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MNHQ

HELP- need your top tips on surviving car journeys

38 replies

carriemumsnet · 22/05/2007 10:00

We've been asked for Mumsnet's top 5 tips on surviving car journeys in half term. In Mumsnet style these can be fun or serious suggestions - as long as they work!

Slight problem is we only have about an hour to pull them together, so if you could put your thinking caps on that'd be grand

Big thanks MNHQ

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filthymindedvixen · 25/08/2007 12:18

me too! In fact I banned chocolate on this trip (grandma gave us a tonne 'for the journey' - yes thanks grandma, ds1 gets carsick..) and was reduced to secretly eating my secret stash under cover of a large newspaper

ChasingSquirrels · 23/08/2007 23:34

I have to say with the smarties thing I wouldn't be throwing out of the window - I would be eating

overthehill · 23/08/2007 23:26

Take the train instead....

MNHQ
carriemumsnet · 23/08/2007 23:07

They went for smarties, in car snooker, snacks/treats for 50 caravans, everyone playing DJ so everyone choosing and introducing a track (a fav in our family) and one more which escapes me at this late hour- was over in a flash as always - mentioned soundproof screen I think and hopefully got over the point that I certainly wasn't the expert - the mumsnetters were !

Thanks again for all your speedy input

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filthymindedvixen · 22/08/2007 13:32

what tips did they use then??

Hulababy · 21/08/2007 17:59

Managed to catch Carrie on Chris Eva;s show on way home from work. hadn't known MN was going be in so took me by suprise.

PestoMonster · 21/08/2007 16:45

Those free story cds that come with the Sunday papers. We've collected the Famous Five and the Secret Seven and the dds will sit entranced throughout.
LOL

MNHQ
carriemumsnet · 21/08/2007 16:42

thanks all, will let you nkow how I get on!

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scienceteacher · 21/08/2007 14:11

A sponsored silence is my top tip.

RubberDuck · 21/08/2007 14:10

If you can hear them arguing, then the stereo isn't up loud enough

Lizzer · 21/08/2007 14:07

For motorway/busy roads play car snooker! FIrst child to spot red car gets a point, then needs to spot yellow, green, brown, blue, pink or black then back to red until all the colours of the snooker table are potted fininshing with the black! (they'll get stuck on pink for ages, hence using up more valuable time!)

DontlookatmeIamborrrring · 21/08/2007 14:04

Empty Ice cream tubs are fab to keep under the seat of a car sick child - they are easier than carrier bags and also have a lid.

I am sooo tempted to buy a black cab with the dividing screen, as my kids get older the squabbling drives me mad!!!

stealthsquiggle · 21/08/2007 13:58

Get children up pre-dawn and they will (hopefully) fall asleep again...

Tie toys for babies onto their seats somehow - it limits the possibilities for where they are when they endlessly drop them and wail.

Dottydot · 21/08/2007 13:53

A surprise bag of stuff for each of them in the back - with a magazine, crayons, small toy in. Car bingo is fab for probably age 4+. Snacks every half an hour and we packed our two a small lunchbox with crackers, drink, few sweets, fruit in small pieces and they could have that whenever they liked, which they loved.

Break every 1.5 hours for a leg stretch and food!

burstingbug · 21/08/2007 13:51

The mini aquqdraw pictures are good, 4 in a pack for around £6. Think you can get Bob, Thomas & Dora ones.

filthymindedvixen · 21/08/2007 13:47

we also did a small snack for every 50 caravans they spotted - not hard on the trip down to cornwall...

filthymindedvixen · 21/08/2007 13:46

give them pocket money in 10ps. Every time they ask ''Are We Nearly There Yet?'' take 10p off them. Worked a treat on our recent 10 hour marathon to cornwall.

one of those lap tray things you get for eating in front of tv is good for older kids - they can do colouring, plastacine etc on them.

cornsilk · 21/08/2007 13:34

Load their favourite tunes onto the i-pod.
I offer rewards for the quietest!

preggersagain · 21/08/2007 13:32

we used to spot haulage companies on a long journey- ie , one child had to count the 'eddie stobart' trucks, someone else the 'mansel davies' wagons etc- was probably really boring (thinking about it now!) but it did stir up a bit of competition between us kids!!

Gobbledigook · 21/08/2007 13:29

Not read whole thread but for us

Travelling at night or early morning - to miss traffic and possibility that younger children would sleep

DVD player

Audio books

Lots of 'dry' snacks you can hand out - like raisins, dried fruit, breadsticks (if you can handle the crumbs)

oliveoil · 21/08/2007 13:29

buy a black cab and use the Silence button in the front

WW3 could break out in the back and you wouldn't know (or care)

MNHQ
carriemumsnet · 21/08/2007 13:26

Bump

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NotADragonOfSoup · 21/08/2007 13:15

Get your car fitted with one of those sound-proof "privacy screen" things so you can't see or hear them. They're happy, you're oblivious.

MNHQ
carriemumsnet · 21/08/2007 13:14

Hi chaps

Chris Evans show want us to do top 5 tips for surviving car journeys with kids tonight - they like the smarties tip quoted in Tel last weekend eg - buy a tube of smarties and every time they misbehave throw one out of the window... so they're thinking funny and useful rather than just DVD and in car CD's...

Calling us back in half an hour... anyone got any suggestions?

Big thanks

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MNHQ
carriemumsnet · 22/05/2007 10:34

Thanks all, compliling now, but do keep them coming if anyone has any more!

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