How can parents make journeys by car easier?
In the middle of summer, thousands (if not millions) of families all jump in their cars for a trip, and wonder about 6 hours later why they did. How can parents make journeys by car easier?
Family trips are memorable, and should be for the joy and not the pain that may be caused during the longs hours waiting to get between point A and point B.
When the kids are jumping around in the back of the car, long trips are made easier with portable DVD players. If your car doesn't have a DVD player built in, there are still workable options. Powered through a spare cigarette lighter, and quiet with a set of personal headphones for each child, an hour of Dora the Explorer or Finding Nemo can quickly become heaven for parents. These units typically hang from the headrest supports of the seat in front of the passenger, which makes changing the DVDs a little more challenging for the parents in the front seats.
For the adults seeking peace, those without children, those who left their kids behind (presumably in the safest care possible), or those who simply timed the naps well, music is often a good choice. Music, from iPods to satellite radio, can offer hours to days of uninterrupted music. An iPod or other music player can have gigs of music downloaded to them – even the smaller versions can have a few hours of your favourite music which, when occasionally repeated and mixed with available radio stations, can make a trip much better. Satellite radio options, Sirius or XM being the two main options covering the majority of North America, can let you tune into the type of programming you prefer, including news, sports, as well as music – get a portable unit to get versatility of playing satellite radio at your desk at work or in the car, and splurge to get a model that records on a loop to gain pause-and-rewindability like a Tivo.
A nifty trick that can buy some quiet time for younger kids is to bring along a small supply of cheap gifts (a small toy, a short book, a tasty snack, etc.) and to tell the children that they can get one gift each hour if they are good for the complete hour. Surprisingly, it often only takes two or three to last through a full day's journey.
When all else fails, frequent pit stops, about one every hour or two, to let the kids out of the car and run around enough to tire themselves out, is commonly the last refuge for desperate parents.
All in all, making the trip more about the journey and less about the destination, often with a willingness to make detours, can save the sanity of almost any parent.
Family trips are memorable, and should be for the joy and not the pain that may be caused during the longs hours waiting to get between point A and point B.
When the kids are jumping around in the back of the car, long trips are made easier with portable DVD players. If your car doesn't have a DVD player built in, there are still workable options. Powered through a spare cigarette lighter, and quiet with a set of personal headphones for each child, an hour of Dora the Explorer or Finding Nemo can quickly become heaven for parents. These units typically hang from the headrest supports of the seat in front of the passenger, which makes changing the DVDs a little more challenging for the parents in the front seats.
For the adults seeking peace, those without children, those who left their kids behind (presumably in the safest care possible), or those who simply timed the naps well, music is often a good choice. Music, from iPods to satellite radio, can offer hours to days of uninterrupted music. An iPod or other music player can have gigs of music downloaded to them – even the smaller versions can have a few hours of your favourite music which, when occasionally repeated and mixed with available radio stations, can make a trip much better. Satellite radio options, Sirius or XM being the two main options covering the majority of North America, can let you tune into the type of programming you prefer, including news, sports, as well as music – get a portable unit to get versatility of playing satellite radio at your desk at work or in the car, and splurge to get a model that records on a loop to gain pause-and-rewindability like a Tivo.
A nifty trick that can buy some quiet time for younger kids is to bring along a small supply of cheap gifts (a small toy, a short book, a tasty snack, etc.) and to tell the children that they can get one gift each hour if they are good for the complete hour. Surprisingly, it often only takes two or three to last through a full day's journey.
When all else fails, frequent pit stops, about one every hour or two, to let the kids out of the car and run around enough to tire themselves out, is commonly the last refuge for desperate parents.
All in all, making the trip more about the journey and less about the destination, often with a willingness to make detours, can save the sanity of almost any parent.
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