Coping with Boredom

Let's be honest. Travelling is boring sometimes. You need to find ways to help your kids deal with the boredom.

Obviously, a selection of toys, games, books and movies will help tremendously. But if you're on a long trip, the time will probably come when you hear that classic question: "Are we there yet?"

My mother had a simple way to deal with that one. She took a wax pencil and drew a line down the window, a sort of very rough map of where we were going. She numbered it by the number of hours she expected the trip to take. When we asked if we were there yet, she could tell us what numbers we were by, so even when we were very young we could tell about how much longer we had to go.

Another good tactic is to bring along something the kids don't know about. Have a surprise bag, but don't pull anything out of it until you need to. It might be filled with favorite toys the kids didn't know were being brought, a different movie if you have a DVD player in the car, or something you bought just for the trip/

Be prepared to stop at the various sights along the way. Even if you're just stopping at a rest stop, you can help to relieve the kids' boredom. You might point out something of interest in the area, play a quick game of tag or have a picnic.

Travelling is a great time to use your imagination. Think up games you can play with the kids even when you're driving. A favorite we had with my dad was challenging one person to keep a straight face while everyone else tried to make her laugh. We did allow smiles, although some play this game not even allowing that much, but since one person might be the target for up to an hour, the smile was permitted. No touching allowed, just jokes and anything else everyone could think of to make that person smile... then laugh. It's amazing how close the two were in most cases. Getting someone to smile was often more than 80% of the battle.

Snacks can also help with boredom. I suggest avoiding too many sweets, and too much soda can increase the need for bathroom breaks. My family always packed a lot of chopped vegetables. Cucumbers and bell peppers were favorites, and since they have a lot of moisture in them, don't make you feel thirsty. Of course, you want to stick with what your kids will eat.

If all else fails, consider having small pillows in the car in case anyone wants to take a nap. Most kids can sleep about anywhere if they're bored enough.

Of course, in an airplane you can't take much of a break and the kids can't run around. You'll probably want them to take turns sitting by the window if you're travelling with more than one kid, and have a good collection of quiet activities. Crayons may be a good idea too. Fortunately, flights tend to be much shorter than drives.

Traveling With Kids
International Playthings
Melissa & Doug

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