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For many families, this will be the summer of the road trip, with UK staycations expected to see a surge in popularity as lockdown restrictions lift just in time for the school summer holidays.
But with new research showing the car journey is the most argument-inducing part of a trip, how can families avoid ‘carguments’ and ensure a stress-free start to their holiday?
As one of the UK’s largest car insurers, we at Ageas have teamed up with TV psychologist Laverne Antrobus to help parents take simple steps to avoid ‘carguments’.
Our teams recently conducted research into how often families argue in the car and found 94% of drivers admit they endure arguments when behind the wheel. One in 10 drivers reveal there are arguments in their car on every journey while an additional 21% say it happens on every other car journey.
But what starts the arguments?
Our study also examined the root cause of the disagreements and found parents are most likely to argue with their children about their bad behaviour in the car (42%), while children are most likely to argue with each other about who gets to sit where (21%) and about invading each other’s space (21%).
41% of parents admit to ignoring a child and just continuing driving when that child throws a tantrum. 30% said they start a car game in an attempt to distract them.
Working with Laverne Antrobus, who has featured on programmes such as Britain's Naughtiest Nursery and The Secret Life of Four Year Olds, we produced a guide for parents to avoid ‘carguments’. Our guide features handy tips on what parents can do before and during a car journey to keep kids happy.
Laverne says,
As families look forward to a post-lockdown holiday this summer, getting there probably feels more important than ever. Keep everyone on track by planning ahead, and not only preparing for your final destination but the car journey as well.
“The car journey IS the beginning of the holiday, so make sure that you have sorted out the route, packed the car, and that anything you might need on the way is at hand. Take breaks along the way to ensure that you all arrive ready to enjoy your break.”
Liz Kuhler, who works at Ageas Insurance and has young children herself, adds:
Laverne’s guide gives some really useful tips, some of which I hadn’t thought about before but will definitely be using this summer. Niggles between backseat passengers can be distracting but it’s good to know that some small changes to the way we manage them can make a big difference.”
Some of Laverne’s top tips include:
Show them how it’s done
If you’re travelling with another adult, resolve any lingering disagreements between you before getting in the car. And then ensure you don’t find a new reason to argue in the car.
Crucially, make sure your children hear you plan how you’re going to achieve a conflict-free journey, for example by agreeing which route you’re going to take. And also explain it to them.
If you and another adult argued last time you travelled the same route, tell the kids that this won’t happen again.
Swap seats
Unless your children are young enough to be in their own car seats, always rotate where they sit in the car.
Different seating positions give different levels of access to the adults sitting in front, and different views out of the windows.
In each family there is often a particular seat that the children vie for. The middle seat might be prized for better access to whoever is in front, and a view straight through the middle.
Don’t be space invaders
If everyone is aware of each other’s space, then this will make the journey more comfortable for all. Talk this through with the kids.
It’s easy for adults, who have their own clearly-defined space in the front, to forget that children might have less room in the back.
Having an awareness of personal space also affects what kids are allowed to bring in the car. Don’t let a child bring along a big colouring book if it will flop over onto another child’s lap.
The full carguments guide is available to view and download at https://www.ageas.co.uk/solved/no-more-carguments
