Traveling Blues

Q: We’re heading out to the beach next month and I’m already dreading the seven-hour car trip with our three, elementary school age kids. Last year, the three of them fought and picked on each other the entire trip. I don’t think our family can survive a repeat of that. Help!

A: Oh, I feel your pain but don’t worry, I have a most ingenious solution, one that will make the car trip much more pleasant. It’s called “Ticket to Ride.”

Here’s how it works: Each child has three tickets for the car trip to the beach. You outline clearly as to what behaviors will not be tolerated. For the behaviors, be specific and target the top five, such as

1. No name calling.
2. No hitting, pinching, slapping, tickling, etc.
3. No whining about someone else’s behavior.
4. Only one “Are we there yet?” allowed from each child.
5. No taking another child’s things.

Each time a child does one of the target behaviors—the very first time—then that child loses one ticket. A child must have a ticket left when you arrive at the beach in order to play on the shore when the family hits the beach for the first time, whether that will be when you arrive or the next morning, depending on what you usually do.

Then stick with it. If all three children lose their tickets before you arrive at your destination, then all three kids sit out under the umbrella in their street clothes while you and your husband live it up on the beach.

This puts the responsibility for their behavior on the ones who can control it—the kids. You might find you have a very quiet car ride for most of the seven hours.

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