a split second to reach your baby’s comforter could have devastating consequences – for all of you.
So, to help keep you concentrating on the road ahead and to keep your little ones from distracting you, I’ve gathered some simple ways you can keep your kids busy and content when you’re travelling by car.
Keep everything organized
You can’t keep your eyes on the road ahead if you’re trying to pass your little one their tablet or a snack from their lunchbox. You can cut out the middleman and let them enjoy a little independence with some backseat organizers. These clever devices simply hook onto the back of the front seats and they have pouches of all shapes and sizes so your kids can store all their toys, books and tech in easy to reach places. It keeps everything clean, tidy and stops items from getting lost underneath the seats.
A color pack
Kids love coloring, it keeps them occupied and calm! If you don’t have any coloring books, don’t panic, if you have a spare binder then print off some free coloring pages and slip them inside, they could even choose what images they want to color so they have something to look forward to. Just don’t forget the pencil case!
Audiobooks
Forget the fizzing and crackling between radio stations as you search for a song they might like (again distracted driving) consider downloading some audiobooks or stories for the kids to listen to whilst you drive. Let each child choose a story before you travel and pre-arrange the order of the stories so there are no “it’s not fair!” outbursts.
A box of fun
If you have a small, soft storage box that will fit between your children, consider filling it with lots of little toys, activity packs and other simple items that will keep them busy for a while. Small action figures, magazines – even a simple pad of paper and a crayon can keep a toddler quiet for a good fifteen minutes!
And finally, snacks!
Don’t leave home without some simple travel snacks to keep those little tummy rumbles from turning into temper tantrums. Keep the snacks fresh, wholesome and mess-free such as vegetable sticks, crackers and delicious fruit!
