Holiday Travel: Top 5 Ways to Keep Teenagers Happy

It's no secret that keeping a teenager happy is not easy. When you are trying to keep a teen happy while you're traveling for the holidays, it can be downright frustrating.

Being that they are people, just like us (it's now a proven scientific fact), every teen is different. I can only relate to you what has worked for me with my teenage son.

I plan to begin with suggesting more electronically technical solutions then counting down to solutions that don't require batteries or recharging in an effort to cover a wide range of tastes and financial situations.

5) This is an obvious solution with a twist: Buy them or have them bring along an iTouch, iPod or any of the many other media players that are available today. From highest to lowest price-wise, the iTouch models by Apple run between $165 to $326 (depending on gigabyte capacity), while the Apple iPod can run between $54 to $159. Aside from being able to play music and videos, the main reason I mention these is because of the many applications (apps) you can download for them online or through the online Apple store. There are many free apps and the ones that do cost money are usually only 99 cents. Well worth the cost of keeping a teen occupied for a few hours, these apps can be little games or novelties that offer anything from using your finger to kick a rag doll around a wasteland to making psychedelic artwork.

The lower priced media/MP3 players usually don't offer application downloads, however. They are more suited to strictly play music and videos...which still can keep someone occupied particularly if they are music fans. Examples of some are the Zune ($90), Creative Zen offers different mp3 players ($50) as does SanDisk, particularyly the Sansa model($59). I've had the opportunity to check out most of these brands and they work just fine. Download some music beforehand or let your son or daughter add their own music and playlists and there you are, an instant customized commercial-free radio station.

4) Give your teen a digital camera or a disposable camera. If we are driving in a car, my son and my niece, like to take pictures of the scenery, the back of my head, their shoes, etc. I find that digital cameras are the best choice as your teen can reap the benefits of instant gratification when they view the picture they just snapped. A teen could take dozens of pictures and spend a lot of time looking at the thumbnails.

Even with a disposable camera, your teen has something to look forward to when you reach your destination or when you return. I've seen decent digital cameras for about $50 and disposables only cost a few bucks.

3) This suggestion is a little different: Binoculars. I like to make sure that I bring binoculars with me on a car trip, even in the winter. Normally, we use them to sightsee when we are at the beach where we look for dolphins and see what the fishermen are catching. But there's no law that says you can't bring them along on a winter trip. There is a lot to look at while you are driving and a pair of binoculars really helps make it fun. Believe it! You can get a functioning pair for under $50 at most stores.

2) Take them to the library or buy them two books or magazines before you leave. Let them choose what they want to read. Be open-minded. Don't judge. Give them the power to pick a subject that really interests them. I wouldn't recommend anymore than two books and/or two magazines, getting more than that will lead to clutter. Most teenagers I've had experience with tend to just drop the book or magazine they were perusing right on the floor where they sit, so don't buy or check out the deluxe editions of books since they going to take a little abuse. It's also a way to connect with your brood. If you have read the same book or magazine or at least know a little about the subject, you can mention that before they even begin reading. Make sure they know this and can ask you questions about it if they feel the need. It's like planting a seed. Most of the time, they won't ask questions, but if the mood strikes them, they just might ask if they are curious enough.

1) And the number one way that I keep my own teen happy while we are traveling is the simplest, least expensive and most effective way by far: I always make sure I keep a notebook and a pen or pencil available for him.

Even if your child isn't an artist or interested in writing, I've seen nothing that passes the time better than giving your teenager room to express themselves on paper. But heed my warning...if there is one point I want to drive into your head as one parent to another, it's this: Please, please, please tell your teen outright that you will not be looking at whatever they write, draw or doodle. Privacy is a very big deal for a teenager and promising that you will stay out of their self-expression is the greatest gift of all. Hopefully, you will be able to keep your promise (as tempting as it is).

These are the five best ideas I have to I make sure my teenager stays busy while we go to and fro during the holiday season. It's not foolproof but it helps 99.5 percent of the time. The other .5 percent is dedicating to sleeping and asking if we are there yet.