Hey there! You’re listening to the Mighty Mommy with some Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting. Today’s topic: Hectic Highways
Tips for Road Trips
Today I’ll be sharing with you some ideas to make road trips with the kids more pleasant for everyone.
I’ll start with the basics. Please make sure your children are in their appropriate car seats and belted in safely. Never take your child out of the car seat to comfort him in a moving vehicle. If your child is inconsolable, please find a safe place to pull off the road and park the car before removing your child from the car seat. Remember, it is okay for a child to cry sometimes, but if the child is struggling or the crying is distracting the driver of the vehicle, it's best to take a break. Planning ahead is crucial for long trips. Allow yourself extra time for unexpected stops, potty breaks, and meltdowns.
Another safety tip I would like to share is to keep a very close eye on your sleeping child in the car. New studies have found that infants could be in danger if their heads are slumped down or forward while sleeping in a car seat. This position can cut off the child’s air supply. Be sure to watch them and make certain that they are not struggling for breath at any time.
Now that everyone is safe, let's talk about some on-the-road entertainment. Of course, new vehicles are being produced with built-in entertainment centers including VCRs and DVD players. If you are in a vehicle lacking one of these and aren’t opposed to the kids watching videos, you might consider a portable DVD player. You can use an adapter to run the machine from the car battery. If you take a lot of hour-long or more trips, this might be a great investment for you. Just be sure its completely behind the driver’s seat so you aren’t tempted to take your eyes off the road!
Depending on the length of your trip, you might want to consider bringing along some snacks. Avoid any foods that are famous for being choking hazards such as popcorn, raisins, or baby carrots. If you want to bring fresh fruit, I recommend slicing it into strips or slivers to reduce the possibility of choking. Whatever you decide to bring, you should know that plenty of it will probably end up on the floor. Don’t stress the mess. You have enough to worry about. Let the chips, crackers, or cookies fall where they may. You can take care of it later!
You will definitely want to bring some toys and books to keep the kids occupied. One quick and dirty tip for road trip toys is to keep it new and different with a secret stash. Kids can get bored quickly with their everyday toys. Let them choose a couple of their favorites to bring along. Once they seem bored with those toys, surprise them with the secret stash! Pick up a couple of new toys before the trip and keep them hidden until you need them. It will be a great surprise for the child and something new will usually keep their attention a little bit longer.
As far as books go, I’ve had great success with picture books or board books for the little kids. Toddlers love books with noise-making buttons. If you have the lap tables for the kids to color on, coloring books are wonderful for the older children. You could also supply them with blank paper and have them draw pictures of things they’ve seen on the road or maybe pictures of where they are going.
Some great toys which seem to entertain kids are the new magnetic doodling pads. Kids can color, erase and then color some more. These come in travel sizes too. Just make sure you have enough of these to go around. They are very popular with all ages toddler and up. Even grown-ups want to play with them!
My last tip is for any kind of road trip but, can be especially helpful on the long ones. Even though you’ve made lists ahead, packed extras of everything, and planned for every emergency, you are bound to forget the one thing you need on the road. My tip may help you avoid this little crisis. Always keep an extra bag in your vehicle. It should contain extra clothes, diapers, bottles, drinking cups, wipes, sunscreen, water, and non-perishable snacks. You may not need all of these items depending on the ages of your children. There also may be other things that you would personally like to have in there. This would be a permanent fixture in the car. This way, you are always prepared--even on a short trip. If you are planning ahead for a long trip, add a few more extras to the bag and you won’t find yourself digging around in your freshly packed suitcases when you have a diaper to change or someone spills cold cherry slush on their shirt ten minutes down the road!
That’s it for now. Hope you enjoyed listening. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures on your trip!
If you have a question for the Mighty Mommy or if you want to share a wonderful tip of your own, you can email mommy@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voice mail at 206-222-9148.
The Mighty Mommy’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips network, so be sure to check out other great shows like The Traveling Avatar, Legal Lad, and Grammar Girl at QuickAndDirtyTips.com.
This is your friend, the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!
Music – “Golly Gee” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 2.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/