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Got Kids, Will Travel ... Even with a Car Full!
An Excerpt from Mommy-CEO: 5 Golden Rules (Martin-Ola Press, 2001)
By Jodie Lynn
"Mom, Trey hit me," screamed Gabby. "You grabbed my headphones first and popped me in the ear," shouted Trey. It's one thing when kids are in the house while arguing – you can separate them and put them in their own rooms. But there, inside the car as you try to squeeze all of the different personalities into one small space, tempers are bound to flair, and flair and flair. Especially with these competitive twins.
This is the time of year when families begin to plan for their vacations. Due to the uncertainty of overcrowding airplanes and the high prices of tickets, when you have four or more kids, many will be taking to the roads via automobiles and need help in trying to make it a good experience. Why do vacations seem more like work than, well, vacations?
Some pointers that other well-seasoned, kind families have shared are listed below. It's great because through trial and error, these parents have found that these doable tricks-of-the-trade really do work.
- Plan ahead and get the kids involved in planning the trip with a map or road atlas.
- Discuss what you will see and perhaps get a video of where you are going.
- Check out possible points of interest along the route and stop there for meals or a stretch.
- Kids enjoy talking into a tape recorder to "report" what is out the window or other momentary facts.
- Borrow great classics on tape from the library. Use a cassette recorder to play The Borrowers and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
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