Do you keep toys in the car for them to play with?

Ok, I usually keep about 10 to 15 toys in the car, a selection of books, toys, drawing board, and teething toys (as they still like to chew on them). However over the past few months, I spend all of my time picking up toys that they have dropped, or trying to reach toys that have dropped (all while driving - which I know is NOT good), or they FIGHT constantly over what the other one has. So, I tried putting only 2 of the same toys in the car, but they still fight, whine, cry that they want what the other one has (doesn't really matter what it is, they just want what the other one has).
So today they were doing their usual whine, cry, fight, and so I said 'that's it, mommy is taking all of the toys out of the car so there will be no fighting next time" - they both got very quiet (which is beyond unusual for my two) then my DD says "no take the toys out of the car please mommy".
I am just so at the end of my rope, its hard enough driving in this country without having two whinny, crying kids yelling at you. So, I am thinking of just leaving 3 toys in the car from now on (their drawing boards, their teddy bears and one book each), do you think this would cut down on the fights?? I need suggestions please!

 

Toys have been used as weapons in the past so I really don't have any in the car, unless we're going a long distance, then maybe a couple of things. They do pretty well just looking out the window or listening to music on the radio or a CD. Good luck!

 

No, I don't keep toys in the car unless we are driving long distance (over an hour)...on short trips I will let them bring their blankies and their stuffed Scout and Violet.
I learned having other toys in the car just led to fighting as well.

 

I have a few toys in the car but what I allow them to do is to bring a toy from inside the house. This way they each have their own and it cuts down on the fighting.

 

We ALWAYS have toys in the car! We are at someplace for the big boys ALL the time and I need to keep them busy somehow. We never have the fighting over toys, in the car. Hmmmmm, but I've always made sure that I have 2 of everything. We do have tantrums over going home or wanting to go into a store. We also have a DVD player that we use while driving.

 

We have books in the car that the girls can reach and we do a lot of kids CDs for music.

If we have a long trip, dr visit, etc I have a bag of 'toy' for the ride or for the visit- but otherwise just books & music for everyday.

 

I made a rule before they were born (to myself) that I would never bring toys in the car for the same reason I never did pacifiers.

I never wanted to have to have to get them for them and I didn't want to have a habit for them..

They have done great w/o them!!

 

We have books (that stay in the pockets on the back of the front seats), but rarely toys unless someone just forgets something new in the car. Then it is likely a dollar-store prize or goody bag type thing. I agree that having them often leads to fighting and I remove them as soon as possible. I do keep a backpack filled with coloring books, books, and a few small toys for each of them for when we are stuck in a waiting room and for Sunday evening church when there is no kids' class. But, those are in the back and not for the car unless it is a really long trip.

But, we play a lot of games in the car and sing songs. Here is a list of the types of things I did starting when they were babies and progressing as they grew. Obviously your kids are too young for some, but it may give you some ideas for when they are older.

-Sing to them. Lots of ABC's and Bible songs because I feel it was really important that they learn those.
-Play kids' music or other music they enjoy.
-Tell them stories.
-The "Animal Game" where someone describes an animal and everyone has to try and guess it. Like, "This animal is big and gray and has a trunk." As they learned more and more, I'd make mine more challenging.
-Find the color. Someone names a color and everyone tries to be the first to spot something that color.
-Counting roads. I don't even know why they like this. They ask me how many roads until we get to where we are going and then count to see if I was able to figure it out correctly. They cheer when I'm right, but I think they are secretly waiting for me to be wrong.
-Recite Bible verses from memory. They are learning verses for every letter of the alphabet in Sunday school and the car is a great place to practice them.
-The rhyming game. I'd give them a word and they would have to think of as many words as they could that rhymed with it.
-Counting to 100. At first I did it with them, but now they do it by themselves.
-The spelling game. I give them a simple word and they sound it out and tell me how it is spelled.

