Oh, car rides with two kiddos are, hmm, shall we say interesting? They can be challenging, and they are most certainly interesting, and often quite funny.
Josette has become much better about riding in the car. As she has gotten older, she still really dislikes her car seat, but she can be distracted by toys and her big brother can be really helpful in entertaining her. When he is in a good mood, Finn will sing songs and make faces and hand her toys to keep her smiling and giggling. In fact, some of the biggest laughs from Josette are during her times in the car with Finn.
On the flip side, when Finn is tired and Josette is tired, car rides can become very difficult for all involved. Josette will fuss and Finn will become increasingly upset, resorting to yelling and, I am afraid to say, he will sometimes kick at her carseat or try to hit her, or even throw toys at her. Obviously, this is not safe and it is difficult to know how to handle it when I am also trying to drive safely. It is difficult not to lose my cool. My latest strategy is to pull over immediately when it is safe and turn around and tell Finn that we can not drive when he can't keep control of his body and we need to find something for him to try to focus on, we try to play I Spy or sing songs, etc. in hopes of distracting him when Josette won't be calmed.
Now, that sets the stage for yesterday. We all went to meet a friend for a nice long hike in the morning and some playtime after. It was a lovely morning, but resulted in some tired kiddos as we all tried to get into the car to get home for lunch. Josette starts fussing and Finn kicks her carseat. I pull over and tell him that kicking is not okay and after he assures me he can keep his feet calm, we continue on. Josette gets fussy, Finn hits her seat repeatedly. I pull over and am frustrated and angry, trying to remain calm, I say, "Finn, there are TWO very important car rules - no hitting or kicking!" and then we procede to talk about calming his body, etc.
Okay, off we go again. Josette starts cranking, Finn screams as loud as he can and then hits again. A very upset mama, pulls the car over AGAIN - "Finn, no yelling, no hitting, no kicking!" Finn looks at me a moment, then holds up 3 fingers, "Mama, that is THREE rules." I can't help but laugh, "Yes, Finn, you are right, three rules. Do you think we can keep going?" "Yes, Mama" And, we are driving again.
Poor Josette, finally loses it and, then, Finn loses it and throws his hat at her. We pull over.
"Finn it is NOT OKAY TO THROW THINGS"
"Mama, that is four rules"
4 comments:
That is hilarious! He is a smart one isn't he? Bubbles :-)
We have a lot of car rules too. One of the most important ones you've got covered. No yelling in the car. Makes this mom crazy at the end of the day to listen to all the noise that toddlers make in the car.
A more general rule might be "make good choices." We talk A LOT about making good choices around here.
Oh my, been there, done that. :)
hugs!! we sometimes have car troubles. have you tried opening the windows? i know its winter, but sometimes the temperature difference, the wind, the noise, etc works? does finn do music? maybe a pair of earphones?
finn is very smart though, with all that counting. :-) and, you have a lot more patience than i do, so props to you for that!
Post a Comment