Traveling by car with children: entertainment, motion sickness and safety tips
Traveling by car with children is always an adventure, but so that it is only in the positive sense of the term, here is the essential vademecum to go anywhere by car.
Car Seat
- make sure it is installed correctly and is in the right group for weight and height. Always choose quality products and if you need to change it, do not wait until the last moment before leaving. A new car seat requires a bit of running in for your baby to get used to it!
- cover the seat with a breathable summer cover: the child will stay cooler and if it gets dirty at least you can remove it without damaging the seat. The ideal would be to also have a spare but it is sufficient to keep some multipurpose cotton muslins at hand (they absorb, dry, repair): indispensable on the go!
- if the child is older, avoid the lifts, they are neither safe nor comfortable (we talked about them in the article “Car seat group 2-3 (15-36 kg): how to convince older children?“)! Better a seat with a structured backrest and headrest. Many of the Cybex car seats, in addition to ensuring extreme safety and comfort, also have channels for the ventilation of the body!
- clean the car seat before departure: it has been shown that a car seat can accommodate up to double the bacteria present in a toilet: in addition to the fundamental hygienic factor, you would like to travel with dirty clothes
If The Child Suffers From Car Sickness
- for car journeys, choose the times of the child’s usual rest, it will be easier to promote sleep and avoid the sense of nausea
- the old trick of a little fresh air from the window always works in case of discomfort: change the air often and do not abuse the air conditioning
- drive gently avoiding sudden braking and acceleration. Aavoid too many curves: when possible, a slightly longer but less tortuous journey is better.
- avoid giving your child water, milk, yogurt or juice. Better dry but light food before and during the journey and better to drive after a meal, when digestion is almost finished
The Pastimes
In addition to tablets and mobile phones (not suitable for those suffering from car sickness), pastimes of the past are always valid. Entertainment ideas varies, depend on the child age and taste.
Games and songs are ideal for distracting children who are ill tolerant of long journeys by car. If you are short of ideas, before leaving, do a quick search on the internet for possible games to play in the car based on the age of travelers: on the appropriate sites you can really find everything!
The little ones will have fun with simple songs and nursery rhymes, sung by you or from a CD. Even the stories told by a narrator on cd are ideal to capture their attention (and also that of the greats!). Watching videos on YouTube or another platform is not a good idea, during travel.
For older children, games with words or numbers are excellent, even those derived from the most popular television quizzes: take inspiration from it to develop games with simple questions that are within the reach of children.
Apparently trivial games that everyone always likes are those that involve colors. Ask the younger children to indicate how many cars or objects of a certain color they see from the window: tested on my 5 and 8-year-old children, who have now come to catalog the car brands from the colors, for passionate races that can last for a whole a holiday!
Finally, do not forget the breaks, they are essential to stretch your legs and break the monotony.
And remember that wherever you go and whatever you carry, the most important load is your children!