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On your last long car or plane ride, do you remember how many times you heard this one: "How much longer 'til we get there, Dad?" or "Why are we taking so long to getting to grandma's house, Mom?"
No doubt about it, children and long car (or plane) trips don't mix. The poor parents are left in the middle.
As parents, what can you do to make those long trips fun and relatively easy for your kids? Here are some tips:
1. Crayons and coloring books are still one of the most effective ways to silence children and keep them occupied for as long as their attention spans (and the length of the crayons) will allow them; so always have several boxes of crayons and a couple of inexpensive coloring books.
2. Children like comic magazines. It may be wise for you to go to the shops and ask around for old copies and issues of comic magazines.
3. Illustrated travel books or brochures will also keep your children busy for a while. The more colorful and the more pictures published in those travel books or brochures, the longer your children will stop nagging you!
4. CD/Casette player with headphones are also good ways to entertain your kids for the time being, most especially if they have different music preferences.
5. Food, snacks and beverages are always effective and sure-fire ways of getting your kids have fun and not get impatient during long trips.
6. Bring with you a deck of cards.
7. Have blank notebooks and markers on hand. These will be useful once your kids get bored coloring the books and breaking all the crayons.
Just plan your trips ahead, and make sure the trips will be easy on you and your kids. Who knows? Maybe in one of your trips, your kid will look up from the backseat and ask, "We're already here?!?!?"
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