Member - Peter replied:

when you see a parking area pull over and make everyone ,yes driver included jump out and run around the car three times fast jump back in and off you go it only takes a second or two but you will be suprised just how much it will revive you , add some fun for the kids by timing how long it takes,remember the handbrake safe trip..

diamond replied:

sorry to tell you this but theres no known cure for long distance insanity after a cpl of of recent trips to qld fron vic i now that best thing i found was ear plugs wont stop kids getting bored or fighting but will help you not to hear it sorry if this didnt help and hope you got a laugh and could be a story to tell them next trip lol

bruce.h replied:

always found that the only solution to lomg distance travel is stop lots ,w also have fold down tables on the backs of ourt seats stuffed with books travel games ect.heaps of water for the im thirsties ,& a big bag of bulk lolliesas rewards for those who behave good or the im hungries other than that i have found that if you show interest & attention to the kids & what s going on the kids do also. by the way my kids are 6,3 & 14 monthes travelno worries anther game to play is see who can stay awake the longest the harder they try the quicker they fall asleep

Truckster replied:

Try here for a few tips.

Travelling With Kids

But its a problem for longer than Cars have been around...

Playing Eye Spy gets dull after 1 minute though!!

Member - Bob replied:

Are we there yet? Distraction by activities that don't lead to carsickness or fights are good for a while. After that, sleep is attractive. Achieving sleep for those purists amongst you is by keeping them up late the night before. This can backfire when they become overtired and aggressive. For the rest of there used to be Vallergan Forte, and more recently Stilnox. Half a stilnox will stun the average eight year old for a good four hours. Make sure their airway is open so as to avoid disappointment on arrival at your destination.

johnsy replied:

You dont say how old your tin lids are but here goes.
1 If your comfortable with it travel at night they sleep .
2 If they are 3/ 4 a string tied across the back seat where they reach the toys books etc clipped on with pegs
3 walkmans with nursery stories borrowed from the library
4 If they are a little older buy lego models that are ahead of their ability and no helping by the parents or older kids
5 travel trays with the bean bag base
a few ideas that we used

Member - Melissa replied:

Hi Dock,

Only just caught up with this post so apologies for late reply. Here's a few more idea's...

First few are things my folks used to do with us kids during our many long distance trips. If you've got the time, do a bit of research about the area you intend travelling through, then:

1) make up a (long) list of "Spot This" (eg. emus, kangaroo, windmill, Sturt Dessert Pea etc) and give each thing 1-5 points for degree of difficulty. Each person gets a point everytime they spot something on the list. We never got prizes, just the fun and competition was enough. Also educational.

2) make up question & answer cards with questions relevant to the area you are travelling. Each person asks a question to the next person and so on. Keep score if you want. Again, a lot of fun and educational.

3) Give them life savers and see who can suck them the longest without breaking them. Can't talk too much when they're mouths are otherwise occuppied LOL.

Bit harder with the little ones. My son is 20 mths and is going thru a really bad travelling stage. Things I have found help are:

1) Constant supply of food like dried fruit, biscuits etc. I give him a few at a time in a paper bag and this keeps him entertained for awhile.

2) Hang some toys within reach. I got a bit of plastic chain from the hardware and hung it from the handle above the door and pegged toys onto it.

3) Got him a couple of very small torches (about $2 each from BigW). He has great fun shining these around, through his clothing, hand etc.

4) Give him his sandals to play with. He spends ages taking them off and trying to put them back on.

Recently I saw an organiser that fits on the back of the front seats. These have been around for ages but I thought this one was particularly good as the front folded down to 90 degrees and formed a flat surface that kids could use for colouring etc. We'll get one for Matty when he is a little older.

Lastly, stop regularly and give the kids a chance to run around, stretch and generally refresh themselves. Of course, this applies to adults too (well maybe not the running around). And don't set unrealistic travel plans. Kids are on holidays too so it's not really fair to expect them to sit in the car for hours and hours.

Hope you can use some of my idea's.

:o) Melissa

Jol Fleming replied:

Lap top with DVD is really good, audio books, game boys, walkmen for each child, lots a stories, and parents never argue, it kills a holiday for the kids

cheers jol

Jol Fleming replied:

Lap top with DVD is really good, audio books, game boys, walkmen for each child, lots a stories, and parents never argue, it kills a holiday for the kids

cheers jol