With the festive season fast approaching and school holidays coming up, road trips are a great way to kick-start the vacation period.

Beware though, that younger members of the family can get bored and restless sitting through long stretches of flat scenery. To have the most exciting road trip, there are ways to have fun and keep everyone entertained and to get some bonding while at it.

Play games that everyone can enjoy

Get everyone chirping in and play games that require the participants to explain what they see around them or to test their general knowledge. Thirty Seconds can be played by everyone in the car and is an interactive game to test just how much the whole family knows about everything!

Schedule regular stops

While parents may be tempted to drive fast to reach the destination in quicker time, rather schedule regular stops where you can fill up on petrol and get snacks. These intervals are an opportunity to check up on everyone and to stay connected.

Have a picnic

Choose a scenic route and while on the route, pick a spot to have a picnic. Take pictures and enjoy a great day where everyone can talk without the interference of social media or any other distractions.

What to pack for a family road trip

• Battery chargers for all electronic devices such as a smartphone
• A tablet filled with movies, TV series, cartons and music to keep kids entertained
• GPS – this will come in handy in case you lose sight of where you are going
• A first aid kit and a car emergency kit
• Sunscreen and mosquito repellent, especially travelling during summer, repellent is a must have.
• Activity books, colouring books and stationary
• Plastic bags in case anyone has a bout of car sickness and needs to throw-up.

It’s every parent’s fear, getting that dreaded phone call to come to school of for a meeting because your tween has gotten himself into trouble.

If you’re not sure how to handle such a situation, follow our guide in preparing yourself on how to handle your child getting in trouble at school.

Listen

Start the conversation on a good note and listen to what the teacher has to say about your child’s behaviour. You may be tempted to interject with ‘But Tommy has never done that at home’ but remember that listening is a skill, one that is appreciated by a person who sees and interacts with your child everyday. Listening also gives the teacher an opportunity to fully explain what happened and to give you as much detail and context as possible.

Don’t take it personally

Your child’s behaviour is not always a reflection of your parenting skills, so it’s essential that you detach from what they did at school and how you have been raising them. Of course if it’s a more serious matter, you may have to re-evaluate how you have disciplined them at home or look at further action such as therapy. However aim to not take their behaviour personally and to handle what they have done, separately from you as their parent.

Believe the teacher

The teacher spends more time with your child on a daily basis so they are able to closely observe underlying issues which may cause your child to behave a certain way. Take their word for it if they have flagged unhealthy or bad behaviour. Teachers tend to have a high tolerance level and will call a parent in once they have reached their threshold.

Ask questions

Asking questions about your child’s behaviour will give you the opportunity to gain more information and insight into their behaviour and their actions. This will also prepare you to address the incident at home and in determining what action to take.

Offer support

Once you have decided on the appropriate form of discipline, consider ways you can support your child to do better next time. Perhaps it would be good to have him visit orphanages so he can understand his privilege and to spend time with the less fortunate. You could also think of how extra mural activities could help him channel his energy and attention into something useful and constructive.