We have all been there. Kids are in the back of the car, strapped in and excitedly looking forward to their trip to the beach. A few minutes later – you get the dreaded “are we nearly there yet” and the downward spiral begins. Crying, moaning, and fighting with the other siblings is the inevitable next step.
Well, help is on hand. Scientists at Nottingham Trent University have calculated that the average threshold for a child before the green mist descends is 70 minutes BUT (and this is the good part), food and entertainment can expand this time frame.
Apparently:
T = 70 + 0.5E +15F-10S
(with T=time, E= entertainment, F=food and S= sibling) is the mathematical formula to help you understand their behaviour. Put simply, if you want to extend the amount of peace you get whilst driving then add some entertainment and food but avoid long distances with a sibling (not sure how feasible that last bit is).
2000 parents were asked about travelling with their children. The study discovered that it took an average of 32 minutes for a child to ask “are we nearly there?” and that more than half of those surveyed cited boredom, length of journey and hunger as the primary reason for their kids unhappiness.
Dr Hind from the University’s school of science and technology also suggests limiting snacks to two an hour and using breaks to “reset the clock” is also key.
Personally, loud music in the front also helped.
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