Car Kids
Get Your Kids to Behave in the Car!
Article from: My Family UK
Children can be a nightmare when you’re driving – at the very moment you need them to be quiet and behave. So we’ve put together some simple tips to counteract boredom and bring harmony and peace to your car journey.
1) Plan ahead
Anticipating problems ahead of time is much easier than trying to deal with them when you’re doing 70 mph on the motorway. Keep them well-fed, take a few pit-stops, and you’ll be fine.
2) Answer any questions
Children are much more likely to be restless if they don’t know what’s going on, so explain to your child where you are going and how long it will take, and answer their questions about the journey.
3) Get them used to driving
Take short road trips first and work up to longer stints in the car. Build in regular breaks on longer journeys for everyone to use the toilet and stretch their legs.
4) Lay down the rules in advance
Make sure everyone knows the rules and what will happen if they are broken. Follow through on warnings.
5) Plan the journey together
Before you start, plan out the journey together on a map and get the kids to chart your progress by calling out the names of cities and towns as you go past.
6) Ask questions as you go
Get their brains buzzing by asking questions such as: “It’s 10am now, if it will take us two and a half hours to get there, when will we arrive?”
7) Reward good behaviour
Praise and even sweets can be a good incentive if used in moderation. Let your child pack their own bag of snacks (under supervision), or use the old, “If you behave you can have an Ice Cream when we get there” routine.
Singing songs and playing music
Singing and listening to music are good for staving off boredom. Story tapes and CDs are handy for their calming effect.
9) A box of activities
Keep a box of activities in the car, but make sure you stock it with soft toys and only paperback books – nothing that would be dangerous in an accident.
10) Play games
Here are a few effective car games:
- I-spy – a travelling classic, the first player picks something and the others guess what it is.
- Car number plates – make words out of the letters or play number games with the numbers.
- ‘I went to the shops and I bought…’ – add objects in turn and try to remember them all, in order.
- Observation games – use your imagination. The winner could be the one who spots most red cars, or you could assign points for spotting different vehicles, animals or anything else.
- Pub Cricket – look out for pub names and assign points according to how many legs there are in the name. For instance the Prince of Wales is two points whereas the Dog and Duck is six points (four for the dog and two for the duck).
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Further Information
For further information, and more loads more articles on parenting and child control, visit www.myfamilyuk.com. We’ve got more tips and treats for you and the kids, as well as tried and tested ways to make them behave! Articles are easy to find on every aspect of family life, from choosing the right holiday to choosing the right insurance. Visit now!
About the Author
My Family UK is a brand new website that is turning the online focus back onto families. We’re dedicated to supporting your family’s unique way of life, with tips and treats on a huge range of topics, recipes and lunchbox solutions, and even competitions and offers. If your family means the world to you, log on to www.myfamilyuk.com.
Is it okay to leave their children in the car at the pump while running to pay?
Mom, do you think it's OK to leave young children in the car while running in to pay for gas? What happens if you close the door and the windows crack? want to do this or take Your Children out of car seat every time you come in with you?
I am the wife of Chris and absolutely no! I saw a mother to a service station that Chris was pumping gas for us. This young mother left her 3 Year Old in the car along as she paid for his gas. She was gone less than two minutes and someone else was in the car. I called 911 and my husband came and took the type of car and held him until police arrived. The man was arrested and the mother was accused of negligence and of being irresponsible with your child. The Police told him that if my husband Chris and I had not responded the way we did to his son is gone and perhaps dead. Not in any way leave the child alone in the car when his walking away from it. Not worth the chance, and not everyone responds or paying attention as my husband and I did. All you need is that one or two seconds to something horrible happens, then you have to live with this for the rest of his life.
