With my son’s school being across town, I spend almost an hour in the day in the car with both boys. I’m starting to feel like a chauffeur/referee, which I guess is one of those parenting rites of passage. No amount of rules, consequences or music turned up to near-deafening volumes seems to keep my five-year-old and three-year-old from fighting for the entire duration of the car ride.
I’ve tried conversations, car games, sing-alongs. I’ve used a quietly stern voice and have road-raged at them like a banshee. Nothing helps! They’re constantly touching each other, poking each other, and arguing about completely inane topics like whether or not the car that just passed was a truck. If I give them small toys or books, they fight over them or worse–throw them. I can see why people enjoy driving huge vehicles that keep kids out of each (of the driver and each other.)
If it was safe to drive with ear muffs on, I’d totally wear some and just tune them out. As it is, I get home feeling tense and angry almost every day. Are they ever going to grow out of this? Should I try distracting them with snacks? (Isn’t that not recommended?) Am I going to be enduring this until they’re adults?
I’m not laughing *at* you, I’m laughing *with* you. (You’re laughing, right?)
This is exactly why I bought an SUV with bucket seats in the middle. NO TOUCHING! They were only 2 and 3 when I bought the most recent one, but I could see it coming. (I only have two kids – so it works.) The bickering thing… I’m right there with ya sometimes.
Oh, bickering is a word that we use ALL THE FREAKING TIME with our kids, because they are experts at it. Car rides aren’t a huge problem for us, but the five and four year olds and I do ride a bus once or twice a day, and I’ve become the parent who hands them an electronic device for the 30-45 minute ride so they won’t bother the other passengers (and me!!). Yup, I know I’m being judged, but it is what it is.