Car Pooling

Car pooling is an economical and timesaving way to get children to all the places they have to go. Each Fall, it’s wise to organize a new car pool carefully, drawing up schedules for driving, and making arrangements for substitutes when necessary.

Safety should always be emphasized. A good car pool doesn’t include more children than there are seat belts. Remember that the increased level of noise in your car on the day you drive is the trade off; think about the days when you don’t have to drive at all.

Here are a few tips to make the trip safer and more enjoyable:

• Have the kids buckle up and say, “hands on heads” before you shut the doors. Children like the game, and you know their fingers are safe.

• Sing old songs and teach new ones, but by all means pick songs that you like.

• Carry small treats to reward the children for good behavior in the car.

• And if the kids start screaming or fighting in the car or making more noise than you can handle, pull the car over to the side of the road. Stay there until everyone settles down. This technique is both effective and safe.

Vicki Lansky’s practical, common sense approach to parenting is familiar to millions throughout the world. Vicki’s first book, Feed Me, I’m Yours, published in 1974, and still one of the most popular baby/toddler food cookbooks in the country, was followed by The Taming of the C.A.N.D.Y. Monster, a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her other titles include: Toilet Training, Birthday Parties Best Party Tips & Ideas For Ages 1-8, Dear Babysitter Handbook, Welcoming Your Second Baby, Getting Your Child to Sleep … and Back to Sleep, Trouble-free Travel with Children, Baby Proofing Basics and Games Babies Play From Birth to Twelve Months, Koko Bear’s New Potty, A New Baby at Koko Bear’s House, Koko Bear and the New Babysitter, and Koko Bear’s Big Earache. Vicki Lansky’s Divorce Book for Parents: Helping Children Cope with Divorce and Its Aftermath