5 Tips for Effective Parenting Inside Your Vehicle | MomsGetReal

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MomsGetReal Guest Contributor Amy Nielson

When it comes to parenting, do you have all of your ducks in a row? Do your friends and family consistently compliment you on your well-behaved children? Even the most with it parents can feel like their children have been replaced by pod people once they get into the car. From screaming tantrums to hyperactive behaviors, children can provide a wealth of distractions inside of your car. Here are five tips that you can use to parent your children effectively and safely when you?re driving down the road:

1.Car Seats

The first step to parenting your children in the car is to make sure that they are safe. Laws regarding child restraint can change yearly; be sure you?re up on the current laws in your state. It surprises many parents to find that their 12-year old children may still need a booster seat in order to ride in the car safely. You?ll need to take your child?s height and weight into consideration when choosing the correct safety system for your vehicle. Once you purchase your seat, make sure that you have it installed correctly according to the manufacturer?s instructions. If you need help installing your child?s car safety seat, your local police department may have someone that can help you; contact the department to inquire about getting assistance.

2.Pull Over

According to statistics, the majority of car collisions are caused by distracted drivers. While you may not want to think of your children as distractions, that?s exactly what they are when they?re misbehaving in the car. If you need to reprimand your children, resist the urge to take your eyes off of the road in front of you. Instead, pull over to the side of the road or into a parking lot and regain control of your little ones. Even fighting to make eye contact in the rearview mirror can be dangerous; never reprimand your children while you?re driving.

3.Set Rules and Consequences

Your children may not be old enough to understand the dangers of distracted driving, but they are old enough to understand rules and consequences. Before you allow your children to get into your car, establish a clear set of rules. Make rules that include no yelling or shouting and keeping hands and feet where they belong. Nothing is worse than having a child screaming in your ear while they kick the back of your seat. Make sure that your children understand the consequences of bad behavior inside of the vehicle before you take off down the road.

4.Activities

Busy children are often well-behaved children. Buy a small backpack for each child and let them fill it with things that they want to do. Small children may be happy with a few coloring books and a box of crayons, while older children may want to pack a portable DVD player and favorite movies. Keeping the activity bags in the car will give your children both a reason to look forward to road trips and a reason to behave. If you choose to allow your children to watch movies or listen to their own music in your car, make sure that they bring along ear buds so that you aren?t distracted by the noise.

5.Know When to Leave

If you decide to make a run to the store during your child?s nap time and your little one acts out, whose fault is it? Yours. Don?t leave the house when your child should be napping or during meal times. Don?t leave the house when your child is already misbehaving or in a particularly naughty mood. You can?t expect your child to behave in the car if they are already misbehaving in the house. You also can?t realistically expect a child who?s hungry or tired to control themselves in your vehicle. Leaving your house at the proper times will head off any tantrums in the car before they start. Try to head out after your child has had his nap or after your daughter has had breakfast; you?ll be happy that you timed it right.

Part of the responsibility of driving is ensuring that those in your car and others on the road are safe. By driving with crazed children, you?re virtually asking for an accident. Follow the tips above to effectively parent your children in the car and you?ll be better prepared to get everyone where they are going safely. For more information on safe driving, visit www.carinsurance.org.

Amy Nielson is an avid blogger who writes often for insurance sites. You can follow her on Twitter @NielsonAmy.

Source: http://momsgetreal.com/2012/12/5-tips-for-effective-parenting-inside-your-vehicle/

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