With the cost of flying increasing all of the time, it can be difficult to find a flight that works for you and so people are choosing to drive to locations instead. Road trips can be fun, but when you add a kid to the mix, there is a lot you have to think about. Here is how you can keep your kid safe on long road trips.

Make Sure They Have a Secure Car Seat

It is important to have a secure car seat for your child when you are taking them on a long road trip. You want to make sure that they are safe and that they are comfortable. There are a few things that you can do to make sure that you have a secure car seat. First, you want to make sure that the car seat is properly installed. You can do this by reading the instructions that came with the car seat or by asking a professional to help you. Second, you want to make sure that the car seat is the right size for your child. You can do this by measuring your child and making sure that they fit in the car seat. You also want to make sure the seat fits your car, as some cars can’t handle certain seats. For example, if you have a convertible you are going to have to find the safest convertible car seat that will work for that vehicle.

Take Breaks to Stretch Their Legs

Make sure to take plenty of breaks so your children can stretch their legs. It’s important to keep them active, so they don’t get restless and cause trouble. Pull over at rest stops and let them run around for a bit before getting back in the car. If you’re on a long trip, you may want to consider stopping for the night at a hotel so everyone can get a good night’s sleep. If you see a stop coming up, even if you don’t need to use the bathroom or other service, still take the time to stop so that your children can stretch and get some much-needed exercise.

Keep Them Mentally Stimulated

There are a few things you can do to keep your children mentally stimulated on long road trips. One is to bring along a few of their favorite toys or games. Another is to make sure to stop often enough so that they can run around and burn off some energy. You can also bring along a portable DVD player or a laptop so they can watch their favorite movies or TV shows. Make sure that you also bring some things such as puzzles, as you want to make sure that they are engaging in intelligent activities and they are not just spending hours watching TV. You could also engage them in some classic car games such as eye spy.

Pack Healthy Snacks

If you’re planning on a long road trip with your children, it’s important to pack healthy snacks for them to eat. This will help them stay focused and alert while they’re in the car. Some good snacks to pack include fruits, vegetables, whole grain crackers, and yogurt. When you are on the road, it can be tempting to just stop for fast food at any given opportunity, but this will not give your children the fuel that their body needs and it can also make them sick, so you want to ensure that they are eating well.

Make Stops For Child-Friendly Activities

If you are going to be on the road for a while, it is important to make sure that you and your children are comfortable. One way to do this is to make sure that you make stops for child-friendly activities. This can help break up the monotony of the trip and give everyone a chance to stretch their legs. Some ideas for child-friendly activities include stopping at playgrounds, parks, and museums. If you plan ahead, you can also find places to stop that are educational and fun for the whole family.

Don’t Drive While Tired

Don’t drive while tired. It can be tempting to push on through when you’re tired, but it’s not worth the risk. If you feel yourself getting sleepy, pull over and take a nap. It’s better to arrive a little later than to put yourself and your family in danger. You have to remember that if you were to fall asleep behind the wheel, you are not only risking the life of your family, but you are risking the lives of other drivers. Make sure that you plan where you can stop during your trip as this will ensure that you are not overworking yourself.

If you have children, you will know just how easy it is for them to make a mess of your home. No matter how much you tell your children that they should care for the space that they live in, it seems as though it goes in one ear and straight out the other.

When you become a parent, you also become a full-time personal cleaner and it often feels as though you are just following your children around and cleaning up whatever mess they have decided to make and whatever toys they have decided to drop. As a parent, it is likely that you are slowly counting down the days until your child learns some responsibility and is able to pick up after themselves, but the truth of the matter is that they will never learn about the importance of cleaning up after themselves and caring for the home unless they are taught.

Teaching your children how to care for your home can be incredibly challenging, especially if your children are still young and find it difficult to listen. If you have come across this article, then it is likely that you are not sure how to approach the issue and you are in need of some sort of assistance. Here are the ins and outs of teaching your children how to care for your home.

