Question:

Answer:

I've done a lot of traveling -- by car, plane and train -- with my four children. Here are some ideas from my book Perfect Parenting that can make your car trip a happy one:

Solution #1: Kids have lots of energy, and find it difficult to sit still while strapped in the back seat of a car for hours on end. Inevitably, they become bored, and boredom leads to misbehavior. Prevent boredom by using gallon-sized plastic bags or boxes to create activity packs. The party aisle of your favorite toy store has lots of inexpensive ideas, such as: magnetic checkers, tiny plastic people and animals, Silly Putty TM, sticker books, coloring books and crayons, simple crafts, playing cards, comic books, View-masters TM, Etch-a-sketches TM, and miniature travel games. Cassettes and radio headsets with music and children's stories on tape are great for long trips. To keep things organized, allow only one bag per child at a time. You can use the bags on your return trip and as rainy-day activities during your stay. (Make sure young children have safe toys -- no possible choking hazards!)

Solution #2: Plan to stop often for the kids to use the bathroom and stretch their legs. Giving them these opportunities for movement will keep them much happier in between stops. Use a seat rotation system logged on an index card, and have children switch seats each time you stop. Rotation provides a change in view and environment.

Solution #3: Don't over pack the car. Kids who are squashed between bags and packages tend to get grumpy.

Solution #4: Let children know in advance what the travel plans are -- how long the journey will take, expected time of arrival, how many packages of Ding Dongs they'll get to eat, etc. Give the kids a map, colored pencils, and a compass so they can follow and record the journey. Plot the starting point and ending point. Provide a calculator and paper, so when they ask, "How long 'til we get there?" you can teach them how to figure it out themselves!

Solution #5: Have a supply of "snack bags" in the car. Snacks serve multiple purposes. They keep the kids blood sugar levels even, the search for just the right snack is an entertaining activity, and kids who are chewing will tend to argue less frequently. Make sure most of the snacks are low-sugar and healthy, such as pretzels, dry cereal, popcorn, or crackers. Include juice drinks and water bottles. (If you have young children, be careful to avoid any snack that is a choking hazard.)

Solution #6: Car travel makes many children sleepy. Even older children enjoy a pillow and blanket. Dress the kids in comfortable clothes and allow them to remove their jackets and shoes -- cozy kids are happier kids!

Happy traveling!

(Excerpted with permission by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group Inc. from Perfect Parenting, The Dictionary of 1,000 Parenting Tips by Elizabeth Pantley, copyright 1999)