If you have young children, then it is going to be inevitable that you are going to have to take them out places in your car. These journeys might be something as quick as taking them to your local school, or as long as a 5-hour road trip for a family holiday somewhere!
As adults, we are pretty used to going for long car journeys as we all would have had to do them at several stages in our lives, but let’s face it; half of the time, long car journeys can be pretty boring at the best of times especially if most of the journeys are on motorways, such as the great car park of London (also known as the M25).
And woe betide you if you have children in tow, because they will probably make a stressful journey magnified by about 1,000 times!
So, if you want a quieter and more relaxing journey with children sitting in the back, even if you are stuck in a plethora of traffic jams across Britain, then you need to read this parents’ guide to making your car child-friendly!
Is the car itself child-friendly?
If you have got a small hatchback car packed full of passengers, then I am guessing that the answer to that question is a resounding “no”! It might be worth looking for a more suitable car for your family, such as a large saloon or estate car, at a local car dealership such as Hilton Garage.
Occupy their time with gadgets
Let’s face it; we live in a pretty switched-on electronic age. It is not uncommon to see children as young as 4 years old knowing how to operate devices like the Apple iPad, so you could always help your children to pass the time on those long car journeys by letting them play with some electronic gadgets like tablets.
The great thing about tablets is that you can load them up with all sorts of fun and exciting apps for them to use, and the vast majority of apps aimed specifically at young children are also designed to be educational at the same time – an awesome way to help them develop their cognitive skills and also nurture their creativity.
It certainly beats staring at other motorists when you are stuck in traffic jams, that’s for sure!
Take some emergency supplies
When people are hungry they tend to get a bit grumpy, and the same applies to kids too. So, to better prepare for those long journeys, make sure you’ve packed some tasty treats for them to feast on when they’re feeling a bit peckish.
Just make sure you pack the ‘right’ sorts of snacks, not things that can be bad for their health like fizzy pop and chocolates!
Tidy the car as you go
For those of you who get really annoyed when they spot a breadcrumb on their otherwise immaculate seats, make sure you keep some bin liners with you on your journeys and even a 12v portable vacuum cleaner so that your car will stay as clean as possible (on the inside)!
