photo credit: Simoluu

As a parent, I know how stressful it can be to have the responsibility of commuting with children to and from various destinations. But parents, this is a golden opportunity to build a lasting means of communicating with your kids.

We must begin early in an effort to bridge the communication gap that sometimes causes untold stress between the parent and the child.  We need to establish a line of communication that will last through the years.  If we wait until they are teenagers and expect to develop a sincere sharing of information, it will more than likely be too late.

Parenting magazine had an article by Laura Sullivan entitled "Take to the Road".  This article gave examples of the kinds of learning experiences one can have while chauffeuring your kids from one place to another.  "Stephanie Vozza, a mom of two from Rochester Hills, MI, was hitting the road for a long car ride and packed the book "KitChat".   The book is filled with conversation starters like "What trait about yourself are you most proud of?"  Vozza was surprised by some of her kids' answers–and even more stunned at how much they learned about each other.  "Car rides are one of the few chances you have to spend time together without distractions," she says.  "Take advantage of them."

Sullivan also says to give your kids disposable cameras and ask them to take photos of whatever catches their eye. They can now invent stories about the places or people.

Another idea is to keep a journal with everyone adding entries as you go: thoughts, drawing, postcards, ticket stubs, even that pretty flower your daughter picked on the side of the road.

Use some of these techniques with your children as you chaperon them to and from school, dance classes, baseball games, etc.  Be sure to find time to dialogue with your kids.  When traveling from place to place, they are stuck with you so use this time wisely.

Wishing you safe and fun-filled travels with your family!

The Bing Note Team!

www.bingnote.com

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