I think the car provides a great opportunity for us to talk with out kids and play some games that also help them learn. Don't get me wrong, I do still get some "breaks" in the car where I can just listen to some music and "relax" (as much as you can when you are driving). The kids will play together and talk and I don't have to entertain them the entire time. But, whenever I start to see them getting snippy with each other, I have an entire arsenal to distract them.

 

We don't usually keep toys in the car but we have the DVD player so that helps keep their attention.

 

We've never kept a stash of toys in the car (for all the reasons you mentioned), but we usually let them bring ONE book or toy in the car if they want to. I try to bring them back in the house after every trip so they don't accumulate in the car, but sometimes that only happens every few days.

It has to be something without small parts, that isn't too valuable (since it has to STAY in the car -- it never gets brought into the library, store, restaurant, school, etc.), they won't be devastated if something happens to it (no loveys), and won't freeze/melt (depending on the season).

I still wind up picking up dropped toys/books at red lights, but not so often now that they're older. They rarely fight over things since each of them has the book that they chose for that particular trip -- the fights occur mainly when one kid wants to trade and the other one doesn't.

 

We have a little bucket thing on the sides of their car seats that I have stashed with little goodies. There's a little drawing board, a small book, a medium book, a keychain with some keys (just like Mommy when she drives!), a plastic bunny (from their Easter basket 2 years ago!), some links (yes, baby links), their sunglasses, some kleenex, & they used to have little battery operated light things, but the batteries died on them a while ago.

There has never been arguing, surprisingly. And any toy thrown/dropped has never been retrieved. That just means it's gone (I don't play that game!). Now that mine are bigger, they're starting to share back & forth now, too.

We have DVD players on the backs of the head rests, but they're only allowed to watch a movie on rides longer than an hour. Sometimes it holds their interest, other times it doesn't.

Lately they've been obsessed with listening to 'their music'. I have a 6 disk changer & only 2 of those CDs are mine! Stinkers! They love to request songs & we all sing on the tops of our lungs. We occasionally dance, which makes ME look ridiculous because my back windows are tinted & no one can see THEM dancing! I love that we're singing because I think it's good for them to sing & learn songs...in fact, I just ordered another Laurie Berkner Band CD for the car because they love it that much! It wasn't until about 2 mos ago, though, that they started listening to their music regularly.

I am going to print out the list Stacy mentioned above because that has some GREAT ideas! I love the thought of playing games, but we hadn't come up with too many yet. We do play a 'shape' game where I name a shape & they have to find something that shape out the window. We also try to read street signs (more like announce the letters) & they love to tell me to go when lights turn green (they even warn me when they're yellow, too!).

We went through a rough spell in the car around age 2. Hang in there, it gets better!

 

I keep both travel drawing boards in the car though they rarely play with them anymore. They are both allowed to take one small toy or book from the house when we leave. They don't usually fight over them in the mornings, but they will fight over the same toys when I pick them up from daycare in the afternoon. Now, unless it is a set of two that each "belong" to a certain child, I put them up front when I leave daycare in the morning.

I've found that if they take the ones they call theirs there is less fighting so we encourage that. For example there are two balls, the green one is Mason's and the pink one is Logan's. There is a giraffe that is Logan's and a pig that is Mason's. There is a green Monster truck that is Logan's and the blue one is Mason's. I leave those out on thier little table when we pick up at night and they usually grab a "set" in the morning. The sets they are interested in change over time of course. The set thing usually works for us, because Logan picks one and Mason wants what Logan has at all times.

Also, if they drop them, they are out of luck. I'm short and can't reach anything anyway! It did cause crying for awhile, but now they know the rule. I hear them say "I no drop my ball. I hold it."

 

Mine always bring their blankee, animal and binky. Occasionally they will have a small toy that is from the diaper bag. They do not always have their items with them in their seat but we always have them. Camdyn wants her loveys more than Kyle does. We do have issues if they drop them but if I am by myself they just have to wait for them, I am short and can't reach while I am driving. This does cause crying but I can't help that. Good luck :grouphug:.

Jen

 

We usually always have their drawing boards and books in the car. Any other toys and DVD player are restricted for long trips only.