By Christina E. Ross
If you get the shakes just thinking of the last road-trip
you took with your toddlers or teenagers, you are not alone. It can be tough
travelling with kids of any age, for both themselves and their parents! But
while you may not be able to turn a car ride into a trip to remember, there are
certain damage-control techniques that can ensure you will at least survive the
experience, if not enjoy it out right.
Firstly, consider setting some ground rules for the whole
family. Decide on certain subjects or even phrases that always seem to get
someone's back up, and make it a ground rule that no one is allowed to voice
them. Also agree to take turns with setting the temperature in the car, weather
windows or the fan is allowed, etc. It's important that everyone be as
comfortable as possible during long trips on the road, so play it fair and make
sure everyone's voice is heard.
Secondly, invest in a mobile DVD player for your car if you
can possible afford it. This might seem like a frivolous expense, but I promise
you that if you buy one, you will fall in love with it. Mobile DVD players
designed for cars come in a variety of models and screen-sizes, with price-tags
to match.
Ideally, your best choice is to go with a headrest DVD
player. These players come installed in headrests that you simply swap for your
existing headrest, so the screen and player are literally in the back of the
front-seat headrests, so they take up no extra space, can't get bumped around
or become air-born, and are more easily hidden from potential thieves. Headrest
DVD players tend to be a little more expensive than other types of mobile DVD
system, but you can pick a single player up for anywhere from $90-$250, and a
set of two for anywhere between $200-$500.
Other choices for in-car entertainment include flip-down
TV's and DVD players, and portable and in-dash DVD players, but these are far
less safe and are much more visible to thieves.
Particularly if you can manage a DVD player per child (if
you have two kids, you can buy a set of 2 headrest DVD players for a moderate
sum), your road trip will become dramatically easier. Not only will your kids
be passively entertained and quiet, but if they each have a player of their
own, they won't even have to squabble over what movie to pick! Alternatively,
if you can only afford one player or have more than 2 children, just make sure
you establish ground rules about taking turns choosing a DVD to keep tempers to
a minimum.
You can even keep movie-time educational by occasionally
choosing a documentary or historical film, then start a conversation and
encourage a family discussion about the subject.
Finally, try to remember to have relax and have fun! So what
if you are a bit delayed in reaching your destination. It's worth being a bit
late in order to make sure the whole family arrives happy and comfortable.
Nothing kills a nice vacation like resentments and family members refusing to
speak to each other! So above all, just trust that everything will work out,
keep calm and cool, and enjoy the ride.
