Are we there yet? - how to relax on long car journeys with a toddler

Holiday time, a wonderful time - the excitement about the holiday destination is great, but the joy of the journey there is not so great. Car journeys with a small child can be very exhausting . Sitting for hours, limited space to move around and few activities quickly lead to boredom. It helps to know a few tricks and have a few tricks up your sleeve to combat boredom.

Creating the best conditions

Children have a great need for movement. And if we adults find it difficult to sit for several hours at a time, you can imagine what a challenge this is for a small child. Therefore, the child seat in the car should not only be safe, but also comfortable and make sitting still as easy as possible. A child seat with an adjustable backrest is ideal for long journeys. The headrest should also be height-adjustable . Well-padded belts also ensure greater comfort. A storage compartment for the child seat is also practical. This allows the child to draw and play various games more easily.

Schedule breaks

No matter how comfortable the seat is, you should plan enough breaks during the journey. These should ideally take place in a place where the child can let off some steam. A rest area with a playground or a large meadow is suitable.

Good preparation for long car journeys is essential. Ideally, everything should be prepared and packed the day before the journey. This way, you can start your holiday relaxed. Because you must not forget: children are often excited before a journey and rushing around just before departure is counterproductive. Good preparation also includes the right first aid kit in case the child gets sick on the journey and the right snacks . The latter should be easy to digest and have little potential for spillage. Suitable items include pre-cut fruit, vegetable sticks and small pretzels.

Align your journey with your everyday life

It is also a good idea to plan the travel time into your normal daily routine. If your child usually takes a nap between 1 and 2 p.m., this is the ideal time to travel to your destination . It is a good idea, especially for longer journeys, to plan them so that at least part of them coincide with your child's nighttime sleep - assuming your child sleeps well in the car. This way, a good part of the journey can be completed in a relaxed manner.

Provide entertainment

The biggest challenge for long car journeys is entertainment. What helps is a family playlist. This can consist of a mixture of music and radio plays . Everyone can choose a few favorites for the list before the journey. Family games also ensure fun on long journeys. These games, which even younger children can play, include classics such as:

- I am packing my suitcase

- I can see what you can not see

- Who am I?

- The yes/no game

- Guess the song

Exceptions allowed

A long car journey is an exceptional situation . Accordingly, no one should be afraid to break or relax rules that are usually strictly adhered to. This does not immediately throw everything upside down. After all , the child also sees the long journey as an exceptional situation in which different rules apply. Is fast food usually taboo? A detour through a drive-in might keep the kids entertained for the last few kilometers. Is screen time normally limited to half an hour? On a long journey, a longer film can do the trick. And don't forget the driver. After all, the soundtrack of a Disney film is better for the necessary concentration than a whining toddler behind you. Small rule breaks can be the way to get everyone to their destination relaxed and safely.

Avoid arguments in the back seat

If you are going on a long journey with more than one child, you have to expect arguments in the back seat. To prevent this, it helps to discuss in advance exactly which child wants to take which toy and then pack them in separate luggage. This can avoid misunderstandings. In addition, if possible, each child should have their own area in the car - because arguments about space are a classic occurrence in the back seat. In an emergency, a parent has to sit between the children. This is certainly not the perfect solution, but it can make the journey much more relaxed.