By Erin Hunter
You need to focus on the road while driving. You have to consider your car and other vehicles on the road. The problem is when you’re driving with children. It’s difficult to concentrate because they’re always rowdy. The moment they start shouting or fighting with one another, you can no longer focus on driving. If you’re with another adult, it’s easier to control the situation. The problem is when you’re the only one who can stop them. These are the tips to help you control the children.
Set rules before you leave
Before leaving home, you need to set rules that they can understand. Let them know that you should concentrate while driving, and they should behave well. Tell them that if they misbehave, you will head back home. If they love where you’re heading, they might behave properly.
Bring something to keep them busy
Your children won’t be rowdy if they have something to do while sitting in the car. Make sure everyone has gaming devices to use. You should also let them choose the toys they want to bring with them. As long as there’s something that keeps them busy, they won’t be rowdy.
Bring plenty of snacks too. Children are always hungry, and you can’t afford to delay the trip because they want to eat. Pack enough snacks and lunch to get you through the trip.
Tell them you’re arriving soon
Your children understand the concept of time, and they will feel better if they know that you’re arriving soon. Tell them that if they behave well, you can drive faster and arrive immediately.
Reward them for behaving
Rewarding children for good behavior isn’t necessarily an ideal parenting strategy, but it’s necessary. Since your children hate being inside a car for a long time, you should have an incentive to maintain proper behavior. Find something that all of them would like, so the reward becomes enticing. Follow through on what you promised so you can use this strategy next time. Otherwise, they won’t believe you anymore.
Pull over if you can’t focus
You should pull over if you already did everything possible, and your children remain rowdy. You can’t keep driving if it’s difficult for you to concentrate. You might have an accident if you keep driving while trying to maintain control of the passengers.
If you eventually get involved in an accident because of your children, you need to check if they’re okay. Calm down, and don’t panic amid the situation. Call the police and explain everything that took place. You should also call a towing company in Miami to help remove the car from the scene. You can’t keep it there forever.
Your children will probably learn a lot from the incident and behave better next time. You should also evaluate your parenting style if you can barely control your children. A similar incident could happen next time, and the results could be worse.
