Seven Steps To Kid Car Heaven

Three quarters of parents do not enjoy travelling with their children and, as a consequence, lose concentration when driving, creating potentially dangerous situations on the road.

A report, commissioned by car manufacturer Kia explored parents’ attitudes to driving with children in order to uncover the problems they encounter, with the highest proportion of parents complaining that their kid’s behaviour in the car ruined their concentration (59%).

Despite the fact that half the parents surveyed travel with their children every day, 56% find car trips with children barely tolerable, while one in five describe them as stressful. Sadly, 1% of parents found travelling with their kids unbearable.

It would normally be expected that travelling with children on long journeys would be more stressful than short journeys – and 53% of the parents questioned would agree. However, the report also showed that a third of mums and dads find both journeys as stressful as the other while, interestingly, 15% found short journeys more stressful.

So what can parents do to overcome their own levels of stress and their children’s levels of discomfort? Child psychologist Dr Stephen Briers has prepared the Kia Seven Steps to Kid Car Heaven – the essential principles for successful family travel however long or short the journey:

• Think about car travel from a child’s point of view. Different children prefer to adopt different travel strategies. Consider the individual needs of your children and how you can minimise their stress during journeys. If you can keep their stress levels down the trip will be easier – and safer – for everyone in the car.
• Plan ahead. Involve your kids in preparations for longer journeys where possible and don’t forget that reducing the stress of short journeys is particularly likely to depend on rigorous organisation beforehand.
• Make sure your kids are comfortable. Provide duvets and pillows to make bolsters and cosy nests but never compromise safety equipment. Kids need space so try not to fill the area around them with clutter or extra baggage.
• Keep them entertained (but remember that you will need a range of different options to keep them occupied). Try and make provision for things you can do together as a family, but also for quieter individual activities when you need your children to amuse themselves.
• Ring the changes. When travelling with kids variety is the key. Swap seating arrangements around. Break with convention and consider sitting in the back with your children. Think about novel places to stop en route and try and find some alternatives to well-worn favourites like ‘I-Spy’.
• Take regular breaks. Two to three hours is the most that children can tolerate without a chance to stretch their legs. It can be tempting to press on, but drivers also need regular breaks if they are to keep concentration levels up and stress levels down.
• Set the tone. Although stressed children are likely to produce stressed adults, the reverse is also true. By keeping calm yourself you can break the stress cycle for everyone. Lead by example and remember that in most cases it won’t be the end of the world if you arrive a few minutes late.

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