How do you stop your kids killing each other in the back of the car

[ABitStretched]

Starts with a nudge, a poke, a whinge and before I know it ds1(4) and ds2 (2) are killing each other in the back of the car - there will be hitting, screaming, chewing and chomping - possibly within 30 secs of leaving the house. They have now extended this to their double buggy - joy! Tried toys and conversation to distract but nothing doing. I'm thinking getting them to choose one very special car toy each that they only have in the car and if they kick off I pull over and take it away? They're really not great with discipline as they just don't seem to understand it. And if I'm honest its ds2 who is the guilty party.

[bigTillyMint]

Get them personal CD players and story CD's.
We have hours and hours of peace when they are both plugged in!
Failing that, put one on for all the family to listen to!

Just realised that you mentioned a double buggy - maybe DS1 could walk and then they wouldn't be next to each other?

[Saltire]

Well for long journeys up the M6, our 2 (aged 11and 9) have portable DVD players

[tigermoth]

Have you tried stopping the car when they are really bad? Just tell them you can't drive safely if they are distracting you, and pull up to a kerb and turn off the ignition. Tell them they must be quiet otherwise you can't drive them anywhere. It's not a magic solution, but is a good tactic IME when you are driving somewhere your dcs want to go to, like a playground etc.

Another thing you can say is that the traffic police will see the commotion in the car and stop you all. My sons know how the police were about on the roads, so this extra threat rang true with them.

[HecatesTwopenceworth]

toys. psp. magazine. sweets.

And when all that fails, you yell like a fishwife and threaten to "Turn this car round and take you straight HOME TO BED!"

I assume you have them one on one side and one on the other, leaving the middle seat free? - have you considered a grill partition?

[Thandeka]

My parents told me that motorway crash barriers were "dragon lines" and if I spoke above a whisper on a long journey a dragon would come over the lines and gobble me up. It definitely worked as a tactic until I was about 7 and my brother was about 5 then my parents had to graduate to stopping car on hard shoulder and scream at us about how dangerous it was and how the police would come and arrest us all.

[cornsilk]

One in the front, one in the back.

[ABitStretched]

all very helpful - but anyone got something for the youngest child - only just 2. And is it ok to put 4 year old in the front.

[Thandeka]

definitely not okay to put 4 year old in front am afraid.

[DottyDot]

snacks - is the 2 year old too young to have chopped up fruit plus a few naughty things in a tupperware box (sorry - mine are 7 and 5 and I've deliberately blocked out what younger children are like..!)? Ours love having their own snack box and it keeps them quiet for a while.

I also do car bingo sheets - will be fine for the 4 year old - put clip art pictures of cars/trees/cows/sheep/pylons/shops/buses etc. on sheets and print them out. They both liked doing this this year.

Story CDs are fab and might do the trick.

[bigTillyMint]

Oh yes, I'd forgotten snacks!

Popcorn's a good one too - anything that takes ages to eat! And dole out different stuff when they are getting bored. And small sweeties as a reward for the one who is being sensible.....