I've partnered with Allstate to share these tips to avoid distracted driving.
If you've got a baby who loves riding in the car or falls asleep as soon as you buckle her in, consider yourself lucky! For many of us, that simply isn't the case. Listening to your baby scream in the backseat can be hard for a parent, but the distraction it causes can be deadly. Statistics from Distraction.gov show that 3,179 people were killed and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2014. According to The CDC, there are 3 types of distracted driving: visual (taking your eyes off the road), manual (taking your hands off the wheel) and cognitive (taking your focus off the road). When you're trying to soothe a fussy baby it's likely that you're committing all three types of distracted driving offenses. There are some simple things you can do to help prevent yourself from driving while distracted when you have a crying baby in the car.
Tips to deal with a crying baby in the car
Assess the situation. Is there something going on that you don't realize? Take out your child's car seat and put yourself in their position. Maybe the sunlight is shining directly in her face or maybe the air vent is closed and she's a bit overheated or maybe she's too cold. Perhaps there is a problem with the car seat itself. Smaller babies may not feel like they have enough support or maybe her clothing gets bunched up and it's uncomfortable. If you can't find anything else wrong it could be time to discuss this with your pediatrician to rule out reflux or motion sickness.
Make sure everyone is full before you leave the house. My kids are intense when it comes to snacks. If I don't feed them right before we leave the house they incessantly demand snacks while we're in the car. That means I'm rummaging around my diaper bag looking for snacks instead of watching the road. To avoid this, I fill them up before we leave.
Set yourself up for success. Unfortunately, they might still wants snacks. If that's the case, set yourself up for success and find a system that works for you. Fill up some pre-portioned containers or baggies and have them readily available, either in your child's lap or close enough for them to reach on their own. Same goes for bottles or sippy cups. Being prepared ahead of time will help keep your focus and your eyes on the road.
Keep activities within reach. For infants and young toddlers be sure what they need is easy for them to reach. Pacifier clips are your friends and I used to clip 3 or 4 of them to my baby's shirt for longer rides so she'd be sure to find one. Also consider clipping toys to the car seat or bringing along a quiet book. For older kids, consider creating an anti-boredom kit for the car with fun activities to do.
Experiment with music. You might think that soft, soothing lullabies would calm your baby, but you might be surprised once you start experimenting with different types of music. My son screamed louder when soft music was playing, but the moment I turned on a rock station he was as quiet as a church mouse. My daughter is completely opposite and responds well to white noise.
Consider giving in to electronics for the kids. With my first child, I tried to enforce a no electronics policy, but I realized he would sit quietly in the car if he was able to play with my smartphone. I actually thought this was a good plan, since he was quiet and I wasn't tempted to look at my phone while driving, until a package showed up at our house one day and I realized he ordered something from Amazon with their 1-click ordering system. I ended up buying a very cheap tablet and loaded it up with age appropriate apps and deleted everything things else. Just be sure to turn off in-app purchases.
Don't give in to electronics for yourself. Traveling with kids in the care can be stressful enough, especially with a crying baby in the car. You don't need the added distraction of having your cell phone handy or fumbling with your GPS. Set your route ahead of time, load that DVD before you leave the driveway and place your cell phone out of reach. Nearly 1 in 3 people admit to texting and driving and you don't want to be one of those people. If you absolutely must be available to others, consider downloading an app that will read your messages aloud so you can decide whether you need to pull over to reply.
Just pull over. This sounds like an obvious solution, but I know it can be difficult. Parents are always rushing to be on time and pulling over is going to add minutes to your trip (and don't you just want it to be over with already?!). This is really the safest and most effective way to handle things though. Find a safe place to pull over or exit the highway and tend to your baby's needs. Wouldn't you rather be late than injured, or worse?
Do you have a baby that hates the car seat?
If you're used to dealing with a crying baby in the car, what works for you?
This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day.
Sources: Distraction.gov and The CDC.
Deborah D says
My sister is due in May. I will have her read this post as it may come in handy for her.
Sara says
This baby so very cute
Linda Manns Linneman says
It is so hard to travel with crying, cranky children. These are some awesome tips. I really appreciate you sharing these suggestions. God Bless
Mia says
I use snacks and music when I have my grandchildren in the car with me.
