Coping With Traffic Jams With Your Baby

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The forecast for the remainder of this week and the weekend is fantastic and as most of use mere mortals in the UK haven't seen much of the sun this summer, many of us are planning a trip to the coast this weekend to take advantage of what many are seeing as the last of the summer sun.

But as more and more people plan to hit the coast this weekend the forecasts from the travel organisations are not looking so bright, so how can you avoid the heavy traffic and horrendous tantrums in the car this weekend?

Having small children usually means that you are not tied down to the standard working hours of the average family. If you are on maternity leave or flexible working then this is the ideal time to take advantage of your situation and use the unsociable hours of the night or during the working day to travel. This means that you will avoid the heavy traffic jams and should have a relatively smooth journey.

But if you are one of the many families that have at least one working parent, then the only time to really hit the roads is in peak rush hour and just bite the bullet. If you are going to do this, then the most important thing is just to accept that the delays you are going to incur are inevitable and just make the most of them.

For very small children, keeping them clean and fed is the only thing you can do to make them happy. Plan for regular stops to make sure that you are feeding your child in a calm and hassle free environment, and by no means try to feed your child when you are in the car. The risk of choking is inevitable and car sickness is always a risk when you children are consuming anything when the car is in motion.

If you are travelling alone with your child, make sure that you have done everything you can for your child at the stop and then make sure that you wait until the next stop before you turn to your child again. Even if your baby is crying, the most dangerous thing for a driver to do for themselves or their baby passengers is turn to look at their child and take their eye off the road. Always find a safe place to stop before you attend to your child, and this does not include the hard shoulder!

If you have slightly older children that need constant entertainment in the car, consider investing in some children's CD's or audible story tapes that will encourage them to interact with you and enjoy their journey. Spotting games of I spy are ideal for any child that communicate with you, you can always change 'begins with a letter' to 'makes this noise' or 'is coloured red' etc. In addition this is a great time to talk to your child about your holiday and what is going to happen. Stay relaxed and happy yourself and your child is more likely to stay relaxed and happy with you.

One of the key triggers for fights and bad atmospheres in the car are the two magic words 'I'm Bored!' but if your child is on a long journey and they are bored, why not let them express it. If it is a boring journey why not agree with them and explain to them that, yes this is the boring part, but it will be well worth the journey when you get there. It helps to express to your child that you are also bored and accept that it is not a nice situation, so let's make the most of it together.

With a few snacks for the older children, a good list of songs and travel games, you and your children may not enjoy the car journey this weekend but it may be a lot calmer. So pack up your Travel Cot and put on your sunscreen and brave the roads this weekend, it's going to be a scorcher so make sure you make the most of it!

http://www.travellingcot.co.uk/ provides a one stop shop for all your travelling needs when taking a baby or small child on a trip, journey and holiday along with advice on the best way to ensure you have a trip that the whole family can enjoy.