How to keep your kids calm while diving on ice

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So Mother Nature has reared her ugly head again and there is snow and ice galore. Back in the day, we were all just happy to have no school and play in it all day. Now with children of our own, it can be a challenge just to get home in one piece should a large amount of the white stuff decide to dump in your area.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Patience
Endurance
Time
Roadside kit
Enough blankets to cover a polar bear

Step1

Reassure - Let your child know that you are in control of the car at all times.

Step2

Calm – Turn the radio on a station with soft music while your traveling. You act calm and they will follow.

Step3

Be prepared – Carry a road side kit including flares and a disposable camera for accidents should the worst happen. A emergency credit card is also a good idea when traveling out of state.

Step4

Be patient – For some children this year will be the first snow fall that they remember and they will be full of questions, tell them to write them down so that you can answer them all at once. This will keep them quiet for most of the ride.

Step5

Caution – Pull out those winter driving skills and remember to leave yourself extra room.

Step6

The Polar Bear – Over dress your child and take blankets in the car. It is better to sweat then to freeze and they can always take layers off.

Step7

The ice sheet – Remove everything of value from the inside of your car when an ice storm is on the way. Leave the doors unlocked and you will be more likely to get in. Invest in a small can of deicer. This works best if you have one in the house, one on the key ring, and one at work. It won’t help if it is inside your car while it is frozen shut.

Step8

Weight – Some add extra weight to their car by placing sand bags over the top of the back wheels in the trunk. Consider this, wouldn’t it be just as easy to use bags of crushed water softener salt which is cheaper and if you really get stuck can melt snow and ice in seconds.

Tips & Warnings

Take a deep breath.
Keep your eyes on the road.

Comments

Shadowandflame said

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on 1/1/2008 Sometimes letting a few pounds of pressure out of your drive tire helps, But do this on temperaraly. The best advise in bad road conditions, is GO SLOW, even as slow as 10 MPH is better then getting stuck in a ditch or worse. when its icey, you may want to hug the burm ,the gravel will be less icy, it also puts you a little out of the way of the other guy that may always slide in your lane a little. I always turn the radio off to remove the distraction. Roll a window down a bit to help say alert. If driving an automatic, put it in 2nd gear especially if going down a steep hill, this will hold your vehicle back from going to fast.

arwen1964 said

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on 12/20/2007 Don't forget to keep some shelf stable snacks in the car as well. If you are stranded very long, it could make a big difference. Excellent tips...great article.

TorConstantino said

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on 12/13/2007 Excellent info! As a former resident of the "Lake Effect" snow belt in New York State, I can attest that your tips are right on target. This is especially relevant given the icy blast that just socked the Midwest from OK through southern NY. Thanks for the timely advice as people hit the roads for the holidays!

TorConstantino said

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CCrock said

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on 12/13/2007 Priceless information! I grew up in northern Canada and remember many times, my parents managing the vehicle on black ice. It can be scarry!

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