Driving Safely with Children in the Car: Don’t Be Distracted
Teach Riding Etiquette
Driving safely with children in the car starts young. You’ll begin facing distractions the moment you bring your baby home from the hospital. Crying, tantrums, throwing things, and spills are all common sources of distractions for parents. In addition, children love to play the “oopsie game” where they ask for toys, drop them on purpose, and then ask the parents to pick them up. This is just as distracting as trying to send a text while driving because you’re often turned around and also not paying close attention to the road. As soon as your children start understanding language, begin teaching them car etiquette. Teach them not to scream in the car, that you can’t look at what they’re trying to show you while driving, and that dropped toys will stay dropped until you reach your destination.
Plan Ahead
The best way to prepare for driving safely with children in the car is to plan ahead of time. Stock your car with snacks and toys to keep little ones entertained for a long time. If you are doing a long road trip, plan out stops ahead of time where they can stretch their legs. Restaurants with play areas or local playgrounds are great for this. Even if you aren’t going far, make sure children have gone to the bathroom before you leave the house. Keep water cups and snacks on hand that you can easily reach and that children can open themselves.
Pull Over
If you are having a hard time driving safely with children in the car because they are being too distracting, it’s time to pull over. A bonus of this is that it shows kids that you’re serious about them stopping acting out. If you need to discipline your children, it’s best to pull over so that you can make eye contact. If you’re in a safe spot, ie not on the side of the highway, feel free to step outside the car and close the door for a second to get some quiet. This is especially useful if you have a young baby that cries on car trips but who is too young to teach.
Ignore Them
Finally, driving safely with children in the car sometimes requires you to simply ignore them. If you can ignore their distractions and concentrate on the road without engaging, do it. It’ll teach children that tantrums and distractions won’t get them anywhere in the car. Some parents can do this better than others. Of course, if you have a very young child, make sure that they are well-fed, changed, not too hot or cold, and strapped properly in their car seat.
Driving safely with children in the car is often difficult because they are little masters of distraction. Tantrums, crying, whining, dropping things, hitting siblings, and spills can all cause major distractions. But teaching them good driving etiquette at a young age can serve you well later on. In addition, planning ahead of time and stocking your car full of toys and snacks will help you prepare for a long trip. Pulling over might be needed from time to time to show your kids that you’re serious and to protect your sanity. And finally, sometimes your only option is to simply ignore the distractions. Hopefully, with these tips, you’ll be able to plan accordingly for any car trips with children. This will help you be a better driver and get them and yourself to your destination safely.