Shutterstock
If you’re a parent who often drives children to school and on long road trips, you know how distracting youngsters in the backseat can be. There are plenty of ways to keep kids entertained on the road so you can focus on driving. Here are some safety tips for parents who often drive with kids in the car!
Handle some basics before you get on the road. First, make sure your kids have all used the restroom. The last thing you want is youngsters in the backseat yelling that they need a potty break. Likewise, make certain everyone has taken any medications they need and that they have any snacks or drinks they could want during the drive.
Before you get in the car, let the kids know that you need to focus on the road while the vehicle is in motion. They won’t be able to get your attention on the road, so give them whatever they need to stay entertained and happy during the trip.
Sometimes the best way to keep the kids from distracting you on the road is to give them entertainment in the backseat. Some parents opt for vehicles that have DVD players and roof-mounted screens, allowing the kids to watch movies in the back while you’re on the road.
Other parents get their children video game consoles or iPads to help keep the youngsters occupied in traffic. These are ideal solutions if your kids are constantly vying for attention while you’re trying to drive. It’s better for the kids to spend a few minutes playing games or watching movies than yelling for you to turn and give them attention.
Have you ever been stuck in heavy traffic, unable to pull off the road, with your kids shouting for you to look at them? If so, you know how distracting and scary it can be to try to keep up with start-and-stop traffic. In these situations, if your kids won’t listen to your instructions to let you focus on the road, you need to just tune them out.
They might hate it and feel like you’re being unfair, but it’s better to ignore them and focus on the road than to give in and see what they’re doing. As soon as you give them the attention they crave, you’ll take your eyes off the road and create a dangerous situation. In addition, you’ll be accidentally reinforcing this dangerous behavior. Your best bet is to simply tune them out and continue to focus on driving.
