Baby on board: Keep your baby calm in his baby carrier!

10 Ways to keep your child calm in a baby carrier or car seat

Keeping babies and children entertained while travelling can be somewhat challenging for parents. During car rides in particular, little ones may get restless after spending some time in a car seat or baby carrier. Because safety remains to be the priority, parents must find ways to bust car seat boredom while keeping kids safely buckled up.

Here are 10 things you can do to keep your babies and children calm while they are in their car seat or baby carrier.

Soft Picture Books

Soft Picture Books are great for toddlers because they give them something interesting to look at while they are in the car. Flipping through the book’s pages is a fun activity for little ones, and is sure to keep them busy for some time.

Hanging Toys

Hanging Toys give babies something to look at while in the car. These can be mounted on your car window or rear windshield, or on the baby carrier itself. Keeping toys hanging within the baby’s reach will give him or her something to play with independently. For safety, choose soft toys over chunky ones made out of hard material.

Mirrors

A Mirror can be useful in the car so that your baby can see you from where he or she is seated. Oftentimes it helps make babies feel safe when they can see you and this helps to keep them calm while in their car seat.

Music

Mom blogger Ging Domingo-Santos keeps her 3 year old daughter entertained by playing her favorite music and singing along with her in the car. Recently, their road trip music of choice has been the soundtrack of Frozen.

Pacifier

A pacifier is one of the easiest ways to soothe a fussy child. It certainly comes in handy when you need to travel together with your baby. It is best to keep a few clean and sterilized pacifiers handy, in case he or she drops one while you are out.

Snacks

Having snacks ready in the car can help you manage hungry kid tantrums. It also helps to put your children in a good mood when they are given special treats, making the car ride a lot more pleasant for everyone.

Games

Car ride games like Rock Paper Scissors, I Spy, and License Plate Addition are fun things to do with bigger kids in the car. These work when you have more than one child riding with you, or of you have another adult accompanying you who can focus his or her full attention on the child as you drive.

Apps

If you prefer an electronic approach in pacifying your child, be sure to load up your tablet or smart phone with road-trip friendly apps for kids. There are a lot to choose from, including e-book versions of favorite children’s stories, digital coloring books, and educational games.

Videos

Many cars can now be upgraded with LCD screens that allow you to play your child’s favorite movie or TV show while on the go. You could also use a tablet as a portable TV, which is what mom blogger Janice Lim does when she is in the car with her 3-year old son.

Notice interesting things on the road

Play tour guide with your kids by pointing out interesting sights along the road. For long car rides, you can even give kids maps or travel journals to work on so that they can document the trip. This keeps them occupied in the car, and also gives you a nice piece of memorabilia from your trip.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

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Written by

Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

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