Keeping the kids out of trouble when you have to drive can be difficult and a bit of a juggling act if you have several kids in the car. Children can get cranky and bored, and don’t always understand the importance of paying attention to the road. The best step to take is ensure that they are properly entertained in the backseat, whether you’re popping to the shops or going on a long trip. Below are four things to keep in mind which ought to keep them occupied:
1: Atlas
Whether a print or digital version on an iPad tablet, you can teach your kids about navigation and see if they can work out their journey as you travel. It will introduce them to the world around them and for young kids, is an excellent starting point for learning geography. You can also give them missions to find places on a map, dropping in little facts about each location along the way.
2: Fiddly Food
We’re talking about those tiny chocolate eggs in foil and satsumas here. Things which require a bit of fiddly unwrapping to get to. As well as being a nice treat for good behaviour, it will keep them occupied trying to get into them. Just make sure that they eat them properly, and can actually get into them, without bugging you.
3: Gadgets
It might just be easier to let them play on their gadgets, like ipods, tablets, games etc. While many parents complain that children spend too much time in front of their technology, long car journeys are an excellent time for them when you need some peace and quiet to concentrate on the road. Here they can be a blessing for kids to lose themselves in. Make sure they’re charged up before you leave or at least have a travel-adaptor in the car.
4: Audiobooks
Find a series of audiobooks which your kids enjoy. Many come in long series with many installments, so kids can really attach themselves to characters and stories rather than be coerced into getting into something new to them. There are many series available, including some recorded with well-known personalities, which can be a bit of a giggle for the grownups. You can start and stop them each journey so you always have something to return to, and create some suspense as to what happens next; you may even find yourself having to sit in the driveway to hear how it ends!
5: Stories
You can play a game where each child adds one line to a story and makes it up themselves. This can save you doing the work and struggling to come up with something engaging in between navigating. It can go on for hours if they take to it and is an excellent exercise to help a child develop their ability to construct a narrative themselves. Additionally, give them a keyword which they have to work into the story.
Author:
Paul is working with a firm of motoring solicitors in Manchester. They help those facing a potential driving ban and part of Paul’s role is to understand the circumstances which lead to breaches of the law. From what he has seen, these have involved distractions inside the vehicle, like kids fighting out of boredom, spilled liquids, mobile phones going off etc.
