Community Magazine October 2009

File # 2349: Road Trips with the Kids 58 Community magazine The Shaatra Files (shõ•trä) n . An outstanding homemaker [Arabic] READER TIPS M y children, at every age, love to listen to story tapes. Some of the favorites are Shmuel Kunda’s productions, Rabbi Maimon Elbaz, Torahvision, Yitzy Irps and Rabbi Mordechai Finkelman’s story tapes. Rachel S. I like to take foods such as potato and pasta salad that I can scoop into a cup and hand out to the children with a plastic fork. It doesn’t spill over the bumps, it doesn’t smell, and the younger children can usually handle eating it by themselves. Esther A. I bring along mini- sized travel games such as toleh (backgammon), chess, checkers and connect four. Many have magnets on the bottom of the pieces so they don’t fall, and they occupy the children for hours . Rachel P. Send your tips for next month’s subject: Supermom to: shaatra@community m . com F amily trips with long car rides can strain the nerves of almost any parent. Without forethought and a positive attitude, the car ride can end up sounding like a nagfest. Of course, it may sound a little like a nagfest even with plenty of forethought. But with some careful preparation, the experience should be far more bearable and enjoyable. A successful road trip can be a terrific experience for all to remember, even years later. So take the time to plan a few careful details beforehand. Seating Arrangements Firstly, before you leave the house, sit all your children down and tell them in no uncertain terms where each of them will be sitting for the duration of the trip. Consider also a rotation system if everyone always wants the window seat (and no one wants the middle), for example. Buttheseatingarrangementsmustbepreplanned, bearing in mind the children’s temperaments, ages, chemistry and other factors that may affect a pleasant journey. Prepare the kids with advance notice of their seat assignments and you’ll avoid unnecessary fights while getting everyone seated and settled down. Food for All Food is an important component on any trip. Look for meals that wont spill, drip or smell, like sandwiches. Snacks and drinks are also essential. While the most convenient drink to travel with are “box drinks” which are neat, virtually spill-proof, and something that almost all kids love, these often tend to have lots of sugar and the last you need is a bunch of hyperactive kids cooped up in a car. Water bottles (preferably with a sport cap) are often a better choice, especially in the hot summer months. Besides drinking, water can come in handy when you find yourself in the boondocks with no water in sight and a soiled child. But make sure to keep track of the drinking schedule to keep pace with your scheduled stops. Wait an hour or so until you allow any drinks and plan some appropriate rest stop breaks afterwards. Keep it Clean Keep your car clean and comfortable by tying a medium sized garbage bag on every door (be sure to keep plastic bags out of reach of little ones). Without garbage bags, the floor of the car will quickly become littered with empty cups, partially eaten sandwiches, silver foil, tissues and more. Most children will be more than happy to comply with the garbage rules, but you need to make it easy and convenient for them. In addition, Tissues and a bag of baby wipes to clean up spills, dirty faces and hands, should also be readily accessible. Entertainment Committee It’scrucialtopreplanactivitiesandentertainment. If the kids don’t have their own music players with headphones, then it’s important to choose the music to play through the car’s speaker system. The right music can add some spirit to the ride, but be advised that when the children are cranky, adding more noise in the form of music will only put everyone on edge. Young children love to sing songs. Tried and true road songs include “99 Bottles of Bear on the Wall,” “10 Little Monkey’s Jumping on the bed,” and “This is the song that doesn’t end...” Elementary school children will enjoy games like: “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing a...” (where each participant adds an item to the list that begins with a successive letter of the alphabet); finding interesting license plates from other states; reading road signs and finding words in them according to the alphabet; and the number one favorite... getting trucks to honk by pulling your fist down from over your head. Keep it Moving Kids may jump quickly from one activity to another – listening to music, eating, singing, playing games, etc. The most important thing is to stay tuned to the children’s needs and moods and change the activity to suit them. Family trips can be great opportunities to build everlasting memories and family bonds. Take the time to plan it and you can help create memories they will always fondly remember. ESTREYA E. ...Maaa, Sarah’s taking up the whole back seat! ...How much longer till we get there? ...I’m soooo hot and Joseph’s not opening the window! ...Daaad, I’m thirrrrrrrsty!