4 Car Hacks to Make the Drive to School Easier

There’s something wonderful about forced family bonding. Oftentimes in this technology-ridden society, it’s easy to take simple moments for granted. During the trip to school, why not make it a ritual to get to know your kids better? Sure at first you might face rolling eyes and comments under their breaths, but these commutes will develop into fond memories. Instead of filling up the car with a hundred more things to keep your kids entertained, ask your kids what they want to do during the drive to school.

DJ for a Day

Perhaps each child can pick the music one day a week, as long as it is appropriate for the whole car. This exercise helps you know what your kids are listening to since you most likely don’t look at their music devices on a regular basis. If they request inappropriate songs, you can research some tunes with similar rhythms containing more positive lyrics. If the rest of the passengers are irritated by the musical selection, they only have to endure it for a day. Remind the kids, and yourself, everyone will have a chance.

Play Would You Rather

You can easily buy this game in the store or find questions on the internet. Cater to your children’s likes by creating your own questions. Do you have an Elmo obsessed future paleontologist? Try this question – “Would you rather spend a day on Sesame Street or ride on a Brachiosaurus for an hour?” Allow your children to make up questions for each other. Write the prompts on strips of paper, and store them in a mason jar that fits in the cup holders. Make sure you participate and answer questions, too.

Use a New Shoe Organizer for Food Storage

Do your kids tend to tell you they are hungry before they buckle themselves in? Whether a change in routine clipped away at breakfast time, or it’s after school and the kids haven’t eaten since lunch, being prepared with snacks will save you an exorbitant amount of money you would have spent on fast food. Try filling a shoe organizer on the back of the driver’s seat with portable snacks. Select cereal bars, pretzels, crackers, or dried fruit. Make one of your kids responsible for requesting snacks weekly and packing them in.

Be Prepared to Sign and Pay at the Last Minute

Unfortunately, sometimes a note goes unsigned or a lunch bill goes unpaid. Be ready to sign permission slips in the carpool line and write checks at the red light. In fact, double checking kids’ folders, or verbally checking with adolescents, as soon as they get in the car in the morning will at least allow you a few minutes along your route to extinguish any fires. Check to see if your school districts have a way to instantly load money into your child’s school account online. Pack a pen, your checkbook, and a healthy dose of patience.

Spending time with you kids is important because before you know it, they will be living their own lives. Instead of begrudgingly riding in the car together, make it an experience. Some days will be better than others, but you won’t ever forget those minutes you had with your kids, and neither will they.

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