We live kind out in the middle of nowhere. No matter where we are headed, there’s always at least a 15 minute drive involved. We live a half hour away from one set of grandparents and an hour from the other. Needless to say, our toddler has grown accustomed to riding in the car for long periods of time. He still gets restless sometimes, however, so we have come up with a few tricks to keep him occupied and happy during a quick (or long) trip.
It helps if your child can have a special toy or lovey that she only gets to have when you’re in the car. It might be a special blanket or a stuffed animal. You may even decide that she can have her pacifier (if it’s otherwise restricted). This will help your toddler associate the car ride with relaxation and she may even find herself catching a nap.
Sometimes your baby or toddler really just wants attention because she is bored. If there is more than one person in the car besides baby, have them sit in the back so they can talk to her. People always talk in the card. Just because someone’s a baby, doesn’t mean they want to be left out of the conversation. I like to keep a few books in the car so I can read a story to my son if my husband is driving.
Playing music in the car has always worked well for us, too. When my son was really small, he would cry a lot in the car. But as soon as we started playing Barry White’s greatest hits fairly loud, he fell fast asleep every time. I think it was the steady base and deep soothing voice that calmed him down. Whatever it was, it made us laugh.
Currently our most effective weapon against boredom in the car is a fully sippy cup of juice. I also make a point of turning down the radio once in a while and talking about our trip. I like to point out things as we pass them since my son is at the age where he loves to learn new words. He’ll repeat the name of everything I show him.