Tuesday, February 26, 2008
What to Look for in Children's Car Accessories
One of the enduring nightmares of parenthood is the long distance car journey. Visits to family, inter-State vacations, traveling home for the holidays, all can bring even the most composed family to their knees with the endless noise and boredom-induced frolics from the back seat. Parents themselves could probably relate, having no doubt been the source of such high jinks in their own childhood, if it weren't for the fact that they themselves are faced with the rigors of the road ahead, as well as the incessant bedlam from the rear!
Toy manufacturers and inventors alike have pondered the problem for many years, and a number of distractions have come to market, which can usually reduce, if not completely eradicate, the root of all annoyance. Having scoured the market myself, and inadvertently tested myriad gadgets along the way, here are my recommendations for the qualities you'll need in an effective child car accessory:
A Feast for the Senses
Whatever you choose to engage your child with, it should be a focus for the senses; be it visual or aural, a child is usually mesmerized by something that busies their eyes and ears. The more senses you can stimulate, the fewer there are left to cause annoyance. Such has been the success of the in-car DVD player, that many a vehicle has waved goodbye to the wrong kind of noises.
Portability
An obvious requirement for something that need to travel, you might think, but children also need distractions when they get to their destination, and will often switch their allegiance from one toy to the next in the blink of an eye, and so you may need to pack them high! Whatever you choose, keep it small enough to sit in the lap or hang from the chair back.
No Jigsaws
Not to be taken literally, this really refers to any accessory which breaks up into many pieces. Pieces get lost under seats, between seats, and more seriously, in any orifice your child deems fit to house them!
Non-marking
Junior would love to get the opportunity to draw all manner of pictures and scrawls all over your lovely upholstery, but such an event would cause more frustration in the front seats than the noise you were intending to turn the volume down on. Replace a felt pen with an etch-a-sketch, for example.
In summary, those long journeys need not be a chore. Your children need distractions as much as we do, but our concentration on the road needs to be paramount, for the safety of all inside. By thinking through your children's car accessory choices, you'll enhance your vacation experience for everyone.
Toy manufacturers and inventors alike have pondered the problem for many years, and a number of distractions have come to market, which can usually reduce, if not completely eradicate, the root of all annoyance. Having scoured the market myself, and inadvertently tested myriad gadgets along the way, here are my recommendations for the qualities you'll need in an effective child car accessory:
A Feast for the Senses
Whatever you choose to engage your child with, it should be a focus for the senses; be it visual or aural, a child is usually mesmerized by something that busies their eyes and ears. The more senses you can stimulate, the fewer there are left to cause annoyance. Such has been the success of the in-car DVD player, that many a vehicle has waved goodbye to the wrong kind of noises.
Portability
An obvious requirement for something that need to travel, you might think, but children also need distractions when they get to their destination, and will often switch their allegiance from one toy to the next in the blink of an eye, and so you may need to pack them high! Whatever you choose, keep it small enough to sit in the lap or hang from the chair back.
No Jigsaws
Not to be taken literally, this really refers to any accessory which breaks up into many pieces. Pieces get lost under seats, between seats, and more seriously, in any orifice your child deems fit to house them!
Non-marking
Junior would love to get the opportunity to draw all manner of pictures and scrawls all over your lovely upholstery, but such an event would cause more frustration in the front seats than the noise you were intending to turn the volume down on. Replace a felt pen with an etch-a-sketch, for example.
In summary, those long journeys need not be a chore. Your children need distractions as much as we do, but our concentration on the road needs to be paramount, for the safety of all inside. By thinking through your children's car accessory choices, you'll enhance your vacation experience for everyone.
# posted by Medical Information : 4:11 AM
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