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“Are we there yet?” Those are the words parents dread to hear on a long car trips. Taking an airplane isn’t always possible when heading to those vacation destinations, but with a little planning parents can not only make the trip bearable but even a part of the fun.
Some families swear by traveling at night, leaving just before the children’s usual bedtime. Give the kids a bath, put them in their pajamas, brush their teeth, and tuck them into their car seats with a favorite pillow and blanket. Pop in a tape with relaxing stories and music, and hope for a quiet drive while they sleep. This does, however, have its drawbacks, not the least of which is safety. Some roads may be difficult to manage at night, especially if they’re prone to fog. Drivers are less alert and there may be drunk drivers on the road. Stopping to refuel may take some extra planning, as some service stations may not be open in the middle of the night. If there is car trouble, a family may be stranded on a deserted, dark road. It can be a lonely time for a driver with every other occupant asleep. Some motels only have daytime office hours, so you may have to wait to get a room. And the driver will need a day or so to catch up on lost sleep.
A safer, and more positive idea may be to work on making the car trip as enjoyable as the activities to come after reaching the destination. Older kids will probably be easier to deal with in this regard. They can help read maps, which will be educational. They can read books, listen to favorite music on headphones, do crossword puzzles, play handheld video games, or even multi-player games. Younger children, age 6 and under, present a bigger challenge. They can’t read maps nor even really understand the concept of distance, they can’t read, and finding travel-size games they can play isn’t easy. The time may be made special for them, however, because of the opportunity for extra time and attention. Read lots of books together, color with them, make up stories together and help them illustrate their own storybook.
Sibling rivalry can also play a part in making the trip difficult. Being trapped in a car for hours at a time can promote the most ridiculous bickering between siblings. You might try staking out territory with a strip of masking tape and making sure each has his own bag – try to bring duplicates of favorite items.
Here are some more ideas for keeping the peace on long car trips:
--Give each child a quarter (or nickel, or dime, according to budget and age) for each hour spent without misbehavior. Other parents prefer giving the money at the beginning and taking them away for each negative incident.
--Purchase small gifts for the children, appropriate for playing in the car, to be given out at certain intervals.
--Give each child his own one-use camera so they can document the journey. Or, consider a Polaroid camera for instant gratification, and help them fill a scrapbook along the way.
--Stop every two hours for potty and play breaks. Encourage activities that expend energy, but allow for a settle-down time before loading them back in the car.
--Resist the temptation to encourage long naps by administering antihistamines or cold medication. It’s not healthy, and it disrupts sleep schedules.
--Avoid sugary snacks and drinks, but let them indulge in other foods they might not otherwise get.
--Consider renting or purchasing a portable battery operated or cigarette-lighter powered television with VCR or DVD player.
Car trips can be fun in themselves, and it’s never too early to see the journey as an educational opportunity. Even preschoolers can begin to learn the correlation between time and distance in a car, and to learn how to entertain themselves in a limited space. Rather than dreading the time in the car, embrace it as a chance to spend time together with fewer distractions. And whatever you do, don’t forget the cozy blankets.
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