Stay Calm Car Rides

Keeping Children Entertained And Well-Behaved In The Car

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

My daughter just asked me if I could take care of my grandchildren a few days a week. Of course I'd love to, but I'm worried about the amount of carpooling that's involved. The kids are usually well-behaved, but they can get pretty restless in the car --and when they get restless, they distract me, which can make for an unsafe ride. Do you have any advice for how I can keep my young grandchildren entertained in the car so I can concentrate on driving?

Sincerely,

Grandchildren on Board

A:

Dear Grandchildren on Board,

It's easy for kids to get extremely restless during long (or even short!) car rides. Of course, a restless kid can mean distractions for the driver, so it's important to keep kids entertained while in the car. Whether they're your grandchildren, children, or kids you're babysitting, I have some great ideas for keeping kids entertained.

Keep kids entertained in the car:

* The obvious big fun is a car with television screens in the back so your grandkids can watch cartoons or other shows while you get them where you want them to be.

* Kids love music, and there are lots and lots of child-oriented CDs these days for all ages. The bad news is, you'll have to listen to them, too.

* The alphabet game is big fun with kids who can read. The idea is to find a word starting with A along the road -- on a billboard, a store, a bumper sticker -- anywhere. The person who finds it, yells it out -- and then the search is on for a letter starting with B -- and so on down the line.

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

Date Out Of Your League Think & Date Like a Man Ideas for a Fun Date Romantic Date Ideas

© 2004-2009 AskApril.com, LLC. All rights reserved. AskApril®, AskApril.com®, and Ask April® are registered trademarks owned by Masini Enterprises, Inc. This material can only be republished and redistributed if it is kept in it's original form, including, but not limited to, all AskApril branding, banners, links, books, and credits.