For Tuesday's tip this week, we'll look at some tips for travelling with kids in the car. There is a huge range of child car travel accessories on the market to ensure that the car journey need not be uncomfortable for infants or small children. We wont cover them all here but let's look at five simple tips to make sure the journey goes a bit easier.
1. Entertain them: The number 1 rule for a car journey with kids is to have some entertainment ready. Things have progressed somewhat from the days of guessing the colour of the next car and children expect more from their car journeys these days. There is a host of DVD and gaming items on the market to keep kids entertained for hours on end. But why not give them a map and get them involved in the journey - if nothing else it will cut down on the "are we nearly there yet?"
2. Get organised. The old scouts motto of 'be prepared' is especially important when travelling with kids. There is a host of car organisers, and over-the-seat storage organisers to help you pack away all the little things tidily but within arms reach. Bottles, wipes, books, small toys etc. Sun shades on the window are a must for travelling on the continent.
3. Don't overpack the car: From a comfort and safety point of view, dont overpack the car when there are kids in the back. Give them enough legroom by packing the main luggage in the boot. If you dont have the space in the car, look outside the car and think about getting yourself a car roof box. Quality car roof boxes have reduced in price significicantly and are very quick and easy to install. If you want to bring the bikes on the car, that's not a problem either.
4. Give them some air: There is nothing worse for children in the car than a muggy, stuffy journey. Make sure your air-con is working well before you set off on a long journey. There are a host of products on the market to ensure your car air conditioning is working to its optimum, including this one called Artic Freeze. If you're doing it the old fashioned way with the windows down, get a set of wind deflectors to reduce the breeze. Clean the car interior beofe the journey and deodorise the car vents.
5. Feed the poor mites: While motorway service stations have some great child-friendly facilities, the food is not always the healthiest so bring your own snacks to get the children topped up. Fresh fruit is a great option to keep morale high among the troops. For younger infants there are some good in-car feeding accessories on the market.
So that's it for now, we hope this helps with the summer car journeys with the kids. Next week, we'll look at do's and don'ts for driving on the continent.