Decreasing Distractions By Children in the Car
Any parent knows that driving with their children in the car can be a daunting task at times. Your little ones are in the back seat screaming about wanting to get ice cream, they are fighting over who saw the blue car first; they are driving you crazy. This is what every parent goes through when they are transporting their children, and it can be absolutely maddening. However, no matter how distracting your children can be in the car, you need to remember to stay focused. You can just keep repeating for your children to calm down, but this is not always going to work and you will find very quickly that your temper will get short. Everyone's children are different, and everyone's parenting skills will vary, but if you follow some simple suggestions, you should be able to at least keep your focus on the road and not on the back seat war that your children are waging.
Positioning Mirrors
Believe it or not, if you position your mirrors in a way that enables you to only just see out of the back of your auto, you will notice fewer distractions because you cannot see your children as well. However, many parents driving their children still want to see what is going on without having to turn around in the seat. This is why it is very important that you position your mirrors so that you can still see what is going on in the back seat, but make the focus of the positioning about operating the car properly and install car safety seats before hand so as to not worry about them on the road.
Alternatives to Yelling
For some of us, our first instinct could be to yell at our children if we get frustrated enough with the incessant whining. Yelling might scare them for a second into behaving, but it is not a long-term solution. If your children are old enough to understand you, before you leave your home, sit them down and talk to them about how dangerous it can be for everyone in the car if they are being loud and obnoxious. Give them a rewards system if you'd like, such as "You'll get a sweet when we get to the store if you behave during the drive." This approach might work, but you don't want to spoil your children. The best way to decrease how distracting your children can be does not need to involve bribery, but many of us get to our wit's end and simply want silence, so do what you have to in order to stay safe.
You don't want to yell at your kids, but a stern raised voice will usually get their attention. Tell them that you are driving and that if you take your attention off of the road you could be involved in a collision. If you tell them like it is, they might listen to you, but there are really no guarantees. Each child is different, so finding one answer to avoiding distraction is difficult. However, try a few different approaches to getting your children under control while they ride in the car with you.
No matter what happens, keep your focus on the road. You can try many methods of decreasing distractions by children in the car, but until you find something that works, keep your attention on what actually matters, which is driving safely. You can always give them a good colouring book or even a handheld video gaming system that will keep them entertained for the time you are in the car. This will allow you to concentrate on the safety of your family and will give you some much needed silence.