Sara says
What a cute baby and a good idea
Tara Boyer says
Thankyou for the tips
Jenny Pierson says
Great tips! I am always nervous about food for my little one (under 2) while driving, but we have a basket of toys in the backseat that I switch out often. We also gave her a little flashlight that she can use at nighttime and she loves it (just make sure it's not too bright so you don't distract the driver).
Deana Mooney says
What great advice. Even with my kids being grown, I still watch the grandkids a lot. It all came flooding back to me the first time the newborn was crying in the back seat. Tears at your heart.
Kindra Jazwick says
The youngest of my 4 boys hated the car. He just hated it. Nothing would soothe him. It got to the point where I just had to make him as comfortable as I could in his car seat and accept that he was just going to cry. It wasn't pleasant, but it was how it was. Now at 4, he loves the car but falls asleep if you go anywhere farther than about a half hour.
Thelma Zaras-Medrano says
I try not to panic and assess the situation too. Worse come to worse definitely pull over safely.
Linda Manns Linneman says
It is so hard to be traveling with crying babies and fighting children. I love these suggestions. I will be using them with my grandchildren. Thank you so much and God Bless
Pamela Smith says
Great for new Mom's! Enjoyed the read!
Regina Elliott says
I just stop the car and see why he is crying and satisfy him then continue on my way it's safer that way
Heather eavers says
great tips! Not being able to pick up a crying baby can be stressful
Sue Williams says
Love the great tips. It can be very frustrating trying to drive with a fussy baby. Music helped with my kids and if my kids wouldn't go to sleep, a ride and music usually worked as last resort.
Linda White says
Great ideas, I remember having to pull over with my oldest when she was little. A highway patrol saw us and pulled up behind scaring me but he was just checking to make sure everything was okay.Kinda surprised me that they would do that but felt good that they would do that!
Katt Lewis says
I can't even remember how we drove to South Carolina from Indiana when the kids were small....but we sure didn't have clips back then and I never thought to tie/safety pin a pacifier to a shirt. But we were young and got through it.
Dana Rodriguez says
I love all of these tips. I am going to pass this along to our new grandchild's mom!
Robyn Cobb says
sadly, nothing seemed to work for my nephew--he screamed the entire time for the 1st 9 months. i carried a lot of tylenol
Katrina Blevins says
I'm fortunate and very thankful both of my girls loved car rides when they were infants and toddlers. I always made sure they had a full belly before going in the car seat and I entertained them by singing and playing I spy games as they grew older. Even now at ages 20 and 15 when we go out or on a road trip they have continued the tradition of road games.
Amber Ludwig says
Seriously fabulous tips!! I am always all about snacks! Thankfully my kiddo slept all the time in the car so we didn't have many issues. I did find myself pulling over to nurse every so often though lol!!
Joy says
I would get music cd's from the library our download their free music from their electronic resources.
Kara Marks says
Great tips--it can be a really unsafe situation to drive while distracted, plus no one wants to have an upset little one.
donna porter says
These are some great tips. I will use them this summer when we take a trip with our nephew.
gayle geisenheimer says
It's important to be prepared when traveling with wee ones. Of course, even the best planning won't help all the time. Just keep an open mind. Leave extra time to get to your destination. Stop when needed and take lots of deep breaths.
Marilyn says
Thanks for the tips.
Marilyn
Michelle Dobson says
This will really come in handy when I have to watch my new young nephew! Thanks for the advice!
Edye says
Awesome tips! Great for momma's 🙂
Elizabeth Hernandez says
Great tips!!! Always needed!!
Chantelle Webber says
I love all these tips and I'm going to share this blog with my sister and bff who just had babies
Terra says
These are great tips. I like to play music, sing, engage the kids.
KATHRYN TEEL says
My grandchildren both cried like crazy in the car which made it hard because we did a lot of long trips but they did eventually grow out of it thank goodness. It did help as they got a little bigger we only had a problem with the dark so I bought them a dvd player it helped to create light where they sit.
rochelle haynes says
Thanks for the tips will come in handy
Gloria Walshver says
make sure you have enough dry clothes for the baby diapers and formula or baby jars when you are traveling in a car.
