Driving with a Happy Baby
Having babies are definitely the best days of your life, but don’t get me wrong, parenting does have it’s struggles. Interestingly, we all pick up quirky little habits to try and soothe your baby, which tend to make your day that little bit easier- like making fart noises and blowing raspberries to stop your baby crying. Yes, you may sound a little stupid, but it does surprisingly work. However, one of the most difficult situations you land yourself in as a parent is when making road trips, and especially for the first time. You may have bought the write booster seat and brought the right blanket with you, but what do you do when your baby starts crying and you can’t take your eyes off of the road. We thought we would make a little guide to help new parents alleviate some of the stress that taking the wheel incurs.
This idea came about after coming across a study called ‘Baby Driver’ which was conducted by Manchester based car leasing firm- All Car Leasing. The study reported on the driving habits of 1200 respondents covering areas such as their worries and how they conducted their journey now that they had a baby. In the survey they found that 89% of parents would use some form of distraction to occupy their baby in the car with the most common being talking to the baby or playing music to them, but when that doesn’t work, what do you do?
Quick Tips for Keeping Your Baby Happy In The Car:
Sit in the back with baby- mother who breastfeeds:
One good tip if you and your partner are travelling with your baby, is for one of you to accompany them in the back seat. This is so that you can keep them calm and assured whilst also getting to spend some cute time with them. If the mother is in the back and the baby is also breastfed, breastfeeding could also be great idea if they are crying as it will calm them down.
Make stops if its a long journey:
Making stops on a long journey is an essential tip for any traveller, but particularly for parents. Not only for potty stops, but to have some fresh air and time not thinking about the road.
Sing Songs:
Sing songs are also a great way to soothe the baby on a long journey. You may be sick of the sound of ‘Baby Shark’ but your baby isn’t, so make sure to whack it on and turn it up.
Snacks and Drinks:
As well as stopping for regular breaks, it’s also important to bring food and drink; and especially on a long journey. Not only does it fill them up and hopefully make them sleepy, but it also distracts them from your driving.