Make Them Aware of Costs

When children break things, they never really think about just how much it costs, as it is always you that needs to pay for items that have been broken and they never need to worry about footing the bill. If you give your children an allowance, then perhaps it is time to teach them the cost of their actions by deducting damages from the money that you give them. For example, if your child causes any structural damage to your house, you can take away their whole allowance for the month, and for more minor damages, you can take away small amounts. Once they realize that causing these damages will cost actual money, they will feel much more inclined to take care in the house and they will even encourage their siblings to respect the home too out of fear of losing money.

Take Away Their Own Property

If a child breaks something that belongs to you, they can sometimes find it hard to be sympathetic as the item is not theirs and they have no emotional attachment to it. For every item that they break that belongs to you, something that you can do is remove an item that belongs to them. Of course, I do not suggest getting rid of this item or breaking it, but keeping it in your safe or hidden from your children will give them the chance to understand the sadness that comes with the loss of an item and so this may make them more reluctant to be careless in the future.

Offer Reward Incentives

All children learn in different ways and some children really thrive from positive reinforcement. If your child does better when given positive reinforcement, I would definitely suggest that you offer some sort of reward system to congratulate your child when they clean up after themselves or they are respectful of their surroundings. A lot of parents use the sticker chart method, which means that every time your child cleans up and is well-behaved, they will get a sticker and once they get enough stickers, this will eventually lead to a reward of some sort. This is a great incentive and you will see noticeable changes in your child’s behavior.

Show Them The House Building Process

If you own your home, it can be equally frustrating if your child causes some damage to the actual property, as you are the one that is going to have to foot the bill and repair any damages that they have then caused. If you helped to build your house before your child was born, maybe explain the process to them and let them know how much every step of the process cost, as this will make them more aware and more respectful of the space.

When you’re about to enter the world of parenthood it feels like there is a million things to think about and sort out. From choosing your babys name, to preparing your babys nursery, to getting all of the things you need like diapers and a breast pump, entering parenthood can be extremely overwhelming, especially if you’re a first time parent and have no experience in this yet. We’re here to remind you of one of the most important things you need to do, you have to make sure that your house is baby proof. Babies can get themselves into all sorts of accidental trouble so you need to make it as safe as possible. If you’re unsure how to baby proof your house then we’ve made a quick and easy guide for you to follow.

How do I baby proof the kitchen?

The kitchen is probaly the most dangerous room in the whole house for your baby, so it is the most important room to baby proof. The first thing you’ll need to invest in is some cabinet locks, try to avoid stick on locks as these will damage your cabinets when you remove them. Cabinet locks prevent your child from opening cupboards and managing to get hold of any potentially dangerous kitchen equipment. The stove is one of the most dangeous parts of the kitchen because of the high temperatures that can burn, when your baby starts to grow they’ll be able to reach the stove and turn it on. To keep them safe from the heat you can get stove knob covers which prevent the stove from being turned on. Our final helpful tip for baby proofing the kitchen is to hide away cleaning products that are often in brightly coloured packaging which is appealing to babies.

How do I baby proof the bathroom?

The bathroom is often overlooked for baby proofing but it is another really important room to baby proof. Many people keep medicines in their bathroom, older people can handle ingesting medicine but depending on what medicine there is in your bathroom, if your baby swallows it, it could be fatal. Whilst medicine bottles have safety packaging on them, it is important you keep them away from babies anyway just in case they manage to open the packaging. The bathroom is also home to things like laundry pods, bleach and soap, more things that can cause serious harm if ingested. The safest way to babyproof your bathroom could actually be to have someone else do it for you, you can get budget bathrooms from navigate bathrooms in Perth who work with you to meet your exact needs.

How do I baby proof the living room?

Whilst the living room has less toxic things in than the kitchen and bathroom, it is still hazardeous for your baby. This is likely the room your baby will spend most of its time in which makes it important to baby proof it throroughly. The first thing to do is to identify any sharp corners and attach some stick on corner cards to them so if your baby bumps into them it will hurt considerably less, or buy furniture that is round instead. Most living rooms have plug sockets near the ground, this is also potentailly dangerous because of the electrictiy running through it so find some baby proof covers for these. Finally, change your blinds to cordless ones as the long cords attached are a hazard as your baby could get strangled by it.