How to Make Family Road Trips Safe and Entertaining

This question echoes through cars on every highway and byway across America. It speaks of severe, childhood boredom. This boredom can lead to exploration. Exploration causes distractions. Distractions in the car are the cause of a large number of accidents each year.

So, how can we avoid this situation? A little planning and preparation will lead us to a healthy, happy ride for the whole family. Each individual family will need to make their own tailor-made road trip plan, but, let's discus a few general guidelines.

We should start with the fact that children, especially the younger ones, have a very short attention span. You may be trying to engage them while they are busy exploring the door handles. So, let's start by locking the doors, with the little ones as far away from the doors as possible.

The short attention span also applies to the frequency of activity shifts. You should always make sure that you have a wide variety of activities to do that your children enjoy. Singing, color books, 'I Spy', 'License Tag Alphabet', and a million other little games can keep the kids occupied while you drive.

Sometimes the children may not all want to participate. You need to have a reward system set up for these moments. Nothing gets a kid interested in a game like prizes. It doesn't need to be anything expensive. A favorite candy, fruit, or small toy will often give motivation to even the shyest of youngsters.

Having another adult, or two, in the vehicle is always a good idea. One of you can drive while the other entertains the children. This is the easy way to travel. A lot of people like to use this time for a little adult conversation. But, it's always best to focus on the kids in the car and worry about adult interaction after the little ones are bedded down for the night.

If you do not have any adult companions, you can have the older kids help out with the little ones. Again this may involve a reward. But, a CD or a few dollars is nothing compared to the specter of a highway accident.

Whatever the method you choose, you should always keep in mind that planning and preparation are your two best weapons against boredom. So, think it out, get some supplies and snacks, and be involved in the process of keeping the kids entertained. This way when you hear, "Are we there yet?" you can say with a smile, "We sure are."