Easy Ways to Get Your Child to Behave and Enjoy the Time in the Car

Going on family road trips or travelling abroad can sound fun but once you are all crammed in a car for so long with young ones, more often than not, might start to complain, and all the fun could go out the window, so to speak. Planning ahead and taking each individual's needs into consideration is important, so we wanted to share a few tips you might find helpful before setting off on your trip.

It helps if you have a child-friendly car

For a child-friendly family car, there are several things to take into consideration. Make sure they are comfortable and safe in their seats. They'll want plenty of storage and leg space for the things they'll be using throughout the trip. Having cup holders that will hold their cups and juice boxes, pockets for their books and toys, gadget holders and sockets are just a few things you might want to bring along to make life easier for everyone. When all else fails and they don't want to do anything and just want to look out the window, having windows that they can see more out of is another thing to consider when you are shopping around for a car to lease or rent out for your trip. Oh and bring the kids along to help choose, this will make them feel more excited about sitting in the car for so long.

Bring snacks

Having your kids – and your – favorite snacks and drinks can save a lot of drama. Here are some road trip snack ideas. Just be sure to bring a garbage bag, and lots of wipes to clean up the mess.

Lay down the rules of the road

It helps to tell your children what the plans are beforehand, as they don’t have much control over what happens. This will at least give them an idea of what to expect. The same goes for rules, let them know what they are allowed and what they are not allowed to do beforehand, and maybe even make a game out of it, doesn’t need to be complex, you could even get them to help make up the rules, they might be more likely to follow them too.

Organize car activities

You could make some magnetic lap boards, with your children's favorite board games or coloring-in books. For those who like to read, books or magazines will provide entertainment for a long time. Printables or stickers can be a good idea too. a phone or tablet is a popular choice but if you want to make the most of being all together, you could play music everyone likes and sing along, or create little games you know they'll enjoy.

Take activity breaks

There's only so much you can do from sitting it the same seat for so long. Finding out about some interesting places along the way will definitely make the journey more enjoyable. Everyone will feel more refreshed and patient if their needs are met often.

Disclosure:  This is a contributed post.