Many parents would not consider going anywhere in the car unless their children take the entire contents of their toy box with them in the hope that this will keep them amused and occupied for the duration of the journey.
However, this can be a mistake with potentially disastrous consequences owing to the distraction this can cause parents trying to concentrate on the driving - as I was about to find out.
I have to say I never went down the road of toys-in-cars, believing the children should be able to entertain themselves on journeys by simply looking out of the window. As they grew older there were plenty of games to play with them such as 'first to spot a red car'. The games developed, as they do, reaching the giddy heights of 'I-Spy', for instance, or numerous other memory games.
I felt the need to test my rule. Was I right to keep toys out of the car, or were some of them worth the while?
There are many toys on the market aimed at keeping children occupied on car journeys. They tend to be small, compact; designed to fit easily into a backpack.
Be warned because some can be so utterly irritating they will simply drive you round the bend. For instance, the rock guitar from Tomy featured on 'Top Gear'. Small, discreet, one thinks it is harmless. Wrong! After five minutes I was ready to chuck it out of the window, for the music was loud, irritating and totally distracting me, the driver.
So next up was Nintendo to which both my children love. Yet again, even with the sound right down, I could hear that piercing, horrible noise that drove me to insanity and back coupled with their shouts of frustration as they go beaten - again. So that too got binned much to the childrens cries of anguish.
"I'm doing a experiment " I tried to soothe them as tears rolled down their faces. "Mean mummy " was all I could hear back.
So as my son sulked, my daughter pulled out her toy horses with various small accessories to comb their manes, or change the horses' shoes etc. The problem here was that there were so many tiny parts she dropped, not one, but most of them in a short space of time. As I refused (obviously) to let her pick up these small pieces, as it meant her having to release her seatbelt and leave her seat, she soon lost interest in the whole lot. She started sulking and then annoying her brother who was still sulking from his Nintendo being binned. Bored prods soon led to a full-blown fight with me trying to referee whilst driving. Not exactly a safe position to be in, I can assure you.
Needless to say this experiment was short-lived as I became so distracted by their cries of dismay when something went wrong with the toys they were playing with.
At the end of the day, I would advise all parents to try and avoid having toys in the car altogether. Set down the rules from day one before you create a rod for your back. There is nothing worse than a child screaming because they have dropped a soft toy, or any toy for that matter. The parent's reaction is to turn around straightaway to see what the problem is, taking eyes off the road which, obviously, is very dangerous and could end in disaster. For what? A soft, multicoloured caterpillar with lots of irritating bells on.
Keep the car a toy-free zone.
Top tips for keeping children occupied in the car:
- Sing
- 'I-spy'
- Memory games such as 'I went to the supermarket and I bought...' (list items alphabetically, with each person having to remember the list in order and adding an item).
- Teach them the Highway Code signs and ask them to point out similar ones, or ask them what they think they mean from the picture. Educational as well as being fun.
- Make a word from the number plate of the car in front - do not drive too close, obviously!
- Start a story. Each person takes it in turn to add a line in the story and see how it unfolds. Can be very amusing.
- Times-Tables practice! Sadly short-lived!
- Describing objects. Fuels their imagination and builds up their creativity and vocabulary skills.
- Talk. You are all stuck with one another's company. Make the most of it - it's a great time to bond with the children. Discuss school, friends, anything...
If the children become fractious
- Find a safe place to stop and refuse to move until they are silent.
- Do not let the storm brew. Once you feel the tension tell them your intention to stop unless they calm down.
- Never travel more than two hours without a break. Firstly, you as the driver need one, secondly, the children need to get out and run off some steam.
- Distraction is a great get-out. Engage them quickly in one of the games mentioned above.
- Never lose your cool. The children will copy and the situation will escalate out of control. If you feel anywhere near this dangerous level, find somewhere to stop for a while. Do not continue your journey until you are fully composed.
Jackie Violet is a renowned motoring journalist who provides articles for http://www.realwomentoday.com, as their Motoring Correspondent.
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