Do you find yourself giving children pads and phones in the car to keep them quiet?
Sometimes it feels like the only way to calm them down or get through a journey.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true, and you might find their behaviour is harder to manage when you get home! Technology can cause hyperactivity, anxiety and high levels of stress which can then cause children to feel unsettled and struggle to manage their behaviour when they are off it.
Try the following things instead:
- Put on some music they like and let them have a sing song (join in with them to make it even more fun!)
- Take some colouring books and pencil crayons – give each child their own little tub of crayons and paper so they don’t need to share
- Take some magnetic click blocks for the car (they come in travel bags)
- Take an drawing pads/ doddle board (they look like iPad but are just drawing pads)
- Take plenty of snacks and dip-bags of cucumber sticks, carrot sticks and popcorn are a good shout!
- Let them take their teddies/ small cars or little toys
- Take books for them to read/ look at
Try to encourage them to occupy their time when on longer journeys. It will help them develop the skills they need to just ‘be’ which is essential in today’s busy world. Help them learn to be still, think, look out the window, talk to each other or occupy themselves quietly. These are all skills for life!
