Reward Good Behavior During The Ride

The “perfect family” tools down the road in a car on the way to a vacation destination of their dreams. Songs, laughter and general harmony fill the car. The entire trip goes smoothly.

While it is nice to think Norman Rockwell moments will dominate a car trip, any seasoned parent will tell you this just is not the case. Of course, you and your children will have fun along the way. The reality, however, is that long car rides are rough on everyone. The kids will get tired and cranky, they will ask you “how much further” and they might even cry and act out if trapped in their seats for too long. Even the best behaved children can have a hard time of it on a long trip.

 If you want to keep your kids as happy as possible, minimize sibling rivalries and generally just keep the peace in the vehicle, there are plenty of tricks you can employ. One of the most effective involves rewarding youngsters along for the ride for good behavior. To increase your chances of rewards actually working, consider doing these things:

• Buy “prizes” before you leave home and put them in a goody bag. These can be small trinkets for little children, special snacks or other desirable items the kids would enjoy.
• Set the ground rules in advance. Tell the kids what you expect from them behavior wise and let them know they will earn rewards if they stick with the program.
• Be consistent with the rewards. If you said you would give your children a chance to dip into the goody bag if they are well behaved for an hour at a time, make sure to dole out the rewards every hour.
• Have an “end game” prize in mind. Dangle a carrot for the end of the trip in front of them.  If they are reasonably well behaved the entire ride, give them something special when you reach your destination.

Making sure the kids are well behaved and everyone has fun on a road trip takes a little work. If the kids do their part, show your appreciation and you just might enjoy more than a few “perfect family” moments.