subject: Surviving A Family Road Trip With The Kids! [print this page] No matter how large your vehicle, super mini or 7 Seater is, keeping your kids busy for the duration of a trip should be your top priority. This is clearly a challenge many of us will face this summer. By estimates well over 80% of summer vacations are road trips so it is definitely a good idea to gather some advice before you depart. Thankfully 21st century parents have a few tricks up their sleeve.
Modern conveniences
If you are lucky enough to drive a modern MPV you will find your kids treated with in-car DVD players with displays built into the back of the front row seats. Make no mistake, this is a potent tool. Bring along enough DVDs and you are likely to keep your kids entertained for the duration of the journey. You, however, will have to put up with soundtracks from kids cinema which is perhaps less than ideal.
Should in-car DVD not be an option you can always look at the latest handheld gadgets for ways to entertain your kids. All iPhones are especially handy in this respect. Hundreds of games and applications are available online, some for free, and kids of appropriate age will find these highly entertaining. There is DoodleJump, a vertical obstacle course; Scoops (you scoop ice cream from the sky) and even iPuppy - which needs no description. The bad news is that you will need a iPhone for each and everyone. However you could settle for an Ipod touch which would give you all the games, movies and music but without the ability to phone. If your really flush you could invest in the wonderfully new Ipad.
Alternatives
Audio books also go a long way to capturing kids attention. Harry Potter is a sure-fire crowd pleaser for many kids, as long as you can put up with it then again it is a story for adults too, so they say. More elementary audio books are also available, but purchase these and your sanity may be at risk.
Short breaks along the way are probably stating the obvious, but in case you forget: pack a picnic basket, some toys for the youngest and find somewhere with plenty of free space if you can. The kids will have time for a bit of a runabout and if you're lucky will remain asleep for a couple of hours once they're back in the car.
Safety First
Remember it's not all about entertaining the kids, it's also about keeping them safe. Never leave your kids unattended in your car, no matter how roomy it is: even a 7 Seater MPV can get astonishingly hot inside. Keys in the ignition is also a big no-no, a running engine can lead to all sorts of accidents. There is also the matter of properly installing your child safety seats. Babies traveling in infant car seats need to be kept facing the rear at least until they are one year old because this reduces the risk of a spinal cord injury.
A bit of planning and a dose of creativity can make the journey more pleasant for everyone. Road trips need not be the stressful exercise you think they are and you really can keep your kids busy throughout the longest of journeys.
