“I love spending time in the car with my kids,” said no mom ever. If it’s not the whining that gets you – why do they have to start asking “are we there yet?” the minute you leave the driveway – it’s the mess.
Here are nine tips on how to make your trip more bearable and your car less messier:
- Before you leave, place an old sheet over the car seat. Simply shake it out from time to time to stop crumbs from taking root inside your car.
- That shriek to let you know your little one has dropped her lovie or dummy is blood-curdling – especially since it’s not like you can turn around and give it to her. Solution? Tie it to a cord, with the other end attached to the car seat.
- Turn a shoe holder into a travel entertainment centre, filling each compartment with an activity like a colouring-in book, a snack pack, a few wipes – whatever they need. Hang it on the back of the front seat, within easy reach. A shower caddy, stuck on the back of the seat with suction cups, does pretty much the same thing.
- Make your own on-the-go art kit by lining an old DVD case with paper on one side, and pencils on the other.
- Keep kids distracted for hours by creating a treasure hunt. Fill a pencil bag or cosmetic purse with rice, then throw in some trinkets and jewels, which they have to find.
- A loom band or beading container makes a perfect stack storage unit. Fill each compartment with something different, like dried fruit, Oatees or mini rice cakes.
- Another clever snack solution is to create a “‘necklace” by stringing together snacks like pretzels. They’re easy to transport, plus kids will love the novelty factor.
- Freeze your juice bottles overnight before a car trip. Heat is a major contributor to tetchy moods, so this is an easy way for kids to keep cool and quench their thirst at the same time.
- “‘Are we there yet?”’ bags will keep the kids excited and (hopefully) put a lid on the whining. Stuff large envelopes with little toys and edible goodies – things that they can play with on-route – to be handed out throughout the car trip. Here’s the catch, though: you only get a bag if there’s been no nagging or squabbling for an agreed-upon length of time.