Kayla D. says
All great advice for future use or even for my niece that is 1.
Julie Waldron says
These are some great idea's, thank you for sharing.
Debbie Welchert says
I'm so glad we are past that crying baby stage but I do have grandchildren that can get pretty bored in the car. You have given a lot of great tips for them too.
Laura B says
Great tips! The best one is to experiment with music and keep activites handy!
Linda Manns Linneman says
It can be so hard traveling with baby and young children. Babies crying and toddlers fighting and bored. These are some great suggestions. Thank you so much for sharing
Jennifer Corrado says
When my daughters were babies they seem to love being in the car and usually fell asleep. these are great tips!
Mia says
Thankfully my grandson still is okay with his car seat. We often have a kids music cd and sing along in the car.
Jennifer Gonzalez says
My son cried in the car. I couldn't figure out why. I tried everything, until finally someone suggested to change his car seat. I bought him a forever car seat and he no longer cries. He actually stays quiet the entire ride just looking around and listening to music. I can only assume the infant car seat was not comfortable, he's a wide shoulder little boy and the way infant car seats are designed he must have felt like he was stuck in a hole!
Natalie says
I am thinking about giving my niece a tablet to keep her occupied in the car.
rhonda miotke says
Thanks so much for the wonderful tips and advice i will pass this along to my friends and family.
Edye says
Awesome tips! I'm sure so many moms will love this post.
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
My youngest cried and hated riding in the car for so long. After a while, I figured out that she was getting car sick facing backward. Poor thing! I tried to make the trips as short as possible or only go when she was sleeping.
Peggy Gorman says
I was lucky ,my kids fell asleep as soon as the car took off , My son is 35 and his wife drives . he still falls asleep as a passenger !
polly says
These are great tips for parents with young ones. I could usually tell by the type of cry what is going on with them.
fran churchill says
i am sending this page to my sister in law! she has a baby only 3 months old that hates car rides. her older child loved them and fell asleep so she is so at a loss. thanks for the info!
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
When my oldest was little the only thing that calmed her down was when I sang to her in the car or when I played the Little Baby Ducks song (by Tom T Hall) in the cd player! lol
Christie Hubbell says
Thank you for wonderful ideas!
Sarah Cru z says
My son screamed every time he wa in the car from birth to three months. I admit I was frustrated many times but like you said I learned to prepare myself when I got into the car, I would pull over when it got really bad and I would just plan our rides based on his nap schedule. We had to cancel a couple of trips due to his screaming but in the end it only lasted awhile. Very hard few months but it was just a phase!
Pamela Smith says
Great ideals for new Moms! My youngest daughter used to hate her car seat when she was little! Hope these tips help those that had a screaming baby like mine! Hope these help out! ?
Jerry Marquardt says
It is not an easy task dealing with an ornery baby in the car. I appreciate the tips and pointers on making for a better day with the situation.
Rachael Roberts says
With children in our family from ages 23 - 5 between my sister & myself I think we used all the tips LOL. So anyone who has a baby or child or even know somebody who does REALLY should read & send it to others . What works the best for us is checking the baby or child's sitting area to see if something hurts like sun in their eyes to the car seat/booster is too tight ect.,music was a big thing too we found music that the youngest liked when played if there was screaming or crying(ours like loud music),keeping toys & other must haves within reach as well as having a back up bag with different toys ect inn case they get tired of the toys they have & most of all snacks & drinks(all their favorites & a few things they have once ^& awhile because you never know when they will want it.
Crystal Young says
Having snacks,playing music and having toys.
Chasta howes says
I have pulled over and talked to my baby and gave him a bottle. Musical toys have also been helpful
Melissa A. says
We dealt with this and still deal with it from time to time. Music and a mirror helped the most.
Marion says
I would stay calm and talk to the baby soothingly.
Marion
Melissa Wilber says
Good read! I have an 8 month old grandson, I'll have to keep these in mind! Thanks for sharing.
donna porter says
It is so hard when you are alone in the car and the baby starts crying. I appreciate the tips.
Jerry Marquardt says
I love your fine blog, as the information is so informative and the reviews are in-depth, and honest. I am thanking you for this post that this will help me out in the event of a crying baby while driving. I thank you so much for sharing this.