Tips On How To Make Your Car 'Kid-Ready' For Long Travel
It
is always fun to travel around with your kids. At the same time, it
gets tricky for most parents as well due to the minimal level of
built-in security that is being offered to them by your car. Especially
on long trips, it becomes very difficult to drive and look out for the
kids. As a solution, protecting your kids by making your car ‘kid-ready’
is just what you need to do.
To
prepare your car for the young ones, you must know that discipline is
the key. No car protection is useful unless your kids are disciplined
enough to know what things shouldn’t be messed around with. Be it for
toddlers or young kids, the tips for making your car safe for kids
include:
Buckle up!
The
most important factor is to make sure all of your kids are wearing a
seat belt. In most countries, it is prohibited to travel without wearing
a seatbelt especially for kids within a certain age range. As for
toddlers, a car seat is recommended. Make sure it is compatible for your
car and that you install it correctly.
Time To Clean Up
Clean
up your car before go on your trip. You must remove all sorts of sharp,
pointy objects that may be harmful for the kids and look out for any
plastics bags, laptops or car tools that may be lying around inside your
car. Moreover, keep important documents and files that you need to
bring out of their sight. Make sure to also take a careful look at the
car fresheners or cleaners that you use as they may contain harmful
chemicals.
Child-Lock Your Car
Always
make sure you set up your car’s child-locks well before your kids hop
on to the ride. Do not forget to child-lock both of the back doors even
if there is only one kid onboard. When doing so, make sure your kids are
not around and do not see how it is done and undone because they love
to fidget around with all sorts of things.
Furthermore, lock the back windows of the car as well in order to be sure of your kids’ safety.
Accessorize Your Car
With
the car well-prepared for kids, you can add extra comfort to their long
journey by adding small pillows or cushioned seat belts to your car.
For keeping a better eye on your kid, you can accessorize your car with a
rear view mirror that overlooks your kids to keep a check on them.
Equip Your Car with Entertainment
Lastly,
do not forget that your kids will turn to you for entertainment (and
attention) when they have nothing to do on a long trip.
To
keep them busy, make sure to bring their favorite story books, board
games, and toys to keep them busy. Kid-friendly gadgets (like the Leap
Pad) can also help keep them seated. Hungry kids can also get grumpy, so
don’t forget to fill a bag with goodies (keep most of them healthy!)
and refreshments.
Be Ready For Medical Emergencies
One
of the most important things to have in your car, especially when you
have kids onboard, is a first aid box. Have emergency medicine for your
kids in the box, and make sure that they’re fit for their age. These
would come in handy just in case they get car sick. Band-aids and some
gauze are also important to have in your first-aid kit.
Keep the first aid box in a place that your kids cannot reach.
The author is a blogger and mom who advocates safe driving at all times. She writes for defensivedrivingonline.net.
